Big city or small town Essay

Good afternoon everyone. Today I’d like to say something about big city and small town. It sounds charming to see stars at night, to plant fruits in the garden, or to picnic on the lawn, rural life distinguished itself in being closer to nature. But truth to be told, living close to nature also means that there will be plenty of animals and insects visiting your home and vegetation. Surely Fish is more inclined to enjoy itself in marine environment instead of being stuck in a small pond. So are humans. City born and city bred, the quiet life of country has never appealed to me and I fancy the adventurous and splendid life of city. To begin with, living in a big city can enjoy the best services and entertainment as well as more opportunities. In a megalopolis, the government and wealthy people have invested lots of capital and resources in providing people with fabulous facilities, services and infrastructure like big cinemas, theatres, stadiums, big shopping malls, the best me dical services, good education resources, uncountable restaurants, theme parks, museums, convenient transport systems, etc, resulting in more job opportunities and choices. These are all rarely found in small towns as most of them are located in suburbs where population density is low and transportation is poor, so it will be very boring and inconvenient to live in a small town. In addition, living in a metropolis can broaden your horizons. With a very dense population, big cities such as New York contain a diverse realm of ideas and innovations, as well as different high valued cultural activities and lifestyles. There are uncountable things to do, thousands of all sorts of unique or strange or interesting people to meet, and numerous places to visit every day, and much more opportunities to explore various cultures and knowledge. On the other hand, a small town has a strong homogeneity, in which all people in the town share similar ideas and attitudes, so what people in a small town can experience and learn is limited to the town: what you can know are only the ideas of your neighbors, who you can meet are only the people from the same town, where you can go are only the areas nearby! Only in the big city can people satisfy their curiosity of the outside world, their thirst for knowledge and their eagerness of gaining different  experiences. Last but not least, a big city is vibrant while a small town is comparatively boring. In small towns, people usually live a stable, slow and simple lifestyle, which consists of very little changes in everyday life. However, in a big city, citizens live and work at a fast pace. People in big cities can therefore enjoy a more exciting, glamorous and productive life. Although a hurrying lifestyle may cause great pressure to the people involved, the invigorating life it brings about is very attractive. Although some people may argue that small towns have less pollution and are close to nature. Life there seems delightful but it will absolutely be very dull for youngsters like us to repeat the same simple and relax living style day and night. I embrace challenges and new things more, so despite the concentrated pollution and distance from the natural world, I still fancy the life in a big city. All in all, the life of a city dweller is more adventurous and splendid, while the life in smal l towns is rather simple and plain. Hence, small towns may be a good choice for retired, but not energetic university students like us. Thank you very much!

The Relationship between Prestige Pricing and Advertising Choices

Prestige pricing is a pricing strategy through which brand image of a product is enhanced by the price fixed for it. This pricing strategy is also termed as psychological strategy as the consumers feel that since the price of a product is higher than its other competitive products in the market, it might be superior in quality. They don’t even try to find out whether there is any difference in the ingredients or construction of the higher and lower priced product or not. Due to this pricing strategy, the top brands enjoy higher share in the market even when their products are priced 30%to 40%higher than a similar product with no brand value. Cosmetics, drugs, apparels etc. enjoy more market share if they have big brand image. Prestige pricing can also be termed as a non-pricing strategy because there is no need for the advertising to mention price at all. Instead, in the advertising of these products more focus is paid on service and quality. The lesser a customer knows about the quality of a product the better are chances of him to get lured by the advertising of the product. If the product has a good brand value, the customer is fully confident about its quality and don’t even look at its advertising from a point of view of getting assured of its quality. Advertising choices for prestige priced products are immense because the producer has enough money to splurge upon advertisements. Hence he can afford the best advertising options. If he is advertising in print medium he chooses the best life style magazines because its glossy pages speak volumes about the product even without any product information. He has the option of paying the high profile celebrities to endorse the brand. Just the image of the celebrity along with the product is enough to grab the attention of the consumers. If the producer does not apply the prestige pricing strategy, his advertising choices get limited. The more the price, the better are the advertising options. Karlof and Lovingsson (2005, p. 286) have rightly observed the following effects of the interrelation between prestige pricing and advertising choices: â€Å" competition is low demand exceeds supply a company enjoys the position of virtual monopoly† In the words of Griffiths and Wall (2004, p.163) â€Å"If manufacturers can create an association in consumers’ mind that premium prices mean higher quality and exclusiveness, then they can engage in prestige pricing.† This can be done none other than advertising. Advertising choices and prestige pricing are interrelated. So the practice of psychologically influencing the consumers’ choices is evident from the sophisticated advertising campaigns of all the high priced products in the market. The money spent on producing a product is cost while the price is the money the consumer spends to buy that product. In the prestige pricing strategy the price is not related to the value of the product but the consumers are made to feel that way. This is not possible without the range of advertising choices available in this kind of strategy. So it can be concluded that prestige pricing and advertising choices go hand in glove. Word count: 535 References Arens, W.F. and Bovee, C.L. (5 Ed.). (1994). Contemporary Advertising. USA: IRWIN Griffiths, A. and Ison, S. (2002). Business Economics. UK: Heinemann. Griffiths, A. and Wall, S. (Ed.). (10 Ed.). (2004). Applied Economics. England: Pearson Education Limited. Karlof, B. and Lovingsson, F. (2005)The A-Z of Management Concepts And Models. London: Thorogood Publishing.                        

1) What Legislation Is in Place to Help You Administer Medication Safely? Give an Account of How This Affects Your Work.

Unit 616 Medication Questions 1) What legislation is in place to help you administer medication safely? Give an account of how this affects your work. The Medicines Act 1968 Regulates the supply and manufacture of medicines and defines the three categories of medicine: Prescription only, pharmacy medicines and general sales list. This affects my work in that it tells me which types of medicine I can simply pick up over the counter (for example, if someone I supported had a minor problem such as a cold, by consulting this legislation I would know which drugs I would be able to pick up without a prescription).It also categorises the medication which I currently administer and gives me an idea of how different types of medications are classified. For example, many times in the setting I work in, medication orders will be repeat prescriptions. For this, correct information must be supplied: name of service user, name and strength of medication and amount ordered sufficient for the time p eriod. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 Categorises banned substances into bands A, B, and C. This tells me that administering certain drugs would result in me breaking the law. It outlines what is legal to administer and what isn’t.Also this act outlines the legal requirement to store controlled drugs in locked cabinets and keep a record (controlled drugs register) of stock numbers, expiry dates etc. At our workplace we administer several controlled drugs such as diazepam, so this legislation affects me in the way that is outlines my legal responsibilities for storing and safely administering these drugs. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 This act informs me of mine and my employer’s duties at work and tells me what is required of my employer to ensure the working environment is safe. Care Standards Act 2000Establishes national minimum standards in order to meet the needs of the people we support. For example, some of the people we support like to administer their own me dication and all information regarding their medication must be available for them to access at any time. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 This act outlines the requirements of employers to protect their employees from the hazards of substances used in the workplace. Medication comes under this act and it outlines principles for recording, safekeeping, handling and disposal of medicines, all things we deal with on a regular basis.

Security Measures Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security Measures Paper - Assignment Example Thesis: With network breaches being inevitable, small, medium, and large organizations must have security plans and standard operation procedures in place to prevent, detect, and respond efficiently to intrusions. A security plan is a blueprint of the realization of safety objectives. This is a requirement for small and medium companies by also for large companies. In this case, security plan comprises of numerous elements including evaluation, situation assessment, testing, security policy, and implementation all of which work towards preventing and minimizing the possibility of harm resulting from electronic and other resources through malicious actions, accident, error, or natural disaster. For this organization, situation assessment will work well in ensuring that the appropriate network areas are well protected, the formulated security strategy and plan are comparative to the probable threat, and offer upgrading plans that comprise countermeasures for novel hazards. The scope of an effective network plan will also result to clearly understood security issues, the required security level, and potential attackers among other factors (Daya, 2009, p. 2). Since the network plan scope is limited by the form of threats it covers, often, IT related threats may have a separate IT plan is prepared using specialized knowledge. With the scope, continuous security assessment will enable the organization to determine its progress in promoting network security through the identification of what is to be defended. Often, network security assessment explores the extent to which the vulnerability of people, equipment, locations, service availability, and confidential information is mi nimized and recommended actions for improvement. With the network components to be defended, the next move is the determination of threats to be defended (Sighn, 2011, p.

Factors that Medium-Sized Companies Need to Think Introducing ERP Research Paper

Factors that Medium-Sized Companies Need to Think Introducing ERP System - Research Paper Example Moreover, it has been found that many organizations that have implemented these systems have failed to materialize these systems set out benefits. In fact many organizations have shown results which are totally against the argument supporting the installation of ERP systems in an organization. Research findings have discovered many variables that are needed for the successful implementation of these systems in an organization. Amongst these variables are: top management support, organizational culture, sound implementation plan, user involvement, and etch. On the technical side, variables which are of prime importance are: sound system architecture, data integrity, system interface and etch. Researchers have also found that for the successful implementation of these systems, the top management of the organization needs to clarify the scope of these systems. This scope should be very clear and free from any kind of ambiguity. The importance of this finding stem from the fact that not every business process can be integrated with the ERP system, and in case an organization is unclear about this fact than there are likely chances that it will try to bring many undue processes into the relevant scope of the ERP project. This behavior or action will keep adding cost to the entire project’s cost, ultimately leading to the project getting over budget. This cost might be so high that it might not justify the value of the benefits derived from these systems. It is therefore of utmost importance that the project team is given a clear scope and vision for the entire project. It is also important that the project team place especial emphasis on the systems architecture, because too much customization of the system may render the system inefficient. It would be better that an organization implementing these systems, tailor its business processes according to the fields of the software. Since these software suits represent the best practices of the industry, therefore it would not be wrong to use these fields rather than tailoring them to correspond to the existing business processes of the organization. SMEs have to carefully consider all the intricacies involved with the implementation of these systems because they do not have the strong capital base to support any mishap encountered during the implementation of these systems. These companies need to be very clear about the objectives they seek to accomplish by installing ERP systems in their operations, because otherwise they would end upon incurring a capital outlay that would be difficult to replenish. INTRODUCTION: In order to respond to the needs of its marketplace, a business must have accurate and updated information about its suppliers, customers, employees, invoices and payment and most importantly about its own products and services. A business needs to organize its work activities which use this information to operate efficiently and enhance the overall performance of the firm. Info rmation systems are the means by which an organization can manage all its vital information and tailor this information in a manner that allows it to make better decisions and improve the execution of their business processes. Information systems are fundamentally aimed at improving the business process of a company. The manner, in which an organization’s work is organized, coordinated and focused to produce a

Contemporary issues in marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary issues in marketing - Essay Example The definition of RM as stated by Gronroos (1994, p.22) is: "Relationship Marketing is to establish, maintain, and enhance relationships with customers and other partners, at a profit, so that the objectives of the parties involved are met. This is achieved by a mutual exchange and fulfilment of promises." Furthermore Harker (1999) was able to use the results of his research to build a new definition of RM. According to Harker (1999, p.16) RM is when an organisation is engaged in proactively creating, developing and maintaining committed, interactive and profitable exchanges with selected customers overtime." Gronroos (1994) further added to the RM debate when he recognised that marketing mix management was beginning to lose its position as the dominant marketing paradigm. He noted that relationship building and management, or "relationship marketing", was one leading new approach to marketing which was becoming increasingly popular amongst marketing literature (Gronroos, 1994). ... The Benefits of Relationship Marketing Reichheld and Kenny (1991) conducted their research and looked at the benefits derived by firms from retaining long-term loyal customers. They noted that contemporary strategies for improving profitability involved cost reduction and price increases. They found these strategies, while successful in the short-term actually undermined long-term profits (Reichheld & Kenny 1991). By comparing the performance between banks participating in the study (Reichheld & Kenny 1990-1991) found that those who focused on retaining deposit customers outperformed their competitors. Reichheld and Kenny (1991) attributed the increase in growth to the 'shifting of competition from the "open market" where the banks had little control,' to inside their branches, where they could exercise greater control. Reichheld and Kenny (1991, p.20) identified five key areas that affected long-term performance and increased profits. 1) Balances grow over time; 2) The expense of acquiring new customers is incurred only in the first year, therefore the longer the relationship the lower the amortised cost; 3) The cost of maintaining customers is somewhat fixed, therefore maintenance expenses decline as the relationship lengthens; 4) Long-term customers are more likely to expand their relationship to other products or services; and 5) Long-term customers are more likely to refer their friends and relatives to the bank. Reichheld and Kenny (1991) concluded by noting that the banks that successfully manage retention will establish themselves as growth and profit leaders within the retail banking industry. After recognising that RM literature focused predominantly on the benefits of customer loyalty from the perspective of the firm, Gwinner, Gremler, and Bitner (1998)

Protein structure and function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Protein structure and function - Essay Example nce is responsible for the activities of the different subunits, for example, the exonuclease and excision activities in DNA polymerase I of prokaryotes (Gilbert 2000). The alpha helices in DNA polymerase organize themselves in the form of coiled coils, which are bundles of alpha helices that form superhelices. Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waal forces of attraction play a significant role in the tertiary structure of DNA polymerase. This gives a 3-D appearance of a clamp. For example in Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli, DNA polymerases sustain nearness with nucleic acid templates by means of contact with sliding clamps, which enclose DNA thus connecting the polymerase and the substrate of the DNA (Argiriadi et al. 2006). DNA polymerase has several non-identical subunits depending on the type of organism in question. In eukaryotes, there are five different subunits namely alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon (Gilbert 2000). These subunits interact in the process of DNA replication with each subunit playing a distinct role. DNA polymerase also has several domains such as the zinc finger domain and the DNA binding domains. The zinc fingers comprise of interactions between sulphide, nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the neighbouring peptides with a zinc ion. These regions influence the function of DNA polymerase by enabling the binding of the enzyme to the template strand of DNA at the replication fork before the process of replication can commence (Styrer et al. 2002). Argiriadi, M. A., Goedken, E. R., Bruck, I., ODonnell, M., & Kuriyan, J 2006, â€Å"Crystal structure of a DNA polymerase sliding clamp from a Gram-positive bacterium,† BMC Structural Biology, vol.6 no. 2, pp.

Stock Price Movement of McGraw-Hill Publishing Inc Research Paper

Stock Price Movement of McGraw-Hill Publishing Inc - Research Paper Example As a further proof, consider the profit or loss faced by an investor who invests $1000 in the stocks of the company on October 14, 2008 and sells those very stocks exactly 52 weeks later on October 15, 2009. For simplicity, the opening prices of the stocks have been taken into account. Profit/Loss after Investment On October 14, 2008, opening stock price of McGraw-Hill Publishing = $28.06 Hence, with $1000, number of stocks that the investor purchased = (1000/28.06) ≈ 35.64 However, since number of stocks cannot be in fractions, so, 35 stocks are being considered. So, the purchasing price of 35 stocks = $982.10. Again, on October 15, 2009, opening stock price of McGraw-Hill Publishing = $29.25 Hence, the gross return to the investor after selling 35 stocks = $(29.25 x 35) = $1023.75. Hence, net profit to the investor after 52-weeks = $ (1023.75 – 982.10) = + $41.65. Conclusion Although there had been a net profit in the long-run, but the company had been subject to a number of short-run losses mainly because of inconsistency surrounding some overhanging legal issues. However, Standard & Poor’s which also is owned by MHP and accounts for 75 percent of the company finances, made a huge profit by mid-October, 2009, due to a large number of bond issuance, that led the parent organisation to generate much higher proceeds and consequently, its share price rose to an amount, 25 percent more than what it was on the same day the previous year (Reuters, October 11, 2009).

Wild vs. lab rodent comparison supports hygiene hypothesis Article

Wild vs. lab rodent comparison supports hygiene hypothesis - Article Example This makes sense, since over 58 million Americans have some form of allergies or autoimmune disease (Merritt, 2006). This has been supported by the levels of different types of antibodies found when comparing laboratory rats and mice to those trapped in the wild (Devalapalli et al., 2006). While exposure to fewer microbes in childhood may cause higher levels of allergies, it is also related to positive benefits such as reduced infant mortality and increased longevity (Wills-Karp, Santeliz, & Karp, 2001). Therefore, while reduced exposure to microbes could in fact lead to increased incidence of allergies and auto-immune diseases, as shown by the hygiene hypothesis and the immune responses of laboratory rodents, there is still clear benefit to living in a society that values hygiene. References Devalapalli, A. P., Lesher, A., Shieh, K., Solow, J. S., Everett, M. L., Edala, A. S., . . . Parker, W. (2006). Increased Levels of IgE and Autoreactive, Polyreactive IgG in Wild Rodents: Implic ations for the Hygiene Hypothesis. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 64(2), 125-136. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.01785.x Merritt, R. (2006, 16 Jun).

Marketing Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Report - Assignment Example So what is marketing It is the analysis of customers, competitors, and a company, combining the understanding into an overall understanding of what segments exists, deciding on targeting the most profitable segments, positioning the product and then doing what's necessary to deliver on that positioning. Marketing is what is done to make the public aware of a product/service/company. This can include many things, advertising, public relations, person to person communications and more. It's important because without marketing your product won't be known to the public. The target location of the business is located in Kent , UK. It is located west of UK. The following factors are to be considering in describing our target market. Our business is a period picture framing and a small furniture workshop. First we must identify who will be our customer. Who among the resident of Kent would be interested in our product. Our segment definition is of itself strategic. We are not intending to satisfy all users of furniture intended for use with personal computers, but, rather, only those who are most demanding. We are definitely out to address the needs of the high-end buyer, who is willing to pay more for quality. In our particular market, we also seek the buyer who appreciates two attributes: the quality of furniture workmanship and the excellence of design, with an understanding of technology and ergonomics built in. Our target market is a person who wants to have very fine furniture with the latest in technology, combined with an old fashioned sense of fine woods and fine woodworking. This person can be in the corporate towers, small or medium business, or in a home office. The common bond is the appreciation of quality, and the lack of price constraints. We understand that our target market needs more than just furniture and pictures in frame. We need to grow out of the special needs of personal computing, when combined with other furniture - thus the picture frame fits the room being furnished Our target customer wants to have all of that plus fine furniture. There is a need for quality, reassurance of wood and good workmanship. We don't just sell a picture frame and furniture; we sell q uality design, plus workmanship. Market Segmentation Corporate executives: our market research indicates about 250,000 potential customers who are managers in companies of more than 100 employees. The target customer is going to be at a high executive level, in most cases, because the purchase price is relatively steep compared to standard office furniture. It will be not applicable to promote to someone the furniture who are not earning enough money. The people would appreciate it, but we will not be able to market the furniture since they don't have the means to purchase the said item. Like our company we can market our product to starting small business owners: our customer surveys indicate a strong market among the owners of businesses with fewer than 100 employees. There are3 million such businesses in this country, most of them with concentrated ownership that makes the owners potential customers. Since their company is just starting up they need furniture for their offices as well as pictures frame that will go with their furniture. Home offices: the home office business has proliferated during the 1990s, and we also have home offices for people employed outside the home.

Larry page Essay Example for Free

Larry page Essay How was the leader ‘vision’ implemented? Google founded in 1998 with Sergey Brin. Google soon found itself at the top of search engines and from a small, garage- based company had transformed into a global giant. Google now is a synonym of worlds no1 ideal (New York Post, 2011) and employs 53546 people owns numerous offices worldwide. Some vision points for Google and future technologies that Larry pages laying out from Google’s developer conference in San Francisco 2011. â€Å"Technology should do the hard work so people can do the things that make them the happiest in life. † â€Å"We’re really only at 1% of what’s possible, and maybe even less than that†¦we’re still moving slow.† â€Å"We should be building great things that don’t exist.† â€Å"Being negative is not how we make progress.† â€Å"I’m sure people in the future will think were just as crazy as we think people in the past were.† â€Å"I think today we’re still just scratching the surface of what’s possible. That’s why I’m so excited Google is working on the platforms supporting all your innovations.† Source: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/larry-page-lays-out-his-vision-for-the-future-of-google-and-technology-2013-5 Analyse Leader style. (Explain/ justify your answer) Larry Page has 5 leader style strategies 1. Follow the crazy ideas Google search engine of creativity stems from one of his dream: He was trying to download the entire Internet to your computer, but also to maintain the entire link. When someone did crazy to this extent, you will face smaller competitions. He said. 2. Create the team work, Avoid bureaucratic Larry is doing the reorganization without a whisper and streamlining of middle managers in order to eliminate bureaucracy. 3. Respond quickly and concisely  Page hopes to develop a more responsive and more flexible approach to management in Google, which would easy to make a judgment when making a decision. 4. Understand the importance of â€Å"little tricks† Google always improving their products such as Gmail, search engines and android products to take their customers have good image to Google. 5. Unremitting.  Larry pages thinks unremitting is a successful method to achieve the goals. If people not keep faith the thing they want to do, they may not achieve their objective. Source: http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2011-04-19/11585423562.shtml Purpose of program. Google Larry and Sergey reason why the search engine named Google is actually taken from the mathematical term googol, meaning one followed by 100 zeros. In 1998, Sun Microsystems (Sun) co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim wrote a check for $ 100,000 U.S. dollars, the company does not yet exist to open Google Inc., Google Inc. Was born Summary and timeline of program implementation 1996 Larry and Sergey this time is a computer graduate student at Stanford University, they began to build a cooperative called BackRub search engine. 1997  Larry and Sergey decided to change to a new name Backrub search engine. After some brainstorming, the final decision is named Google 1998. Sun Microsystems (Sun) co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim wrote a check for $ 100,000 U.S. dollars to open a company does not yet exist: Google Inc. 8 1999 ~ recent  Eric Schmidt was appointed as chairman of the board First published 10 kinds of language version of Google.com , available in French, German, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian and Danish Start for searching for Chinese, Japanese and Korean language support to a total of 15 species. Google Toolbar launched . This is a browser plug-in can be carried out without entering the Google home search. Released the first mobile device with an open platform Android, August 19 in the United States Wall Street initial public offering of Class A common stock Google Maps official on-line Officially acquired AdMob, which is a mobile service multimedia advertising company. Announced the co-founder Larry Page in April 2011 will be the companys chief executive , Eric Schmidt will serve as executive chairman. (Source: http://www.google.com.au/about/company/history/#top)

Three Different Perspectives On Light Essay Example for Free

Three Different Perspectives On Light Essay Write three perspectives on light in three different paragraphs. The three perspectives of light include `house warm yellow light`, `street light at night and `sun light shining in through a window`.   Write about how we take them for granted and never realized the importance and the beauty of them. but in different perspectives for each one. INTRODUCTION The power of light can not be overemphasised. It is the ultimate gift of God to man. Just like air and water, light is not obtained with payments nor with demand. It is freely available for our use and for utilization by other natural creatures. Who can deny the Excellency of light as it penetrates the various layers of the earth to warm our planet, and keep live going on and on. Light , and specifically sunlight, is the ultimate source of energy for activities on the earth. It gives the plants the ability to use inorganic compounds like water and carbon dioxide and convert them to organic molecules like glucose which can supply energy to animals that graze and eat plants.   It is best depicted in the words of Micheal Strassfield: ‘Light gives off itself freely, fling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished’ THE PERSPECTIVES There are different perspectives on light. These perspectives represent the view and schema through which the activities of light are interpreted. These include `house warm yellow light`, `street light at night and `sun light shining in through a window’. Many a time, these are disregarded. We sometimes overlook the essence of these things and how they impact our lives. `House Warm Yellow Light`   this streaks through the open spaces and finds its ways to the welcoming wall of an alluring room. It spread the flagrance of morning joy subtly and sends a message that hat lies above can be greater than what lies below. In a actual fact, this is usually the case.   The penetrating waves in this streak of light leave no stone untouched in their path, as they make their way through. If blocked by an object in their path, they announce such to the observant eyes. Light in this form may be irritable to the skin but it s effect on it is vital for the survival for bones and cartilage; vitamin d is produced from the reaction of ultraviolet on skin molecules. Beyond this, this yellow light shines bright in the day and does a good we often overlook: it warms the home and softens the freezing effect of a cold night.   It caresses the pan and metals of the roof dropping bouts of heat into the home without a request for it.   What a yellow light! It warms without intense rash from the skin yet it never kills like a fire would do.   Lo and behold: this beauty is overlooked. We just do not notice the brilliance it adds to a day. We are more concerned about seemingly important things that we do not care whether the light is yellow or orange. Ralph Emerson says ‘The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people’ This confirms the fact we do ignore the essence of such common but important part of our life. Usually, we are consumed by the needs of our relationships, professions and have limited time to consider r the existence of such an important component of nature. It is interesting to know its exists but unfortunate to realise that we care less about the phenomenon. `street light at night’ At night, I was seat in the comfort of a car, and music ensues slowly from the player. It cools my heart from the pressures and surprise of the day.   I am reminded of the challenges of the day and those that may be waiting at home. What preoccupies my mind   are goals achieved for the day, and what to do about the staff that got me annoyed few hours earlier. Just along the road stands the street light. The arrangements of the traffic stands are similar to the geographical range of plants in parks and gardens. These are guides to the darkness that mar the night. All we are interested is that it is there to light the night, and nothing more. Alas! There is something more: if it is not there, we may become vexed   at the government agencies involved in the maintenance of the facilities. Oft time, we do not see it. But just a quick look at how they look while we are in the car, or stand outside to watch would make us appreciate as they perform   their function. Sun Light Shining In Through A Window` Sun light is the ultimate source of energy, as earlier mentioned.   Sunlight that shines through a window is   an other perspective of light. It demonstrates the rectilinear path of light. Along this path are particles of life. They are made visible by the light. Even this, we do not bother to ask about it. Only scientists like Tyndall have attempted to understand the scattering effect of light. But many of us are interested in the ‘cares of this world’ and have not time at all to look at the streak that emerges through the window. It also reminds me of   John Greenleaf Whittier who notes that ‘The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun. What would that do? Maybe so that we can then notice that light can be yellow; it brightens up a day. It lights up the dark night and shines through the window plane. REFERENCE http://www.quotegarden.com/light.html

Antidiabetic Effect of Momordica Charantia

Antidiabetic Effect of Momordica Charantia Effect of Momordica charantia fruits on Diabetic Complications Introduction    Momordica Charantia (Cucurbitaceae) or Bitter Melon, is a Tropical vegetable, is a common food in Indian cusine and has been used extensively in folk medicine (Dasgupta, 2011). In Ayurveda, the fruit is considered as tonic, stomachic, stimulant, emetic, antibilous, laxative and alterative. Bitter melon has been used in various Asian traditional medicine systems for a long time. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports (Kumar et al., 2010; Patel et al., 2010; Sharma et al.,2011). In the initial study, significant antihyperglycemic activiy of crude powder of M.charantia fruits was observed in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Among the various extracts aqueous extract showed significant effect on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal as well as STZ diabetic rats after oral administration of sucrose and also showed significant lowering of fasting blood glucose in STZ diabetic rats. Therefore the aqueous extract was subjected to the fractionation and two different fractions namely butanol and aqueous fractions were obtained. The fractions were again administered to the STZ diabetic rats in which both the fractions showed significant antihyperglycemic although the activity was greater in aqueous fraction treated group. The present chapter mainly illustrates the long term multiple dose effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia in high fructose diet fed low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats (HFD-STZ) and high dose STZ induced diabetic rats. Multiple dose study in the animal models provide the better understanding about the overall effect of the selected fraction on the various symptoms and associated compilcations of diabetes mellitus. Prior to the in vivo study, the aqueous fraction has also subjected to the in vitro study using L6 cells to find out its effect on the cellular glucose uptake and insulin signaling. Design of study Aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of T.belerica fruits were subjected to in vitro study using L6 cells to see the effect of fraction on glucose uptake, and insulin signaling. In vivo study was performed using high fructose diet fed low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats (HFD-STZ) and high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats. HFD-STZ rats were selected and grouped on the basis of elevated plasma triglycerides and cholesterol level while the high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats were grouped on the basis of their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level. Multiple dose of aqueous fraction was carried out for one month and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and biochemical analysis including plasma lipid profile analysis and hepatic and renal function tests were performed at regular intervals. Since chronic complications are more pronounced in high dose STZ rats, therefore at the end of the experiments the animals were sacrificed and the kidney of treated as well as untreated control groups were collec ted for the study of the effect of aqueous fraction on the molecular markers involved in oxidative stress induced diabetic nephropathy. Results: (1) Concentration dependent effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on glucose uptake in L6 cells: Treatment of aqueous fractions led to increase of basal as well as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in concentration dependent manner in L6 cells. Figure 1 shows significant increase of 1.41-fold (p (2) Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia on mRNA expression of insulin signaling gene in L6 cells: Gene expression profile suggest that the expression of IRS-1 (Insulin receptor substrate, PI3K (Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), AKT2 (Protein kinase-B) and GLUT4 genes were upregulated by the treatment of aqueous fraction. Thus it is clear that the aqueous fraction of M.charantia stimulates the genes of insulin signaling pathway which may lead to the antihyperglycemic effect of the fraction. (3) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia on IRS-1, AKT and GLUT4 proteins in L6 cells: Insulin signaling pathway can influence glucose uptake by the translocation of GLUT4 containing vesicles to the plasma membrane and thus facilitates in the transportation of glucose across the plasma membrane. Drugs affecting the insulin signaling may modulate the glucose uptake in this manner. In the present study, it was observed that similar to the gene expression profile, treatment of aqueous fraction increases the protein expression of of p-IRS-1, p-AKT and GLUT4. Thus it is clear that aqueous fraction of M.charantia do effect insulin signaling pathway in in vitro and as a consequence increase glucose uptake by cells. (4) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and plasma insulin level of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats Table 1 shows the remarkable effect of aqueous fraction on fasting blood glucose of treated animals. Highly significant improvement of 31.8% (p (5) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on lipid profile of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats High fructose diet generally cause disturbances in lipid profile leading to dyslipidemia which get further deified by the low dose treatment of STZ causing highly elevated plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL level and decreased plasma HDL level. Table 2 shows that the treatment with aqueous fraction for one month significantly improved plasma lipid profile and the significant declination of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol was found to the tune of 35.7% (pM.charantia was found sufficiently effective against diabetic dyslipidemia caused by high fructose and low dose STZ in animals. (6) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on Hepatic and Renal parameters of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. High fructose diet may cause dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance which are the characteristics of diabetes type 2 and the extent of severity may get increased by the low dose of STZ which may further add the symptoms like hepatic and renal dysfunction in the experimental animals. Table 3 and 4 shows that in the present study treatment of aqueous fraction was found to improve the plasma level of hepatic and renal function markers. It is clear from Table 3 that there was significant decline of plasma AST and ALT level at ever time interval and the lowering of 31.2% (p (7) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and plasma insulin of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats Most of the beta cells get destroyed in high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats and therefore animals display high level of fasting blood glucose and intolerance towards external glucose administration. Table 5 shows that treatment of aqueous fraction for one month significantly improved the fasting blood glucose level to the tune of 15.4% (p Elevated fasting blood glucose and reduced glucose tolerance are characteristic of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Table 5 shows that the treatment with Aqueous fraction for 30 consective days improved glucose tolerance of the treated animals to the tune of 18.0% (pth and 28th day of treatment respectively. Fasting blood glucose was declined to 15.0% (pth day and 28th day respectively. Plasma insulin level in treated group was found elevated to 42.3% (p (8) Effect of Aqueous fraction of Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on glycated haemoglobin level of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Glycated haemoglobin or HbA1c reflects the average concentration of glucose in blood for a prolonged period of time and HbA1c level are generally found elevated above normal in the untreated or late diagnosed diabetes. Hence the reduction in HbA1c level reflects the effect control of blood glucose level. In the present study animals showing HbA1c level 10 and above were selected for study. Figure 10 shows that the oral administration of Aqueous fraction of M.charantia declined the HbA1c level to the tune of 24.1% (pth day. (9) Effect of Aqueous fraction of Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on lipid profile of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. High dose STZ-induced diabetic animals which develop high HbA1c level and other complications in long duration are generally lean animals with disturbed lipid profile also but the level of triglycerides and cholesterol are not as much elevated as in diet induced model. In the present model medium elevation of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL was noticed and slight declination of HDL level. Table 6 shows that the plasma triglyceride level was found reduced by 25.4% (p (10) Effect of Aqueous fraction Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on Hepatic and Renal parameters of Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats It is evident from Table 7 and 8 that Aqueous fraction treated group showed marked decline in plasma AST and ALT as well as urea, uric acid and creatinine level which clearly reflects improvement in hepatic and renal performance as compared to the untreated control group. Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on activated stress signaling pathway in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats: To determine the effect of hyperglycemia in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous fraction of M.charantia, the expression of p-PKCÃŽ ´ was studied and figure 11 shows no significant change of expression in M.charantia treated rats in comparison to STZ-untreated rats. Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on expression of pp-38(MAPK) ,ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats The effect of M.charantia treatment on glucose-induced changes in MAPK family members was also studied. MAPKs have been identified as transducers linking high glucose to biochemical deficits in diabetes. p38 mediates responses to osmotic stress including the regulation of genes such as aldose reductase together with JNK which is activated by oxidative stress (208). Aldose reductase-sensitive phosphorylation and nuclear migration of p38 MAPK has been demonstrated in DRG sensory neurons of diabetic rodents and specific inhibition of p38 prevents Na+ channel phosphorylation (346). Figure 12 demonstrates a clear increase in pp38 MAPK in response to increasing glucose. (Yuan et al 2009).But on the contrary no change was observed in pp38 and its associated members (JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 ) Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on the expression of IKKÃŽ ², NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² and antiinflamatory AKT in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats In order to assess the effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia on IKKÃŽ ² expression in the STZ induced kidney, the immunoblotting of IKKÃŽ ² and NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² were performed and its effect on anti-apoptotic molecules such as AKT was also analysed. As it is clear from figure 13, that the fraction did not showed any significant effect in expression level of IKKÃŽ ², NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² and phosphorylated AKT . Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on apoptotic markers (caspase-3, pp53 and cleaved PARP-1) High glucose concentrations found in diabetic patients trigger cellular apoptosis. As given such an elaborated knowledge of effect of pro-apoptotic molecules the effect of the fraction on these apoptosis triggered protein expression that is activated–caspase-3 was studied and the results in figure 14 and 15 indicates no change in expression of active-caspase-3 and cleaved PARP-1 in treated group when compared to untreated STZ induced rats. Discussion: Momordica charantia is a native to tropics (Hamissou, 2013) and its medicinal properties are mentioned in ancient literatures (Kumar, 2010). It also forms the part of many polyherbal antidiabetic formulations and also known for anticancer, antibacterial, antiulcer, antifertility, antihelminthic, antimalerial, antipsoriasis and immunomodulatory activities (Dasgupta, 2011; Sharma, 2011). The previous study confirmed the significant antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous extract in various animal models and therefore it was further fractionated to obtain butanol and aqueous fraction. Both these fractions showed significant antihyperglycemic activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats although higher activity was observed in aqueous fraction and therefore the same was selected for the study of secondary complications of diabetes. Aqueous fraction treatment in L6 cells enhanced basal as well as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in concentration dependent manner. GLUT4 translocation and distribution is vital in the glucose upatake by cells (Leney and Tavare, 2009). Effect of aqueous fraction on GLUT4 expression was studied by treating L6 myotubes with aqueous fraction and as a result expression of GLUT4 significantly increased at both mRNA and protein level. Hence the increase in glucose uptake was due to the upregulation of the GLUT4 expression by L6 myotubes. Present study also suggests that the aqueous fraction increased tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in L6 myotubes and also increased the mRNA level of the same. PI3K xpression was also found increased in treated L6 myotubes. Beside this the aqueous fraction also increased mRNA level of AKT in L6 myotubes and also stimulated the phosphorylation of AKT at Ser-473 suggesting that the stimulatory effect of aqueous fraction of A.indica on glucose uptake is med iated via PI-3-K/AKT pathway. Further the aqueous fraction was subjected to the multiple dosing in HFD-STZ rat model which shares some characteristics with human type 2 diabetes (Salama et al., 2013). Fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance was markedly improved in aqueous fraction treated group which supports the outcome of in vitro study showing increased glucose uptake by treated cells. Dyslipidemia is the characteristic feature of HFD-STZ rats (Panchal and Brown, 2011) and aqueous fraction effectively restored the lipid profile of treated rats by the significant lowering of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL and enhancing the plasma HDL level. Declined level of hepatic transaminases and plasma level of urea, uric acid and creatinine indicates towards hepato and reno protective action of aqueous fraction. Since the diabetic complications are more severe in low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats with untreated hyperglycemia of several weeks reflected in elevated level of HbA1c. Therefore the aqueous fraction was also studied in low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats showing abnormally high level of HbA1c. Such animals were treated with aqueous fraction for one month and there was significant improvement in fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance of treated animals. The improvement in fasting blood glucose was well reflected in the declination of HbA1c level of the treated animals by the significant extent. Plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL were significantly reduced and HDL-level was raised significantly which confirms the antidyslipidemic effect of aqueous fraction in diet induced model. There was also marked lowering of hepatic transaminases and plasma level of urea, uric acid and creatinine indicating towards the hepato and reno protective activity of aqueous fr action of M.charantia. Further study was carried on to see the effect of M.charantia on kidney of STZ-induced rats .The study revealed that M.charantia does not showed any significant effect on any of pro-apoptotic or stress-inducing pathway. Thus indicating that this fraction does not exerts significant effect on oxidative-stress induced nephropathy, therefore it was not relevant to move forward towards compounds elucidation and study. Therefore it may be concluded that aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits is moderately effective in control of diabetic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia and also improves hepatic and renal function but less effective against secondary complications like nephropathy.

Men vs Women at the Pool Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Men vs Women at the Pool It was a Friday afternoon and the sun was shining off of her freckled nose. She was in a rage because her male counterpart had made plans to go the pool with the rest of his male friends. â€Å"Why can’t I go?† She asked in a whiney voice. â€Å" Because this is man time. Besides, you said you had things to do today.† He replied in a deep voice, as he scratched at his five o’clock shadow. It was funny how she would always have her â€Å"Girls Night Out† and he wouldn’t say a word about it. He actually liked the peace and quiet it afforded him. But if the tables were to ever turn as they did on that beautiful day, she could not understand for the life of her where this sudden urge to be separated came from. They both knew what was going to be going on at the pool that day. Groups of men sitting around their coolers talking about the girl with the big butt or helping their friends strategize on how to get the girl in the string bikini to come closer or at least bend over. That is what men do. The ones that are taken help...

Romanticism in Tim OBriens Going After Cacciato Essay -- Going After

Romanticism in Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato       Critics of Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato have examined its narrative technique (see Raymond) and its position in literature as metafiction (see Herzog).   Still other critics have commented on the motif of time (see McWilliams) and the theme and structure (see Vannatta).   On the last point, critics find the structure of the novel is fragmented to reveal the nature of the United States' involvement in Vietnam.   Unfortunately, this fragmentation makes the novel appear structurally weak.   Critics have found no unifying element to the parts to affirm the sense of wholeness readers feel after completing O'Brien's novel.   Nevertheless, the reader senses that the seemingly random construction of the novel serves to underscore the random nature of the Vietnam war.   However, to lightly dismiss O'Brien's organization as simply fragmentary does great disservice to this American author.   A critical examination of a traditional element found in American Literature since its inception--the symbolic use of Nature--unifies Going After Cacciato and places the work firmly in the Romantic tradition.   Just as Romanticists have always relied upon Nature to unify and add substantial depth to their novels so, too, has O'Brien.   Specifically, a different element of Nature appears in each of the sections of the novel.   The novel divides into three distinct parts: the observation post chapters, the recollected history chapters, and the chasing Cacciato chapters.   In the observation post chapters, Nature is represented by the sea.   In the recollected history chapters, Nature is represented by the land and the fresh water.   In the chasing Cacciato chapters, Nature becomes ... ....   Nevertheless, the defeat by the land provided O'Brien with a refreshingly new revitalization of the traditionally romantic motifs of water and land, while also exploiting the ambiguous nature of war.         Works Cited       Herzog, Tobey C.   "Going After Cacciato: The Soldier-Author-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Character Seeking Control."   Critique 24 (Winter 1983): 88-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   96.    McWilliams, Dean.   "Time in Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato." Critique 29 (Summer 1988): 245-255.    O'Brien, Tim.   Going After Cacciato.   New York: Delta/Seymour   Ã‚  Ã‚   Lawrence, 1978.    Raymond, Michael W.   "Imagined Responses to Vietnam: Tim   Ã‚   O'Brien's Going After Cacciato.   Critique 24 (Winter 1983).    Vannatta, Dennis.   "Theme and Structure in Tim O'Brien's Going   Ã‚   After Cacciato."   Modern Fiction Studies 28 (Summer 1982):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   242-246.

African-American Street Gangs in Los Angeles :: Gangs Crime Essays

African-American Street Gangs in Los Angeles In Los Angeles and other urban areas in the United States, the formation of street gangs increased at a steady pace through 1996. The Bloods and the Crips, the most well-known gangs of Los Angeles, are predominately African American[1] and they have steadily increased in number since their beginnings in 1969. In addition, there are over 600 active Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles County with a growing Asian gang population numbering approximately 20,000 members. Surprisingly, little has been written about the historical significance of black gangs in Los Angeles (LA). Literature and firsthand interviews with Los Angeles residents seem to point to three significant periods relevant to the development of the contemporary black gangs. The first period, which followed WWII and significant black migrations from the South, is when the first major black clubs formed. After the Watts rebellion of 1965, the second period gave way to the civil rights period of Los Angeles where blacks, including those who where former club members who became politically active for the remainder of the 1960s. By the early 1970s black street gangs began to reemerge. By 1972, the Crips were firmly established and the Bloods were beginning to organize. This period saw the rise of LA’s newest gangs, which continued to grow during the 1970s, and later formed in several other cities throughout the United States by the 1990s. While black gangs do not make up the larges t or most active gang population in Los Angeles today, their influence on street gang culture nationally has been profound. In order to better understand the rise of these groups, I went into the original neighborhoods to document the history which led to these groups. There are 88 incorporated cities and dozens of other unincorporated places in Los Angeles County (LAC). In the process of conducting this research, I visited all of these places in an attempt to not just identify gangs active in Los Angeles, but to determine their territories. Through several weeks of field work and research conducted in 1996, I identified 274 black gangs in 17 cities and four unincorporated areas in LAC. Post WWII to 1965 The first major period of black gangs in Los Angeles began in the late 1940s and ended in 1965. There were black gangs in Los Angeles prior to this period, but they were small in numbers; little is known about the activity of these groups.

Benazir Income Support Programme Research Proposal Essay

In this ongoing research, the researcher wants to analyze the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Keeping in view the agenda of our research the researcher identify the main organizational model and implement structure, characteristics or components of Benazir income support programme and there affects in social, poverty alleviation/reduction and economy of Pakistan. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been initiated by Government of Pakistan with initial allocation of Rs.34 billion (US $ 425 million approximately) for the year 2008-09 which is the third largest allocation in the total budget and is 0.3% of the GDP for the year 2008-09. The Programme has been initiated to partially offset the impact of inflation on the purchasing power of the poorer sections of the society. In the years 2005-07, inflation stood at almost 10% with food inflation in the range of 13-15%. In the year 2007-08 sharp rise in oil prices and primary products in the international as well as domestic market resulted in double digit inflation rate, which has almost halved the purchasing power of the people. Hence there is urgent need for direct and speedy relief to the poor sections of the society and BISP is the response to the above compulsions. The Programme is aimed at covering almost 15% of the entire population, which constitutes 40% of the population below the poverty line. A monthly payment of Rs.1000/ per family would increase the income of a family earning Rs.5000 by 20%. BISP will cover all four provinces including FATA, AJK, and FANA & ICT. Husband, wife and dependent children constitute a family. There are quite a few reasons behind this perception, the leading one being that the idea is fairly new and very attractive in order to describe the role and structural factors, mechanism of Benazir income support programme. The purpose and goal behind this study is to ultimate define the pro and cons of Benazir income support programme and their effects on Pakistan economy and what impact on poverty reduction and economic factors? i. Description: The proposed research will focus on the Benazir Income Support Programme mechanism , structure and their distribution of funds, impact on poverty reduction and alleviation, empowerment of women’s and economic factors. The research will initially be carried out locally which can be expanded to other major cities as and when required according to our research prerequisites. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) working as to help the needy people of the society to a great extent and mitigate their sufferings. Some former economic experts said the programme should provide benefit as many as three million people will be implemented with complete transparency and beyond political affiliations. The special feature of the programme is to give priority to remote and backward areas where the people have fewer chances of business and employment. The government he said would provide maximum relief to 33 percent people living below the poverty line by supporting them through Benazir Income Support Programme. The main objective of the study is to determine either the BISP achieve their goals in order of poverty alleviation/reduction, empowerment of women and social and economic factors. In order to need of this research, tools like interviews and questionnaires will be used in addition to the literature available. On the basis of these findings, inference and analysis will be made to reach to the answers of our research objectives. Economic Context: 2005-2007 Inflation: over 10% Food Inflation: 13-15% 2007-2008 Oil price shock, inflation rate doubled Purchasing power since 2005 ~ halved Inflation in 2008-2009 was above 20% Urgent need for direct and speedy relief Demographic Context: All 4 provinces, including FATA, AJK, FANA & ICT Households 25 m Population 166 m Assumed Poverty Line: 33% Bottom 33% Bottom 20% Bottom 10% Household 8.2 m 5.0 m 2.5 m Population 55.0 m 33.2 m 17 m Source: Pakistan Economic Survey, 2007-08; adjusted for AJK & FANA population BISP Cash Transfer: Complements other social protection instruments and services like health, education etc. Confers dignity and choice. Lower transaction cost and higher value to beneficiaries than in-kind support. Impacts short term food security and long term alleviation of poverty. BISP can serve as a mechanism to deliver cash assistance in times of natural disasters/ crisis in affected areas. ii. Scientific Objectives: The main idea and objective behind this research is to find whether the Benazir income support programme have properly working in order to achieve their objective for ultimate reduction in poverty alleviation, empowering women and stabilize the economy and reduction in unemployment or other economic consequences. BISP is based on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the globally agreed set of social and economic targets that are supposed to be realized by 2015. The idea of BISP was to bring the women into the mainstream. Besides cash help, the programme caries other benefits like health and accident insurances as well as vocational training so that the recipients ultimately become self-sufficient. The hypothesis formulated would be: Null Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. Alternative Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is not fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. The main objectives which are intended to be completed by the end of the study are: A measure to compensate low income families for reduction of purchasing power. A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Only one benefit per family. Empowering Women: Only female recipients: Female head of family or adult female member of the family can be a recipient. â€Å"This is not a party specific programme, it is for the people of Pakistan, because of its transparency, the entire world, and donor agencies are cooperating and are sending their offers to us.† To helping the families of the victims of bomb blasts and those of the earthquakes as well as the displaced persons from the Swat region and bajour agency and etc. To reduction in poverty alleviation. Be timely and unbiased. Temporary so as not to create dependency. Not too large, so as not to jeopardize work incentives or have an inflationary effect. Careful attention to design and implementation. Careful monitoring and evaluation. Eligibility criteria to be predefined, transparent, easy to explain and simple to administer. Important linkages to the some studies and work accomplished by various workers in the field highlighted below: References: Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Director General (Operations) BISP. Grosh, M., Ninno, C., Tesliuc, E. & Ouerghi, A. (2008), ‘the Design and Implementation of Effective Safety Nets: For Protection & Promotion’ the World Bank, Washington, D.C. www.bisp.gov.pk www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=2949 iii. Methodology: The methodology involved in this research the researcher would be used content analysis both as qualitative and quantitative. Content analysis is part of the empirical, social scientific tradition and it is method which has been developed to investigate the patterns of our study. The two major techniques of content analysis, depending on the analytical methods used, which are quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis. Quantitative Analysis: The purpose of this analysis is to quantify and manifest features of a large number of media texts. Qualitative analysis is generally concerned with how often a variable is presented and the amount can communicate in numbers. Which allows great precision in reporting the results? So in quantitative research process the application of different test would be made and regression analysis would be used and run. Qualitative Content Analysis: This type of content analysis contains a minimum of quantitative measurement, standardization and mathematical techniques (opposite). Qualitative analysis of content is used to explain the quantitative data and to interpret direction of the contents. Steps of Content Analysis: Universe of the Study: To define the universe is to specify the boundaries of the body of content to be considered, which requires an appropriate operational definition of the relevant population. This research considers the main mechanism of Benazir income support programme in respect of their characteristics, objectives, components and their effects. Sample of the Study The sampling would include individuals, institutions and all the other society factors. The target will be all major sources. Questionnaires. Interviews. Emails. The information will be collected by specially designed interviews and questionnaires, keeping in mind the research objective. iv. Benefits/Usefulness: BISP Coverage: Allocation for 2008-09: Rs 34 bn (US$ 425 m) ~ 0.3% of GDP Target coverage (3.5 million families) ~ 15% of the population Allocation for 2009-10: Rs.70 bn (US$ 875 m) Target beneficiary families for 2009-10: 5 million Plans over the medium term to extend coverage to 7 million families by 2010-2011. Seperation of Function: Functional separation for transparency and efficiency. Eligibility Criteria Monthly income less than Rs. 6000. No family member in government service. Possession of no or less than 3 acres of agricultural land or up to 3 Marlas residential property. Possession of Computerized National Identity Card. Should not be beneficiary of other support programmes. Should not have an account with a foreign bank. Should not possess a passport or an Overseas Pakistani identity card. Requirements/Conditions: Identification of applicants / recipients through democratically elected Parliamentarians. Equal number of forms distributed to each Parliamentarian. Attestation by local level representatives of Parliamentarians and Union Councilors. Screening / Verification of basic criteria through checks with National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA). Cost effective & quick targeting process. Benefits Level A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Rs. 1000 = 20% increase in income for family earning Rs. 5000/ pm. At prevalent prices Rs. 1000 payout is sufficient to finance 20-25 days flour needs of a family with 5-6 individuals. Rs. 1000/ pm not a labor disincentive – only women family member is recipient. Emergency relief package for IDP’s, victims of bomb blast and terrorism and earthquake affected districts of balochistan. Monitoring of Payments Internal monitoring mechanisms of Pakistan Post Department. External Monitoring through BISP Provincial and Regional Offices. Pakistan Post reports monthly (electronically) to BISP on payments, with list/addresses of houses and name of postman making the delivery. Eligibility and Payment status available on BISP. (www.bisp.gov.pk) Implementation Status Forms Processing Status by NADRA (as of 13 July 2009) Total Forms Processed: 3,736,914 Total Eligible: 2,122,038 Total Ineligible: 496,927 Total In†process: 50,600 Total Withheld: 1,067,349 2. Year wise physical and financial plan of work (Phasing): The following time line shall be observed while performing the research or study: 0-2 Literature and Data Review 2-3 Research Design will be Formulated 3-4 Theoretical Frameworks Designed 4-6 Collection of Data 6-8 Data Analysis and Discussion 8-10 Findings 10-12 Report Writing and Recommendations in the light of above analysis 3. Participating Personnel’s: Sir Sardar Zahid Sami Ullah Tahir Mukhtar 4. Infrastructure Facilities: Already Available: COMSATS facilities will be available, which includes office support, library support and research. Scientific Personnel: _____________________________________________ Proposed to be established: Fax Machine would be used. Scanner would be required. Photocopy would be required. 2 Laptops would be required. Laser printer would be required. USB Flash Drive would be required. One portable hard drive would be required. One Digital Video Cam would be required.

Chivalry Needing Comeback Essay

It was very important that someone would follow these laws because many people were strong believers in religion. Christianity was the largest religion during that time and the belief of Christianity is that following god and obeying God would give that person the gift of eternal life in Heaven. Heaven is described by Christianity to be a holy, pure, and a free from sin kingdom that was made by God. In the middle ages it was to win the favors of worthy women that men adhered to a higher standard of social behavior. Courtesy, honor, generosity and   faithfulness became as important as a superior warrior. This code of chivalry made a man a knight and worthy of love to a woman, otherwise he was considered a brute with a sword. A knight would be in comparison to a police officer or soldier that would fight for the right justice and to protect innocent civilians from harm. If someone was found to be dishonest or untruthful they would be executed or be in death machines like the guillotine that would chop a person’s head off in front of a large crowd. According to Authorsolen. om the number of cheating scandals has been rising in the past decade. Tiger Woods a professional golfer that has won 14 major golf championships and the highest paid professional athlete in the world was caught cheating on his wife on 27, November 2009. Tiger Woods was sponsored by Accenture, Tag Heuer, AT&T, Gillette, Gatorade, Electronic Arts, Upper Deck and Nike all dropped sponsorship with Tiger Woods after news broke out about his sex scandal. Tiger Wood’s actions caused him to have negative publicity as his approval ratings started dropping. Millions of children look up to Tiger Woods as a role model and wanting to accomplish their goals like Tiger Woods has and performing their best in athletics. Accenture made a statement about dropping sponsorship with Tiger Woods saying â€Å"At this time Tiger is not the proper representative for our product. † The dropping of sponsorships by companies don’t want a person representing their product or business if the media is writing negative reports about their representative being dishonest, unfaithful and controversial. During sex addiction therapy Tiger Woods claimed an astonishing 120 women have had a sexual affair with him according to the National Enquirer. Elin Nordegen officially decided to end the marriage of 5 years by signing divorce papers after learning about the 120th woman to have sex with Tiger Woods, which caused a $500 million settlement. On 20 February 2010 Tiger Woods made his first public appearance since when the scandal broke out apologizing for his actions and saying he was the only person to blame. Tiger Woods wasn’t loyal to his marriage and has been trying to regain his popularity in the past year, but that still doesn’t make up for promise his vows he said at his marriage ceremony that he broke. In today’s modern society everyone has cell phones, internet, and cable television to get their news and entertainment. Television programs on TV have became more vulgar over the years especially reality shows. MTV’s number one rated program is â€Å"Jersey Shore,† in the show it depicts the life of 8 â€Å"guidoes†

Choose One of the Following Models of Psychosynthesis

Choose one of the following models of psychosynthesis: (a) subpersonalities, (b) ‘I’ and the sense of identity, (c) the egg diagram. Discuss and critique its usefulness as a tool for understanding your own development and its possible application to clinical work. This essay will choose to discuss model (b) ‘I’ and the sense of identity, particularly in relation to the work of John Firman.This essay aligns with the definitions of â€Å"I† and Self as outlined by Assagioli (1965), that â€Å"I† is one’s sense of personal self, the centre of our consciousness and will, and not to be confused with the psychological contents of consciousness. Assagioli recognized a powerful integrative principle acting within the human psyche – the Self, stating that â€Å"I† is a â€Å"projection† or â€Å"reflection† of Self, seeing Self as the Ground of Being, the luminous Source from which our being flows.I agree with Firmanâ €™s (1997) singular use of the term Self to refer to the entirety of â€Å"I†s deeper being. Through the process of psychosynthesis, Assagioli believed that the â€Å"I† could become freed up to establish itself as an autonomous centre serving the Self, and it is this â€Å"freeing up† of â€Å"I† from its surrounding â€Å"contents†, including its many constellations of personalities, known as subpersonalities in psychosynthesis, that can allow for a person’s authentic sense of identity to emerge.This essay will focus on the fundamental nature of empathy in psychosynthesis thought, as an inherent quality of â€Å"I†, with its source in Self, and how, through the emerging sense of my own sense of â€Å"I†, the development of my own personal centre, this psychological tool assisted in my understanding of my own development, and was in fact utterly key to it. I will then discuss and critique the â€Å"I†s possible appl ication to clinical work, especially in relation to the importance of developing empathy.Empathy in this sense refers to the potential of â€Å"I† to be fundamentally loving towards all aspects of the personality (Firman and Gila 2007). This emergence of â€Å"I† may be seen as the heart of psychosynthesis therapy, and the pre-requisite for authentic self-expression in the world, as Assagioli affirms, â€Å"I am a living, loving, willing self† (Assagioli 1973, 156).It is precisely the ability of the therapist to provide an authentic unifying centre for the client that Assagioli emphasized as imperative to the development of personal identity, seeing such a unifying centre as â€Å"An indirect but true link, a point of connection between the personal man and his higher Self, which is reflected and seen in that object† (Assagioli 1965,25). Thus, the empathic, relational interaction with such an external unifying centre conditions the formation of an inner r epresentation or model of that centre, which can be called an internal unifying centre.In this sense the inner centre becomes capable of fulfilling the same function as the external one. In psychosynthesis, the â€Å"I† is taken as the sense of identity with its roots in Self. Assagioli (1965) affirmed the essential unity of â€Å"I† and Self, but he was also careful to maintain a distinction between them, since â€Å"I† is one’s personal sense of self flowing from the more universal nature of Self. In psychosynthesis, it is this relationship, between â€Å"I† and Self, that forms the very ground of Self-realization, defined here as one’s sense of authentic relationship.Assagioli’s insight into the nature of personal identity, or â€Å"I†, is central to psychosynthesis thought, and he was also clear not to confuse such personal identity with organizations of psychological content. Rather he saw â€Å"I† as distinct but n ot separate from any contents of experience, from any and all processes or structures of the personality† (Firman & Gila 2007, 9). One primary way Assagioli stressed to reveal the nature of â€Å"I†, was through introspection, an act of self-observation, attending to the ever arising contents of experience in consciousness. †¦the point of pure self-awareness (the â€Å"I†), is often confused with the conscious personality just described, but in reality it is quite different from it. This can be ascertained by the use of careful introspection. The changing contents of our consciousness (the sensations, thoughts, feelings, etc) are one thing, while the â€Å"I†, the self, the centre of our consciousness is another. † (Assagioli, 1965, 18). Here, a clear distinction is made between one’s sense of identity and one’s personality, a central and profound distinction within psychosynthesis thought.I began my own personal journey with a gre at need to establish my own sense of identity. I had a very broken experience of self that many times led me into a crises of identity. It was through the practice of introspection, or self-attention, in the form of continuous attention to the consciousness â€Å"I†, or the inner feeling â€Å"I†, that I developed my own sense of self. In my teenage years, my sense of identity would constantly move through what was for me, a very fragmented terrain of personality, and I had a very fragile connection to an authentic centre of identity within my personality matrix.Through the process of self-attention, I was able to establish an authentic sense of identity. Once this sense of â€Å"I† had been established as a â€Å"good enough† sense of self within me, a process of self-empathy could develop as a result of this, providing me with an â€Å"internal holding environment† (Winnicot 1987, 34), of empathy and love, an internal unifying centre, a ground fr om which to include ever more of my experience, allowing me greater exploration of self, and a centre from which to form such experiences into creative expression in the world.This leads onto one of the most useful aspects of this model in my experience, which is the concept of disidentification, a necessary requisite of empathic love. This refers to the capacity of â€Å"I† to not get stuck in, identified with, any particular contents of experience, such as thoughts, feelings, sensations, subpersonalities, etc, but rather to be able to shift and move through them all (Firman & Gila 2007).My personal practice of attention to the inner feeling â€Å"I† acted for me as an external unifying centre, that over time, coupled with my own therapeutic experience, became the internal holding environment of my own authentic sense of â€Å"I†. Through this psychosynthetic approach to identity, one may come to discover that one is not what one sees, that is the contents of c onsciousness, but rather, one is the seer themselves, the point of pure consciousness embodied within the various contents.Through this capacity of the â€Å"I† to be distinct but not separate from such contents of consciousness, the possibility of self-empathy may be born, whereby one learns to enter into a relationship with all parts of oneself, experiencing each, without losing one’s inherent sense of identity. This was of invaluable use to me in my development as it allowed me to find an anchor as it were, a point of stability, within an ever changing flow of experience.And for me, it was this process of disidentification that allowed me to disentangle myself from â€Å"survival personality† (Firman & Gila 1997), that defensive part of me that had formed as a result of not being â€Å"seen† and validated as an â€Å"I† when I was a child, due to what self-psychology calls â€Å"empathic failures† in my early holding environment. In my ca se this was due to a mother who â€Å"saw† me through a projection of her own self thus resulting in my own core essence not â€Å"being seen†.This led to deep â€Å"primal wounding† in me, and from this it becomes clear how Assagioli’s â€Å"introspection† may serve as part of what can heal such â€Å"primal wounding,† which Firman and Gila define as â€Å"an experienced disruption in the empathic mirroring relationship between the personal self or â€Å"I† and Self† (Firman & Gila 1997, 89). This may allow for a sense of continuity of being to be established, since the I-Self connection is that essential empathic connection, hinting at the relational source of human being.In my experience, one of the potential dangers of this model is that the concept of â€Å"I† may be taken literally, as a thought, rather than as a person’s authentic experiential centre of being. Here, a danger is that the tool of disidentific ation could act as a further form of dissociation rather than allowing space for the deeper vulnerabilities of the personality. For me, this manifested in that I would identify with the pure â€Å"I† as a single and specific mode of experience that rendered other modes remote, becoming a further aspect of my â€Å"survival personality†.However, since disidentification has been defined as â€Å"simple, introspective, self-empathic witnessing†¦. founded in the transcendence-immanence of â€Å"I† – the ability of â€Å"I† to be distinct, but not separate from the contents of awareness. † (Firman & Gila, 1977, 56), it is identification, and not disidentification that is the dynamic underlying dissociation. It is important here to bring in the concept of subpersonalities, that may be defined as the â€Å"many constellations of thought, each composing an identity† (Ram Dass, cited in Firman & Gila 1977,63), since the theoretical istinc tion between one’s authentic sense of identity and the many â€Å"subpersonal† identities is essential in psychosynthesis. Firman & Russel (1994) use the concept of â€Å"authentic personality† when referring to this â€Å"empathic reaching† within oneself to realize the authentic, whole expression of one’s essential nature or â€Å"I-amness†, which they argue is akin to the true â€Å"inner child†; and they distinguish between what they call one’s true personality â€Å"core†, and the varying â€Å"ego-states† or subpersonalities.Psychosynthesis therapy is able to provide a powerful environment of support and nurturance for the emerging sense of a client’s authentic â€Å"I-amness†, allowing for the client’s self-expression to begin to express their â€Å"true nature†, rather than their sense of identity and self-expression being based on an unconscious attempt at self-defence.So these ideas are very useful in relation to understanding how a person’s authentic sense of â€Å"I† or identity can become enmeshed in â€Å"survival personality† due to childhood wounding, and how, through the therapeutic experience of an â€Å"authentic unifying centre†, and a â€Å"holding environment† that fosters authentic, spontaneous expression of self rather than defensive focus on survival, the emergence of authentic â€Å"I† may emerge as the central feature of a person’s personality and identity, potentially allowing them a more creative and authentic life in the world.The point here is that identity is relational, and not an isolated event, and thus, a clinical setting may provide a holding environment that may allow for a â€Å"good enough† healing of a person’s I-Self connection to allow for enough personal continuity of being, begetting a stronger path of self-actualization. In my experience, my own therapist p rovided me with an external unifying centre that has continued to be a powerful centre for me and my journey into authentic relationship (Self-realization).My own psychotherapy became for me my first relational experience that allowed me to feel â€Å"seen†. â€Å"When I look, I am seen, therefore I exist. † (Winnicot, 1988b, 134), and thus begun my work of personal psychosynthesis with grounded and self-actualizing potency. For me, I realized that my true work lay in the mastery and integration of my total being â€Å"around the unifying centre of the â€Å"I†Ã¢â‚¬  (Assagioli, 1965, 51).Chris Meriam (1996) makes it clear, as already discussed, that the first principle of empathic enquiry, applied to ourselves, is our willing exploration of our subjective world as a way of understanding that world, holding ourselves as â€Å"I† distinct but not separate from all that we encounter. â€Å"When we relate to ourselves in this way – simultaneously t ranscending and engaging the vast array of psychological content†¦we become more deeply self-understanding, self-empathic† (Chris Meriam 1996, 18).Applying this to a clinical setting, Meriam speaks of the inner world of the client being engaged in much the same way allowing for the emergence of their own â€Å"I† and authentic sense of identity. In this sense, the therapist remains distinct but not separate from the client’s world, also taking the same stance towards the clients â€Å"issues†. It is referring to this capacity of empathic â€Å"I† that Firman & Gila (2007) speak of â€Å"I† as â€Å"transcendent-immanent†.This ability to â€Å"hold† the client in their â€Å"I-amness† allows them the opportunity for empathic engagement with â€Å"any and all† of their subjective experience. Thus, the emerging sense of empathic â€Å"I† that is given possibility through psychosynthesis therapy, allows a c lient to bring to awareness unconscious identifications that may be functional within their psychological patterning, constricting their consciousness and inhibiting their growth. In this vein, Assagioli writes, â€Å"We are dominated by everything with which our self becomes identified† (Assagioli 1965, 22).Here Assagioli is speaking of unconscious identification where we have become â€Å"captured† by our subjective world rather than standing in a â€Å"free† position to it. So the empathic â€Å"I† or personal self of the therapist allows the therapist to offer interventions based on an emerging understanding of the client’s subjective world as an interpenetrating mixture of higher, middle, and lower unconscious material â€Å"-of personal and transpersonal activities and states of awareness-all underscored and held together by a deeper empathic Self. (Chris Meriam 1996, 16) Here again, it is worth noting the potential danger of an individual m isusing the idea of transcendence as a form of â€Å"spiritual bypassing† (Firman & Gila 2007) of certain unwanted identifications or more â€Å"difficult† psychological content, thusly ignoring the deeper â€Å"transcendent-immanent† capacity of empathic â€Å"I† to engage in the full exploration of subjective experience.It is to be aware that withdrawal from psychological content as a form of avoidance is dissociating from the very ground of empathic relationship, and thus, authentic personal sense of identity is â€Å"disconnected†. However, within proper use of empathic â€Å"I† is held the tremendous potential that can be offered through the clinical setting in relation to the development of a person’s â€Å"I† and sense of identity.Here, as Chris Meriam (1996) notes, not only is â€Å"I† inherently of empathic nature, but also includes qualities of observation and awareness, responsibility, power, and choice. †Å"I† has consciousness and will. These potentialities of â€Å"I†, ever in line with true psychosynthesis, allow for the possibility of an ever deepening sense of identity and self-knowledge, an ever deepening degree of self-realization, and an ever widening field of authentic self-actualization, as one learns to express oneself with, and be guided by, integrity and creative self-expression in the world.In conclusion, it is clear how utterly central the â€Å"I† and sense of identity are to psychosynthesis and psychosynthesis therapy. In my own case, the profound insight into â€Å"I† underpinned my connection not only to my own inner and authentic sense of self, helping me distinguish between â€Å"I† and my â€Å"community of selves†, but also how it also lay down the foundations of my authentic relational experience with others.In this light, I feel that one of the major aspects of this model, is the understanding of the I-Self relationshi p as â€Å"containing† the very source of empathy, and thereby situating the very â€Å"heart† and â€Å"core† of personal identity as an empathic and relational experience, rather than an isolated event of personal liberation independent and detached from the relational field altogether, as posed by so many traditional spiritual paths. Also, through â€Å"I†s empathic presence in a clinical setting, and with applied echniques such as personal â€Å"introspection†, psychosynthesis therapy may allow for an ever more authentic and emerging sense of self within the client. Here the main point brought forth is that the psychosynthetic, psychotherapeutic relationship â€Å"works†, fundamentally, because of its allowance and nurturing of the clients emerging sense of empathic â€Å"I†, ultimately fostering the development of an internal unifying centre and the subsequent development of authentic personality. Taking this further, we might co nclude that empathy is the key to understanding our connection to all forms of life and all existence. We may even have a keen sense that everything from the tiniest particle of sand to the most distant star is held together in empathic wholeness. † (Chris Meriam 1965, 23) Thus, may â€Å"I† offer not only one’s authentic sense of identity, but â€Å"I† may also be the very point of relational connection itself, and the very heart of communion with All-That-Is.

A Process Oriented Approach to Waiting Line Management in a Large Pilgrimage Center in India Essay

This article documents an innovative approach to manage waiting line in the largest pilgrimage center in the world. By a judicious combination of process orientation and advances in Information Technology, the pilgrimage center’s management has been able to dramatically change the pilgrims waiting experience. The pilgrimage location under study is Tirumala located in Andhra Pradesh state in India. The number of visitors to this important location has been steadily increasing over time. As of 2011, the location attracted approximately 30 to 40 million visitors a year. The primary objective of a pilgrim visiting Tirumala is to have darshan of the principle deity in the temple. The secondary objectives include tonsure (shaving head as a mark of respect), offering donations, prasadam collection, thulabaram, arjitha seva (paid services), local sightseeing and shopping. The immense popularity of the temple and its location poses significant challenges to the management of the system. This temple is a tradition bound Institution. Therefore, some alternatives to resolve pilgrim waiting time are feasible and some are not. There are some hard constraints which may not stand the test of logic. The ability to manage the traffic volume is a function of processing rate (darshan duration) at the temple and darshan time available per day. This case study is an example of improving operational effectiveness by using formal management methods in addressing an important real life problem in an under researched area. This pilgrimage center is located in the extension of Western Ghats and is popularly known as Tirumala. It is considered to be the abode of Lord Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara. The temple is the richest pilgrimage center, after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, of any faith (at more than 50,000 crore) and the most-visited place of worship in the world. This center attracts a large number of visitors from all over the country irrespective of their caste, religion, belief, social status and professional affiliation. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average), while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world. The temple is on Venkatadri (also known as Venkatachala or Venkata Hill), the seventh peak, and is also known as the â€Å"Temple of Seven Hills†. Venkatadri, the hillock residing place of Lord Venkateswara is probably one of the oldest religious institutions in India. It is known to exist for over a period of 2000 years. It has a recorded history of thousand years. Based on the recorded history, the rituals and daily routines in this sacred temple are being performed without a break for more than 1000 years. Over a period of time Venkatadri has evolved as an epicenter of Vaishnavism. Several prominent Hindu religious institutions either have established a presence in Venkatadri or have made this as place of their administrative headquarters. Today, Venkatadri is not only a religious institution, but it has also evolved as a social institution. It supports financially a group of thirty (higher) educational institutions. Its mission is to systematically promote the study of Vedas and Sanskrit literature. The temple also provides generous financial support for construction of similar temples (Venkateswara) elsewhere in the country. Over a period of 50 years, the number of visitors to the temple and the town has increased by eight fold. [I960(2 million), 1970(4 million), 1980(7 million), 1990(11 million), 2000(16 million), 2010(30 million)]. Such a huge traffic generates tremendous stress on the social and physical infrastructure of the temple down (Tirumala and Tirupati). Being a tradition bound organization, certain modifications (on procedure, layout etc.) are not acceptable. The devotees (exposed to modern social norms) who come to the temple expect a better service quality and shorter waiting time. Thus, the managerial challenge is to balance the tradition, operational efficiency and increasing pilgrim expectations. Activities in the temple and the town and their management need to be also seen from a religious perspective. There is a divine dispensation in the institution, which may not be tinkered with in whatever modification(s) that are made in the facilities redesign and management of activities. Methodology The product and its delivery Pilgrims from all over the country arrive in the temple town. Usually they reach the foothill which is known as Tirupati. The mode of transport is rail, road (public or private transport) and air. Having reached Tirupati, those who have their own transport directly proceed to Tirumala. Some spend a few hours in sightseeing and visiting other temples and religious locations in and around Tirupati. The distance between Tirupati and Tirumala is 19Kms. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates regular services between Tirumala and Tirupati. The round trip is about 2.5 hours including waiting time at both the boarding points. Having reached Tirumala, the pilgrims look for a suitable accommodation. There are about 5000 cottages owned and managed by TTD for pilgrim’s convenience. After (a brief) resting, pilgrims go for tonsure (there are 500 barbers who operate on a 3 shift basis; 15,000 tonsures are done in a day). The annual revenue from export of hair (from tonsure) is Rs. 100 million. Following tonsure pilgrims go for a wash and bath in the holy tank in the middle of the temple town and then join the queue for darshan. Some pilgrims on arrival at Tirumala directly join the darshan queue and after the darshan visit the tonsure centre, take a bath in the holy tank and departure to their place of residence. There are 32 waiting compartments to house pilgrims while they await darshan. The average capacity of these compartments is 500. About 17,000 pilgrims can be held in waiting at any time. The average waiting time for darshan can vary between 2-12 hours depending on the day and season. There is tremendous uncertainty as when darshan would happen. There is also anxiety as how long is the wait. There is no (accurate) information to the pilgrims on what is ahead. Because of the commitment to the pilgrimage process, individual pilgrims go through this tedious experience with reverence and patience. Finally on a FIFO basis, pilgrims arrive in front of the deity. The actual darshan lasts for about 1.5 to 2 seconds. However, the pilgrims can have a view of the deity from a distance of 30 meters from the main entrance. The travel time is about 45 seconds. Actually, the passage towards darshan admits a file of 6 or 7 columns of pilgrims to go through the darshan process simultaneously. After the darshan the pilgrims donate money at the Hundi, equivalent of donation box, located inside as well as outside the temple and then leave the temple premises. The Hundi collection is about Rs. 2000 million a year. Often, they stand in another queue to receive free laddu (there are several counters that sell laddu). Approximately, 75,000 laddus are sold in a day. In view of demand and supply gap, there is rationing and restrictions on how many laddus a pilgrim can buy. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) the administrative agency in charge of this temple provides free meal to about 25,000 persons in a day. After receipt of laddu(s) and a meal, the pilgrim returns to his cottage or wait for a transport to go Tirupati and subsequently to his place of residence.