Management case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management case study - Essay Example Generally speaking, some team members accept a higher level of responsibility and turn out superior performance compared to their colleagues. This happens as a result of their inner drive, leadership qualities and training. A team leader has the envious task of recognizing such individuals and encouraging them on the one hand, and persuading the others to lift their performance to match with the formers. In the given case, my team has turned in a good performance for which the higher management has decided on a uniform reward for all members of my team and assigned me the task of announcing it. To communicate the decision, I would call for a meeting of my full team and start the proceedings by congratulating the entire team for their team work that made us to achieve the goal of new product offering successfully. I would then make a special mention of the fact that some of them were with the team practically from the inception and / or had put in extra efforts to lift the project off the ground to give it an actionable shape, overcoming challenges and that they deserve a special mention and cheers. I would announce their names. By this process, I would make a public recognition of the superior performers, which in itself is an incentive. I would follow this with a statement that in the ultimate analysis, success would not have been so complete had it not been for the enthusiasm and cooperation of all members of the team. I would encourage the team to follow the lead given by the superior performers, to emerge as future leaders for whom rewards and recognitions await in times to come. I would conclude the meeting by confirming that the Executive Management was pleased with the team performance and decided to award extra two days off for each member of the team for the next

Obesity epedemic in america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Obesity epedemic in america - Essay Example The good part of this issue is that it can be dealt with and controlled. Increased awareness programs by the government along with better management skills and promotion of healthy programs by the media which support a healthy lifestyle can prove to be very beneficial for the people suffering from this condition. Understanding the causes of the disease and dealing with the issue by analyzing these causes can assist in treating this condition. Obesity Epidemic In America With the changes in the living styles of human beings many pathological conditions have emerged and they have become matters of global concern owing to the wide range of impact that they lay on the health of the individuals. Obesity is one such example of a global pathological problem which is now a subject of much concern. Obesity is basically a condition in which there is an increase in the amount of fats in the body of an individual. This condition serves as a base for many degenerative diseases and it serves to af fect the most important systems of the human body. It has now also been observed that this condition also lays an impact on the psychological condition of the person (Stanford Hospital and Clinics 2010). The great number of risks and problems associated with the condition have made it a topic of concern for the entire world. The alarming levels of the condition in the United States have served it to be labelled as an epidemic. ... Examination Survey, two third of the people who reside in the United States either suffer from increased weight or obesity with on an average of one third of the population suffering from obesity (Weight Control and Information Network 2010). Another very important finding in the country explores the fact that the vulnerability of the children becoming obese has also increased and the in the last three decades the rate of this condition has increased by more than thrice in the country. The intensity of the issue of childhood obesity can be analyzed by the fact that the issue has come to the notice of the first family and even they have called for efforts to fight against obesity (Laing 2010). Obesity is a disease state which was initially considered to have no genetic role in its causation. But recent research has put forward the fact that obesity is a disease state which has both genetic component and environmental factors involved in causing it. It is caused by the deletion or dama ge in a gene known as Ob gene putting the subjects with these deletions at high risks of developing obesity (NCBI 1998). The disease can also occur because of an energy imbalance that is excessive intake of energy with lesser utilization by means of physical activity. Thus the increases energy is stored in the body in the form of fat leading to obesity. A diet rich in fat can also lead to obesity because a high fat diet stimulates a person to eat more. Another important reason for obesity is psychological disorders which include depression, eating disorders like binge eating and increased diet in times of stress. Obesity itself can also serve as a reason because it might lead for a person to lose his self confidence and hence the person loses the will to exercise and adopt weight loss

Impact of Technology on the Work-Life Balance Essay Example for Free

Impact of Technology on the Work-Life Balance Essay Technology has done a lot for human beings. Without the development in technology it is possible that the pyramids would never have been built and neither would we be able to communicate with each other from remote places all over the world. Some say that these technological advances such as the internet and cellular phones are a boon on society and humankind yet there are also those detractors who say that it is has not simplified life in so much as it has complicated matters. While we enjoy everything that technology has to offer, it cannot be argued that there are times that we are more inconvenienced by it. There are times when one would rather turn his or her cellular phone off so that they can relax more and take it easy. There are also times when they wish they had battery power on their technological devices so that they can work more or accomplish more. The problem it seems is that as technology becomes more advanced and incorporates itself more in the daily lives of people it becomes more difficult to escape from it. The biggest difficulty nowadays is actually turning that piece of technology off without fearing that doing so will leave a person uninformed or make him feel so isolated and left out of this world which is moving at a very rapid pace. It is commonplace to see a person check his computer (either desktop or laptop) every few minutes or so just to make sure that they read the email as soon as it comes in. People bring their work with them almost everywhere they go these days. Work is no longer limited to the confines of a cubicle or an office but can now be performed virtually anywhere thanks to the technological advances that have enabled the invention of portable workstations such as blackberries, laptops and cellular phones. The introduction of teleconferencing has made travel to meetings all but obsolete and the push for more digital convergence has made it possible for people to work from their homes. The proper characterization of this phenomenon is not increasing worker productivity, as it is claimed, but rather invasion of privacy. There is no longer any place that is safe from the summons from work or the orders of a superior. Virtually every place on this planet allows people to perform work at any time and from any location. This means that since the day has still remained at 24 hours, unless scientists have found a way to alter that, and the more that time is devoted to work, the less time on that 24 hour clock is left for privacy and relaxation. Even certain studies have shown that the work hours have dramatically increased from the levels that it was at previously. More and more people put in longer hours with each technological breakthrough that is introduced. It has been argued that this is a good thing because people make more money and more money means happier people. While there is no arguing the fact that more money does make people happy, in general, the devices that have been invented to allow the generation of higher incomes has also reduced the time left to spend that hard earned money. The extra income that is generated by these devices now seems so meaningless and useless since it cannot be spent due to the lack of time to do so. Another problem is also the cost of worker burn out. While productivity is theoretically increased per worker, the added stress and workload that is given per worker leads to a faster deterioration of the human resource and means that in the long run the potential productivity gains are actually nullified by the deterioration of human capital. All of these time saving devices which claim to increase productivity were invented for a simple reason, to decrease work time. They were not really invented to free time up for other work but were envisioned to allow a person to do more with less. We should learn to keep it that way, be happy with doing more with less and do not fret about doing more with more.

Quality Assurance Systems in the Hotel Industry

Quality Assurance Systems in the Hotel Industry Quality assurance systems in the upscale hotel sector 1.  Introduction Quality assurance systems are an important element of any business strategy. As Porter (1985 and 2004) suggests, quality is now seen as a major force for gaining competitive advantage, particularly with the consumer. There is no commercial activity where this is more important than in the hotel sector. As Yavas et al (1995) state, â€Å"the question is no longer whether to have quality assurance programmes, but rather how to make these programmes work,† within this sector of hospitality. It can be argued that in terms of quality assurance systems delivery the hotel sector is in a distinctive position, particularly when it is related to service satisfaction (Parasuraman 1997, Schiffman and Kanuk 2000). Unlike most other industries, where customer contact and engagement during a visit might be fleeting, as happens in retail shop environment, a hotel’s interaction with customers can last from a few hours to several days. Furthermore, as Kandampully et al (2001, p.28) the quality of the hotel product also has to take into account the â€Å"customer-to-customer interactions.† Following a brief literature review, the intention of this essay is to examine quality assurance systems and evaluate the effect that these systems have upon service quality and customer satisfaction within the upscale Hotel market. 2.  Literature Review Quality assurance and management within the hotel environment is focused upon satisfying the customer. Therefore, this review concentrates on the existing literature relating to customer satisfaction and the various methods and frameworks of service quality related to this focus. 2.1  Customer satisfaction Academic literature relating to customer satisfaction falls within two main categories, these being the psychological perceptions of the customer and the practical ways in which customer satisfaction can be implemented to help a business achieve its objectives. In the hotel sector, this objective is â€Å"to try and engender a high level of customer satisfaction in order to positively influence our customers repurchasing and communicative behaviour† (Hennig-Thurau and Hassen (2000, p.62). However, to achieve this aim the business has to understand what drives customer satisfaction. Christopher (1984), Holbrook (1999), Schiffmand and Kanuk 2000 and Brennen (2003) all agree that satisfaction is related to the consumer’s perception or judgement of a product experience and value when set against their expectations and the payment made. Zeithaml’s (1998, p.14) describes it as follows, being that â€Å"Perceived value is the consumer’s overall assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given †¦ value represents a trade-off of the salient give and get components,† in other words the cost paid is measured against the value expected . Therefore, it can be suggested that the greater the service quality the higher the satisfaction (Kandampully et al. 2001, p.8) and, conversely, the higher the price the greater the perception of value. Bostepe (2007) further identifies that, within a service environment such as a hotel, consumer satisfaction does not simply rely upon the quality of service satisfaction received from business employees, although this is an essential element. The physical environment, for example the dà ©cor, bedrooms and other facilities offered, are also elements of the consumer’s perceived value and service satisfaction. If any of these are deemed as sub-standard, particularly when related to the price paid, this will reduce the customer’s enjoyment and levels of satisfaction. It follows therefore that only by concentration upon providing quality within all of these areas of the product will the business be able to assure satisfaction and encourage customer loyalty (Holbrook 1999, p.121), which Porter (1998), Parasuraman (1997) Agrawal (2000) and Harrison (2003) all agree is essential to competitive advantage. 2.2  Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality There are numerous â€Å"quality assurance† measurement systems and standards available for use within the business environment. Customer feedback is one such measurement. Client feedback can be achieved by two methods. The first way is to provide questionnaires that hotel guests are asked to complete before the end of their stay. The second is to rely upon externally conducted questionnaires, interviews and polls, which can be conducted on a continuous basis. However, whilst comments and responses provided by customers may act as a good testimonial for the business (Porter 1998, p.1478), these systems have their drawbacks. In addition to the fact that not all customers might respond, the design of the process itself is often flawed (Kandampully et al 2001) and can therefore be misinterpreted. For example, a simple complaints procedure would not necessarily identify areas of quality success. Secondly, these feedback processes tend to lack definition. Their use may therefore be inhibited by the fact that they do not provide management with sufficient detail to be able to locate and resolve the specific areas of the business where deficiency of service quality is occurring. Furthermore, a system of continuous surveys adds to the business administration costs and, in addition, raises the inherent issue of sampling (Visit Britain 2008 b). Evidence of these limitations can be seen in a recent survey conducted by Visit Britain (2008 a) (see figu re 1). Whilst it is clearly apparent from these results that customer satisfaction in related to encouraging loyalty and retention, as well as being inherently useful in turning existing customers into promotional tools for the hotel, this does not provide management with a detailed analysis of the areas where satisfaction has been achieved or denote what areas were not satisfying. To provide detailed quality service observations therefore, a more robust quality assurance system is required and most of these are based upon variations of the â€Å"Total Quality Management† (TQM) system (Dotchin and Oakland 1994 and Ziethaml et al 2000). These methods are designed to assess and monitor the level of quality being maintained throughout all areas of the business process and its supply chain, from an internal as well as external viewpoint. One such variation, particularly applicable to the hotel industry, is the SERVQUAL method, which originated from the works of Parasuraman et al (1991). 3  SERVQUAL Measurement Kandampully et al (2001, p.68) observe that many academics and practical studies have used SERVQUAL as a â€Å"true measure of customer service† and that it has been â€Å"extensively applied† (Shahin 2005, p.4) in service based organisations. Amongst these service industries will be included the hospitality and hotel sector of the tourism industry. Despite the fact that recent researches have sought to extend the elements of quality measurement with the SERVQUAL model, fundamentally it is still based upon the level of quality assurance to be measured and gained within five key sectors of the business processes, which are: Tangibles Physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel. Reliability Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Responsiveness Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance (including competence, courtesy, credibility and security). Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy (including access, communication, understanding the customer). Caring and individualized attention that the firm provides to its customers. Source: Sahney et al 2004 The SERVQUAL measurement can be used internally, through measurement against preset quality assurance standards such as the ISO 9001 Quality certification process (BSI 2008) and the â€Å"Star Rating system† operated by Visit Britain (2008) in conjunction with the Automobile Association. In this case the hotel services and processes are measured against pre-determined sets of quality criterion and monitored at least annually by those who regulate these standards. The internal quality assurance programme is also complemented by external consumer questionnaires and interview surveys. The SERVQUAL quality assurance method has been in existence for some years and is â€Å"tried and tested† (Shahin 2005, p.5), making it a firm favourite within the hotel service industry, where managers are comfortable and confident with the outcomes of these measurements. An element of SERVQUAL that is considered particularly important in this respect is the fact that the system and its measurements are monitored and updated on a regular basis (Holbrook (1999), Sahney et al (2004) and Boztepe (2007)), for example annually (Shahin 2005, p.6). Both ISO 9001 and the â€Å"Star Rating† systems conform to these determinants. 4  Quality assurance in Upscale Hotels As will be seen from the following analysis, the â€Å"quality assurance† systems applied to the hotel in terms of both the internal industry â€Å"Star Rating† and external SERVQUAL systems are virtually synonymous in terms of the standards and factors they rely upon for measurement. To maintain their perception as upscale or â€Å"5 star† hotels, in each of these cases the hotel will have to achieve much higher levels of standards. 4.1  Star Rating system Although the Star Rating system is formatted in a slightly different way to SERVQUAL, the quality elements of this process are still graded in a similar manner. The main difference is the fact that there are minimum quality requirements before the hotel will even be considered for a rating. However, even these equate to the tangible element of the SERVQUAL system (figure 2). Once the minimum entry requirements have been met, to assess which star level is applicable to the establishment independent inspectors will monitor five quality bands and award a quality percentage to each. These percentages determine what rating the establishment has achieved (figure 3). Figure 3 Quality bands for star rating Source: Visit Britain (2005, p.6) Furthermore, this standard of quality has to be achieved across a range of five product elements, which include cleanliness, service, food quality, bedrooms and bathrooms. Simply complying in one of the areas is not sufficient to earn the highest star. Therefore, if the hotel fails to achieve the required 85-100% standards during an annual monitoring it risks its rating being downgraded to four stars or a lower standard. For instance, in the example shown below (figure 4), despite the fact that the hotel being monitored has achieved the five star requirements in three of the five bands, its failures in the other two would demote it to a four star hotel. Figure 4 Quality bank achievement Source: adapted from Visit Britain (2005, p.7) 4.2  SERVQUAL system When using the SERVQUAL system, which is largely based largely upon the results of customer satisfaction surveys, although all hotels would be looking to achieve the maximum â€Å"service quality† satisfaction level of 100% in terms of the overall scoring, there is a significant difference in the way this would be achieved when related to the different standard of establishments. To provide an example of how this equates in practice, the following is a comparison between the SERVQUAL requirements of a 5 star hotel against lower rated hotel, such as the budget Travelodge hotel chain (figure 5). Figure 5 SERVQUAL comparisons It is apparent from the above comparison that the 5-star establishment requires their quality of service to be more balanced, in other words no one area of their product should be delivering a lower quality of service than any other. However, with the budget chain, which operates on a low cost strategy that eliminates much of the human resources and food elements, these specific areas are shown to have less importance to the business, but need to be compensated by increased levels of satisfaction in other areas of quality if the business is to remain successful. 4.3 Findings What is immediately apparent from the analysis of the two quality assurance systems identified above as being used within the hotel sector is their compatibility. This not only applies to the systems per se, but also to the measurement of the results. In both cases an upscale hotel would need to achieve a balanced score with high ratings in all of the quality determinants if it is to maintain its market position and be perceived by the potential customer as a quality (5 star) hotel. Conversely, the lower quality hotels pay less attention to those areas of the standards that are more directly related to the quality of service provided by their human resources, relying instead upon other elements to satisfy customer quality perception, such as low cost (Porter 2004). Whilst it could therefore be stated in simple terms that quality assurance is related to the price being paid for the product, what research such as that conducted by Shahin (2006), Ziethaml et al (1990) and Holbrook (1999), and the fact that all hotels, irrespective of their standards, operate quality assurance systems, shows is that price is simply one element required to fulfill customer satisfaction needs. Whatever price is being charged for the hotel product the customer will still weigh the experience received against the value they expect from the product enjoyed at that price (Zeithaml 1988 and Parasuraman et at 1994). A customer who decides to spend a greater amount of his or her disposable income on arranging to stay in a 5-star hotel will have a much greater value expectation than one who chooses a budget hotel stay. The former will expect the service quality to exist in all aspects of the hotel product. This includes the dà ©cor and the ambiance of the environment, the facilities that are being offered, including meals and room service, and the performance of the hotel’s human resources. If these quality expectations are not met that customer will perceive that they have not received value for money and therefore will view the experience as less than satisfactory. Therefore, they will be unlikely to promote the hotel in a positive manner to others or re-use it. 5  Conclusion It is apparent that in the case of an upscale or5-star hotel the combination of the industry â€Å"Star Rating† and â€Å"SERVQUAL† quality assurance systems will have a significant impact upon their service quality and the level of customer satisfaction achieved from using the product. In terms of the â€Å"Star Rating† system, the higher the star rating the greater the expectation of the customer in terms of their perception of the quality that will be found in this establishment. Therefore, the five star establishments are likely to attract customers who wish to avail themselves of the higher quality experience. With regard to the external â€Å"SERVQUAL† system of measurement, because these are results from customer experiences, the greater the levels of quality achieved in the areas measured, the more likely it is that customers will be retained and act as recommenders to other potential customers. In both cases therefore, it can be concluded that the quality assurance system is designed to achieve competitive advantage by attracting additional market share, thus improving the hotel’s revenue and profitability levels. References Agrawal (2000). Managing service industries in the new millennium: Evidence is everything. Paper presented at the AIMS Convention on Service Management Berry L L and Parasuraman, A (1991). Marketing Services: Competing Through Quality, Free Press. New York, US Boztepe, Suzan (2007). User Value: Competing theories and models. International Journal of Design, Vol. 1, Issue. 2, pp.55-63. Brennan, Ross (2003). Value in Marketing: Confusion or Illumination? Available from: http://mubs.mdx.ac.uk/Research/Discussion_Papers/Marketing/dpap%20marketing%20no25.pdf (Accessed 22 December 2008) BSI (2008). ISO 9001Quality. Available from: http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Assessment-and-certification-services/management-systems/Standards-and-Schemes/ISO-9001/ (Accessed 22 December 2008) Chetwynd, Catherine and Knight, Jenny (2007). Time to capitalise on falling hotel occupancy. The Times. London, UK. Christopher, M. (1996). From brand values to customer value. Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, Vol. 2, Issue.2, pp.55-66. Dotchin, J.A and Oakland, J.S (1994). Total Quality Management in Services: Part 3: Distinguishing perceptions of Service Quality. International Journal of Quality reliability Management, Vol. 11, Issue. 4, pp.6-28 Gale, B. T. (1994). Managing customer value. Free Press. New York, US. Harrison, Jeffrey S (2003). Strategic Management: Of Resources and Relationship. John Wiley Sons Inc. New York, US. Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten and Hansen, Ursula (eds) (2000). Relationship Marketing: Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidleberg. New York, US. Holbrook, M. B. (Ed.). (1999). Consumer value: A framework for analysis and research. Routledge. New York, US. Kandampully, Jay., Mox, Connie and Sparks, Beverley (2001). Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. Haworth Press. New York, US. Kotler P (1999). Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation, and Control (Millennium ed.) Englewood Cliffs, N J; Prentice-Hall, 279-317. Parasuraman, A. (1997). Reflections on gaining competitive advantage through customer value. Academy of Marketing Science, 25(2), 154-161. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1991), Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale. Journal of Retailing, Vol. 67, pp. 420-450. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1993), Research note: more on improving service quality measurement, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 140-147. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1994), Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: implications for future research, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58, pp. 111-124. Porter, M. E. (1998). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press. New York, US Porter, M.E (2004). Competitive Advantage. Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors. Free Press. New York, US Sahney, S., Banwet, D.K., and Karunes, S. (2004), A SERVQUAL and QFD approach to total quality education: A student perspective, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol.53, No.2, pp. 143-166. Schiffman, L g and L L Kanuk (2000). Consumer Behaviour. FT Prentice Hall, New Jersey, US. Shahin, Dr. Arash (2005). SERVQUAL and Models of Service Quality Gaps: A Framework for Determining and Prioritizing Critical Factors in Delivering Quality Systems. Available: Visit Britain (2008 a). UK Market Profile 2007. Available from: http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/Images/UK_DMarketing_tcm12-22850.pdf (Accessed 21 December 2008) Visit Britain (2008 b). Britain Inbound: Overall Market Profile. Available from: http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/Images/InboundFINAL_2008_%20BritInbound3F_tcm12-40935.pdf (Accessed 21 December 2008) Visit London (2005). Hotel Accommodation; Quality Standards. Available from: http://www.qualityintourism.com/content/pdfs/Standards/Hotel%20Standard%20INT.pdf (Accessed 21 December 2008) Yavas, U., Yasin, M and Wafa, m (1995). Front and back-stage strategies in service delivery in the hospitality industry: a conceptual framework. Market Intelligence Planning. Vol. 13, Issue, 11, pp.22-26 Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: A means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketin,, Vol. 52, Issue. 3, pp.2-22 Zeithaml, V.A., Parasuraman, A. and Berry, L.L. (1990), Delivering quality service; Balancing customer perceptions and expectations. The Free Press, New York, NY.

Should Section 28 Be Repealed? :: essays research papers

Recently, I noticed a petition in my local church that was to be sent to Donald Dewar opposing the repeal of section 28, which bans the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Many people did not want their children and grandchildren to know anything about homosexuality. This made me think, should homosexuality be taught in Scottish schools? The response to section 28 has been very different in different parts of the country. Section 28 has never been used in court to stop a local authority doing anything. Although some local authorities have gone ahead and produced documents in partnership with organisations such as Stonewall youth project to support young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pupils, others have taken the opposite view. Perth and Kinross council refused to give a grant to Dundee Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Switchboard, specifically citing section 28 as a reason for not giving a grant. Authorities' responses have been different because section 28 is badly worded and, legally, does not mean anything at all; its only effect is to act as a disincentive. Section 28 does not directly affect schools or teachers, just local authorities. Nevertheless, according to the "Playing it Safe" survey by the University of London, 56% of teachers surveyed said that they felt that section 28 prevented them from g iving such good advice and support to young lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils as they might otherwise be able to give. Young LGBT people do not have equal opportunities in education at the moment, neither in schools nor in college environments. The biggest single problem for young people, if you ask them, is that of bullying and harassment. It is something that affects LGBT pupils directly, but other people too. Anybody can be homophobically bullied - they do not have to be gay to be a victim of that. Bullying and harassment also affects people who have not come out as being gay. The effect on someone who has not come out in an environment where homophobic bullying is going on all the time is to make him or her terrified about telling anyone that they are gay. One of the particular LGBT equality issues most often mentioned is an understanding of the importance of coming out. Coming out is a life-changing event for a young person, and it is very important that school staff understands the implications and can give support to people who are doing it or thinking about doing it.

Free Admissions Essay - Care for an Ethnically Diverse Population :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - Care for an Ethnically Diverse Population Crayfish tails in tarragon butter, galantine of rabbit with foie gras, oxtail in red wine, and apple tartelletes. The patient had this rich meal and complained of "liver upset" (crise de foie). Why a liver ache? I always associate indigestion with a stomach ache. In studying French culture in my Evolutionary Psychology class, I learned that when experiencing discomfort after a rich meal, the French assume their liver is the culprit. Understanding and dealing with the minor - sometimes major - cultural differences is a necessity in our shrinking world and diverse American society. Anthropology has prepared me to effectively communicate with an ethnically diverse population. My science classes, research, and clinical experience have prepared me to meet the demands of medical school. I first became aware of the valuable service that physicians provide when I observed my father, a surgeon, working in his office. I gained practical experience assisting him and his staff perform various procedures in his out-patient center. This exposure increased my admiration for the restorative, technological, and artistic aspects of surgery. I also saw that the application of medical knowledge was most effective when combined with compassion and empathy from the health care provider. While admiring my father's role as a head and neck surgeon helping people after severe accidents, I also found a way to help those suffering from debilitating ailments. Working as a certified physical trainer, I became aware of the powerful recuperative effects of exercise. I was able to apply this knowledge in the case of Sharon, a forty-three-year-old client suffering from lupus. she reported a 200% increase in her strength tests after I trained her. This meant she could once again perform simple tasks like carrying groceries into her house. Unfortunately, this glimpse of improvement was followed by a further deterioration in her condition. On one occasion, she broke down and cried about her declining health and growing fears. It was then that I learned no physical prowess or application of kinesiology would alleviate her pain. I helped reduce her anxiety with a comforting embrace. Compassion and understanding were the only remedies available, temporary though they were. To confirm that medicine is the best way for me to help others, I assisted a research team in the Emergency Room at University Medical Center (UMC).

Ic to Nano

SAY IC TO NANO!!!!! A Paper On â€Å"Nano – Internal Combustion Engines† Paper Presented By, N. TONY V. KUMAR III B. TECH. IIIB. TECH. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING G. PULLAREDYENGG COLLEGE G. PULLAREDDYENGG COLLEGE [email  protected] com ph:9573071011 ph:9493205458 [pic] Introduction:What is nano technology? Its worth pointing out that the word nanotechnology has become very popular and is used to describe many types of research where the characteristic dimension are less than about thousand nano meter If we are to continue these trends we will have to develop a new manufacturing technology which will let us inexpensively build nano system with mole quantities that are molecular in both size and precision and are inter connected in complex patterns NANO TECHNOLOGY WILL DO THIS. What is heat engine?Heat engines work on the principle of converting chemical energy into mechanical work and evolve from external combustion engine to internal combustion engi ne. External combustion engine is the heat engine in which fuel combustion takes place external to cylinder. Due to this it is bulky and consumes lot of place. Second revolution of heat engines are ICE in which fuel combustion takes internally and consumes less place and became compact, cost effective. Of late third revolution is NANO Internal Combustion Engine. It is difficult to thread- in a needle.Imagine working with an instrument with one billionth of meter. Construction of â€Å"Nano† – A 0. 1cc Compression Ignition Engine: [pic] The Nano is a 0. 1cc (that's less than 0. 01 cuin) compression ignition engine – most frequently, if somewhat inaccurately, referred to as a â€Å"diesel†. It was designed by Richard Gordon and the plans were included as a supplement with the British Magazine Model Engineer in the early 1990's [pic] An idea of the size of the Nano is given by this picture. From backplate to drive washer is less than 1 inch.There are no exot ic materials required. The crankcase is hacked from a solid cube of aluminum 3/4†³ on a side. The piston and contra piston are cast iron. The crankshaft and liner are any old steel from the scrap box. [pic] Here is an exploded view of the engine. The odd looking thing in the foreground is a special Nano-Spanner required to tighten the back plate. It also fits the fuel nipple. The construction is extremely conventional – only the scale is unusual. [pic] Like all model IC projects, there are a few special jigs and tools required to construct the Nano.All are fully detailed in the plan, which includes step by step instructions with photos. The cutter is made from water hardening drill rod (called â€Å"silver steel† in the UK because of its appearance – it contains no silver). the teeth are formed of Dermal-type cut-off wheel. [pic] The cutter is used to form the exhaust ports in the cylinder. There are three of these, spaced at 120 degrees with sufficient spa ce between them for the angled transfer ports to slightly overlap the timing. The crown of the piston is conical to assist transfer.The contra piston has a matching concave conical depression. [pic] As mentioned previously, the crankcase is formed from a cube of aluminum. The venturi is machined separately and secured with Lok-Tite before the final reaming of the crankshaft journal. Notice the three transfer passages in the photo. These terminate in a transfer belt below the cylinder seat that matches with the cylinder transfer ports. If you look very closely, you'll also see the stuff-up that turned away part of the venturi opening. Always happens on the last operation! n [pic] There's nothing special in the crankshaft components. Another jig (not shown) is made to hold the shaft in the 3-jaw chuck, offset by half the throw for forming the crank pin. Even at these sizes, final lapping to size is no different from larger engines in terms of the amount of metal that must be LEFT for removal. Only the microscopic size makes things difficult. The prop driver knurls were formed with a thread form tool, set on edge and used as a shaper. The prop nut is anodized in the usual way. [pic]Again, apart from their size, there's nothing special about the needle valve components the needle itself was made from steel and â€Å"blued† it by a quick heat in a gas flame followed by water quenching. No big deal, but the amazing thing is the attention it draws with people who examine the engine. This costs just US$10(Rs. 440/-) only. When it was fired, it run briefly, oscillating back and forth about TDC like over compressed diesels with small mass fly wheels are won’t to do. Running! .but spring starters are the only way to start ultra small diesels – hand propping just won't work.Also, the fuel for mini diesels needs a lot of ether – as high as 50% by volume. With high ether fuel and a spring starter, the little Nano will burst into life. Richard Gor don claims it will turn 40,000 rpm – yes, that's no typo, forty thousand revolutions per minute. American engine builder Ron Colona used to demo his at model engineering shows and turning at better than 20,000 rpm. | | | |The Components Used: | | | | | |[pic]Crankcase | | | | | |[pic]Backplate | | | | | |[pic]Cylinder and Head | | | | | |[pic]Venturi and Needle Valve Assembly | | | | | |[pic]Conrods and Crankshafts | | | | | |[pic]Piston and Contra-Piston | | | | | |[pic]Final Assembly and Test Report | | | | Crankcase and Cylinder rough-out: The crankcase starts off as a chunk of aluminum bar of about 1-1/2†³ diameter, sawn to length, plus a little bit. The first step is to finish turn the front section with a 1/4†³ radius where the journal blends into the body. The photo shows the roughing out process. Note that the tool is raked back sharply while â€Å"hoggin' great cuts† are made so that if it digs in, the cut will be forced shallower, not deeper as it w ould be if the tool were set raked forward like a regular knife tool.Next we need to remove all the excess aluminum that does not look like a crankcase. This can easily be done with a band saw, or less easily done with a hacksaw! In either case, marking out is simplified by preparing a full size profile on paper, centered in a circle the same size as the bar stock. Mine was done from the CAD drawings, but pencil and compass could achieve the same result with about the same effort. The paper template has a hole cut roughly in the middle to accommodate the journal and the blended radius where it meets the front face. It is attached to the face with a standard glue stick. If you're careful, this will last long enough to complete the butchery. Saw to within about 1/32†³ (1mm) of the outline.Take care because heat buildup will melt the glue. The next photo shows the four basic stages in crankcase manufacture: [pic]Bar stock blank [pic]Journal turned and sawing template glued in plac e [pic]Crankcase rough sawn to within 1mm of the template outline [pic]The finished crankcase [pic] Backplate: The back plate is simple turning with only some aspects of work holding posing any problems. In this first shot, the back plate profile has been turned on a piece of bar stock with the interior face oriented towards the tailstock. This means we will be screw cutting towards the shoulder formed by the back plate rim, so a thin (0. 20†³) run out groove is first cut at the thread/rim junction to the depth of the thread form. This also assures the back plate will form a tight seal against the rear of the crankcase. The thread cutting tool is a piece of 1/4†³ diameter HSS steel, ground to a 60 degree point with seven degrees of side rake, mounted in a tracting tool holder. This magnificent gadget takes a while to make but is absolutely invaluable to thread cutting. The little ball lever actuates a spring loaded, over center cam – just requiring a flick to retrac t the tool bit by about 3/16†³. This allows the saddle to be repositioned for the next cutting pass without having to twiddle dials and remember settings.The cylinder blank has now been replaced in the 3 jaw chuck with the top of flange against the jaws and some thin aluminum shim (beer can material) around the outside to protect the finish and thread. The bore will be drilled so as to leave 8 to 10 thou to be removed by the reamer. It is pilot drilled first. I'm told its good practice to select a pilot size no grater than half the next drilling size to prevent the next size wandering. Here we see the reamer being floated into the bore using the tailstock (larger hand reamers will have a dimple in the end which assists this operation. For this operation, the headstock is turned by hand. Keep up plenty of suds and never rotate the chuck backwards. The reamer is prevented from rotating by resting the tap handle on the compound slide.A piece of shim material protects the slide fro m damage by the handle. The transfer ports of the weaver are unusual. They comprise 5 vertical channels, spaced equidistantly around the forward 180 degrees of the cylinder. They terminate in a â€Å"transfer belt† below the exhaust ports. This arrangement avoids the induction port at the cylinder rear. These ports cannot be cut before reaming (or boring) as their presence would make it impossible to cut the bore accurately. This flash-failure shot shows how they are drilled. A short aluminum (or brass) plug is turned to be an interference fit up the bore. The holes are then drilled at the intersection of the cylinder and plug.The cylinder wall will be quite thin adjacent the transfer passages, but by using a slightly softer material for the plug, the drill will incline towards the softer material, preventing any danger or a ruined part. Venturi and Needle Valve Assembly: In the previous section, the cylinder had progressed to a nearly finished state, still requiring internal lapping. Lapping should always be the last operation on a cylinder of this type. This means the boss for attaching the side port venturi must be fitted before lapping can be done. In this session, the boss is made and the associated parts for the venturi and needle valve. The boss will be soft soldered to the cylinder (diesels don't get hot enough to melt soft solder). â€Å". older does not make the joint, it only keeps the air out† and schooled me to make a good fit of parts to be soldered. The boss will butt to the cylinder, which has an outside diameter of 0. 500†³. So, a good fit can be achieved by profiling the boss with a 1/2†³ end mill. In this photo, we see the boss blank (enough for four) which has been finished outside, drilled ready for tapping and transferred still in the 3 jaw chuck to the mill for end profiling. Applications: Nano IC engine has various applications ranging from race cars to space crafts. ? In race cars this IC Nano Engine was used. T he engine was fully fabricated, that is, no castings were employed. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | |It can be controlled in aero planes/satellites/space ships etc. , the timing of in let and exhaust valves. | |According to NASA reports they are experimenting about the use of nano engine in nano & pico satellites. | |In case of a mine tragedy where harmful gases are emitted ,these nano IC engines can be employed as powerful blowers to blow out these gases is a | |less time saving the lives of trapped miners .We require at least 5-6 blowers to blow these gases where as two nano IC engines could do the tick in| |less time. | |Agriculture pumps sets. | |Every field of industry. | |Prospects: | |The problem | |Every day people are spending more and more money because of rising gas prices. People all over the world are trying to find a solution—even | |visiting websites to locate the nearest and cheapest gas, all the while losing time and mileage just to reach [these] refueling stations. Many have| |been giving up favorite hobbies and changing life plans because of the need to reallocate their funds for gas.For those of us who must drive to | |work or school, it seems we have little choice but to continue paying more. Now, there is a way to fight back against these constant increases in | |gas prices—and to fight pollution and protect the environment in the process. | | | |The solution | |Use the most advanced technology available to improve fuel economy, prolong the engine life, reduce harmful emissions and protect the environment. | |The number one product for fuel economy, power and pollution control is now available. |Introducing our two unique nanotechnology products: | |F2-21 NanoLube Engine Oil Treatment, and | |F2-21 NanoRon Gas & Diesel Fuel Enhancer. | |With nanotechnology, fuel transforms at the nano-level to achieve a more complete combustion, resulting in increased fuel economy, more driving | |power, and fewer pollutive emissions. | | Use either product or both to get multiple benefits: | |  Ã‚  Ã‚   –   Adds great power to your engine. NanoLube eases heavy driving loads and increases   | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Driving  pleasure with a faster, smoother, and quieter ride. |  Ã‚  Ã‚   –   Boosts miles per gallon (analogous to buying Premium Gas or boosting your octane number), | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      While saving you money and conserving energy. | |  Ã‚  Ã‚   –   Prolongs engine life by cleaning your combustion chamber and piston ring deposits, | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Extending engine life and cutting equipment downtime. | |  Ã‚  Ã‚   –   Protects the environment by reducing harmful emissions and fighting global warming. | | | | | |[pic] | | | Summing upWith the application of Nano in every sphere of life the ‘big’ may not find its place in engineering dictionary in future. If we are to continue these trends we will have to develop a new manufacturi ng technology, which will let us inexpensively build nano system with mole quantities that are molecular in both size and precision and are, inter connected in complex patterns NANO TECHNOLOGY WILL DO THIS. NANO technology with all its challenges and opportunities is an avoidable part of our future. It can be rightly said that nano technology slowly and steadily assuring in the next Industrial Revolution. Bibliography †¢ www. Bbc. co. uk †¢ [email  protected] com †¢ www. google. co. in