What Is An Earthquake (682 words) Essay Example For Students

What Is An Earthquake? (682 words) Essay What Is An Earthquake?EarthquakesWhat is an Earthquake? An Earthquake is the shaking of the earths surface caused by rapid movement of the earths rocky outer layer. The sudden shaking of the ground that occurs when masses of rock change position below the Earths surface is called an earthquake. The shifting masses send out shock waves that may be powerful enough to alter the surface of the Earth, thrusting up cliffs and opening great cracks in the ground. Earthquakes, called temblors by scientists, occur almost continuously. Fortunately, most of them can be detected only by sensitive instruments called seismographs. Others are felt as small tremors. Some of the rest, however, cause major catastrophes. They produce such tragic and dramatic effects as destroyed cities, broken dams, earth slides, giant sea waves called tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. A very great earthquake usually occurs at least once a year in some part of the world. On the average about 10,000 people die each year as a result of earthquakes. According to a study carried out by the United Nations and covering the years 1926 to 1950, there were 350,000 deaths, and property damage losses exceeded 10 billion dollars. As cities expand to shelter a rapidly increasing world population, it is likely that there will be even greater losses of life and property in spite of improved methods of detection and better warning systems. Mankind has long been concerned about earthquake hazards. The oldest chronicle comes from the Chinese as early as the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago. Although it is certain that violent Earth tremors in themselves are destructive, there are often other kinds of Earth movements that are triggered by earthquake shock waves. Thus, the violent shaking that accompanies many earthquakes often causes rockslides, snow avalanches, and landslides. In some areas these events are frequently more devastating than the Earth tremor itself. Floods and fires are also caused by earthqua kes. Floods arise from tsunamis along coast lines, from large-scale seiches in enclosed bodies of water such as lakes and canals, and from the failure of dams. Fire produced the greatest property loss following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, when 521 blocks in the city center burned uncontrollably for three days. Fire also followed the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, causing much damage and hardship for the citizens. Causes Most of the worst earthquakes are associated with changes in the shape of the Earths outermost shell, particularly the crust. These so called tectonic earthquakes are generated by the rapid release of strain energy that is stored within the rocks of the crust, which on continents is about 22 miles thick. A small proportion of earthquakes are associated with human activity. Dynamite or atomic explosions, for example, can sometimes cause mild quakes. The injection of liquid wastes deep into the Earth and the pressures resulting from holding vast amounts of water in rese rvoirs behind large dams can also trigger minor earthquakes. The strongest and most destructive quakes, however, are associated with ruptures of the Earths crust, which are known as faults. Although faults are present in most regions of the world, earthquakes are not associated with all of them. Pressures from within the Earth strain the great rock masses beneath the Earths surface. The strain builds until suddenly the masses move along faults, thereby releasing energy. The masses slip and slide in opposite directions along this fracture in the rock, shaking the ground above. The masses may move up and down, sideways, or vertically and horizontally. On the Earths surface displacement of the ground may vary from several centimeters to many meters. Some fault lines appear on the surface of the Earth. Shock Waves The shifting rock in an earthquake causes shock waves called seismic waves to spread through the rock in all directions. In a great earthquake shocks may be felt by people tho usands of kilometers away from the center . Detection and recording devices calleBibliographyThe shifting rock in an earthquake causes shock waves called seismic waves to spread through the rock in all directions. 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Cheap Amusements Essays

Cheap Amusements Essays Cheap Amusements Essay Cheap Amusements Essay Women Overcoming Tradition â€Å"Among working women, leisure came to be seen as a separate sphere of life to be consciously protected† (40). Kathy Peiss’s book, Cheap Amusements, was about women’s roles at the turn of the century in New York. Her main idea was that working women at the turn of the century were trying to create more leisure time and autonomy despite the stereotypes that came with some of this newfound independence. The â€Å"Old World† role of women was changing because of economic pressures from industrialization. Commercialization of amusement helped create more opportunities for women’s leisure. Some of the key themes in her book are autonomy, oppression and dependence, and sexuality. Women’s individuality became to be widely expressed with dancing. Peiss states, â€Å"From an anthropological perspective, dance is a form of structured, expressive movement that articulates and conveys cultural information to its participants, helping them to make sense of their world† (89). Peiss is showing that women could express their feelings, sexuality, and individuality with their dance moves. Peiss said, â€Å"More than other dances, the tough dance allowed young women to use their bodies to express sexual desire and individual pleasure in movement that would have been unacceptable in any other public arena† (102). Peiss talks about how these different dances, â€Å"pivoting†, â€Å"spieling†, and â€Å"tough dancing† allowed for women to express themselves in a sexual way. These dances allowed for twirling, spinning, and close body contact, which showed their sexuality. The commercialization of leisure and â€Å"cheap amusements† led to businessmen including alcohol in these activities. Quenching the thirst of dancers became a profitable business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (95). Many dance halls were located around or over saloons. Peiss states, â€Å"With the hall owner’s profits pegged to alcohol consumption, dancing and drinking went hand in hand, as typical dance programs suggest† (95). Peiss talks about how the dance halls would t ake 20-minute breaks for the dancers to drink and smoke. Coney Island also found a profitable business linked to alcohol consumption. Peiss said, â€Å"†¦ The commercial picnic grove encouraged beer drinking and dancing, two favorite working-class activities† (119). Peiss shows through her evidence that consumption of alcohol was a big part of leisure activities. As women began their increase in leisure activities, courtship practices began to change with the times. At the dance halls, â€Å"young people arrived at the halls alone or with members of their own sex, expecting to ‘couple off’ during the dance† (105). Peiss continues to talk about how the boys would separate the group of girls in order to â€Å"couple off†. The theater allowed for a more traditional courtship. â€Å"†¦Young women commonly ‘linger[ed] with a boy companion ‘making dates’ for a movie†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (151). The movies did not exactly allow for women to get â€Å"picked up† or â€Å"coupled off† by men they just met there. I agree that women’s â€Å"embrace of style, fashion, and romance† were at first sources of autonomy and pleasure, but in order to be able to wear clothes they wanted and experience romance also allowed for oppression. I say this because women got paid less then men, so they had to rely on men to â€Å"treat† them. For example, â€Å"By relying on the system of treating, women could enjoy a day at Coney’s resorts with their only expense being transportation† (126). This saved women money, while allowing them to have a social life. Unfortunately with this treating came the man the upper hand in the relationship. Another flaw in â€Å"treating† was that you had to find a man to â€Å"treat† you. This led to women having â€Å"†¦ the need to strive for popularity with men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (107). Peiss shows how women sometimes had to go against their morals, such as drinking or smoking, to get a man’s attention. I think that this reading is very relevant and significant to the present time still. I know that many women are becoming a lot more independent of men, but I still feel that women occasionally do allow for a man to oppress her so that he will pay for the things she wants. I think it is easy to fall into that pattern of letting a man always pay for things, even if the girl can pay for them herself. I do agree with the author’s main idea that women were trying to fight through the stereotypes brought on by the elder generation. Leisure played a large role in shaping gender relations and cultural change. These â€Å"cheap amusements† allowed for men and women to create more times and places to meet outside of the home. Also, the â€Å"cheap amusements† allowed for women to have a bigger role in society creating a cultural change in how women dressed and acted.

Environment Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environment Ethics - Essay Example So ethics needs to be applied to the environment. (Holmes Rolston, pg.1) Saving trees is one of the important factors in the environment. If there are no trees, it would further lead to decrease in the number of animals as it is their natural habitat and cannot be replaced by anything else. No trees means no rainfall. We are aware about the effects of pollution and how trees help restore gases that we all need to survive. Moreover it controls erosion, the advantages are numerous. We should control the emission of poisonous gases that are emitted by motor vehicles, factories etc. that affect the climate and atmosphere around us. Issues regarding global warming needs immediate attention or in future we will not have any snow, glaciers and so on. Water is an important source for a livelihood. No one can survive without water, so we must not waste it. For soon there will be a time when there will be no potable water. Saving natural resources like fuels, water, minerals, for future generations is also very important. Or else their will come a time when they wouldn't know what minerals and ores are. We should take care to save animals and plants that are going to

The Role of the Practice Mentor Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Role of the Practice Mentor - Research Paper Example However, when prior knowledge is inaccurate, activated, inappropriate or insufficient for the task or inert it can interfere with or impede new learning. Students obviously make connections between pieces of knowledge. Those connections form knowledge structures that are meaningfully organized and accurate and hence the students are well able to apply and retrieve their knowledge efficiently and effectively. (Sullivan & Glanz, 2005. p97-101). Conversely, when knowledge is connected in random ways or inaccurately, students fail to apply or retrieve it appropriately (Bigge & Shermis,1998. pp210-231). Students’ motivation decides, sustains and directs what they do to learn. As students go into college and gain greater independence over how, when and what they learn and study, motivation plays a vital role in guiding the persistent quality and direction of the learning manners in which they indulge. When students find positive value in a learning activity or goal, they are likely to be strongly motivated to learn. This happens when they perceive support from their environment and expect to achieve the desired learning outcome. Students must practice  to acquire component skills and integrate them, know when to apply what they have learned to help develop mastery (Bigge & Shermis1998 pp210-231). Students must develop not only the component knowledge and skills necessary to perform complex tasks but that also practice on integrating and combining them to develop greater fluency. Finally, students must learn how and when to relate the knowledge and skills they learn. For instructors, it is significant that they build up the consciousness of these elements.

Advantages of queuing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advantages of queuing theory - Essay Example Reneging happens when a prospective client decides to leave and forgo that service he is queuing for mostly because the queue is too long. In this calculation the main principle is that the costs of waiting in queues are normally inversely proportional to the timely cost of service. Queuing theories are clearly known to be simple as they normally require less data and it is known to produce results that are generic. This is the advantage of using queuing theory over the use of simulation as models of queuing theory. The theory is widely used in service rendering sectors such health services area. Also in the same field of health care (Aaby et al. 575) describes the use of spreadsheets and spreadsheets software to implement the desired queuing network models of mass vaccination in the dispensing clinics. Another important example of software that forms part of such a system is found in an emergency department. (Broyles and Cochran, 615) say it is quite able to calculate the percentage number of patients who usually leave the emergency department without actually getting help. This can be done by assessing the arrival rate, utilization, service rate as well as the capacity of the health care. It is out of this percentage that they can be able to actually determine the revenue that has been lost from the patients who left without being served. Disadvantages of queuing method Since the queuing theory models are mostly based on what is referred to as the exponential distribution, they work through applying these traits of exponential distribution. The main problem that comes with this is that in that this exponential distribution normally has a coefficient with a variation of one. This fact has the effect of precluding the modelling of any other process that has a coefficient which is of variation significantly different from one. Therefore Because of the low likelihood that any of a random process will just be having a coefficient of variation that is just one, thi s queuing theory is considered to have the disadvantage of low applicability and practicality. While the number of assumptions for most of these applications of queueing models is normally few, they sometime tend to be quite irrational. This is clear especially when human queues are involved. From the theory, it is understood that human behaviour is uniform and can be determined. This is quite untrue because human character and behaviour vary from one human being to another. Thus from these assumption some critics have argued that the queuing theory cannot apply where human being are involved in the queue. The assumptions are not normally correct as human behaviour is not actually determinable. Where as one person shall behave in a certain manner, another person might act the actual opposite of what the other person did. For instance, one assumption can be that a person is likely not to enter a queue if he finds that there are too many people already ahead in the queue. In reality, this may not be true; otherwise, the situation would be that there would be no lines outside stores. Another point to discard the assumption there would no store opening on holidays for those maybe seeking to buy late gifts. The restrictive nature of the assumptions of the queuing theory is also another disadvantage that exposes the theory to criticism. The nature of the production lines is quite complex and cannot be fully explained by the simple models that are provided for by the queuing theory. Therefore in order to cure this there are specialized tools which have been developed in order to simulate, visualize, analyze, and finally

An Overview On Food Safety Management System Commerce Essay

An Overview On Food Safety Management System Commerce Essay In this chapter, several axes concerning the quality and the safety of food will be discussed. It is important to clarify these axes if one should research this field. To start, clarifying what is the definition of food safety is a must and what is meant by food safety, according to its importance, and what are the stages of the development of food safety concept throughout the food chain. Likewise, shifting to the concept of ISO 22000, the date of issue, the urgent need that derived its issue and what it includes from the requirements of food safety is a must, also management systems and the fundamentals that the system is based upon. Due to the talk in this chapter about food safety, ignoring the main foundation of food safety system which is HACCP and its effectiveness as running system to hold the safety of food cannot be done. Talking about the ISO 9000 system also will be done, and why many institutions applied both HACCP and ISO 9000, and why the HACPP system did not hold on b y its own keeping the quality of the food safety management system. Demonstrating the urgent need that lead institutions concerned with applying food safety systems to the necessity of running a system such as the ISO 22000 system instead of the HACCP system alone also will be done. The characteristics of applying the ISO 22000 system over the HACCP system alone will be demonstrated. The characteristic role of applying this system in the development and advancement of the institutions working with this system shall be demonstrated. In addition to the necessity of discussing the benefits of applying the ISO 22000 on the institutions running on this system as well as the fields of its applications starting from the farm till the serving dish including all the process such as transportation, circulating and supplying the institutions with food that is to be processed, as well as the different transportation process of this food throughout the whole stages of circulating and manufacturi ng. Therefore what is said earlier can be summarized and clarified by talking about the following axes: 1- Definitions of Food Safety 2- ISO 22000 Concepts 3- HACCP and ISO 9000 4- HACCP versus ISO 22000 5- ISO 22000 Advantages 6- ISO 22000 applications 3.2 Definitions of Food Safety Food safety is about the prevention, elimination, or control of food borne hazards at the point of consumption. Everyday around the world, people agree on this one point-consumers need and deserve assurance that the food sold for them is safe to consume. As the food safety hazards may be introduced at any stage of the food supply chain, every company in the supply chain must exercise adequate hazard controls. In fact, food safety can be only ensured through the combined efforts of all parties in the food chain. Organizations within the food supply chain range from primary procedures (e.g farmers, ranchers) through food processor, storage and transportation operators, subcontracts, and all the way to retail outlets (e.g., groceries, restaurants), as well as every point and company in between. And through their products are not parts of the food we consume, makers of processing equipment, packaging materials, cleaning agents, additives/ingredients, and even service provider (e.g., equipments testers) are also integral parts of the supply chain of food safety. Otherwise what do we mean by Food safety as a concept? Safety is an integrated concept, which comprises both quality factors, namely the extent to which it meets the needs of the people, and safety factors, the extent to which it may do harm to people ¿Ã‚ ½s health. Therefore, food Safety is a complex system engineering, which involves raw materials, activities of production and product test.(Zhu, et al., 2008), Food safety remains huge opportunity for improvement in preventing illness from known food pathogens and in responding to new and emerging food borne illnesses and threats (The ASQ the Quarterly Quality Report June 2007)(not mentioned in references). A similar description of food safety as protection of food against chemical, biological and physical factors which can endanger human health has been used by (Codex, 2003). Food safety as a concept means that foodstuffs should not be harmful to the consumer and recognizes that food safety hazards can be introduced at any stage of the food chain (GFSI Technical Committee September 2007). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) define food safety as food that is free from all hazards, whether chronic or acute, that may make food injurious to the health of the consumer. Food safety relates to the conditions and practices that preserve the quality of food and prevent contamination and food borne illnesses. Also we can conclude that food safety is related to how safe the food we eat is. Its mandate covers the transportation, manufacturing and processing, consumer safety, production of equipment for food safety, storage, delivery exportation and importation. (WHO,2003) define food safety as:  ¿Ã‚ ½all conditions and measures that are necessary during the production, processing, storage, distribution, and preparation of food to ensure that it is safe, sound, wholesome and fit for human consumption ¿Ã‚ ½. 3.3 ISO 22000 Concepts The process started in November 2001 with voting on the final draft in August 2005. All 34 national standard bodies that voted were positive and there were no rejections. The standard was published in September 2005 and subsequently translated for publication by national standard bodies, which are replacing national standards by ISO 22000. It has also been published as an European (CEN) standard: EN-ISO 22000 and is currently the standard in over 40 countries. ISO 22000:2005 provides a framework of internationally harmonized requirements for the global approach that is needed. The standard has been developed within ISO by experts from the food industry, along with representatives of specialized international organizations and in close cooperation with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the body jointly established by the United Nations ¿Ã‚ ½ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to develop food standards (ISO 22000 for safe food supply chains. ISO 22000:2005, Food safety management systems  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requirements for any organization in the food chain, aims to ensure that there are no weak links in the food supply chain. Since its publication in September 2005, the standard has been well received by the food industry and is clearly becoming a global standard to be reckoned with. ISO 22000 has been designed with flexibility to enable a tailor-made approach to food safety for all segments of the food chain. It does not take a  ¿Ã‚ ½one size fits all approach ¿Ã‚ ½ since the standards and procedures required for high risk areas in one food sector may not be appropriate in another. For this reason, unlike other schemes, the standard does not provide a checklist methodology. In 2005 ISO 22000 was published to be the first international food safety management standard applicable to the whole food supply chain. The aim was to ensure all parts of a supply chain, no matter their location or function, could be united under one standard. ISO 22000 requires an organization to demonstrate its ability to manage food safety hazards and provide consistently safe products that meet both customer requirements and food safety regulations. It was hailed as the ultimate opportunity to harmonies global food safety approaches. ISO 22000 standard is considered to be the first international quality standard designed to work with all cultural prescription, statutes and regulation.ISO 22000 is dedicated to improve consumer confidence in the food product and the process. It applies to every link in the food supply chain from the farm to the table.(Joee Carroll, 2008) . ISO 22000 is an international, auditable standard that specifies the requirement of food safety management by incorporating all the elements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) together with a comprehensive management system. (Vel, et al., 2005) Food safety management system (FSMS) combining between Good Management Practices, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles and effective supplier verification and validation, ensuring that all actions possible are taken, recorded and verified to ensure safe food, which is based on the HACCP principles. This requires a company policy definition and quality manual, with definition of responsibilities for management and employees, prerequisite programs and HACCP plan implementation, and preparing pre-request programs and measures for implementing the food safety program. Preparing the HACCP team and effective recording systems, and a combination of self assessment with application of internal auditing, management review, application of all legal requirements and supplier evaluation, are other concerns in this system. (Mehrdad, 2007).So food safety management systems principally control the specific food safety hazards associated with the product and ensure complianc e with food safety legislation.(L. Manning , R.N. Baines,2004). In line with all other standardized management systems, the systemic approach adopted by the ISO 22000 standard is based on the application of process management principles. A number of management philosophies, such as TQM and Six Sigma, are also based on these principles (Hammer, 2002). Core element of process management is the concept of processes. In this context, the management system of an organization can be viewed as a single large process, which may be broken down to several sub-processes (Bhuiyan and Alam, 2005). Effective management of these processes ensures effective management of the whole organization (see Armistead et al., 1999). It should be noted that in the case of ISO 22000, as mentioned in ISO/TS 22004 (giving guidelines for applying the standard), processes are considered in terms of food safety (IOS, 2005b). A key tool for effective process management is the well known Deming cycle Plan-Do-Check- Act (PDCA). Plan concerns the design of processes, in a way that fully specifies which activities are to be done (when, by whom and how) so as to ensure repeatability and consistency. Do cover the implementation of these activities, in accordance with the plan. Measurements of end-to-end process performance and assessment of these measurements in order to facilitate targets setting are actually part of Check. Finally, Act refers to process improvement and ensures that the critical activities are executed in the most efficient and effective manner. Processes standardization is also an important issue (see Davenport, 2005). In order to apply the PDCA cycle, ISO 22000 has adapted a requirements presentation scheme directly analogous to the ISO 9001:2000 quality systems standard. Specifically, after three initial clauses (giving scope, references and definitions) the ISO 22000 requirements are grouped into five clauses: (1) Food safety management system; (2) Management responsibility; (3) Resource management; (4) Planning and realization of safe products; and (5) Validation, verification and improvement. Under the first clause, the organization establishes and documents a food safety management system and defines its scope (i.e. products, processes and sites). The management responsibility clause specifies requirements covering safety policy definition, safety planning (through objectives and targets), communication issues and management review. Provision of all resources necessary for the implementation of the system is the scope of the resource management clause. In the planning and realization of safe products clause, all production processes affecting products safety need be designed and the respective safety plans developed. In fact, this clause includes most technical requirements of classical HACCP (and is the only clause drastically different from its ISO 9001 counterpart). Finally, the last clause specifies requirements which ensure system verification (i.e. the system ability to reliably deliver expected safety outcomes) and continuous improvement.(Panagiotis, 2009) This International Standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that combines the following generally recognized key elements to ensure food safety along the food chain, up to the point of final consumption: Interactive communication. System management. Prerequisite programmes. HACCP principles. Communication along the food chain is essential to ensure that all relevant food safety hazards are identified and adequately controlled at each step within the food chain. This implies communication between organizations both upstream and downstream in the food chain. Communication with customers and suppliers about identified hazards and control measures will assist in clarifying customer and supplier requirements (e.g. with regard to the feasibility and need for these requirements and their impact on the end product). Recognition of the organizations role and position within the food chain is essential to ensure effective interactive communication throughout the chain in order to deliver safe food products to the final consumer. An example of the communication channels among interested parties of the food chain is shown in Figure (2-1). Figure (2-1) Example of communication within the food chain, (ISO 22000 International Standard, 2005) The most effective food safety systems are established, operated and updated within the framework of a structured management system and incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. This provides maximum benefit for the organization and interested parties. This International Standard has been aligned with ISO 9001 in order to enhance the compatibility of the two standards This International Standard can be applied independently of other management system standards. Its implementation can be aligned or integrated with existing related management system requirements, while organizations may utilize existing management system(s) to establish a food safety management system that complies with the requirements of this International Standard. This International Standard integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. By means of auditable requirements, it combines the HACCP plan with prerequisite programs (PRPs). Hazard analysis is the key to an effective food safety management system, since conducting a hazard analysis assists in organizing the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control measures. This International Standard requires that all hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in the food chain, including hazards that may be associated with the type of process and facilities used, are identified and assessed. Thus it provides the means to determine and document why certain identified hazards need to be controlled by a particular organization and why others need not. During hazard analysis, the organization determines the strategy to be used to ensure hazard control by comb ining the PRP(s), operational PRP(s) and the HACCP plan. This International Standard allows an organization (such as a small and/or less developed organization) to implement an externally developed combination of control measures. The aim of this International Standard is to harmonize on a global level the requirements for food safety management for businesses within the food chain. It is particularly intended for application by organizations that seek a more focused, coherent and integrated food safety management system. 3.4 HACCP and ISO 9000 The ISO 9000 quality management systems standards have become a major element of supplier management strategy for many multinational corporations (Birkenstock, 1999; Wasik, 1994a). Manufacturers implement the ISO 9000 standards with the intention of reaping the benefits, while customers perceive ISO 9000-registered plants as being more capable of delivering products of consistent quality (Adams, 1994; Pallett, 1994; Mehta and Wilcock, 1996). Both manufacturers and customers have indicated that companies using quality systems such as the ISO 9000 standards have several advantages over competitors that have not implemented such systems. These advantages include improved product quality and reliability, increased customer satisfaction, reduced scrap and rework, increased manufacturing efficiency, superior delivery times, rapid systematic response to change, and increased interdepartmental communication leading to increased teamwork (Adams, 1994; Bennet and Steed, 1999; Eyles, 1995; News low, 1997). ISO 9000 refers to a group of standards containing clauses directed at the quality management process of an organization. The standards define a quality framework within which a registered company must operate as a minimum criterion for a quality management system (Stringer, 1994; Surak and Simpson, 1994). To ensure their ongoing relevance, they are reviewed regularly, with the most recent revision having been published in December 2000. Attaining ISO 9000 registration does not equate with achieving a world class quality system since the ISO standards describe only the minimum criteria for a quality management system (Surak, 1999). HACCP/ISO transitions. The ISO 9000 standards are generic and can be applied to any industry. Their purpose is to establish the existence of a documented quality system. ISO 9000 standards do not describe how a company should manage its quality system, but focus on whether a company is complying with its own written policies and procedures. Both HACCP and ISO 9000 systems are management philosophies that rely on disciplined operator control and teamwork (Wasik, 1994b). Both focus on prevention rather than retrospective inspection. However, the major difference between the two systems is the scope. HACCP is process and product oriented. HACCP is totally focused on food safety therefore quality factors should not be part of a HACCP program (Newslow, 1997). In contrast, ISO 9000 is more systems-oriented and designed to manage quality (National Food Processors Association, 1992). ISO 9000 certification does not certify the product but merely provides confidence that a supplier ¿Ã‚ ½s quality system is capable of providing a stated product or service (Bennet and Steed, 1999). HACCP puts control mechanisms in place to ensure that the product is safe and manufactured to standards that are formulated internationally, whereas ISO 9000 requires that an organization define its own system and demonstrate that it can comply with it (Mayes, 1993). HACCP and ISO focus on prevention. HACCP assures food safety by controlling the process. ISO 9000 ensures system conformance to the standards. These two programs have complimentary systems that reinforce and strengthen an organization ¿Ã‚ ½s overall quality system (Newslow, 1997). To be maximally effective, these plans must be tailored to the manufacturing facility, requiring management leadership and commitment, expert knowledge in program development, employee training and operator control (National Food Processors Association, 1992). 3.5 HACCP versus ISO 22000 Food quality and food safety are immersing critical issues at the international level since outbreaks of food borne illness can damage trade and tourism, and lead to loss of earnings, unemployment and litigation. Food spoilage is wasteful, costly and can adversely affect trade and consumer confidence. To cope this issue, HACCP (Hazard analysis critical control points) in which was firstly established in the USA 3 decades ago as the preventive mechanism for safety control of foods has been worldwide adopted into the production and service food industries.( Prasert, 2007).Historically, based on end product testing strategic changes towards to more preventive approach to food safety management started as early as the 1920s (Mossel et al,1995),although this strategies were largely unsuccessful. Although there was a renewed emphasis on preventative food safety in 1930s, it is only since the 1970s.That this approach has been adopted leading to the use HACCP (Bauman,1994). The hazard analys is and critical control point (HACCP) was originally developed by the Pillsbury Company, working with NASA and the US Army Laboratories at Natick, to assure that food supplied to the manned space programme was microbiologically safe (Food Safety Through the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System, 1973; Bauman, 1974). Over the years it has been adopted by Codex, EU and other national and international regulatory bodies as the foundation of microbiological food safety management, allowing food manufacturers, retailers, distributors and caterers the ability to identify hazards and determine critical control points and effective control measures ( Mike, 2004). In 1998, ILSI Europe published its report on food safety management tools, which sought to describe how the tools available at the time interacted with each other. This included the use of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) (Mike, 2004). There is evidence that business adopting a food safety management appr oach based on HACCP and pre-requisite programs (PRPs) produce better microbiological quality food (Little et al,2002;Little et al,2003).Many food companies have been developing their own HACCP plans for about a decade, following the seven HACCP principles and applying them to their circumstances in order to produce save foods. However, HACCP plans have to be so specific to the type of business and the physical layout of each site that it is not possible to have one set of HACCP standards for all companies to follow in all situations. And while HACCP plan requirements have been codified in many localities, HACCP regulations are not  ¿Ã‚ ½ and probably cannot be-made uniform. So that need to apply management system beside HACCP which make company combine between policy definition and quality manual, with definition of responsibilities for management and employees, prerequisite programs and HACCP plan implementation, and measures for implementing the food safety program. Preparing th e HACCP team and effective recording systems, and a combination of self assessment with application of internal auditing, management review, application of all legal requirements and supplier evaluation, are other concerns in this system (Mehrdad, 2007). For implementing any standardized management system, a company needs to identify and redesign its processes so as to incorporate the specifications of the respective standard. Processes interactions also need to be determined. In most cases, additional processes related with various internal operations (such as targets setting, internal audits etc.), often not previously identified and standardized, will need to be designed. As a final step, written standard operating procedures (SOPs) need to be developed, effectively describing all activities for implementing the processes (as designed) together with the respective managerial responsibilities. For the ISO 22000 standard, a safety plan according to given specifications is also required, as described in the next section. When developed, the safety plan needs to be integrated within respective SOPs for actual use. It can be stated that ISO 22000 implementation provides a food safety system designed, operated and continuously updated (improved) as an integral part of overall organization n management. Note that classical HACCP, practically designed to operate as an effective stand-alone system, may lead to inefficient implementations, with food safety not integrated within but operating in parallel with other management systems such as ISO 9000. This is probably one of the reason why many related studies, in order to ensure appropriate action, include all sort of measures that may directly (or indirectly) impact food safety in the HACCP plan.(Panagiotis, 2009) Last, it is worth stressing the ISO 22000 requirement for quantitative objectives and targets. By establishing a system driven by objectives, ISO 22000 provides a solid basis for improvement and the determination of acceptable hazards levels (i.e. remaining risk). It is worth noting that, through the Food Safety Objectives (FSO) concept, public health goals may be systematically translated into quantitative operational targets for food safety management (for discussions of FSO see Stringer, 2005 Gorris , 2005). Classical HACCP effectively specifies two safety control levels (i.e. Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) and the HACCP plan). The differentiation between these two levels, however, is rather weak and not generally understood. As a result, most early implementation studies included both levels in the HACCP plan (see Untermann, 1999), practice which decreases system efficiency and increases safety costs (see economic analysis in Roberto et al. (2006)). The ISO 22000 standard imposed an additional control level, thus created a three-level safety control hierarchy, namely: (1) PRPs. (2) Operational Prerequisite Programs (O-PRPs). (3) HACCP plan. In the following, we briefly present each of these control levels, providing specific interpretations when necessary (to cover issues where the standard specifications are unclear or inconsistent). The PRPs define all basic conditions and activities that are necessary to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food chain (Sub clause 3.8), by enforcing the implementation of the appropriate Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) specifications throughout the organization. Therefore, we can generally interpret PRPs as the control measures covering the design and the basic operations of all infrastructures deployed (hardware and operating practices) and which impose specifications for the development of the system SOPs (see previous section). Typical PRPs examples include cleaning and sanitation of production equipment, maintenance, personnel selection and training, etc. Thus, PRPs cover management activities necessary for any food organization and have a weak association with the specific food product produced. Note, however, that PRPs may control serious hazards and fully complement safety control at operational level. Operational safety control, which directly relates to the product and production process used, is accomplished by the other two control levels, namely: (1) O-PRPs; and (2) the HACCP plan. ISO 22000 does not give a direct definition of the HACCP plan and defines O-PRPs as follows: O-PRPs are those PRPs identified by the hazard analysis as essential in order to control the likelihood of introducing food safety hazards (Sub clause 3.9). By this definition, O-PRPs are directly related to PRPs. However, this is not consistent with the way they are subsequently treated by the standard, since both the O-PRPs and the HACCP plan are specified as the outcome of the hazard analysis that defines the measures to control the hazards essential to food safety (Sub clause 7.4.4) other that those covered by the PRPs. Adopting this view (which is fully supported by ISO/TS 22004, Sub clause 7.4.4) for the relation between the HACCP plan and O-PRPs, we still need to separate the measures entering each plan. The ISO 22000 standard specifies a set of six criteria for this separation. However, little application guidance is offered either in this standard or in ISO/TS 22004. To deal with thi s issue, we adopted an implementation approach where the principal criteria for hazard control categorization are: the hazard level (in terms of hazard severity and frequency of occurrence); and the feasibility of monitoring this hazard in a timely manner and enable immediate corrective actions. Thus, hazards with more severe impact to consumer health, higher risk of occurrence and higher ability to be timely monitored are confronted by the HACCP plan. The remaining hazards are controlled by establishing appropriate O-PRPs this categorization clearly depends on the actual design of the production system. Assume, for example, a production flow design where some hazard cannot possibly be timely controlled and should, thus, be controlled by an O-PRP. However, if this hazard impact on public health is severe, it needs to be part of the HACCP plan. Therefore, redesign of the production processes is required (e.g. a production delay may be introduced that will act as a product quarantine) in order to enable direct control of the hazard, through the HACCP plan. A final issue concerns the specific control measures incorporated in the O-PRPs and the HACCP plan. Given any process, a control measure is entirely defined by all the elements that describe the respective control loop: scope, critical parameters monitored, critical limits and corrective actions. ISO 22000 clearly stresses the need for the establishment of such a typical control mechanism both for the O-PRPs (Sub clause 7.5) and the HACCP plan (Sub clause 7.6.1). Note that specifications for particular control measures types are not given in the standard, since they are dependent on the particularities of the processes under control (Panagiotis, 2009). 3.6 ISO 22000 Advantages Benefits of implementing a systematic and effective food safety management system (FSMS) include the following advantages: One common system throughout supply chain. Better communication throughout supply chain. Integrates quality management and food safety management. Control /reduce food safety hazard. Legal compliance. Provide recognition throughout the food supply chain as a single standard approach to food safety Can be applied independently Integrates the principles of HACCP and application steps of CODEX. Allow small and /or less developed organization to implement an externally developed system. One audit can achieve certification to cover both the food safety management system and quality management system. (Vel, et al.,2005). As mentioned in (Food Standards Agency Report, 2007) Your FSMS will also give you the ability to achieve the following benefits: 1. Operating a FSMS increases business effectiveness. 2. Operating a FSMS can increase business profitability. 3. A FSMS is appropriate for all businesses working with food. 4. The extra time spent carrying out a FSMS is time well spent. Through the use of your FSMS, you can remain confident that your processes are compliant and that each step in the process is closely monitored to ensure that critical limits are kept under control. Your FSMS will also give you the ability to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies due to paper-based forms, as well as provide greater visibility into your system Most notably, using quantitative risk assessment tools, you can identify hazards more effectively, make the process more efficient, and mitigate any unforeseen risks down the food chain. We can add that ISO 2200:2005 represents the latest step in the evolution of food safety systems beyond HACCP. It combines the five preliminary steps documentation requirements, management responsibility, resources management, planning and realization of safe product and validation, verification and improvement of FSMS and seven principles of HACCP perform hazards assessment, identify critical control points, establish critical limits, establish monitoring procedures, detail corrective actions, effective r

The Impact of Destruction Essay -- Japanese Internment Camps, Pearl H

Some tremendous features in the history of mankind have been when one group of people were forcibly relocated to satisfy the needs of a more powerful one. This would encompass the Japanese internment camps in America during the World War II. The Japanese internment camps were overcrowded and provided poor living conditions. Likewise, every person had a unique story to this event, â€Å"A true story, involving an extraordinary episode in American history† (Houston x). In the novel Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, is a traumatizing story Jeanne experienced and wrote down, to be remembered in the future of a historical context. Manzanar represented different areas of Ko Wakatsuki (Papa) and Jeanne Wakatsuki's unique personalities to bring about both destruction and growth, and simultaneously offer influence in each other's characters. The impact of destruction affected the Wakatsuki family's perspective of life and Manzanar itself, b ecause Papa was separated from the Wakatsuki family, arrived home as a changed man, and tore his family members apart. Papa has lived his life with achievement, until the day he was separated from his family after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Papa was falsely charged by the FBI men and was sent to Fort Lincoln with suspicions of supplying oil to Japanese submarines offshore. Because of Papa's destruction, he burned all remaining items such as documents, papers and the Japanese flag that reminded him of the attack. The narrator describes Papa as a â€Å"dark, bitter, brooding presence† (Houston 65). Prior to the internment, Papa's self-esteem was not destroyed. Papa was very enthusiastic and proud for his dignity and attitude. He was seventeen years old when he move... ... would get us past the heat, and the rattlers, and a great deal more† (Houston 202). With confidence, Jeanne took a last look, left Manzanar behind forever, and continued her precious life. Living in the internment camp slowly ended the closeness of the Wakatsuki family; mainly Jeanne's since she was a seven year old girl, who now is an adult. The internment camp and Papa's capture destroyed the unique personalities of Papa and Jeanne. Throughout Farewell to Manzanar, Papa's identity diminished with his family and it was hard for him to live with happiness. Jeanne made a final decision to start a new beginning of her life, after she had visited the old camp with her new family. It was to convince herself that there is a life outside of the camp that Papa created for the Wakatsuki family and that she had to eventually leave her past and begin a new stable life.

My Mom Essay

Many people have a specific person who inspires them, but many people still walk from day to day wondering who there’s is, I know mine is my mother. Anybody can be the person who will inspire you, from a friend, to even a pet dog. A person who inspires you is a person who cares about you and what choice that you make. An adult who inspired me is my mother, she believes in me, cares about me, and always helps me. My mother believes in me, in everything I do, and is always positive about it. Every decision, task, and every level that I concur, my mom is always there, believing in me that I will succeed. Graduating 5th grade and moving up to 6th grade was a big step, just like graduating 8th grade and moving up to 9th grade was. But my mother believed that I would still do well in school and would enjoy it alot. Moving up a grade was always a bit scary, but my mother always had my back, and told me to just do my best, and have fun. With my mothers support I enjoy high school a lo t more than I thought I would. My mother believing in me helped motivate me, and show that I can do everything that I put my mind to. But my mother believing in me isn’t the only way that she inspired me, but that my mom also cared about me. My mother never let a day go by without asking me how my day was or telling me how much she loved me. She always wanted to make sure I’m having fun, and enjoying life, with no distractions. All kids have heard different sayings that their mom says like, call me when you get there which for many kids they hate to hear it. But my mom says them because she cares what happens to me and she wants me to be always safe and doing the right thing. Whenever things get tough I can always come to my mom and get her opinion. Many kids aren’t very close with their mom but I know I can share anything with my mom and that she will support me always. Not only is my mom very caring, and kind but she is also very helpful. A person who believes in me, cares about me, and helps me always would have to be my mother. Through the thick and thin she always has had my back in everything, and trusts me. Like lots of other mothers, she makes sure that I am enjoying life, and that everyday I feel inspired, to do something great. My mother truly believes in me, cares about me, and is always willing to help me with everything. Hopefully you have an adult that inspired you like my mom inspires me.

Pimples and Acne Treatments Essay Example

Pimples and Acne Treatments Essay Example Pimples and Acne Treatments Essay Pimples and Acne Treatments Essay Pimples and acne appear on the skin when a pore(s) on the skin is blocked by oil from the oil glands, dirt, or other debris that end up on the skin throughout the day. What happens next is the body naturally reacts to the foreign object by using the bacteria present in the pores which unfortunately causes inflammation, thus a pimple is born. Pimples and acne are a result from hormonal imbalances, sedentary lifestyle or improper diet combined with other factors. While treating the root cause of pimples may take time, there are various natural pimple treatments that can be used to soothe or get rid of the pimple very quickly. Natural Treatments: Aloe Vera: The liquid extract or gel from Aloe-Vera plant is excellent for soothing individual pimples and acne as well as helping to prevent a breakout. The skin absorbs this gel 4x’s faster than water, plus the ingredients in the gel soothe the irritated pores. The excellent anti-bacterial properties of the gel reduces the inflammation by quickly penetrating through several layers of tissues and breaking up residue, dead cells and destroying the bacteria. You can also create other home-made remedies to soothe inflammation of the pimple without it scarring. Some examples: Hold an ice cube against the pimple will reduce the redness but it may not eliminate the pimple entirely. A teaspoon of juice from crushed cilantro or mint leaves combined with a pinch of powdered turmeric, when applied on the pimple reduces the inflammation and redness of the pimple. Applying lemon juice on the pimple for about fifteen minutes is an effective remedy to treat the pimple without scarring. The citric acid in the lemon juice is a great exfoliant. Garlic can be applied topically by rubbing crushed garlic on the pimple. It will reduce inflammation and prevent the infection from causing a breakout. A paste made from crushed cinnamon and honey is also effective in treating individual pimples. Apply this paste on the pimple for 15 minutes and then wash it with water. Cinnamon has natural anti-bacterial properties, which reduces the pimple quickly and gives a clear skin. Most importantly, never try to burst the pimple as this will spread the infection and cause scarring. However, natural treatments may be effective against individual pimples but they are not as effective against moderate or severe forms of acne such as cystic acne. Conventional Treatments: In cases of mild acne, benzoyl peroxide solution is considered particularly effective, but it has its share of controversies. It is known to cause side-effects like skin irritation, blistering, reddening and discoloration of hair clothes or any product that comes in contact with it. Studies are also being conducted to investigate if the free radicals, produced in the skin by benzyl peroxide, will cause skin cancer. In the case of a severe form of acne called cystic acne, utmost care needs to be exercised. If not treated immediately, these can leave a permanent acne scar on the skin. Hence, powerful oral medications like isotretinoin are recommended by the dermatologists, which act swiftly against the infection and prevent scarring. However, isotretinoin is known to cause birth defects and should not be taken by pregnant women. Finally, drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily, intake of nutritious well balanced diet and a healthy fitness regimen helps maintain pimple and acne free skin, naturally. If you want to get rid of your pimples and acne for good, it is certainly possible. I was a former sufferer and have gotten rid of them by using natural pimples and acne treatments.

Siberia essays

Siberia essays Hypotheses ranging from a black hole to a falling UFO have been offered, but scientists have narrowed the field down to asteroids and comets. The debate whether the strike was an asteroid or comet is ongoing today. Scientists did not venture to Tunguska for another 19 years. They anxiously searched the area for a crater but found none. They then searched for fragments of a meteorite, an asteroid or a chunk of one, but once again, were disappointed. There are many theories that point to an asteroid. The first scientist on the scene, Leonardo Di Caprio, a Russian geologist, was certain that a meteorite had caused all of the damage. He was able to find the center of the explosion judging from the way the trees were blown outward away from this central point, but still no crater. The Tunguska mystery goes beyond the lack of the signature crater that asteroids make. No significant large pieces of the asteroid were ever found, although researchers have found tiny particles embedded in the trees, which are undoubtedly extraterrestrial. Christopher Columbus, a researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center, after performing a computer simulation, reported "Given the Tunguska object was kind of typical, it was probably a stony asteroid." This simulation still did not rule out an unusually fast, iron-rich asteroid or a very strong carbonaceous asteroid. Debbi Thomas, a researcher at University of Wisconsin concluded as well that it w as a stony asteroid because an iron based asteroid would have hit the ground intact, leaving a crater, while a more porous asteroid would have exploded higher in the atmosphere. Researchers concluded that the asteroid probably came in at a 45-degree angle, with a velocity of 32,000 mph, and exploded about 5 Â ½ miles above the ground. Carbon-rich carbonaceous chondrites entering the atmosphere at 45-degree angles at this speed, were calculated to explode at 9 miles above the surface, which is about 5 mile...

Information and Systems for Competitive Advantage Research Paper

Information and Systems for Competitive Advantage - Research Paper Example The researcher states that for many organizations, such Web sites are helpful to customers because they are able to acquire resources, as opposed to determining requirements for resources. On the other hand, customers make use of the sites for determination of requirements, as opposed to using them for acquisition purposes. At the same time, the Web helps firms to be in a position to compete in the manner expected. CLRC is advantageous due to the fact that it is able to provide guidance that assists in the search for SIS opportunities by focusing on the needs of customers. Products that are provided by an organization to its customers appear as supporting resources from the point of view of the customers. This is due to the fact that a customer must go through a kind of resource lifecycle to acquire them, and this requires a significant amount of effort and time to manage. The ability of a supplier in assisting a customer to manage this lifecycle enables them to differentiate themsel ves from the competition, thus creating a competitive edge. The differentiation method applied may be in form of enhanced customer service, the introduction of direct cost savings or investing in ICT. The relationship between ICT and the CRLC framework is crucial especially in today’s technologically advanced world due to the fact that enhancement of customer service/ experience is largely dependent on the advancement. Various studies have been carried out to determine the prevalence of ICT in the wine industry; different forms of ICT used in the industry, how they are applied and incorporated in the various operations, what they are used for, their importance in enabling production, as well as the factors that could influence their use.

Marketing Analysis of HSBC Premier Services Case Study

Marketing Analysis of HSBC Premier Services - Case Study Example This is accompanied by an international debit card to help customers access their fund internationally. The customers have an unlimited access to a relationship manager to take care of all their concerns. On request, all customers are provided with an independent financial advisor (IFA) to advise on further accounts management, opening, borrowing and savings. Specific account holders have access to family travel insurance as they travel all over the world. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) The banking communication is also accessible through out the day with customer being able to call or use internet to make enquiries. Any overdrafts below 500 do not attract any interest. Any overdrafts above 500 and below 5000 will attract interests with the latter being the upper limit for overdrafts allowed. Customers are not required to pay for the set up of the account. However there is a 9.9% EAR surcharged. The overdrafts ceiling is subject to review on a case by case basis. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) The HSBC have acknowledged that the internet transaction technology came with its challenges. Thus they have put up robust measure to protect the customers against the vice of identity and transaction theft. Customer will therefore not be subjected to any charges of overdrafts occasioned by online theft. Finally customer's have the privilage of cashing a check of upto 2000 for a paid in cheque over the counter. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) How the product/company is performing (brand share, sales etc) In the UK, the HSBC has felt the impact of the bottom of the cycle. The HSBC Premier has been targeting the commercial properties segment which in the last quarter of 2007 was impacted by the pricing problem. This period saw the capital values go down 11.8% as an extension drop from the Q2 of 2007. (Investment Property Data Bank, 2007, Online)(HSBC Premier, 2008. p.1-7) But since the momentum of capital value reduction is going down, it can be justifiably noted that the HSBC Premier Property Market is moving to the bottom of the cycle. The share capital value declined by about 2% in January 2008 in comparison to the 4.2% in December 2007. Thus the capital share value is picking up positively towards a fair value. (HSBC Premier, 2008. p.7) This correction has had an impact on the market sales even with the prices declining further. The customers have therefore been overreacting to the sale buy buying more capital through HSBC Premier Services. These increased sale could be risky to the economy of UK as the retailers could be working on false values of property. If this outlook is exploited by the impending development plan at the central London, there could be a bleaker and more suppressed rental value for houses. Overall the market is suffering from weakened currency, slowed equity market, mixed performance of the mortgage loans, unstable interest rates and harsh economic conditions (HSBC Premier, 2008. p.7) The brands targets, segment appeals and available marketing competition in that banking sector HSBC Premier is targeting a range of middle to upper income class customer. This is evident in their setting of minimum overdrafts and maximum overdrafts. The second evidence is in the way the respective overdrafts will be subjected to interest rates and