Religion Essays - 1161 Words

Introduction Religion has many classifications, such as tribal, classical, transcendental and cosmological, usually based on ones belief and understandings. Religion also has many definitions, usually based on ones experience. A particular definition that I found was Religion originates in an attempt to represent and order beliefs, feelings, imaginings and actions that arise in response to direct experience of the sacred and the spiritual (Connelly, 1986). Religion also has many characteristics such as rituals, symbols and myths which play in an important part in how religion is viewed. We will take a look on how the definition, classification and characteristics of religion and how it ties into our understanding of the universe and†¦show more content†¦When fire was introduced, they had to have an explanation for it. The fire became sacred, a mysterious manifestation of power and presence that is experienced as both primordial and transformative, inspiring awe and rapt attention (Conne lly, 1986). How did this fire become to be? How can they control it? How could they ask for it? They became to believe that fire was provided by a God, the living giving source, as a way to survive. They started to worship fire, offering sacrifices for guidance and protection. The fire then became a God, possibly the individuals or tribes protector. As monotheism took over the world, what became sacred changed. Now tangible things like people and relics unlike nature became more sacred, stars and planets werent Gods, but part of a universe created by One God. The spiritual is a perception of the commonality of mindfulness in the world that shifts the boundaries between self and other, producing a sense of the union of purposes of self and other in confronting the existential questions of life (Connelly, 1986). With the sacred (such as fire), people started to believe in Gods, creators of fire, lightning, and other unexplainable events. But what was left? Where did their people go a fter death? Who else is there to help them when God isnt around? A cat acts strange, a dog starts barking at its owner, and then they wonder. What ifShow MoreRelatedReligion, Religion And Religion1189 Words   |  5 PagesReligion is a concept that is passed down from generation to generation. Thankfully, because someone decided to write the religious values down, same of religions core concepts haven’t changed much. But people typically don’t learn their religion by growing up and finding a bible or Quran and reading it. People form religious identities from their culture and how a person is shaped by the world. Religion will forever refuse to die because it gives people a purpose in this world. The people thatRead MoreReligion : Religion And Religion Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesReligion. Whenever I hear people talking about that word, I draw a blank. I start to question what really is religion, why is it so talked about, and why is it such a big deal to our society. Recently I learned that religion was a concept that was created by mankind a long time ago. Yet religion isn’t something that has one specific definition, because people have different religious constructs within their cultures around the world. Before taking this class, I never had a definition that I likedRead MoreReligion And Religion : Religion866 Words   |  4 PagesTITLE What is religion? Religion can be many things depending on which religion one practices, but one thing remains the same across every religion and that is that it is all based on faith. The core of every religion is an abstract thing. Religion is ultimately reliant on belief in invisible beings, inaudible voices, ethereal entities, and events and judgments that occur after we die. It is a fabrication of our minds. Religion requires its followers to simply accept it, without solid evidenceRead MoreReligion, Religion And Religion1418 Words   |  6 Pages When discussing religion, many people have different perspectives about religion beliefs and how to approach it. Religion is grouped in different sections such as, religion and spirituality, religion and philosophy, and religion and politics. Religion has many different views from different cultures because everyone approaches it differently with different beliefs also. To make something religion, is to have some type of belief in God, but everyone’s belief is different depending on the cultureRead MoreReligion : Religion And Religion1747 Words   |  7 PagesProfessor Jensen Religion Studies 102 Meaning of Life: Religion Throughout human history, religion is now and always has been the main topic of discussion. In my paper, I will discuss reasons why it is important to study religion and how it was constituted. Religion is what makes us who we are today. Therefore, there are many reasons to study religion. Religion has shown itself as being able to unite people and to divide them since everyone has his or her own beliefs. The study of religion is not onlyRead MoreReligion : Religion And Religion935 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing the overall religion of what is typically traditional to be called religion. Religion which is commonly known as the belief in the supernatural naturally produces a influence of the making of society throughout what is known as history. Commonly as we know it from day to day many people of different cultures, races are largely structured by religion. Religion affects more than culture it effects law and politics as well as education and behavioral norms. Religion started during the secularRead MoreReligion, Religion And Religion879 Words   |  4 Pageshundred different religions in the world, all proclaiming different things, it can getting a little frustrating to decide on one to call home. However, every Religion claims to be the one true religion. Is it the fact that one has a large following, or even a large building erected in the manifestation of the words they proclaim? Or is it a minute group of disciples focused on solving the ever frightening problems that the world faces every day? Mirriam Webster Dictionary defines a Religion as â€Å"the beliefRead MoreReligion : Religion And Religion Essay1333 Words   |  6 Pages Today our world is brimming with diverse cultures, religions, and languages. Being diverse make each individual unique from others. According to the Isaak Sevensson article â€Å"religion has come to play an increasingly important role in shaping today’s world†. In general religion, con flicts are more about human nature than religion itself. People usually create problems and blame the God, saying my religion said it or it s written in the holy book. God is not the one who created different amongRead MoreReligion, Religion And Religion1444 Words   |  6 Pages Religion is a very difficult topic for me to navigate, and a rather personal one. While on the surface I might seem very atheistic and anti-religion, this is very far from the truth. I have had quite a complicated relationship with religion over the years, and it is still something I am struggling to figure out. When I was in primary school we were taught quite a lot about religion. It was something that was constantly there in the school’s agenda, with assemblies every Monday morning in whichRead MoreReligion And Religion902 Words   |  4 PagesThe incorporation of religion into a person’s life displays how a belief in gods can impact every facet of someone’s life. The entirety of religion is based solely on faith and the willpower of someone’s belief in what has been taught to them. In these teachings, through sacred texts, manuscripts, or orally transmitted; the basis of many religions is the idea of an object, person, or building being sacred. The reason something becomes sacred and is then believed to be sacred is because the sacred

Developing Managerial Strategy in Recruitment and Selection Process Free Essays

Chapter 1INTRODUCTION The following study will be based upon the recruitment and selection strategy adopted by McDonald’s. McDonald’s is the largest chain of fast food restaurants. Currently the company operates in 119 countries, having approximately 30 thousand restaurants across the globe. We will write a custom essay sample on Developing Managerial Strategy in Recruitment and Selection Process or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its headquarters is located in the United States. In 2011 McDonald’s increased its global sales by 5.6% while its revenues reached a record of $27 billion. Following its Plan To Win, in 2012 McDonald’s aims to: â€Å"optimize and evolve their menu, modernize the customer experience and broad accessibility to their Brand† (McDonald’s Corporation, 2012). In particular, the following study will focus on McDonald’s in the United Kingdom. Currently McDonald’s has more than 1250 restaurants across the country. McDonald’s Company owns approximately 63% of them while the rest is franchised. McDonald’s hires over 67.000 people in the UK, including hours-paid employees, management team and office staff. Steve Easterbrook, Chief Executive and President of McDonald’s, postulates that Human Resources is a key priority at McDonald’s. He believes that â€Å"If you get the people part right, the rest will follow† (Fuller, 2006). McDonald’s, similarly as other global giants, aims to recruit employees that will be willing to develop and to become managers in the future. Hence, recruitment and selection process seems to be an interesting topic to examine. 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT The hospitality sector has a bad reputation amongst the jobseekers. A number of businesses within a sector do not have an employment agreement or employment policy. The jobs within a sector are mostly part-time or temporary. Additionally they are low-paid. The managers often lack people skills, as they have no solid experience in management. Hence, the hospitality sector has been characterized by a high turnover of staff (Lye, 2007). McDonald’s reputation as an employer has changed over the past decades. In 1991, Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland postulated that McDonald’s jobs were â€Å"low-prestige, low-dignity, low-benefit, no-job in the service sector† (Fuller, 2006). In 2011, McDonald’s has been awarded HR Excellence Award for its Employment Engagement Strategy. Currently, McDonald’s is a significant employer in the United Kingdom, having 67.000 staff. In 2012 McDonald’s announced its plan of creating additional 2.500 jobs in the United Kingdom. As a reasonable actor, McDonald’s aims to recruit further right people that will support management team and contribute to the company’s growth in the future. Therefore, the dissertation aims to answer the following research question: â€Å"What steps have been taken by McDonald’s to select the best types of employees?† The research question indicates that the dissertation will consider recruitment process as a determinant of a successful selection of employees. Further, the dissertation will also analyze an employment policy at McDonald’s as a guarantor of low turnover of staff. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Human Resource Management is one of key functions within a company. It includes attraction and recruitment of new employees as well as training, assessment and rewarding system within a company. The employees are perceived as a backbone of the organization, as they jointly contribute to the company’s success (Beach, 1980). As the business environment becomes highly competitive, the companies need to attract potential employees and to make sure that the employees will be willing to develop within a company and to contribute to its growth. While small businesses delegate HR issues to their senior officials or management team, large companies have a staff specializing in Human Resource Management or hand over a part of this job to the external bodies, recruitment agencies. In both cases, recruiters have to be very selective in order to prevent long-term negative consequences of hiring wrong staff such as poor performance, high turnover and failure to achieve company’s goal s (Evans, 2007). Not only do recruitment processes and employment policies become of keen interest to people working in HR departments, but they are also a subject of an ongoing debate in an existing literature. Considering first Human Resources Management in general, there is a number of scholars who analyzed the relationship between working incentives and worker’s productivity. Three scholars who gave solid theoretical basics to HR discipline should be mentioned. These are Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor. Maslow is a founder of a hierarchy of needs. Employment is regarded as a safety need, a next level after bottom basic needs. However, self-actualizations (i.e. climbing the career ladder) is at the top of the hierarchy of needs. It indicates that people need to be encouraged to climb the career ladder at the expense of other needs such as family or leisure (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976). Herzberg, in turn, specifies two sets of factors that increase people’s productivity at work in his Tw o Factor Theory. The first group are motivator factors such as achievement, responsibility, growth, promotion, while the second group – hygiene factors such as pay and benefits, supervision, company policy and administration (Feder, 2000). Lack of hygiene factors leads to the dissatisfaction of employees. Good organizational hygiene, in turn, constitutes a good foundation for the development of the motivator factors. The following theory has two important implications. First, the employers should focus on the worker’s attitudes to the performed job rather than on their interest in the job. Second, salary has been often wrongly perceived as a motivator while it has been a hygiene factor (Feder, 2000). McGregor developed Theory X and Theory Y. These theories divide employees into two groups, based on their job attitude and then, shape two different management styles. Theory X assumes that people are lazy and avoid responsibilities. Hence, managers should tightly control their workers. As the employees are not ambitious, a strong incentive program needs to be implemented in order to increase their productivity. Contrary, Theory Y postulates that the employees are self-motivated and self-controlled. Managers should create the right conditions for self-development of their employees. According to McGregor, Theory Y managers are more successful than Theory X managers in building mutual trust with their employees and hence, in HR development. As HR is a key function of the organizations, Theory Y managers are also more effective in achieving company’s goals (Steward, 2009). Considering the recruitment process, there is a little discussion in the literature on the selection criteria, as the companies have been recruiting on various positions and hence, selection criteria are entirely dependent on the vacancies. Instead, the scholars (i.e. Richardson) focus on the recruitment strategies that can generally be divided on internal and external recruitment strategies. Internal recruitment refers to the recruitment within a company (a promotion of existing personnel or hiring through a recommendation of friend or family member by existing staff). The main advantage of internal recruitment is that the insiders know company’s strengths and limitations, its employees and culture. The internal promotion also strengthens the employees’ commitment to the company. On the other hand, sometimes it might be hard to find a right candidate on a particular vacancy and hence, the position might be offered to the person that does not have possibly best qualific ations. Similarly, the company might not have a sufficient number of qualified staff to take newly created positions. Hence, it might lead to the promotion of people that did not get a full training and do not have a solid knowledge. External recruitment, in turn, includes informal and formal methods. Formal methods concern wide searches at the labour market for the candidates with no previous connection to the company. Informal methods regard searching company’s database for the retained resumes (i.e. rehiring former employees, hiring students who took internship programme within a company). The later method is faster and inexpensive compared to external methods (Richardson, 2000). Chapter 3METHODOLOGY The following section will discuss the methodology used in the following research work. First, it will focus on the research design (research objectives, philosophy, strategy and approach) and then, it will consider methodology and its limitations. 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN Research objectives The dissertation displays two main objectives. First, it aims to analyze the recruitment strategy developed by McDonald’s in order to demonstrate how McDonald’s attracts people to apply for a job as well as to reveal what employees McDonald’s is looking for. Second, it intends to examine an employment policy of McDonald’s in order to discuss the working incentives used by McDonald’s to ensure low turnover of staff. Research philosophy The research philosophy is based on research question, objectives and methodology. The following research considers recruitment strategy and employment policy as key elements of successful HR management. Hence, interpretivism is considered to be the most accurate research philosophy, as it focuses on social actions and their influence on people. Research approach The following research work will use both inductive and deductive research approaches. The deductive approach will be reflected in the review of existing literature on human resources management as well as in the discussion on the relevance of various recruitment strategies to McDonald’s recruitment concept. The inductive approach, in turn, will be reflected in the interview with McDonald’s Vice President. The interview will demonstrate the main values and principles of HR policy at McDonald’s in order to deliver a detailed understanding of the research context. Research strategy (methodology) As the recruitment strategies and recruitment processes are deeply researched elements of HR sector, the most accurate methodology seems to be the case study. It will focus on an in-depth analysis of the research topic on an example of a single company, McDonald’s. The following case study will have an explanatory character as it examines relationships between organization and its employees (In general, an explanatory research concerns relationships between variables i.e. the causes and the results). 3.2 DATA COLLECTION METHODS Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used in the following dissertation in order to collect data. First, the research will include the semi-structural interview (qualitative method) with David Fairhust, McDonald’s vice-president responsible for HR department. This interview will be based on the list of 15 questions on recruitment strategy and employment policy at McDonalds and will provide a reliable data from the company’s side. Further, the interview will create an opportunity to gain the additional information due to the open-ended questions and the new questions brought up while interviewing. Second, the questionnaire will be conducted amongst the McDonald’s employees (quantitative methodology). The questionnaire aims to demonstrate how employees perceive the recruitment process within McDonald’s (How easy was a recruitment processHow did they like the questions they have been askedDid any questions concern their growth within the company and potential career in management?) as well as to present how willing they are to work for McDonald’s within next five years. In order to present reliable and objective information, the research target is to survey a group of 100 employees from five McDonald’s restaurants in London. The designed questionnaire will include twenty multiple choice, closed-ended questions, as it intends to provide comparable data. Nonetheless, it will also leave some space for comments so that the employee will have an opportunity to present any additional issues (concerns). 3.5 LIMITATION OF THE DATA COLLECTION’S METHODOLOGY The validity and reliability of gained information are crucial for the research purposes. Hence, the researcher is aware of the limitations of the methodology and aims to minimize them. Considering the interview first, the researcher is aware that too sensitive topic, inexplicit questions as well as behaviour of the interviewer can affect interviewee’s response. Prior to the interview, the researcher will guarantee that all information will be used exclusively for the research purpose. Further, the interviewee will be given a copy of his answers in order to confirm that the interview does not offend the company and that the interviewee agrees to use the information in the following research work. Considering the questionnaire, the questions might be imprecise or inaccurate and hence, the respondents might understand the questions differently than the researcher did. Hence, the pilot study will be conducted first. They will include a group of 5 employees and they will check the level of difficulty and feedback by the respondents. The pilot study also helps researcher to obtain some assessment about the reliability of the questionnaire which will be very helpful in detecting the weaknesses and grey areas. This will also provide help about some ambiguous and vague queries so that they will be amended prior to final presentation. Further, the uncomfortable environment can also have an impact on the questionnaire’s results. Hence, the researcher intends to ensure that the questionnaire will be anonymous and it will not have an impact on the working conditions of the employees who agreed to participate. The management teams in the McDonald’s restaurants are expected to help in achieving this goal. TIMETABLE Prepare Proposal MM:DD:2012 Literature ReviewMM:DD:2012 Final Literature ReviewMM:DD:2012 Pilot Questionnaire MM:DD:2012 Final Questionnaire MM:DD:2012 Results And AnalysisMM:DD:2012 First DraftMM:DD:2012 Final Draft MM:DD:2012 PresentationMM:DD:2012 Final ReportMM:DD:2012 REFERENCES Andrews, Y., (1988). The personnel function. Pretoria: Educational Publishers. Armstrong, M., (1996). A hand book of personnel management practice. 5th ed. London: Kogan Page. Ary, D. Jacobs, C.L. Razavich, A., (1996). Introduction to research in education. California: Thompson Learning. Beach, D.S., (1980). The management of people at work. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan. Beatty, R.H., (1994). Interviewing and selecting high performers. New York: Wiley. Berman, D.R., (1997). State of local politics, 8th ed. New York: Armonk. Booi, S. , (2005). An assessment of the recruitment and selection strategies used in the sales department of Old Mutual Group Schemes in the Eastern Cape. Port Elizabeth: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Brounstein, M. and Visconti, R., (1992). Effective recruitment strategies. Menlo Park: Crisp. Cascio, W.F., (1998). Managing human resources. 5th ed., New York: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Collins, J. and Hussey, R., (2003). Business research. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Cooper, D.R. and Emory, C.W., (2001). Business research method. 4th ed. Massachusetts: Irwin. Decenzo, A. and Robbins, S.P., (2002). Human resource management. 7th ed. New York : John Wiley Sons. Freder, B.J., (2000). F.I.Herzberg, 76, Professor and Management Consultant. New York Times. 1, p.26. Fuller, G., (2006). The burger meister: McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook’s view from the top [online] Available from: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2006/10/10/37557/the-burger-meister-mcdonalds-ceo-steve-easterbrooks-view-from-the-top.html (Accessed on 19.04.2012). Lye, P., (2007). Human Resources issues in the hospitality industry [online] Available from: http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=2205 (Accessed on 19.04.2012). McDonald’s Corporation, (2012). McDonald’s momentum delivers another year of strong results for 2011 [online] Available from: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Aboutus/Newsroom/news_pages/mcdonalds-results.html (Accessed on 19.04.2012). O’Neill, B., (1990). The manager as an assessor. London: The Industrial Society. Personnel Today. Richardson, M., (2000). Recruitment strategies. Managing/ effecting the recruitment process. Trinidad: Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Saunders, M.N.K. Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., (1997). Research methods for business students. London: Pitman. Saunders, M.N.K. Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., (2000). Research methods for business students. 2nd ed. Harlow: Financial Times. Schultz, H.B., (2001). Recruitment and selection, [In:] Nel, J., (ed). Human resources management. 5th ed., Cape Town: Oxford. Steward, M., (2010). Theories X and Y revised. Oxford Leadership Journal, 1(3), p.1-5. Wahba, M.A. and Bridwell, L.G., (1976). Maslow reconsidered: A review of research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance. 15, 212-240. How to cite Developing Managerial Strategy in Recruitment and Selection Process, Essay examples

Battery Monitoring System free essay sample

The modular measuring system consists of two different types of monitoring units, a battery block-voltage monitoring unit and a battery current- and temperature monitoring unit. Following the discussion of the measuring hardware, a LabView realization of a universal BMS software is described in detail. Due to the flexible design of the LabView BMS, the system is able to perform control and surveillance activities for any kind of battery application and battery technology (e. g. Pb, VRLA, NiCd, NiMH etc. ). The BMS was originally designed for VRLR batteries in uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS), but was also tested in electric vehicles (VW CityStromer, BMW). In a second step, a universal battery management system (BMS) was realized as a LabView application. The use of a personal computer instead of a microcontroller leads to much higher flexibility of the BMS and allows easy adaptation to various kinds of battery applications and battery technologies. The LabView-based BMS controls data acquisition, performs data processing, visualization and storage and provides a graphic user interface. Apart from monitoring features, the BMS evaluates the measured data and interacts with external components, such as the charger, the temperature regulation system and the inverter controller. A modem battery management system, in contrast to simple battery monitors, is capable of actively affecting battery operation. Before the presentation of the new measuring hardware and the LabView-based battery management system, the main principles and general structure of a BMS are discussed. I INTRODUCTION I1 Strong requirements concerning battery life-time, reliability and energy-efficiency are imposed on modem battery applications, e. g. , on batteries in unintermptible power supply systems (UPS) or batteries in electric vehicles (EV). These high demands can only be met by employing sophisticated battery monitoring and management systems. At present, battery users (e. g. in telecommunication energy supply or in power stations) know too little about the state of their batteries to draw economically optimized decisions concerning maintenance and replacement. The employment of a battery monitoring and management system helps finding the right time for battery maintenance and replacement and, in addition, will lengthen the service intervals due to taking active influence on battery operation. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF A BMS Fig. 1 shows the general structure of a battery management system and divides the tasks to be performed into logical blocks [2, 8, 91. Battery management systems require battery data (battery block-voltages, current and temperature) and environmental data (temperature). Furthermore, application depending system data is needed. To obtain these values, a specialized data acquisition system is used. An example of a suitable data acquisition system for BMS is pre1. sented in chapter 1 1 The following logical block of a BMS (see Fig. 1) performs the data processing. Apart from decoding the transmitted measured values, this block calculates battery quantities (e. g. entire battery voltage, average battery temperature, etc. ), integrates quantities like the battery current and performs statistical analysis (e. g. distribution of block voltages, deviation of block voltages from the average block voltage, etc. . Furthermore, the data procession unit needs information about the present maximum and minimum limit of block voltages, the maximum battery current etc. This information is either deduced from the system’s battery model or can be provided directly by the user (â€Å"parameter correction†). The parameters of the battery model have to be continuously adapted to the measured and computed quantitie s (e. g. , temperature, average load current) to ensure that the model accurately represents the battery’s present state. 630 To control battery operation, battery management systems require the accurate measurement of battery block voltages, battery current and battery temperatures. Therefore, in a first step, a modular data acquisition system, specifically designed for battery applications, was built. The measuring hardware consists of two different types of monitoring units, a battery block-voltage monitoring unit (VMU) and a battery current- and temperature monitoring unit (CMU), which have been developed in cooperation with SIEMENS AG, Erlangen. VMUs have already been employed in the SIEMENS Masterguard UPS in order to provide the system’s microcontrollerbased BMS with the required measured data. 0-7803-5069-3 /98/$10. 00 01998 IEEE Fig. 1 Structure of a battery monitoring and management system (BMS). In Fig. 1, the logical block â€Å"parameter adaptation† is responsible for battery parameter determination and update. The â€Å"monitoring† block in Fig. 1 performs fault detection and user information activities. Fault detection checks if a battery quantity has exceeded or is likely to exceed its allowed limits. Measured data, alarm messages and information related to service or maintenance needs are given to the user interface by the monitoring block. In contrast to the monitoring block, the â€Å"management† block is responsible for fault avoidance, which aims to keep the battery within certain limits of operation. If a quantity is going to exceed a limit, the management system reacts, for example, by activating the cooling system. In extreme situations, e. g. , in the case of exhaustive discharge, the fault avoidance may limit or even interrupt the current to protect the cells against reversion. Furthermore, the management block is able to control intelmethod, preligent charging algorithms like the IU,,, sented in [3], which limits the maximum of each battery block-voltage instead of just limiting the entire battery voltage during the time of constant-voltage charge. In Fig. 1, the external components, which are influenced by the management block (charger, coolingheating system, inverter controller) are summed up in the â€Å"control† block. The hnctional block â€Å"in-/output† represents the user interface which gives selected data and messages to the user and which allows user intervention, e. . the correction of battery or system parameters. Data selection as well as data storage are represented through the logical block â€Å"data management†. 111 DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM Fig. 2 shows the structure of the measuring and data acquisition system, consisting of battery block-voltage monitoring units (VMU) and current- and temperature monitoring units (CM U) [ 1,2]. Data transfer between the measuring units (any number and sequence is possible) and the data acquisition unit (DAU), which represents the interface to the data processing block of Fig. , is performed via a fiber-optic transmission system (FOTS). Optic data transmission provides electric insulation of the modular measuring system and leads to high immunity against electromagnetic noise. Power supply for the VMU and CMU is drawn directly from the measured batteries which minimizes the number of electrical connections and therefore leads to an easy and fast installation. The VMU measures up to eight voltages each ranging from 0. 3 V to 16 V with an accuracy of 0. 15 YO, which enables the measurement of single-cell and block voltages for any type of battery. Depending on the shunt resistor, the CMU is able to measure battery current, e. g. , over a range fiom OA up to f 300 A. The CMU also measures battery temperature (-5OC to 6OOC). When the battery management system does not need measured data, the monitoring units rest in a stand-by mode during which the modules’ power consumption is negligible compared to the self-discharge of the batteries. As soon as measured values are needed, the units are switched on by the central data acquisition unit using the fiber-optic transmission ring. After some setup-routines are completed, the VMUs and CMUs start the measuring process. As soon as data is available, the modules store the measured values in their transmission buffers. Receiving a so called â€Å"data-locomotive†, the first module 631 214 . . I t Data Acquisition Unit I 1 I -I Fibre Optic Transmission System (FOTS) T T t 8 block voltages Fig. 2 8 block voltages 8 block voltages 5 temperatures and 3 currents t 5 temperatures and 3 currents t Structure of the measuring and data acquisition system [ 11. The electric data input and data output signals of the serial port (TxD, RxD) are transformed into optic signals and are transmitted via the fiber optic transmission system. The electric handshake signals RTS and CTS as well as DSR, DTR and DCD are not transmitted so that, on the one hand, only one transmission ring is needed, but, on the other hand, hardware handshake signals cannot be used. Therefore, during the development of the LabView BMS much effort had to be taken to ensure the synchronization of data communication between the measuring units (CMU and VMU) and the personal computer. Having started the Labview application for the first time, the user is asked to provide obligatory system information, e. g. , the number and sequence of the measuring units, the value of the shunt resistor for current measurement, the time between new measurement requests and the paths for data storage. At the moment, the presented system is pre-configured to deal with up to eight measuring modules. The default time interval between measurement requests is set to four seconds, but can be augmented as well as shortened (down to one second) by the user. After the receipt of a valid data chain, LabView decodes the transmitted data. If the decoded data is recognized as measured values (and not as error message) these values are compared with the corresponding maximum and minimum limits. If a measured value exceeds the tolerated interval an alarm message is generated and shown on the graphic user interface. The minimum and maximum limits may be set by the user, or be deduced from an appropriate battery model. User interface: A screen shot of the user interface called â€Å"front panel†, can be seen in Fig. 3. On the front panel, the user can provide input information. Besides, the average battery interrupts the measuring process and starts sending the data-locomotive ollowed by its own measured data to the next module in the ring. This module recognizes the locomotive and the transmitted data and attaches to the data chain its own measured values. The central acquisition unit is able to decode the received data chain as it knows the order of the monitoring units [l]. IV LABVIEW-BASED UNIVERSAL AND BATTERY MONITORING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (BMS) LabView (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) from National Instruments Corporation is a software development application which uses a graphical programming language, G, to create programs in block diagram form. Since LabView includes libraries of functions for data acquisition, serial instrument control, data analysis, data presentation and data storage it commends itself for the BMS application. LabView programs are called â€Å"virtual instruments (VI)†. These VIS consist of an interactive user interface (â€Å"front panel†, see Fig. 3), a dataflow diagram that serves as the source code, and icon connections that allow the VI to be called from higher level VIS [ 5 ] . As the BMS is executed on a personal computer, it offers higher flexibility and much more graphic tools for data visualization than microcontroller-based systems. Therefore, the central unit of the diagram in Fig. 1 as well as the in-/output interfaces have been realized as a LabView application. Data acquisition: For communication between the measuring system and LabView (request for and receipt of measured values) one of the serial ports of the personal computer is used. 632 27-4 Fig. 3 Front panel of the LabView-based BMS eight measuring channels and can localize the battery block, which is exceeding its operation limits. Fig. 4 shows the display for module 1. The measured voltage of block 1 has exceeded ts maximum limit and, therefore, has caused the alarm message on the front panel. If the is in doubt, whether the battery,s usable ca- temperature, up to six currents of parallel battery strings and the entire battery voltage are constantly monitored. Fault detection: In case of an alarm message, the corresponding monitoring unit is marked. Clicking on the â€Å"module #,’button, the user gets detailed information about the moduleâ €™s block 1 1 block2 1 block3 1 block4 block5 block6 block7 block8 i Fig. 4 Detailed information about measuring module 1 633 acity might have decreased, it is possible to run a battery-check discharge, which helps recognizing and localizing defective cells. This battery-check, which could be defined as a part of the fault detection functions (monitoring) of the BMS, but also as a part of active intervention (management) is described below (see â€Å"fault avoidance and intervention†). Data processing: ment, the battery charger, which performs a blockvoltage limiting and therefore battery protecting charging algorithm (1Uma), is connected to the BMS via a second RS 232 serial port. It is anticipated that future BMS applications, e. . , BMS in electric vehicles, will use modem fieldbus configurations, such as CAN bus, which will lead to more flexible, open systems. Data management: Apart from calculating the entire battery voltage and the average temperature, LabView calcu lates the battery’s state of charge using a modified Peukert equation [2,6,7]. Switching the button â€Å"SOC† the state of charge of the battery strings is shown on the display. Furthermore, the distribution of block voltages is displayed. The histogram of the measured voltages can be seen by clicking on the â€Å"voltage distribution† button. Fault avoidance and intervention: Depending on the width of the voltage distribution, e. g. during floating operation, or depending on a decreasing usable battery capacity, the BMS is able to recognize if a so-called â€Å"battery conditioning† (in case of lead acid batteries) should be performed and gives a corresponding message to the user . A â€Å"battery conditioning† algorithm performs a special sequence of discharging and recharging periods which reverses to a certain extent aging of the batteries. A typical example of reversible damages of lead acid batteries is the so-called â€Å"premature capacity loss† [4]. To allow analysis of the data at a later moment, the measured values as well as the messages given to the user are continuously stored. This default storage mode is useful for battery examination in research and development. Using the BMS for common battery applications an event-controlled storage mode can be chosen, which stores a measured value, if it is significantly different form the value before. For future commercial battery applications, for example, battery leasing, another simple storage mode, which only records the alarm messages on the user display, could easily be employed. V SUMMARY To determine the decreasing battery capacity in case of batteries during floating operation (UPS-batteries), it is possible to run a battery-check discharge (e. g. 10% of nominal battery capacity). During the battery check the battery block-voltages are recorded and compared with the corresponding values from previous tests. In case of significant deviations, the battery’s usable capacity Qo has probably decreased as well. Therefore, a â€Å"battery conditioning† has to be recommended. If a measured temperature exceeds its limits or the differences between the measured temperatures exceed a predefined limit, a water circulation system is switched on. This system may either cool or heat the batteries or may just establish a uniform temperature distribution. Parameter adaptation: In this paper, a new developed, flexible LabView-based battery management system is presented. Through the LabView realization of the BMS (in contrast to older microprocessor based concepts [3]) it was possible to create an easily adaptable monitoring and management system for any kind of battery application. Additional monitoring or management features for BMS can easily be added to the LabView software. Even unforeseen demands on BMS, that may turn up with the usage of new battery technologies, can be met without problems. VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank SIEMENS AG, Erlangen for supporting the development of the presented battery measuring system and, furthermore, acknowledge D. Linzen for his contributions to this project. VI1 REFERENCES A. Lohner, S. Buller, E. Karden, R. W. De Doncker, â€Å"Development of a Highly Accurate, Universal and Inexpensive Measuring System for Battery Management Systems†, 15† Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS), 1998, Brussels (Belgium) E. Karden, P. Mauracher, A. Lohner, â€Å"Battery Management Systems for Energy-Efficient Battery Operation: Strategy and Practical Experience†, 1 3 ~ Electric Vehicle Symposium, 1996, Osaka (Japan), Vol. 2 pp. 91-98 The amount of charge Qo which can be stored in and discharged from a battery at nominal values of current and temperature, is in general not equal to the nominal capacity QN, which is an effect of aging. Therefore, which is a model parameter of the modified Peukert equation, has to be updated regularly, e. g. , during the conditioning cycles. Due to the modular structure of the LabView application, more sophisticated battery models may be implemented according to individual user’s requirements. Control interfaces: eo, Apart from communication between LabView and the measuring system for data acquisition, the BMS has to have other interfaces to control external components such as the cooling system or the battery charger. At the mo634 A. Lohner, E. Karden, R. W. De Doncker, â€Å"Charge Equalizing and Lifetime Increasing with a New Charging Method for VRLA Batteries†, 19† International Telecommunication Energy Conference, 1997, Melbourne (Australia), pp. 407-41 1 27-4 [4] A. Lohner, â€Å"Batteriemanagement fQr verschlossene Bleibatterien am Beispiel von USV-Anlagen†, Dissertation am Institut fiir Stromrichtertechnik und Elektrische Antriebe, RWTH-Aachen, 1998 [5] National Instruments Corporation, â€Å"LabView User Manual†, Part Number 320999A-01, 1996 Edition [6] R. Giglioli, A. Buonarota, P. Menga, M. Ceraol â€Å"Charge and Discharge Fourth Order Dynamic Model of the Lead-Acid Battery†, 10* Electric Vehicle Symposium, Hongkong, 1990, pp. 371-382 [7] W. Peukert, â€Å"Uber die Abhangigkeit der Kapazitat von der Entladestromstiirke bei Bleiakkumulatoren†, ETZ, Band 18, 1897 [SI E. Dowgiallo jr. â€Å"Innovative On-Board Instrumentation for EV Battery Characterization†, DOEEPRI Beta Battery Workshop 8,1991, pp. 215-218 [9] H. Kahlen, B. Hauck â€Å"Batteriemanagementsysteme fiir Traktionsbatterien†, Fachtagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft fiir elektrische StraBenfahrzeuge (dges), 1995, Berlin 635

Top Tips to Keep an Essay Relevant To the Topic

One of the major mistakes that many students make in writing an assignment, whether it is essay writing, research paper, dissertation or thesis, is the habit of drafting from their topic. Writing a great essay is not a big task if you pay less attention on the topic. A good essay is one that not only starts with a strong argument on the topic, but also ends with the same question. Some writers make a strong introduction, but in the body part they start to wander from the topic, due to which they end the assignment in the completely wrong direction. If you are one of them who make this mistake frequently then this essay is just for you. Here in this article we share top tips to make your essay relevant to the topic as given by your professor. Remember, all your hard work might be rejected if you do not follow the simple steps given below for writing an essay. Planning your essay: It is always recommend to always start your assignment with a comprehensive, clear plan and then make sure to stick to it. Your plan also acts as an outline of the paper where you will include all the three main parts of an essay, i.e. the introduction, body paragraphs and the conclusion. Write main points that you think are necessary to add in these three parts of an essay. Under each main point also write one or two sentences. Make sure the main point you mention here must be according to your essay topic. Go through the points again and make sure that they are relevant to the topic and if not it is better to get rid of those points at this stage only. Referring back to the topic: This is a simple method but make a huge difference.   It is always a good idea to use signpost sentence each time when you start a new idea or paragraph. This will help you connect strongly to the essay topic. Developing the essay argument: Often students start with a strong and clear introduction that forces the reader to read further, but when they reach to the body paragraph they start losing the main concept of the essay. One best way to keep your focus on the topic is to make strong relationship between different paragraphs of an essay using separators that grab reader’s attention such as furthermore, conversely, firstly and secondly. This might sound easy, but it plays a major role in grabbing a reader’s attention into the overall argument instead of disregarding your essay paragraphs as unrelated to the question. Conclusions: Always remember that a successful essay must have two most important parts, the introduction and the conclusion. An introduction helps you grab the reader’s attention while a conclusion provides a clear and concise summary of an essay argument. The essay conclusion can be used to prove why the body paragraphs of the essay were relevant to the essay topic or question. If you don’t want to lose your precious marks, then it is necessary to avoid this most common mistake. Above are some points that help you avoid this mistake and force your professor to give you high grades.

Zora Neale Hurston Quotes

Zora Neale Hurston Quotes Zora Neale Hurston was a folklorist and writer. She was part of the Harlem Renaissance, but she never quite fit into the black writer stereotype and was too black for white audiences, so her work fell into obscurity. She wrote such classics as Their Eyes Were Watching God, and How it Feels to Be Colored Me Alice Walker led a revival of Zora Neale Hurston popularity beginning in the 1970s, and Zora Neale Hurston is now considered among the classic American writers of the 20th century. Selected Zora Neale Hurston Quotations I want a busy life, a just mind, and a timely death.Through it all, I remain myself.Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to jump at de sun. We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.No man may make another free.Grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear.Learning without wisdom is a load of books on a donkeys back.No matter how far a person can go the horizon is still way beyond you.If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.It is hard to apply oneself to study when there is no money to pay for food and lodging. I almost never explain these things when folks are asking me why I dont do this or that.Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? Its beyond me.There is nothing to make you like other human beings so much as doing things for them.It seems to me that trying to live without friend s is like milking a bear to get cream for your morning coffee. It is a whole lot of trouble, and then not worth much after you get it. Happiness is nothing but everyday living seen through a veil.Life is the flower for which love is the honey.Love, I find, is like singing. Everybody can do enough to satisfy themselves, though it may not impress the neighbors as being very much.Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.There are years that ask questions and years that answer.When one is too old for love, one finds great comfort in good dinners.Ships at a distance have every mans wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing, until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they dont want to remember, and remember everything they dont want to forget. The dream is the truth. They then act and do things accordingly.Those that dont got it, cant show it. Those that got it, cant hide it.I belong to no race nor time. I am the eter nal feminine with its string of beads. I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all.I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mothers side was not an Indian chief.Maybe some of the details of my birth as told me might be a little inaccurate, but it is pretty well established that I really did get born.Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me.I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background.The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell.Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. It is a seeking that he who wishes may know the cosmic secrets of the world and they that dwell therein.Once you wake up thought in a man, you can never put it to sleep again.My eyes and my min d keep taking me where my old legs cant keep up. There is something about poverty that smells like death. Dead dreams dropping off the heart like leaves in a dry season and rotting around the feet.Jamaica is the land where the rooster lays an egg.I have been in Sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots. Then I have stood on the peaky mountain wrapped in rainbows, with a harp and a sword in my hands.It is quite exciting to hold the center of the national stage, with the spectators not knowing whether to laugh or to weep.I love myself when I am laughing. And then again when I am looking mean and impressive.

50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases

50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases 50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases 50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases By Mark Nichol The following phrases need not be summarily replaced by more concise alternatives, but consider making the switch, especially when you find yourself using various wordy phrases frequently in the same text. 1. a number of: some, many 2. afford an opportunity: allow, let 3. an appreciable number of: many 4. as a means of: to 5. as prescribed by: in, under 6. at the present time: now 7. by means of: by, with 8. comply with: follow 9. due to the fact that: because, due to, since 10. during the period of: during 11. for a period of: for 12. has a requirement for: needs, requires 13. have an adverse effect on: hurt, set back 14. in a timely manner: on time, promptly 15. in accordance with: by, following, per, under 16. in addition: also, besides, too 17. in an effort to: to 18. in close proximity: near 19. in lieu of: instead of 20. in order for: for 21. in order that: so 22. in order to: to 23. in regard to: about, concerning, on 24. in relation to: about, to, with 25. in the amount of: amounting to, for 26. in the event of: if 27. in the near future: shortly, soon 28. in the process of: (omit without replacement) 29. in view of: because, since 30. is applicable to: applies to 31. is authorized to: can, may 32. is in consonance with: agrees with follows 33. is responsible for: handles 34. it is essential that [one]: [one] must 35. it is incumbent upon [one] to: [one] should, [one] must 36. it is requested that you: please 37. pertaining to: about, of, on 38. provide(s) guidance for/to: guides 39. relative to: about, on 40. set forth in: in 41. similar to: like 42. successfully accomplish/complete: accomplish/complete 43. take action to: (omit without replacement) 44. the month (or year) of: (omit without replacement) 45. the use of: (omit without replacement) 46. time period: period, time 47. under the provisions of: under 48. until such time as: until 49. with reference to: about 50. with the exception of: except Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Capitalization Rules for the Names of Games15 Names and Descriptions of Effects

Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion Research Paper

Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion - Research Paper Example After the accident, the above-ground storage policy was questioned and utility companies began to store natural gas below the ground to improve their safety rather than in tanks. The disaster was a valuable lesson that underlined the importance of ensuring optimum pressure in gas storage tanks and ensuring that leaks can be detected. This report recommends using tanks that store gas within them at a lower pressure and this would be invaluable even for transporting gas through pipelines to its various locations, because maintaining the pressure at a reasonable low would help to avoid the accidents that could result from leaks and over -pressurized pipelines. On the 20th of October 1944, a natural gas storage tank above the ground which was full of liquefied natural gas exploded (www.ohiohistorycentral.org). Although investigators into the disaster were unable to discover the causes for the explosion, it is widely believed that a leak developed in the seam of the side of the tank that dipped down into the city sewers. Vapour began to escape from this seam, mixing with air and sewer gas, which in turn produced explosions (www.waymarking.com). Since the tank was located near a lake, winds blowing from the lake pushed the gas towards the town where it slipped into the sewer lines through the catch basins that were located in the street gutters. The gas travelled rapidly through the underground pipes linking the sewer lines causing explosions that were so violent that they lifted manhole covers and sent them flying away. This was not however, the end of the disaster. The fire department was called out and tackled the explosions and fires, but even as they were working and the explosions were believed to have been contained, another above ground tank exploded, causing more fires, so that entire homes suddenly caught fire and burnt out with the

Strategic Managment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Managment - Case Study Example Arguably, Jamba juice has competitive advantages over its competitors since the clientele groups have been presenting their grievances on the issues that they feel important and deserving immediate redress from the organization. Similarly, the CEO witnessed the gradual increase in sales performances after repackaging the brand in new containers holding importance to the environment. Therefore, the company is certain that its recent setbacks emanated from the inclusion of polystyrene in the container linings. Such information serves for the benefit of the company since the management will eventually order the packaging and processing teams to find and use environmentally friendly materials before presenting the products to the market. The resolutions are ideal and are present in the company’s strategic decisions since the management has full knowledge that the consumer groups seek to consume products packed with the ethical considerations of the entire environment. Question 2: Description of the juice’s diversification and growth strategies Jamba’s growth and diversification strategies are ill addressed since the company failed to evaluate all the market needs prior to implementation of its product. Arguably, the management thought that the product would acquire successful outcomes after its introduction since the consumers would realize the benefits of the polystyrene cans in delivering the desired state of the juice. On the contrary, the company’s packaging failed to win the desired clientele since the society is currently embarking on the use of environmentally friendly goods while disowning those products, which deviate from the norm. Unfortunately, Jamba’s diversification strategies may not accrue any profound outcomes lest the company engages in the production of the ideal cans that the society would view as a reassurance to their health during and after consumption of the juices. For example, the company would achieve it s growth strategies through offering intensive support to the society’s health considerations, and the total disuse of any packaging materials that cause any form of alarm to the environment. The juice shall reach its edge of diversification and growth in market share if the company shall successfully deviate from the ill practices, a factor that would lead to increased clientele groups, and increased population of capital investors. Question 3 The social trend that is contributing to the entrepreneurial venture of Jamba Juice Company is how people trying to outdo environmental pollution hence ensuring that the environment is friendly. Although the company claimed to be a healthy lifestyle brand, it kept on using polystyrene foam, which was harmful to the environment due to its long life. Polystyrene foam was harmful to both wildlife and human being since it posed healthy risks. Jamba CEO realized that using polystyrene foam was illegal since it caused pollution to the enviro nment and thus it was inconsistent with the image the company wished to portray, as customers were concerned with environmental and health concerns. The consumers never wanted to benefit from using Jamba’s products and suffer from environmental pollution in the future. Additionally, most cities had already banned the use of polystyrene foam, thus Jamba Juice Compa

The Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Middle Ages Essay The Middle Ages was an era that could be described several different ways. Like all spans of time they had their downfalls, victories, different views of faith, and different forms of government. The Middle Ages span from 500 to 1500 in Europe. This is a very extensive period of time, and it is difficult to label it with one name. So many different events and themes took place. Nevertheless, the labels that best describe this era would have to be The Dark Ages, The Age of Feudalism, and The Age of Faith. The Middle Ages could be referred to as the Dark Ages for several reasons. In this time period there were a lot of wars and raids taking place, especially Viking raids. â€Å"846 According to their custom the Northmen plundered†¦ and burned the town of Dordrecht†¦ the Northmen, with their boats filled with immense booty, including both men and goods, returned to their own country†¦.† (Doc.3). Often times there was nothing that people could do to prevent these raids because they happened so quickly. The Vikings were not at all like the people they were used to fighting for the object of land. The Vikings only wanted money and prisoners, and that made them harder to stop. There were also barbarians like The Moors, and The Hungarians who brought terror with them wherever they wandered. â€Å"They burned down the churches and then departed with a crowd of captives†¦ there is no longer any trade, only unceasing terror†¦.† (Doc. 1). Some people would say that you should focus on the accomplishments of the era, and not on the negative. There is just so much negative that it tends to outshine the positive. This document tries to show you the side of the Middle Ages, â€Å"It flourished in the midst of rude surroundings, fierce passions, and material ambitions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc. 7). The era did continue amidst these things, but that does not make it a good age to live in. It makes it a dark age just because of its rude surroundings, and fierce passions. Feudalism was the social system in Europe in the Middle Ages. Nobility would hold land from the Crown and in return offer military service. â€Å"I will aid the count of Champagne in my own person, and I will send to the countess of Champagne the knights whose service I owe to them  for the fief which I hold of them†¦.† (Doc. 2). This age could be named The Age of Feudalism because it was the dominant social structure of the time period. This is also the only age when we really see Feudalism play a strong role in society. To understand the structure of it more completely take a look at the next document. â€Å"Vassal to Lord -Loyalty –Military Service –Ransom, if needed; Lord to Vassal -Protection –Land (fief)† (Doc. 4). The vassal was the name that was given to the person who was granted the land. Feudalism was a major part of everyday life for people who lived in Europe during The Middle Ages. The Catholic Church had a lot of power in all aspects of life in this era. The Pope even had the power to ask people to fight for God, and they would do just that. In this document Pope Urban 11 is calling for a crusade or holy war to recapture the Holy Land. â€Å"Your brethren who live in the [Middle] East are in urgent need of your help†¦.† â€Å"All who die by the way, whether by land or sea, or in the battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins† (Doc. 9). Many people heard this and obeyed risking their lives for the church. The power the church had was even visible as you can tell from Document 10 which is a picture of a Gothic cathedral. It’s standing high above the people, and even above the buildings surrounding it. More examples of what people would do for the church come from documents 5 and 8. Document 5 is a Church council calling for the observance of the Truce of God. â€Å"†¦so that no one may commit murder, arson, robbery, or assault, no one may injure another with a sword, club, or any other kind of weapon†¦.† (Doc. 5). This showed the Church’s power to even make laws that people would obey. Document 8 is adapted from the fourteenth-century monastic vows of Brother Gerard. The document show what some people would give up to be a monk in the Church. â€Å"I hereby renounce my parents, my brothers and relatives, my friends, my possessions†¦and the vain and empty glory and pleasure of this world. I also renounce my own will, for the will of God† (Doc. 8). This is why the title The Age of Faith belongs to The Middle Ages. An additional document would be helpful to make this essay better. If I had been given a document on the serfs lives I could’ve used it for The Dark Ages, and the Age of Feudalism. The Middle Ages are a very interesting time period to write about due to the many different aspects of the period that come to play. Even though it was such a dark time there are always some bright things in the dark. For this  time period it was the Church, and the inventions and knowledge that were gained. The labels The Dark Ages, the Age of Feudalism, and the Age of Faith are truly the best ways to describe The Middle Ages.

Siddhartha Essay: The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha

The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An important symbol in Siddhartha is the smile. Each of the three characters in the story who attain a final state of complete serenity is characterized by a beautiful smile which reflects their peaceful, harmonious state. In each case this smile is a completely natural phenomenon; it cannot be created at will by people who have not attained the prerequisite state of harmony with life.    The first character who is described as possessing this smile is Gotama, the Buddha. When Siddhartha first sees him, he recognizes him immediately, largely on account of this mysterious smile. Gotama is imperturbable and he retains his smile - and his equanimity - even when Siddhartha engages in debate with him. As Gotama turns to leave, it is his smile which most deeply impresses Siddhartha, for in it the peace and saintliness of the Buddha is epitomized. The narrator comments that Siddhartha was to remember this smile for the rest of his life.    Vesudeva also possesses the mystical smile of peace and harmony. A man of very few words, the ferryman often allows his smile to speak for him, and it is a more effective agent of expression than any words could possibly have been. Like the Buddha, Vasudeva is satisfied that he is at peace with the world, and with existence.    Siddhartha does not possess this radiant smile at first. He sees it in Gotama and Vasudeva and recognizes its significance, but is too engrossed in physical things to be able to smile serenely himself. First, with the Samanas, he concentrates on mastering his bodily needs. Then, through Kamala and Kamaswami, he learns to enjoy sensual pleasures and soon masters this aspect of life. Finally his ... ...e lingering sorrow and pain he feels because of his son's departure. One day when Siddhartha sets out to search for his son, the river speaks to him - but not in its usual soothing tone. This time the river laughs at him. Siddhartha looks into the water and sees his own reflection, which reminds him, however, of his father. He is reminded of the pain he caused his own father years earlier when he departed, never to return, and gradually perceives that the river is pointing out to him the repetitious nature of events. Nothing is new, everything is an integral part of a unified whole, including such things as the inevitable separation of fathers and sons. The various voices of the river, the laughter and the sorrow, seem to merge, and finally Siddhartha hears only the sum: the word "Om."    Works Cited Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Dover Publications, 1998.

Discussion Questions Essay

2. How do data from qualitative research differ from data in quantitative research? A quantitative research question is an interrogative sentence that asks a question about the relation that exists between two or more variables. Its purpose is to identify the variables being investigated and to specify the type of relationship, descriptive, predictive, or causal, being investigated. A qualitative research question asks a question about some process, issue, or phenomenon that is to be explored. 5. Assume you are a manufacturer of small kitchen electrics, like Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex, and you want to determine if some innovative designs with unusual shapes and colors developed for the European market could be successfully marketed in the U.S. market. What qualitative research would you recommend, and why? The US market is very complex and extremely different than the European markets. I would employ a combination of interviews and focus groups. The interviews would allow the researches the opportunity to go deeper in the causes and effects of the choices that the consumers choose. This will enhance the data and information to allow the engineers to review the surveys in order to see if the concepts are true. 7. What dilemma does HealthPlus face, and why has the company turned to focus groups for insights? From the readings, I read that Healthplus had a dilemma that was like well  positioned given the growing concern over rampant obesity, especially among youth. .HealthPlus was right when it surmised that consumers are skeptical that something healthy can taste good. They also learned that there are some triggers they can use for their advertising to get people to eat healthy. The company turned to focus groups to get information on preliminary analysis on the focus group transcript content so that they can get their survey’s back quicker to see what they can fix before sending out to consumers. Chapter 8 1. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the survey to those of observation. Under which circumstances could you make a case for using observation? The primary advantage to a survey over that of an observation study deals with the actual collection of data. With a survey the data collected is normally known and often is directed to specific answers due to the survey format where observational studies collect data in a haphazard way. However, observation can be a useful tool in certain situations. Observation is a very useful tool when the study must be concealed from the participants. In this manner someone can observe and the participants do not know they are involved in a study. This does present an ethical dilemma but often is required for successful data collection and study. 2. What ethical risks are involved in observation? In the use of unobtrusive measures? Any observations that involve individuals who are unaware present ethical concerns. Individuals in observation studies that use unobtrusive measures can be sneaky. Meaning the study can be concealed from those involved without their approval. For example, studies that make use of one way mirrors, hidden cameras, hidden microphones, etc. 5. The observer–participant relationship is an important consideration in the  design of observation studies. What kind of relationship would you recommend in each of the following cases? a. Observations of professional conduct in the classroom by the student author of a course evaluation guide. Direct b. Observation of retail shoppers by a researcher who is interested in determining customer purchase time by type of goods purchased. Concealment c. Observation of a focus group interview by a client. Indirect d. Effectiveness of individual farm worker organizers in their efforts to organize employees of grape growers. Participation

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High school â€Å"back in the day Betty Joy Par's High school experiences Jack Schaefer Jack. [email  protected] Com Waterloo- After interviewing Betty Joy Parr about her high school experiences I learned many Interesting things. Currently Betty lives in Huston, Texas. Her husband of 53 years Larry Parr was her high school sweet heart. She Just had a birthday and was 74 on May 30th. After attending high school at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas from 1953 to 1958.After graduating with at class of 475 students she went on to work and noir collage as she helped her husband trough collage as she explained, â€Å"There wasn't money for college so I got a job at a Savings and Loan as a Teller. I put my husband thru college In Arlington, Texas. † As she continued about some major things In history that she could remember she said, â€Å"In Dallas witch Is near where we were living at the time Kennedy was assassinated. Everyone was in shock at the bank where I work ed. † She spoke about some of her favorite high school memories of high school.I asked ere what her favorite things were to do or be in was she said, â€Å"being in the Band and football games. I was a twirler or majorette in the band. † As we talked I asked what her favorite subject was she told me keyboarding. She said, â€Å"Our School had Just gotten five new electric typewriters and we each got a chance to use them. † She told to me that she was involved in many things other then just school. She was also involved in yearbook and student counsel as security also expressing that there was other groups that were at school.She said, â€Å"drama team and Y-teens were offered along with the sports of Football, basketball, tennis, track, baseball. † Betty shared that her two best friends are still close with her. She stated, â€Å"Marlene Price and Betty Jane Sorrel were my best friends. Marlene lives In corpus Christi, Texas and Betty Jane lives here In H ouston. She also said that she soul gets together with 12 other friends from high school. As I went on to ask more about how high school was like I asked what the had to wear she responded, â€Å"We would wear neck scarf and sweaters with skirts, lots of ethicists to make them stand out. She also said they has to wear something different at gym time. As I started to learn more about was a normal say was Like I wondered about the teachers she said, â€Å"We thought they were old but we had respect for them. We knew they were there to teach us and that we better listen. She said she never got in real trouble knowing that there would be a bad consequence. I also was Curious about how relationships were back then. She said, didn't date until your sophomore year. † She said for there first date that it would be to the ivies and then it would be a double date.She told me that a typical Friday night was going to the movies or the popular hang out place Mac's Drive Inn or some type As I had learned so much from her I asked about her overall experiences she said, muff don't feel old, you feel the same inside yourself but when you look in the mirror you see you have aged. † I had to laugh a little bit when I hear this. I think that it is interesting and fun to learn about how what I am courtly going trough 60 years latter really has not changes that much.

The Women in My Last Duchess Essay Example

The Women in My Last Duchess Essay Example The Women in My Last Duchess Essay The Women in My Last Duchess Essay The Women in My Last Duchess and La Belle Dame Sans Merci Represent Two Very Different Kinds of Personality. Through a Comparison of Both Poems, Explain What These Differences are and What Effect the Women Have on the Men Around Them. Although two very different poems, there are many similarities as well as differences between My Last Duchess and La Belle Dame Sans Merci. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast the two poems written by Robert Browning (My last Duchess) and John Keats (La belle dame sans merci). I am also going to examine what affect they have upon their lovers and the men around them. There are many noticeable differences between the Duchess and the Belle Dame. Firstly, they both have very different kinds of personality. The Duchess tends to be quite sweet and unprovoking. She is also very unaware of the feelings she generates between her and other men :- The bough of cherries some officious fool broke in the orchard for her. The Duke, to whom she is married to in this case seems to think she is flirtatious in this respect, however, Browning shows us that, although that may seem the case, she is so nai ve that she doesnt realise she is doing that. The character of La Belle Dame is very different. She is very mysterious and powerful. This gives the impression that she may not be real and could, in fact be a fairy. As well as having this powerful side, the woman, or faery as she is called, seems very sinister and inconsiderate. It seems as if she is bewitching any man she finds, under the spell of her desire for a short romance, costing them their life. However, as well as having differences in character, they both have similarities with one another. They are both young and beautiful from what we can tell, and are aware that they appeal to men. They are both flirtatious though it seems the Duchess is far too shy and unaware to realise this. They both, also, appreciate the power and simplicity of nature and not for wealth and status which rules the Dukes thoughts. This is shown in the following quote from La Belle Dame and the quote above from My Last Duchess:- She found me roots of relish sweet and honey wild and manna dew. There are also many differences in what has happened to them both. The Duchess was killed by the Duke mainly for her lack of interest in him and his wealth, possessions and status. The Belle Dame however, simply vanishes, but also seems to be killing off her ex-lovers by bewitching them with her love. The knight who falls under her spell in the poem describes his visions of these ghostly figures from his dreams after meeting this woman :- I saw pale kings and princes too, death pale were they all. The Duchess was also in love with only one man- the Duke (though he thought otherwise), whilst La belle dame fell in love with many. The Belle Dame is very aware of her beauty and uses it as a lethal weapon against any man who ventures near her. The Duchess is completely the opposite though. Being very shy, she doesnt realise her true beauty and appeal to men other than the Duke. Both women, however, have maddening effects on their lovers. The Duchess by making the Duke so jealous of her appeal to other men, that he murders her, and the Belle Dame, by sending the Knight so insane that he simply ventures around the meads alone and palely loitering.

13 Engaging Ways to Begin an Essay

13 Engaging Ways to Begin an Essay An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading. There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers. Introductory Strategies State your thesis briefly and directly (but avoid making a bald announcement, such as This essay is about . . .). It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday. . . . (Michael J. Arlen, Ode to Thanksgiving. The Camera Age: Essays on Television. Penguin, 1982)Pose a question related to your subject and then answer it (or invite your readers to answer it). What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesnt afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage fr om three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting. (Emily R. Grosholz, On Necklaces. Prairie Schooner, Summer 2007) State an interesting fact about your subject. The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye. . . . (David James Duncan, Cherish This Ecstasy. The Sun, July 2008)Present your thesis as a recent discovery or revelation. Ive finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people. (Suzanne Britt Jordan, Neat People vs. Sloppy People. Show and Tell. Morning Owl Press, 19 83) Briefly describe the place that serves as the primary setting of your essay. It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two. (George Orwell, A Hanging, 1931)Recount an incident that dramatizes your subject. One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the we ak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. â€Å"Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,† she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked. (Katy Butler, What Broke My Fathers Heart. The New York Times Magazine, June 18, 2010) Use the narrative strategy of delay: put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers interest without frustrating them. They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl. . . . (Lee Zacharias, Buzzards. Southern Humanities Review, 2007)Using the historical present tense, relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joyhis and mineto sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five. (Ryan Van Meter, First. The Gettysburg Review, Winter 2008) Briefly describe a process that leads into your subject. I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task. (Jane Churchon, The Dead Book. The Sun, February 2009)Reveal a secret about yourself or make a candid observation about your subject. I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do. (Richard Selzer, The Discus Thrower. Confessions of a Knife. Simon Schuster, 1979) Open with a riddle, joke, or humorous quotation, and show how it reveals something about your subject. Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: I think were in a time of transition. The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape. . . . (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture. Westview Press, 1999)Offer a contrast between past and present that leads to your thesis. As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I dont care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigare tte smoke. (Garrison Keillor, Walking Down The Canyon. Time, July 31, 2000) Offer a contrast between image and reality- that is, between a common misconception and the opposing truth. They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse. . . (John Gamel, The Elegant Eye. Alaska Quarterly Review, 2009)

Literary review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Literary review - Essay Example t the rate of overall walking of the people who were new dog owners largely increased through gaining possession of dogs in comparison to those people who are non-owners. In addition to the augmentation of the physical activity of the dog owners the possession of dogs also is observed to transform relationships from single to courtship (Cutt, Knuiman and Korti, 2008). Selby et al (1979) notes that the act and practice of keeping pets like dogs and cats can be referred to as a set of best practice in that it helps in rendering shelter to the innocent animals from harsh climates and other vulnerable conditions. However in that the dog owners must focus that keeping of pets does not happen to disturb the healthy climate in the surrounding areas. It is often found that keeping of dogs as pets has resulted in the growth of dog population in the neighbourhood that in turn has contributed to polluting the region with bulks of faeces and urine. The owners of the dogs when consulted of such problems reflected less interest in neutering their pets. Large groups of non-owners refer that keeping of dogs only adds to social troubles like increasing both noise and environment pollution which is again opposed by the owner groups. However the best practices that stands to this end that the dog owners must enhance their focus on the behaviour and activities of th eir dogs and thus help in protecting the natural and social environment (Selby et al, 1979, p.385-386). Vidovic, Stetic and Bratko (1999) and McKee and McKee (2007) remark that children of the households both boys and girls reflect a growing association with pets like dogs and cats. In fact the children tend to regard the pets as their playtime companions by responding to their different calls and gestures. Again it is found that the tendency of affinity to dogs and cats increases for a girl child than that for boys for the girls whether in tender age or tending towards adolescence feel the dearth for companions. It is

Using Your Manager Skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Using Your Manager Skills - Research Paper Example Most companies are using sustainability as a key component in their business strategies. Consumers have also increased their demand for companies to be attentive to their environment of operation. The price of petroleum-based packaging plastics has continued to rise leading to a decline of its competitive advantage over biodegradable packaging material. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) foresees a continued increase in the prices of the plastics in the coming year (Pekhtasheva, & Neverov, 2012). This will boost the marketability of the biodegradable material. Simply Green Products Company has capitalized this market trend and established product chain of biodegradable packing materials. Valued at $10 million, the company produces packing material for pears, apples and peaches that orchards use in the Shenandoah Valley. For its marketing, Simply Green Products has adopted the name SafePack to imply the biodegradability of the material. The eco-friendly agricultural that is e mphasized by lobby groups has contributed to the market advantage of SafePack over the non-biodegradable packing material. However, there have been recent internet campaigns that argued that SafePack is not biodegradable. The environmental group, SafePack Materials Pollute, which is behind the campaign, argues that SafePack materials cause environment pollution due to seepage into surface waters. The group campaign is done on the internet where fruit producers are discouraged from buying SafePack materials. The issues raised by the group touch on the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA). It is necessary to assess the environmental concerns raised by the environmental group against the relevant laws so that the company can devise strategies to safeguard its market. The claims made by the lobby are critical to the reputation of Simply Green Products. However, for such claims to be considered valid under the law, they

Business Entities, Laws, and Regulations Paper Term

Business Entities, Laws, and Regulations - Term Paper Example The next step is to fulfill these legal formalities by complying with the mentioned regulations and lastly to keep a track of the time period for submission of the taxes and trademark fees to remain eligible for the protection and enforcement rights (‘Business’, 2011). In the United States, there are various options for owning the rights in a business. The SBA website of US Government highlights that apart from sole proprietorship and partnership form of business entity, one can form a Limited Liability Company (LLC), non-profit organization, S corporation or a cooperative (‘Follow’, 2011). Each of these business ownerships require that it should be registered with the government within a stipulated time frame. 1.2) Trade Name/ Trademark Search According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the business entity has to apply for trademark availability search. Once the desired trademark has been allowed for adoption, the trademark is applied for re gistration in the name of the applicant. The registration of the trademark acts as a legal document which authorize the owner to use, manufacture, export, import, sell, license or assign the trademark and goods under the trademark for a defined period. Those cases where the trademark used is the ownership of another applicant would be considered an infringement of intellectual property rights which is penalized. Therefore, it is important for the business to take a thorough check of the availability of the trademark before the founding of the business entity. 1.3) Taxation The US Government have laid down the various taxes which a business entity has to pay on a frequent basis to remain legalized. An import or export business has to pay custom taxes, excise duties, and other related taxes upon every consignment or shipment of cargo. The restaurant business however, is required to charge sales tax on each order and to file the sales tax returns along with business tax returns every f iscal year. Additionally, there are property and automobiles taxes which have to be paid accordingly. 1.4) Insurance The insurance is a necessary part of a business in the modern times. Particularly, in the import or export business the law requires that each consignment is fully insured to remain protected of the future unprecedented occurrences. 1.5) Risks Business involves risks. However, one has to identify them and take necessary precaution to avoid any losses. 1.5.1) Failure: In a newly launched business of a restaurant, the first and primary risk is of failure in business which ends up in winding up and withdrawal from the market. Due to high competition in this field and high demand of quality food, there are high risk factors that signal towards loss. Nevertheless, the sports bar concept act as a competitive edge to the business and can help it to remain afloat. 1.5.2) Entry of New Competitors: Other risks include the copy-cats or the entry of new competitors in the busines s copying the similar method of forming a sports bar with a different and advanced style. This is the most expected risk in a business which is the driving force for strengthening or failure of the business. 1.5.3) Lowering of Profits: Another risk is of increase of competition leading to lowering of

Surgical Treatment Method of Isthmic Spondylolisthesis

Surgical Treatment Method of Isthmic Spondylolisthesis Comparison of Two and Three Vertebral Segment Posterolateral Fusion in the Treatment of Isthmic Spondylolisthesis Serkan BILGIC, Omer ERSEN, Tolga EGE, Kenan KOCA, Selahattin OZYUREK, Safak EKINCI, Erbil OGUZ, Ali SEHIRLIOGLU ABSTRACT Background Optimal surgical treatment method of isthmic spondylolisthesis remains unclear. Complications can be invited while saving a segment for lumbar motion. Objective The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effect of the number of fusion levels on the clinical results of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis patients who had undergone posterior instrumentation and PLF. Patients and Methods This retrospective study comprised 37 (20 male, 17 female) patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis who had undergone posterior instrumentation and PLF (Postero-lateral fusion) between January 2005 and May 2011. Pre and post-operative radiological evaluation was made by anteroposterior, lateral, oblique and lateral flexion-extension x-rays. Preoperative spondylolisthesis slippage grading was evaluated according to the Meyerding classification from the preoperative radiographs. Results The mean age of the patients was 36.4 ± 9.2 years and the mean follow-up period was 34.3 months. Two-level fusion was applied to 22 patients and single-level fusion was applied to 15 patients. Decompression was performed on 7 patients in the two-level fusion group and on 6 patients in the single-level fusion group. There were no neurological complication after surgery in either group. No union complications were seen in the two-level PLF group but in the single-level PLF group, screw loosening occurred in 3 patients and screw breakage in 1 due to the pseudoarthrosis. These four patients were revised with two-level PLF. Conclusions This study has demonstrated that two-level posterior instrumentation and PLF with local bone grafts and DBM have significantly better clinical and radiological results than single-level surgery. To avoid potential complications of PLIF, two-level PLF can be an alternative treatment option. Key words:Istmic spondylolisthesis, Posterior lumbar interbody fusion, Fixation Background Lumbar spondylolisthesis is present in about 5% to 6% of the population with various etiopathogenesis. Due to its variant pathological anatomy, the radiological appearance, age and clinical aspect of the patients are different on diagnosis. It generally starts as spondylolysis, a bilateral pars fatigue fracture and becomes spondylolisthesis with a slip of a vertebra over the adjacent one. As the slip increases, disc degeneration and pain starts (1-3). Although conservative treatment is the first treatment option, surgery for symptomatic spondylolisthesis in adults has been found to have better clinical results than conservative treatment choices (3, 4). However, it remains unclear which surgical strategy should be adopted, as there is limited scientific evidence on which to base an optimal treatment method. Discussions on spondylolisthesis treatment have generally focussed on reduction, fusion levels, graft choices, and surgical techniques (5-7). One of the most preferred surgical treatment options for spondylolisthesis is posterior transpedicular instrumentation of the relevant segments and posterolateral fusion (PLF) (5, 7). However, it is still a matter of controversy in literature as to how many levels should be fused and instrumented. Objectives The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effect of the number of fusion levels on the clinical results of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis patients who had undergone posterior instrumentation and PLF. Materials and Methods This retrospective study comprised 37 (20 male, 17 female) patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis who had undergone posterior instrumentation and PLF between January 2005 and May 2011. Patients with spondylolisthesis other than Type 2 according to the Wiltse classification were excluded from the study. Pre and post-operative radiological evaluation was made by anteroposterior, lateral, oblique and lateral flexion-extension x-rays. Preoperative spondylolisthesis slippage grading was evaluated according to the Meyerding classification from the preoperative radiographs. The decompression decision was made preoperatively according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and patients preoperative neurological evaluation. Preoperative and postoperative neurological status, duration of surgery, number of fused and instrumented levels, total blood loss and complications were evaluated from the clinical database. For clinical evaluation of surgical outcomes, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) a nd Visual Analog Scale (VAS) applied at the final follow-up were used. 3.1 Surgical procedure: Exposure was obtained from the spinous processes to the transverse processes bilaterally throughout segments planned for fusion. Under fluoroscopic control, 6.5 mm pedicle screws were placed by free-hand technique. No reduction manoeuvre was used. Decompression of the segments, which had been determined by preoperative MRI and clinical examination was performed for the patients with neurological deficit. In all cases PLF was performed. In the area planned for fusion, the spinous processes were resected, peeled off from soft tissues and used for grafting with demineralized bone matrix. Patients were mobilized with a soft brace on the first postoperative day and the brace was continued for 3 months. (Figure 1, 2) 3.2 Statistical analysis We used the SPSS software package (version 15.0, SPSS, Chicago, IL) and expressed categorical variables as percentages and continuous variables as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median (quartiles). Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate whether the distribution of continuous variables was normal. For parameters that showed normal distribution we used the paired sample t test and for parameters that did not show normal distribution the Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Chi-square test was used to analyze categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at p Results All patients had a history of at least 3 months of lumbar pain due to the spondylolisthesis, which had proved to be resistant to conservative treatment. The mean age of the patients was 36.4 ± 9.2 years and the mean follow-up period was 34.3 months. Low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis was present at L5-S1 level in 23 patients, at L4-5 level in 13 patients and at L3-4 level in 1 patient. Two-level fusion was applied to 22 patients and single-level fusion was applied to 15 patients. Decompression was performed on 7 patients in the two-level fusion group and on 6 patients in the single-level fusion group. There were no neurological complications after surgery in either group. Mean duration of surgery for single-level and two-level surgery was 160 minutes and 190 minutes (160-240), and average blood loss was 285 ml and 390 ml respectively. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of demographic properties (Table 1). One of the patients in the two-level PLF group had superficial infection and was treated with debridement and antibiotheraphy. No union complications were seen in the two-level PLF group but in the single-level PLF group, screw loosening occurred in 3 patients and screw breakage in 1 due to the pseudoarthrosis. These four patients were revised with two-level PLF. (Figure 3) ODI scores from the final follow-up were 12.2 ±6.2 in the single-level PLF group, and 9.2  ± 6.4 in the two-level PLF group (p=0,035). VAS scores were 3.2 ±1.7 in the single-level PLF group and 2.9 ±1.6 in the two-level PLF group (p=0.043). The ODI and VAS scores of the patients revised with two- level PLF were excluded from the clinical evaluation. Discussion Lumbar spondylolysthesis has several etiopathogenetic factors as was shown by Marchetti and Bartolozzi giving rise to variations in pathological anatomy, radiological findings, age and clinical symptoms of the patients on diagnosis. When conservative treatment options fail, surgery becomes the next step. Although there have been a large number of studies on spondylolisthesis, there is no clear evidence for a single superior treatment option. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and PLF with/without instrumentation are the most widely accepted surgical methods. Whilst PLF with instrumentation is the most preferred treatment for most authors, there is no scientific evidence showing that PLF is disadvantageous compared to PLIF or circumferential fusion (8-11) even though the major theoretical advantage of PLIF and circumferential fusion seems to have resulted in improved outcomes compared with PLF. Ekman et al (12) found that the type of fusi on, whether PLIF or PLF, did not affect the outcome of surgical treatment of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis over a two year follow-up period. Furthermore, PLIF is a more invasive, technically more difficult method requiring a longer operative time, which may result in increased blood loss and higher complication rates (12, 13). Similarly, Kim et al. could not demonstrate any difference between ALIF and PLF with instrumentation (11). Although circumferential fusion was reported as significantly better than PLF at 6 months and 1 year in a study by Swan, no difference was determined at two years (14). In a systematic review of 29 high quality studies, Jacobs and al. found no difference between different fusion techniques (15). In the current study the treatment choice was PLF with instrumentation which is a relatively easy method with a shorter operating time and lower blood loss compared to other techniques in literature. When performing PLF, slip reduction can be achieved during the same procedure. The advantages of slip reduction include improved spine biomechanics, better nerve root decompression and a better opportunity for fusion by relieving tension and shear forces (5). Although the major disadvantage of slip reduction is increased risk of neurological injury, there have been numerous studies evaluating slip reduction for adult low grade spondylolisthesis (14, 16-18). In the current study, slip reduction was not performed to avoid the possibility of potential neurological damage and as all the cases had low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. To protect one more mobile segment, some authors have preferred single-level postero-lateral instrumentation and fusion instead of two-level (6, 13, 15). However, there is no scientific proof to help determine the number of fusion levels and this decision is based on the surgeon’s empirical experience. In a prospective study by Inage et al, two-level fusion with local bone grafts was shown to cause increased pseudoarthrosis (6). Similarly in a study by Deguchi et al, single-level fusions showed an 82% fusion rate, and two-level fusions, a 74% rate radiologically (19). Higher fusion rates in the two-level fusion group were achieved with rigid spinal implants. The clinical success of that study correlated with the radiological fusion rates. Contrary to the information in literature, local bone grafts mixed with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) were used in the current study to achieve union for both groups and no union problem was seen in the two-level fusion group. Pseudoarthros is was observed in four cases in the one -level fusion group. Although some authors have reported incongruity between the clinical results of spondylolisthesis patients and union rates, VAS and ODI are the most reliable clinical tests to evaluate spondylolythesis (9, 10, 20). The results of the current study reveal that two-level posterior instrumentation with PLF has better results than single-level surgery according to VAS and ODI. This study has some limitations. Firstly, the retrospective design did not allow for uniformity of the groups. The number of patients was also limited to achieve generalized results. Although the pedicle screws were all 6.5 mm in size, they were not all from the same manufacturer, so implant problems were disregarded. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that two-level posterior instrumentation and PLF with local bone grafts and DBM have significantly better clinical and radiological results than single-level surgery. To avoid potential complications of PLIF, two-level PLF can be an alternative treatment option. References 1.Floman Y. Progression of lumbosacral isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults. Spine. 2000;25(3):342-7. 2.Fredrickson BE, Baker D, McHolick WJ, Yuan HA, Lubicky JP. The natural history of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The Journal of bone and joint surgery American volume. 1984;66(5):699-707. 3.Osterman K, Schlenzka D, Poussa M, Seitsalo S, Virta L. Isthmic spondylolisthesis in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects, epidemiology, and natural history with special reference to disk abnormality and mode of treatment. Clinical orthopaedics and related research. 1993(297):65-70. 4.Moller H, Hedlund R. Surgery versus conservative management in adult isthmic spondylolisthesisa prospective randomized study: part 1. Spine. 2000;25(13):1711-5. 5.Floman Y, Millgram MA, Ashkenazi E, Smorgick Y, Rand N. Instrumented slip reduction and fusion for painful unstable isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults. Journal of spinal disorders techniques. 2008;21(7):477-83. 6.Inage K, Ohtori S, Koshi T, Suzuki M, Takaso M, Yamashita M, et al. One, two-, and three-level instrumented posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with a local bone graft: a prospective study with a 2-year follow-up. Spine. 2011;36(17):1392-6. 7.Zagra A, Giudici F, Minoia L, Corriero AS, Zagra L. Long-term results of pediculo-body fixation and posterolateral fusion for lumbar spondylolisthesis. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2009;18 Suppl 1:151-5. 8.Bernhardt M, Swartz DE, Clothiaux PL, Crowell RR, White AA, 3rd. Posterolateral lumbar and lumbosacral fusion with and without pedicle screw internal fixation. Clinical orthopaedics and related research. 1992(284):109-15. 9.Fischgrund JS, Mackay M, Herkowitz HN, Brower R, Montgomery DM, Kurz LT. 1997 Volvo Award winner in clinical studies. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis: a prospective, randomized study comparing decompressive laminectomy and arthrodesis with and without spinal instrumentation. Spine. 1997;22(24):2807-12. 10.Herkowitz HN, Kurz LT. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis. A prospective study comparing decompression with decompression and intertransverse process arthrodesis. The Journal of bone and joint surgery American volume. 1991;73(6):802-8. 11.Kim NH, Lee JW. Anterior interbody fusion versus posterolateral fusion with transpedicular fixation for isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults. A comparison of clinical results. Spine. 1999;24(8):812-6; discussion 7. 12.Ekman P, Moller H, Tullberg T, Neumann P, Hedlund R. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion versus posterolateral fusion in adult isthmic spondylolisthesis. Spine. 2007;32(20):2178-83. 13.Madan S, Boeree NR. Outcome of posterior lumbar interbody fusion versus posterolateral fusion for spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. Spine. 2002;27(14):1536-42. 14.Swan J, Hurwitz E, Malek F, van den Haak E, Cheng I, Alamin T, et al. Surgical treatment for unstable low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults: a prospective controlled study of posterior instrumented fusion compared with combined anterior-posterior fusion. The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society. 2006;6(6):606-14. 15.Jacobs WC, Vreeling A, De Kleuver M. Fusion for low-grade adult isthmic spondylolisthesis: a systematic review of the literature. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2006;15(4):391-402. 16.Sears W. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion for lytic spondylolisthesis: restoration of sagittal balance using insert-and-rotate interbody spacers. The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society. 2005;5(2):161-9. 17.Spruit M, van Jonbergen JP, de Kleuver M. A concise follow-up of a previous report: posterior reduction and anterior lumbar interbody fusion in symptomatic low-grade adult isthmic spondylolisthesis. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2005;14(9):828-32. 18.Suk SI, Lee CK, Kim WJ, Lee JH, Cho KJ, Kim HG. Adding posterior lumbar interbody fusion to pedicle screw fixation and posterolateral fusion after decompression in spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. Spine. 1997;22(2):210-9; discussion 9-20. 19.Deguchi M, Rapoff AJ, Zdeblick TA. Posterolateral fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults: analysis of fusion rate and clinical results. Journal of spinal disorders. 1998;11(6):459-64. 20.Ohtori S, Suzuki M, Koshi T, Takaso M, Yamashita M, Yamauchi K, et al. Single-level instrumented posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with a local bone graft versus an iliac crest bone graft: a prospective, randomized study with a 2-year follow-up. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2011;20(4):635-9. Tables Table 1. Paramaters of groups during surgery 1