Describing City

As I walk through the streets, I can see confusion that never seems to end. There seems to be an endless amount of cars flowing through the streets and honking their monotone horns. Some of the vehicles are large trucks that seem to add the irritating noise generated by rest of the motor vehicles around me. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, not worrying about anything going on around them. The underground terminal has stores and shops lining the walls. As I walk by, I can smell all sorts of things. When I walk by the Starbucks Coffee, I can smell coffee and milk. When I pass by the numerous bagel shops, I can smell bagels and cream cheese. When I look around, I see the huge departures board with names of stations and corresponding train numbers and departure times. Looking down, all I can see is the movement of a mass of people: Some are carrying bags and some are dragging rolling backpacks. All seem to be unconscious of anything going on around them, but they somehow manage not to run into anyone else, almost operating like robots. As I go up the stairs to the ground level, I notice the pollution of the city; it is a mix between carbon monoxide from cars, trash, and other indistinguishable pollutants. On the streets, I see an endless flow of cars in traffic, many of which have a small illuminated sign with the word â€Å"TAXI† on top. Some are very tall, some are medium size, and there is the occasional â€Å"small† building. The people on the sidewalks are doing various things but everyone is unaware of the chaos going on around them. When I go into one of the many coffee shops, I can tell everything that the store sells just by smelling the air in and around the store. I go in and see many people dressed in suits reading newspapers, talking on cell phones, or sipping on coffee.

Diet Food Industry

Serious illnesses or diseases and poor physical conditions that cause personal problems and difficulties are commonly attributed to the health and lifestyle of individuals, particularly the kind of food that they eat. For instance, obesity that is consequently known to lead to other major and fatal diseases such as heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, etc. , is not only caused by a sedentary lifestyle but also the unceasing consumption of unhealthy foods, particularly sweet and fatty ones.Most people are aware of this fact even without the aid of informational tools and activities. Due to the widespread occurrence of these illnesses or diseases, medical health professionals and health buffs have advocated for a â€Å"health and lifestyle revolution† that consists of a healthy diet and a fit lifestyle. With these changes, the diet food industry has also been established.The diet food industry operates internationally, with various organizations and establishments capitalizing on the strength of the industry’s market; thus, the influx of new groups or individuals who are willing to venture into the diet food industry especially within the international setting. However, groups and individuals who are highly interested in investing in the diet food industry need to go over various processes and succeeding stages in order to ensure their place and position within the corporate arena.The remainder of this paper will discuss these processes and stages, including the study of the global prospect, particularly for a planned restaurant that specializes in diet food meals, the current trends and practices in the diet food industry, available opportunities as well as probable risks and threats, the competition, and the nature and dimensions of the market situation. First, setting up a restaurant in some part of the world requires the study of worldwide acceptance and national or cultural responses to diet foods.(The International Food Information Council, 2 008) This particular process is a good way to start of establishing a business plan because it directly determines whether the targeted market in a particular place exist and is enough to fuel the success of the business in terms of sales and revenue. In addition, there are other considerations such as multicultural diversity, the availability of channels of distributions, the moral or ethical practices prevailing over a particular place, and the availability of resources.(Shay, 2007)Since the structures and dimensions of these factors and requirements differ for each place, there is a pressing need to conduct surveys and market researches in order to determine the best place to set up a restaurant that specializes in diet food. Perhaps, it should be developed in nations or localities that have high incidences of illnesses and diseases that are attributed to unhealthy diets and lifestyles, while considering the number of competition that exist within the area.Overall, the quality of the global prospect of establishing a diet food restaurant will depend on the results and outcomes of the survey and market research. Second, there is a need to review the current trends that fuel the diet food industry. Usually, they are backed up scientific breakthroughs in food or biological technology and the condition of the economy. For instance, the current global economic crisis will lead to the control and limitation of pricing strategies if the restaurant owner will expect the market to frequent the products and services provided by the establishment.(Heigl, 2008)According to the research conducted by MSN Health and Fitness (2008), individuals find it hard to maintain a healthy diet considering the price that they have to pay for each meal. In addition, there has been much discussion and recommendations on the consumption of organic foods – versus the widespread production of genetically modified organisms or GMOs and food products – as chief sources vitamin s and minerals needed by the body. Organic food has also been found out to be a good prevention measure to avoid illnesses and diseases brought about by GMOs.(Greene, 2008)With the reason aforementioned above – that is the alarming increase in the number of individuals who die or get stricken by major illnesses and diseases that are attributed to unhealthy diet and lifestyle as well as the growing importance directed by individuals to the physical and aesthetic condition of individuals – there are various opportunities open for existing business organization to expand or venture into the diet food industry.The continuous evolution of dietary constructs as brought about by the advancement of science and technology allow the diet food industry to reap the benefits of discoveries, developments, and improvements that fit the landscape of diet food restaurants. In addition, the existence of numerous dietary food plans or selections also build up opportunities for organizati ons or establishments to compete. For instance, there are restaurants that specialize on vegetarian meals, low-carbohydrate diets, low cholesterol diets, sugar-free food products, high fiber meals, etc.(â€Å"Special Dietary Needs,† 2008)Moreover, as time progresses, there will be other introductions to the diet food industry. On the other hand, the risks involved have something to do with the problems those organizations or establishments would have to encounter during the planning and implementation process. For instance, competition is always considered a risk, as well as the market acceptability and response of the market to diet food products and services.Moreover, the risks are great for restaurants in terms of how they will be able to handle the market saturation of organizations and establishments that specialize on the diet or special foods. For this reason, the restaurant should be able to offer something new and innovative to the market, set it on affordable prices as compared to other establishments, and ensure the quality and efficiency of the food products and services being offered for the benefit of the consumers.With the development of the diet food industry, organizations and establishments are slowly trying to get into the bandwagon by modifying or transforming their products and services in order to attract the bulk of the market that patronizes special and diet foods. For instance, various supermarkets have involved themselves in promoting healthy diet foods for their consumers by taking part in the implementation of various strategies in terms of consumer purchases of healthy foods. (Mhurchu, et. al., 2005)In addition, well-known restaurants such as Chili’s Grill & Bar, TGI Friday’s, Fresh Fit, etc. In addition, this valuable cause of promoting the health and well being of individuals is also backed up by city governments and private organizations that are concerned about health awareness and consciousness. (Barlyn, 2 008) For ideas on how to introduce healthy diet foods, restaurants should follow by example from the popular restaurants aforementioned. Fresh Fit offers meals that include a sandwich, yogurt, and a bottle of water which is known to be only 340 calories.Chili’s Grill & Bar offers the Guiltless Grill meals that are packed with a variety of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and peppers. In addition, it also comes with a low-fat dressing. The Applebee’s Grill & Bar also offer meals that include various vegetables including low-calories steaks and beneficial seafood selections such as shrimps. All the healthy diet foods offered by Applebee’s, Chili’s, Romano’s Macaroni, Subway, and TGI Friday’s only amount from 300 to 400 calories per meal.

Consumption Journal Essay

In consumer behavior, it is vital that upon completion of the course students have acquired a sound understanding of how consumers search for, purchase, and use products and services. Furthermore, students should also be exposed to the social and psychological influences on these behaviors. Finally, to have garnered the most benefit, students should understand how to integrate the theoretical concepts into their real world experiences. To achieve these broad objectives, a large amount of information must be presented by the instructor and then processed by the students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of consumption journals. This exercise enables students to not only observe and record their own consumption habits, but also to explore the social and psychological factors which may be influencing their and others’ purchase decisions. Furthermore the greatest benefit is that they enjoy the learning process. Exercise Overview This exercise is designed to be an incremental three part assignment. The first part requires students to maintain a personal consumption journal. In the second part, each student is told to construct a portrait of themselves as a consumer by developing a list of ten products or services typically purchased. The third portion of the assignment is an advertisement evaluation. This requires students to select two products from their ten product list and locate advertisements or promotions for them. For each advertisement selected, students are required to identify four to six consumer behavior concepts used in the ad, to describe the demographic and psychographic segments to which the ad was targeted and to explain the reasoning for their conclusions. Finally, students are asked to assess whether or not they are representative of these segments. Consumption Journal Each student is responsible for maintaining a consumption journal which describes the products and services which they purchase. Descriptions include what products and services are purchased, where the items are purchased, why the items are purchased, and what feelings are associated with the purchase. Students are required to complete a minimum of two entries each week. Students are asked to submit the preceding weeks’ entries with the new entries, allowing the instructor to view the weekly progress and making the students more aware of the patterns present in their consumption behavior. Part 1: Consumption Journal You are responsible for maintaining a consumption journal which describes the products and services which you purchase/used. Descriptions should include what products and services are purchased/used, where the items are purchased/used, why the items are purchased/used, and what feelings/thoughts/actions were associated with the purchase. You must bring your consumption journals to every class. Dos and Don’ts 1. Do describe the consumption activity and your own thoughts, feelings and actions in some detail, but you do not have to detail every tiny bit. I would consider the sample below as fairly detailed. Do not make it much more detailed unless you have to. 2. Do limit it to consumption activity that can be described in public. 3. Do focus on more important consumption activities. If there aren’t any, then drop down to the more mundane activities. 4. Try to get at least 15 entries during the month (obviously many of them would be ordinary activities, but if you have two activities for the same product—as below—that counts as two activities. 5. Don’t limit yourself only to purchases†¦.consumption is defined broadly as pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase situations in which you experience feelings, thoughts and actions in regards to achieving satisfaction or reducing dissatisfaction.

Online Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online Article - Assignment Example Herzberg’s two factor theory suggests that there are specific factors that lead to a person’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their work environment. These factors can motivate someone to stay in a job or look to find another one. Stress is a common process that many people go through on a daily basis. Often this happens as the result of everyday challenges that people get used to after some time. In some cases, when stress happens because of some physical trauma or from combat, the stress can become a condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can be something that a person deals with on a daily basis that effects their home life and they may suffer from it in their workplace. The three topics for this paper were chosen because they all have some factor that can be presented to managers in some way. Job satisfaction is very important today as people continue to seek new jobs and managers are looking to hire the best people in the job. Also, lea rning style can play a role in developing opportunities for people and can determine the types of jobs an individual decides to apply for on a regular basis. Knowing ones learning style and how they take in information can present more opportunity for moving forward in their life. Learning Styles (Auditory,Visual or Kinesthetic) [VAK] There are many learning styles but the VAK system pays particular attention to the auditory, visual or kinesthetic aspects of learning. This learning system has been used with a variety of different areas. The article chosen for this section is one written by Whiteley (2007) who chose to research the effects of the VAK system in online learning. This article suggested that there are a variety of ways to design online course, but that learning styles should be taken into account when they are designed. Students have different ways that they take in information and this should be take into consideration when assignments are created. The article explained that the VAK system was designed to help learners understand how to adapt their learning styles to online course, but that professors should plan their courses around learning styles. The article explains each aspect of the learning process and how professors can design specific course assignments to provide each student with the information in the course in their desired style. The article provides a thorough understanding of the VAK system and how it relates to other systems like NLP, and points out that when a student can engage their learning style, they experience less stress in the classroom. This article supports the topic of VAK and of stress in that it explains what professors can do for each type of learner. In management, the VAK system can also be taken into account when a manager is attempting to train workers in a certain topic. As an example, the trainer would have different activities that reinforce the learning such as handouts (visual), audiotapes or lecture (audi tory), hands on interactive programs or group work (kinesthetic). By providing a variety of ways to grasp the information, the trainer can be sure that all employees receive the information they need. Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory In exploring the literature about Herberg’s two factor theory, many of the articles were specific to different work factors or situation. Also, most

The Horse Gallops co for Information mangment system Case Study

The Horse Gallops co for Information mangment system - Case Study Example There are several departments in the company dealing with the various logistics required in real estate. The contractors deal with the building of houses, while the maintenance department ensures that the commercial units are well maintained and operational. The trading and mortgage department deal with payment of the houses and general financial matters, while the general services department deals with serving the customers’ needs. I am the general manager of the Horse and Gallops Company. My role in the company is to ensure that the requirements of every customer are met by the various departments. It is, therefore, my job to link the various departments and ensure that the houses or commercial units are finished in time and as promised. There have been several complaints from customers that these departments are not linked and one has to jump from office to office to solve their problems. When it comes to payment there is also a disconnection between an individual who has to pay cash to the various departments. This problem is especially common when a customer wants more than one partition. Shaping of new businesses means latest threats for the businesses. New trends in Horse and Gallops are frequently employed to curb these risks. With the growth of the business, purchasing and developing innovative technological keys that cater to dangers that did not exist in the company when it was established should be enhanced. As different parties respond differently to unlike hazards, this enables them to set security aims. Understanding security perils is an extremely crucial step for organizations that want to set up security policies that can prevent future hazards. This approach is also called Threat scrutiny. It simply entails on pointing out the assets at risk, plus the evaluation of potential dangers on them. This is the most faced threat by most of today’s companies. The emerging and constant

Compare Two Speeches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare Two Speeches - Essay Example Seen in the larger context of the plot, it is noteworthy that the two defendants whom the lawyers voicing the two specific speeches are trying to protect stand a potential chance of getting convicted owing to the jury possibly being biased with respect to their race and ethnic identity. Hence, no wonder, the two speeches are indeed moving texts that intend to persuade the jury against succumbing to the prevalent racial biases and prejudices. Yet, there is no denying the fact that both these speeches tend to differ in their structure, form and content, and the strategy they resort to while trying to move the conscience of the jury. While the speech mad by Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird is expansive, elaborate and emotive, the speech made by Charlie in the defense of Reverend Andrews is more factual, terse and tactical. The speech made by Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird does indeed have an organic structure with a beginning, middle and an end. The character of Atticus systematically moves about to make an impression on the jury by making his speech to be placed at the end of his systematic enunciation of the facts and the available evidence before the jury. This strategy has a twin fold advantage in the sense that it not only segregates the two pivotal issues involved in the concerned trial that are the technical aspects associated with the trial and the larger issue of racial bias that could have a detrimental impact with regards to the defendant. Hence, without any doubt, this approach allows Atticus to methodically and systematically bring to fore the simmering issue of racial prejudice in the court house, which was not only till now being sidelined or taken for granted, but is also bound to have a decisive impact on the trial. The character of Atticus astutely adapts one’s mannerisms and body language to suit the gravity of the situation as is evident from, â€Å"†¦ he did something he didn’t ordinarily do. He unhitched his watch and ch ain and placed them on the table†¦.† In terms of content, the speech made by Atticus could be regarded to be emotive, while at the same time being factual in the sense that it lays bare the incidence and prevalence of racism in the society of his times, while urging the jury to rise above such narrow considerations, so as to decide the case while taking into consideration the available factual evidence. Commensurately, while making this speech, Atticus comes out as an authoritative speaker who has a firm grip over the social undercurrents of his times as he says, â€Å"She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time honored code of our society†¦ † While doing so Atticus rises above the role of an ordinary lawyer intending to protect one’s client to be a voice of reason and sanity, not only having a firm grip over the essentials of the law of the land, but also symbolic of an attitude that supports an objective and unbiased approach to wards legal issues that he believes to be the guiding principle behind the law that he intends to uphold. It goes without saying that Atticus is amply aware of the mindset of his audience that is the jury and hence had tailored his speech to usher in a voice of reason and fairness into an opinion that had already been presumed to be calcified and crystallized, in an informal if not in a solemn manner. The speech made to the jury

Strategic Management for FMCG Market During Recession Dissertation

Strategic Management for FMCG Market During Recession - Dissertation Example During recessions depending on its severity, the only surviving product that is still moving is the FMCG's otherwise known as FMCG. These are the essential products that are used by the consumers in their everyday lives. An example of FMCGs is coffee, milk, and sugars. Infant foods or pharmaceutical products used in the maintenance of ailments such as anti-hyper tension and anti rejections are also considered FMCGs. Laundry and dish washing soaps, including body soaps and shampoos, are also considered as FMCGs. Every FMCG manufacturer’s or distributor’s goal is to capture a big chunk of the market as much as possible during a recession since the trust that will be gained from the brand will be carried over until the recession is over. The foot in the door approach as a strategy for FMCG is an effective way of capturing a large chunk of the market. The most efficacious way of staying on the radar of consumers is the FMCGs price. During a recession, the resource that is the most affected is the liquidity of the company and most especially the consumers. Thus maximizing the use of money is the most potent approach for consumers to survive the recession. Armed with this knowledge further investigation was conducted for the purpose of determining the efficacy of the strategy of value-pack packaging as the direction of capturing the FMCG market. However, the investigation leads to the realization that value pack packaging is also environmentally harmful since it costs a lot of packaging raw material to packaging FMCG in smaller packs or volumes. ... Thus maximizing the use of money is the most potent approach for consumers to survive the recession. This paper investigated the theory by conducting a survey to verify the behaviour of consumers during recessions. Further investigation through the use of surveys determined that due to the affordability of products that are packaged in smaller volumes consumer behaviour therefore gravitate towards this direction. Armed with this knowledge further investigation was conducted for the purpose of determining the efficacy of the strategy of value-pack packaging as the direction of capturing the FMCG market. However, the investigation lead to the realization that value pack packaging is also environmentally harmful since it costs a lot of packaging raw material to package FMCG in smaller packs or volumes. Not only that but the intended reduction in price may not be realized since the cost will be eaten by the packaging materials and the increased cost of warehousing the added volume of sma ller packs packaging. Acknowledgement I would like to acknowledge the many people who have supported me and provided me with moral and actual assistance during the time when I needed it most. The many stress filled sleepless nights has been made bearable with the help of the following people. My family who has given me the strength and moral support to continue to be resilient and strong while making this paper, my MBA Course Moderator, Ms. Helen Goworek for the guidance and support, Dr. Paul Yap (Executive Director, FMCG Company) for writing approach and Guidance. The many unknown faces of grocers, store owners and FMCG industry packaging supervisors who was patient in answering incessant questions about the FMCG industry. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Executive Summary 3

Improving the team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Improving the team - Essay Example Openness was a positive ambiance in the team but the same freedom was taken for granted and the members forgot to empathize with John and Shaun. All the responsibility was overburdened to John and Shaun and it made them weak emotionally and physically. Shaun was yelling and John was cursing himself for what was happening to him which is a perfect reflection of the ineffective team. Shaun could not handle the situation in an emotionally balanced manner and his approach was not constructive. Mutual help was missing among them and frequent discussions on the difficulties they face did not happen. On the whole the team spirit was missing which let the team down. 1) Every team member must be aware of the What is in it factor. Each of them must know their goals and what is the personal benefit they get out of the project. Once this awareness exists, eventually this motivates the team and the team members will show a sense of belongingness and accountability. 2) Instead of forcing responsibilities to members, self delegation is a better approach which makes them accountable. Conduct meetings and ask team members to volunteer to take responsibilities. Ensure that a leader is declared in the same meeting. 3) Organize team meetings frequently and get to discuss problems that the members of the team face. Invite solutions and suggestions from every team member. Appreciate the team members for their smallest

Maintenance Management of Engineering Assets Assignment

Maintenance Management of Engineering Assets - Assignment Example Evaporative air conditioners are usually composed of two main units which are the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser is normally situated outside the room preferably on a concrete slab while the evaporator is usually mounted on the duct of the main junction on top of the furnace (Wasim et al, 2009). Most of the central air conditioners are normally linked to the forced air distribution systems for houses and thus both systems share the same motors and blowers. Both units of the central air conditioner are usually sealed. The evaporative condenser works on a basic principle that if air flows past water, it will cause it to evaporate. In an evaporative air conditioner, hot air usually enters the cooling unit situated on the roof of the building whereby it is filtered and then cooled as it goes through special pads that are moistened for this task. This unit is normally referred to as the condenser. The moistened air is then directed to the evaporator which is composed of ventilator and a fan. The fan blows smoothly through the cooled air distributing it through the house (Wasim et al, 2009). The hot air in that is present in the house is then forced out of the room through the windows and the ventilators resulting in a total shift in the air present in the room. By controlling the speed of the fan, the air temperatures can be controlled. The evaporative air conditioner requires water and hence a constant supply of water must be present. This unit I composed of the wet pads and the water tank. The water tank holds water that is used to cool the pads. The water held in the tank must be constantly supplied to the system in such that the warm water flows out allowing for a fresh supply of water to flow in. The wet pads are usually composed of either corrugated paper with a binder or wood wool. However, corrugated paper with binder is preferred over the wood wool since it lasts longer and the

Domestic Violence Essay Example for Free

Domestic Violence Essay Domestic Violence, based on typical legal definition, encompasses psychological, sexual, physical, and verbal actions of an individual against his or her partner (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). The prevalence of these kinds of abuses has propelled the civic group to clamor from the government for the victims’ legal protection and preservation of rights. Said Pournaghash-Tehrani and Zahra Feizabadi as members of Department of Psychology and Institute of Psychology respectively in the University of Tehran in Iran are both expected to be highly adept in the field of applied psychology. Their study entitled â€Å"Comparing Demographic Characteristics of Male Victims of Domestic Violence† is one of the spirit-awakening researches in terms of domestic violence. It draws out attention on the issue of domestic violence where the typical scenario females are abused while males are the perpetrators. The stereotype of domestic violence has treated it as entirely women’s issue for a long time (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). Thus, most countries have a definite law concerning violence against women. However, through the efforts of civil groups and social scientists, gender symmetry movement on domestic violence has made a notion that males are victims of domestic violence at least as often as women. Meanwhile, the work of Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, as acknowledged by the Asian Network for Scientific Information in 2007, was published in the fourteenth of the seventh volume of Journal of Applied Sciences. Their study revealed that male victims of domestic violence are not only limited in the United States but are also observed in the Asian region. Goal and Hypothesis Based on the studies conducted on the Western countries revealing the capacity of women to commit violence against their male partners, Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi aimed to focus on the socio-demographic attributes of the male victims of domestic violence. Thus, they intended to find out the relationship of the domestic violence experience of male victims with respect to their age, educational attainment, and income level; the possible interaction among age, educational attainment, income level, and domestic violence experience of the male victims. Specifically, their study sought answers to the following questions: do the male victims have differences in physical violence experiences with respect to age, educational attainment, and income level? ; and do the male victims have differences in psychological violence experiences with respect to age, educational attainment, and income level? ; is the interaction between age and educational attainment, age and income level, educational attainment and income level, and among age, educational attainment and age, income level significant with physical violence experiences? ; and is the interaction between age and educational attainment, age and income level, educational attainment and income level, and among age, educational attainment and age, income level significant with psychological violence experiences? Literature Review The preponderance of domestic violence, in any form, across cultures gave impetus for the creation of legal policies for its prevention, efficient prosecution of the perpetrators, and effective programs of advocacy for the victims. However, legal advocacies are only focused on women for men are typically perceived as the doers of domestic violence (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). In this connection, studies accounted the significant correlation of socio-demographic factors such as age, educational attainment, income level, socio-economic status, and substance abuse with the occurrence of domestic violence (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). Meanwhile, as revealed by contemporary researches conducted in the United States and Great Britain, men are also victims of domestic violence at least as often as women. In fact, based on statistical reports in Western countries, about 20% to 30% of domestic violence like punching, throwing objects, biting, slapping an biting are done by women towards their male partners (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). Moreover, the meta-analysis conducted by Archer in 2000 and 2002 on eighty five marital conflict studies divulged that women have higher tendency for physical violence due to stress levels than men (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). Aside from physical violence, women are also capable of psychological violence through oral arguments towards their husbands. Further, Hindin and Adair in 2002, Jeyaseelan et al. in 2004, and Perez et al. in 2006, exposed that regardless of gender, low level of education contributes to the occurrence of domestic violence in marital relations (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). Also, Jeyaseelan et al. argued that even though domestic violence is not limited to a particular social class, it is of frequent occurrence among the poor (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). On the other hand, Perez et al. reported that incidences of domestic violence are more often to take place in young couples than in older couples (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). The inevitable fact that women are also perpetrators of physical or psychological violence led to growing consciousness in supporting the notion of gender symmetry in domestic violence through intensive researches. Since most studies are done on behalf of female victims, socio-demographic attributes of male victims need to be further investigated. As such, the characteristics of male victims susceptible to domestic violence and its implications can deeply be explored. Materials and Methods An author-made questionnaire was utilized as instrument in the determination of domestic violence. The instrument has thirteen and twenty four items for the evaluation of psychological and physical violence respectively. Each item was formulated based on the available literature in the assessment of violence. Also, each item was rated based on five-point Likert-type scale. In line with this, the validity of the instrument was evaluated by co-administering with the Conflict Tactic Scale in a hundred of couples. The correlation computed between the two instrument was +0. 89 indicating the high validity of the author-made questionnaire (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). On the other hand, the measured Cronbach’s Alpha for the consistency of the devised instrument was +0. 81 (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). In 2006, the devised instrument was administered to one hundred twenty male victims of domestic violence from four family courts in Iran (Pournaghash-Tehrani and Feizabadi, 2007). The subjects were randomly and voluntarily selected, and were informed that they are free to move out from the study anytime they want. They were also oriented on the purpose of the study and that any information will be treated with high regards of confidentiality. Then multivariate analysis of variance or MANOVA and Scheffe test were employed to assess the effects of socio-demographic factors and their interactions to the incidence of physical and psychological violence. Results and Discussion Repondents From twenty five to eighty years old was the age range of the samples wherein among them 40% has education above high school diploma, 25% earned less than high school diploma, 20% earned above high school diploma, and 15% has a high school diploma. In terms of monthly income, 30% has above $590, 35% has $160-$380, 29% has $380-$590, and 6% has below $160 salary. Age and Domestic Violence It was found that age has a significant effect on the incidence of physical violence. As showed by the Scheffe test, men of ages thirty five to fifty have the highest rate of physical violence experience. In terms of psychological violence, age has significance in the incidence of denying choices and cutting off marital intercourse. Additionally, based on Scheffe test cessation of marital intercourse was mainly observed among thirty five to fifty years old men while denying choices was mainly observed among men of sixty five to eighty years of ages. Educational Attainment and Domestic Violence Based on MANOVA, educational attainment has significant effect on throwing of objects. Through Scheffe test, it was found that men with Bachelor’s degree were most often victimized by object thrown. In terms of psychological violence, educational attainment has significance on the incidence of denying choices, cessation of marital intercourse, and devaluation of work. As the Scheffed test showed, denying of choices was much observed in men with Bachelor’s degree while cessation of marital status was mainly observed to men with low educational attainment. Also, devaluation of work was commonly observed among men with diploma. Level of Income, Interactive Effects and Domestic Violence Although the study failed to prove any connection between domestic violence and level of income, the interactive effects of age, educational attainment, and income level have significance with the incidence of hitting. The Scheffe test showed that physical violence was generally experienced by thirty five to fifty years old men with Master’s level of education, and above $590 monthly income. With regards to psychological violence, the interactive effects of age and educational attainment were significant to denying choices. This type of physical violence was mainly observed in men with bachelor’s degree and of above sixty years of age. Moreover, the interactive effects of age and level of income has significance with the incidence of forced household chores task, devaluation of work, and denying choices. The study revealed that: forced household chores task was mostly observed in men with $380 to $590 monthly income within thirty five to fifty years old range; devaluation of work was mainly observe in men with the ages twenty to thirty five years old earning $380 to $590 per month; and denying choices was observed prevalently in men of fifty to sixty five years of ages earning $160 to $380 monthly. Meanwhile, the interactive effects of age, educational attainment, and income level were significant with forced household chores task. This relationship was mainly observed among men with Bachelor’s degrees, of thirty five to fifty ages, and earning $380-$590 monthly. Analysis Even though this study is unique and very revealing in the sense that this was the first research conducted in Iran with respect to the domestic violence committed by women towards their respective partners, there are also weaknesses and limitations. First, the validity and consistency of the author-made questionnaire as the singly instrument utilized to measure the presence and extent of domestic violence is of great question. The validity and consistency of the author-made questionnaire were based solely on the validity and consistency correlations with the Conflict Tactic Scale which is commonly used in the assessment of domestic violence against women. In addition, there are other instruments available for the evaluation of domestic violence such as the Partner-Abused Scale, Abusive Behavior Inventory, and Index of Marital Satisfaction. The validity, reliability, and consistency of these instruments have been verified and established for a long time. Since these available instruments on violence are typically used for the assessment of violence against women, it is then invalid to construct an instrument specific for male victims based only on one of these instruments. Thus, there was a possible bias on the construction of the instrument utilized in this study that probably served as source of error in data collection. Furthermore, the Conflict Tactic Scale which is the solely basis of the author-made questionnaire was tested primarily through the researches conductive in the Western and in some European Countries, hence, cultural differences may possibly serve as interference in the study. Even though domestic violence is ubiquitous across cultures, but cultural factors may influence socio-demographic attributes of the subjects of the study. As such, the validity and reliability of a particular instrument in a specific nation may not hold true for another country. In this line of reasoning, the correlations revealed by this research on socio-demographic characteristics and domestic violence on men may only be valid and reliable with respect to the populations of their own country. Although the results seemed to be comparable with the results of studies conducted in different countries, the authors failed to discuss crucial aspects of those studies in relation to their study like the instrument used and statistical treatment applied. Result comparison among conducted researches with different research design and methodology would result to bias generalization. In fact, in meta-analysis or the integration of the results of several studies, only researches with logically designed methodology and with validated data are included in order to derive a valid generalization (Wolf, 1986). Similarly, by comparing the results of this study with other researches of different research designs so as to make it credible would lead to erroneous generalization. References Pournaghash-Tehrani, S. and Feizabadi, Z. (2007). Comparing Demographic Characteristics of Male Victims of Domestic Violence. Journal of Applied Science, 7(14): 1930-1935. Wolf, F. M. (1986). Meta-Analysis: Quantitative Methods for Research Synthesis. Michigan: Sage Publication.

Rupee Depreciation: Challenges for Indian logistics Sector

Rupee Depreciation: Challenges for Indian logistics Sector Abhinav Goyal Article Rupee depreciation creates challenges for Indian logistics sector Depreciation of  Indian Rupee  against the  US Dollar  has created a challenging environment for the  Indian logistics sector, owing to the increased costs of operation for both international shipping companies  and the  domestic transportation companies, and increased costs of services for end users (manufacturing and distribution companies) within the country. The challenges for logistics end users are primarily in case of international  shipments  since  importers  and exporters  need to pay the shipping charges in US Dollars and hence, additional amount has to be paid for the same shipments, making  international trade  less profitable for the companies. On the export front, Indian exporters will be viewed as the most price competitive , however, they will be faced with high freight costs, subsequently hitting their profit margins. Owing to the risk of losing international customers to competing exporters from other international markets, Indian exporters may be forced absorb the increase in freight charges and work with lower margins. In the event of failure or capability to absorb such additional freight costs, the exporters and importers may avoid/abstain from international trade. This could lead to an overall decline in the international trade volumes from India that would prove to be challenging for the shipping and freight forwarding companies. Especially for the shipping companies focused on Indian industries, a decline in international trade volumes from the country would result in idle capacity or shipments with not-fully loaded ships, resulting in lower revenues as well as higher operational costs per customer consignment. On the domestic front, Rupee Depreciation against US Dollar would lead to increase in fuel costs (already increased once within last 2 weeks), thus resulting in higher operational costs for cargo transporters, which would invariably be passed by them to the end users. In this case end users are on the losing side due to the impact of depreciation. In cases where logistics service providers (LSPs) and users are bound in long term contracts with charge revisions permitted only once in a year or a half year, service providers have to absorb /bear the increased costs of operations and hence are likely to incur erosion in profits or even losses in some cases. LSPs with business interests in port terminals are likely to benefit to some extent, given that a significant share of shipping and port related services are charged in dollars, but that gains could also be negated by the decreased trade volumes. The sharp increase in the price of aviation turbine has already resulted in a proportional rise in airfare. Air freight services are premium logistics services and will now be even costlier owing the increased fuel cost. The impact is not only on LSPs and end users, but also on the end consumers of goods due to the cascading effect. In majority of the cases, however, the depreciating rupee largely affects end consumers of imported goods. The LSPs and end-users alike may choose to work on decreased margins for a short period of time with the intent to spare their customers from increased prices, however, this will not be sustainable in the long term. Eventually, the increase cost of logistics services will be passed down to the end consumer. On the whole, the depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar will impact all the key stakeholders of the logistics sector in India. The primary impact of this will be borne by the LSPs, particularly the transporters and the freight forwarders, and the end-users. COMMENTARY The depreciation of indian rupee against US dollar has hard hit each sector of the economy .One such sector is Logistic sector where the cost of production has increased invariably and revenues have decreased .This article is the study of pathetic conditon of logistic service provider . In India road transport has occupied a pivotal position in all the transport system existing in India .The sector is growing at the rate of 10% per annum1. There are many factors attributed to the growth of logistic sector in India such as rapid growth of many sectors like FMCG , retail , pharnmaceuticals and automobiles and the change in taxation system by the governement .The sectors of aviation , mining and consumer goods are investing a huge amount of money in this sector . The market has more competiton now than before because of the concept of outsourcing and this has made positive impact on logistic sector in India. The Indian logistic sector is facing a number of problems today which includes infrastructure in India and it is the main hindrance in the development of this sector .Poor infrastructure includes bad road conditions , problems with railways , inland water transport , domestic aviation , lack of proper connectivity and incapable ports are posing challenges for this sector . The loopholes in infrastruture has made the cost per transaction veryu high for the logistic sector in India and this has caused several other problems such as low economy of scale , the companie can not hire skilled labours and the industries are widely fragmented . In india one of the major problem faced by this sector ins the scattered customer base . Recently this sector if posing the challenge of depreciation of rupee (the fall in the value of rupee in the market ) against dolar as it has not only made international shipping very costly but has made a bad impact on domestic transportation very costly .Depreciation has increased the cost per transaction . In case of international shipments the fall in the value of ruppe will increase the cost of freight which will reduce the profit margin as the exporters will be compelled to absorb the rise in price and thus they will be less interested in getting more contracts .Eventually the business will be hit hard business will be hit hard . Graph 1 shows the impact of depreciation on the international shipment The decline in trade volumes will result in will result in idle capacity which will cause low income for the sector and high cost of operations . In the country the depreciation will increase the cost of fuel and this will make the service costlirr for the customers who will be paying money in the end thus the business will become less lucrative for the owners .In some cases the companies work on contract basis and with the higher operational cost the companies may end up reaping loss only. The sector has hope of earning profit from ports if the volume of trade is high while if the volume will be lower the company will again end up getting loss only .A rise in the price of air turbines will cause a rise in the price of airfares which will subsequently lead to the rise in cost per transaction. All the above discussed reasons will cause a fall in aggregate demand of logistic services in the economy. Graph 2 shows that the AD will fall if the depreciation will continue thus leading to more loss for logistic companies . The government can play a key role in helping logistic sector in this time of great challenge .There are need of stringent measure for solving the problem of depreciation in the country .The government can also reduce the tax rates so as to make this service cheaper for the national and international consumers . 1. http://logisticsweek.com/column/2013/04/challenges-faced-in-logistics-sector-in-india/

Sutton Hoo :: Burial Tradition Traditional Culture Essays

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon ship burial (also described by some as a grave field) that is located in England in the county of Suffolk. In 1939 a ship was found filled with the war gear and treasure of a Heroic Age English king. This site in which the ship was found is called Sutton Hoo. The ship was found buried in a ditch under a huge mound of earth. Sutton Hoo consists of at least 15 mounds of various sizes. The treasure is believed to have belonged to a king who died somewhere around the year 650. Some of the items found were a sword, shield, a huge gold belt buckle, and other items. The religious belief of the people at that time was that there was an afterlife and that the dead must be buried with all of their possessions so they would be prepared for their next life. That is why there was a need for a very large ship to hold all of the items. The poem Beowulf describes how Scyld, King of the Danes, is buried. Scyld is put onto a ship with his weapons and many treasures, and then the vessel is set off into the sea. This description is similar in detail to the Sutton Hoo ship except for the fact that this ship was buried on land. There was also nobody buried in Sutton Hoo. Because of the new belief in Christianity, the body might have been actually buried separately and Sutton Hoo stood as a sort of memorial or monument for the dead. Sutton Hoo was located on the property of a woman named Mrs. Pretty who wanted to keep the objects for herself. A decision had to be made as to who had the right to the find. It was eventually decided that the items belonged to the woman. Mrs. Pretty died a few years after the find, but she did want the public to be able to enjoy the artifacts and they were given to a British Museum after her death. In all I learned that the Sutton Hoo was a means of respect and tradition among Anglo-Saxon people. This was the people’s way to pay homage for a fallen warrior.

binge drinking Essay -- essays research papers fc

What Causes Binge Drinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Binge Drinking is an intriguing phenomenon that many college students take part in all across the country. The issue of binge drinking has been a problem on college campuses for decades. Binge drinking has many horrible effects, but the problem starts with the causes for it. If the causes could be controlled then the issue would not get out of hand. Many college students give different causes for their drinking problems, and experts on the subject have their explanations as well. The problem is, while growing through adolescence anything can become an excuse for drinking, such as  ¡Ã‚ §its Thursday the day before Friday, we need to drink ¡Ã‚ ¨ or,  ¡Ã‚ §it ¡Ã‚ ¦s the last Wednesday of the semester, lets get some beer. ¡Ã‚ ¨   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Binge drinking has different definitions but many would agree that  ¡Ã‚ §Binge drinking has been defined as drinking more than 4-5 drinks in a row in one sitting. A drink is defined as a 12 ounce can or bottle of beer, a wine cooler, a four ounce glass of wine, or a shot of liquor ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Rhodes 1). Others believe that men who consume 5-6 drinks and women who consume 4-5 drinks are also considered Binge Drinkers. Personally I do not think that sex matters, if someone is consuming multiple drinks to become highly intoxicated they should be considered a Binge Drinker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One article that covers the results of a national survey states that  ¡Ã‚ §Adolescents ¡Ã‚ ¦ levels of alcohol and drug use have been found to be strongly associated with peers ¡Ã‚ ¦ use. However, other studies have shown that a student ¡Ã‚ ¦s drinking was more strongly influenced by how much he or she thought close friends drank than by perceptions of the extent of use by students in general ¡Ã‚ ¨(Results 2). This is a statement that I can agree with because growing up I have watched many young people become greatly influenced by their friends. Now a days the phrase  ¡Ã‚ §peer pressure ¡Ã‚ ¨ concentrates on pressure from a direct group of friends rather than a students peers as a whole. Another reason the article gives for the cause of Binge Drinking is that  ¡Ã‚ §Students who perceive that more drinking occurs than actually does provide themselves with an excuse for drinking more because  ¡Ã‚ ¥everyone is doing it ¡Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Results 2). E veryone knows that most youngsters want what every other kid has, this idea relates in the... ...nge drinking. Almost anything can become a cause for binge drinking. There are things that directly lead to drinking problems such as depression but most of the causes for it are just any old excuse. If I had to decide on main causes for binge drinking they would be depression and simple excuses that give students a reason to drink. People that are depressed usually have thoughts of giving up on life, so by drinking they are just easing their pain. Most of the binge drinking that goes on in college is because students feel that they are supposed to drink, its a college tradition in a way. This is why students will use any excuse they can to drink. Works Cited Anxiety and Binge Drinking. 30 Oct. 2000. Houser, Regan. Message in a Bottle. 30 Oct. 2000. Prevention Primer: Binge Drinking. 30 Oct.2000. Wechsler, Henry and Kuo, Meichun. College Students Define Binge Drinking and Estimate Its Prevalence: Results of a National Survey. EBSCO Publishing 29 Oct. 2000

The Rise and Fall of a Peasant Essay -- Scarface Oliver Stone Films Mo

The Rise and Fall of a Peasant The film Scarface, produced by Martin Bregman, written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian DePalma, is a story of an immigrant’s life. The main character, Antonio Montana, who is played by Al Pacino, comes to the United States from Cuba in May 1980 as a political prisoner. Montana arrives in Miami, Florida with nothing and has to find a way to survive. As an alien to the country, Montana can not find a honest job that pays enough money for him to live off of. He is a very confident and intelligent man, and when he begins to sell drugs, there is no stopping him. In only a few years, Montana is a multimillionaire and loving life. Although Scarface comes off as a film only meant to glorify a drug lord, it’s actual purpose is to show how a man from the ghetto moves up in society, yet creates his own downfall. Tony has quite strong ethics, although it might not seem so. Ethos is demonstrated many times during the film. He believes firmly in loyalty, honesty, principles and family. Tony looks after his sister Gina throughout the whole film and has an unconditional love for her. He tells the truth all of the time, whether or not it is a good idea to do so. When he is talking to his Columbian cocaine distributor, Mr. Sosa, Montana says, â€Å"all [he has] in this world [are his] balls and [his] word, and [he] don’t break ‘em for no one† (14). Later in the film, when Montana is in trouble with the IRS and DEA, he makes a deal with Sosa that if he kills a talk show host, who has been doing specials on the cocaine industry, then Sosa will get rid of Tony’s problem with the IRS and DEA. For this reason Montana goes to New York City and places an explosive device under the host’s car. When the... ... killed. Scarface is an attention seeking film. There is not a scene in the film that does not keep the viewer’s attention. It starts out having the viewer feel sorry for Montana and wanting him to succeed, even though he is a drug dealer. When he does succeed and his way of living begins to show it also, the viewer feels a sense of joy for Tony and think that he deserves to be happy. Tony then gets too comfortable with being on top and feels that he can be on top of the whole world if he only tries to get it. At the end of the film, when Tony is breaking down and his time is ticking away, the viewer feels sympathy for Tony again, and wants him to make it out alive. However, that does not happen. Tony gets killed and the story of Scarface ends there. The viewer feels a connection with Tony Montana all throughout his rise and fall as a man from the ghetto.

Half the Sky

As we read â€Å"Half the Sky† we were able to get a taste of how difficult the lives were for the women that were a part of these terrible doings to women. Coming from a family in which the majority is women, I cannot bare to see any women put in the situations that these women were put in; the daunting thing about the whole situation is that these heinous acts still exist today. As for the question, why is the desperate state of women in impoverished cultures also a great opportunity for them?This question is a very odd question because in the end there really is no good outcome to any of this. Too many women in these impoverished cultures they barely had enough money to put slippers on their feet. The brothels were many women were abducted and forced to do work by labor or sex is also a place where some of these women actually volunteered to work at. â€Å"Despite the knowing the knowledge of what actually occurs to women in these brothels, some women were so desperate for money that they voluntarily went in the brothel’s to work†.The fact is, is that these women’s backs were against the walls financially, mentally, and physically, some felt the only way out was to work and make money. Even though they knew what happens in these brothels. The fact that these types of things still exists baffles me every day. To actually think that in this day and age people still do things like this. One day hopefully sooner than later we will wake up and not be concerned about any of this.

James Dean

A Rebel With A Cause â€Å"Wash the dishes, and clean your room. Be home by 7:00, don’t be late. Study, study, study. † We have all heard these words uttered from the authoritative lips of our parents sometime in our life, however, these days most teenagers aren’t afraid to disobey their parents by responding with, â€Å"no. † James Dean was one of the first people to defy the strict rules of parents, and he did so on screen for the entire nation. Some sources claim that he is a label; a label that is intended for the sole purpose of resisting authority.He is not a label, rather more of an icon used to show that in certain circumstances it is okay to disobey the various rules that society has unwillingly placed upon us. Whether it be in black and white, or vibrant colors, the emotions in this picture speak loud enough for color not to be an issue. People perceive Dean as â€Å"trapped,† and after gathering some background information about him and h is career, I can clearly see why he is portrayed as this. His career peaked for three years, and then abruptly came to an end. However, for those three years Dean had to be everything that America wanted to see and idolize.Cameras surrounded him 24/7, paparazzi always wanted a comment from him, and fans simply couldn’t get enough. In the photograph that I have attached, it is as if Dean is trying to keep a hold on himself and his emotions; trying not to get too caught up in the crazy world he had been thrown in to. The â€Å"Torn Sweater† series was taken by photographer Roy Schatt. Schatt told Dean to pose as if he was trying to escape something that comes from within, a feeling perhaps, that only he himself is aware of – hence the attempt at tearing his sweater off.It is ironic in a sense that he’s standing in front of a camera, completely alone with a solid background looking into the distance. Being in front of a camera he had grown completely accusto med to, but he was never alone, and the background of his life is more chaotic than just a solid color. Dean is pictured gazing into a vastness that only he could imagine, imagining his life on the complete opposite end of the spectrum that he ended up being on. Even with his fame and stage-presence, Dean was an average guy who struggled to trying to get by with life.It is possible I’m biased due to myself being a teenager, struggling to get through this crazy thing we call life that I am able to relate to him. This photo stands out to teenagers in the sense that not everyone is perfect, nor knows how to be. At this time period, for many American teenagers, it must have been difficult to stand up to parents, and disobey the overbearing rules they had set-in-stone. Dean gave inspiration to them to stick up for what they believe in, regardless of the fact that they are younger and seen as less knowledgeable.Some people may know Dean from various old-time movies. He starred in E ast of Eden, Giant, and is most recognized for his rebellious character in Rebel Without a Cause. He was considered a good actor in the 1950s for the diverse character roles he took part in, and of course for his legendary sex-appeal. For half a century, he has captured the world with his casual style, fearless look, and rebel attitude. James Dean has defied the essence of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"without-a-cause† for generations.Rebel Without a Cause may be one of the most famous due to the fact that Dean got into a fatal car accident on September 30 1955, one month before the release date. Dean wasn’t only a sexy symbol of rebellion, he represented an every-day teenager that goes through social issues without having a clear direction for his life. In Rebel Without a Cause, he was shown as a delinquent in an urban slum. It is the story of a rebellious teenager who arrives at a new school, falls for the girlfriend of a school jock, and disobeys his parents trying t o defy the meat-head’s bulling.The directors of the movie casted him as a rebel, realizing that his attractive, edgy self would appeal to many teens being as they can relate. Dean was a product of this 1950s ideology. Percieving Dean as a good guy, desperately wanting to do the right thing, yet constantly getting caught up in doing the wrong, was appealing to teenagers around the entire nation. Teens didn’t challenge their parents rules back then, they listened to their elders, and did as they were told. People who did backlash and resist the authority were considered outlaws, who would never be successful.Making this movie and being allowed to see the inside world of a â€Å"true† rebel was one of the first opportunities both teens and parents had to see the two sides of a story. Dean’s performance spoke powerfully on behalf of teenagers going through this type of scenario themselves, and gave them a hero they could admire and respect. In today’s society, arguing with parents, or going against the rules trying to break the idea of a norm isn’t unusual. Yet, in the era that this movie was made, it was extremely against anything society really knew.The case isn’t about whether teens should, or shouldn’t argue, it’s the fact of respecting elders so much. His movies, all three of them, show that it isn’t necessarily bad to stick up for what you believe in whether you’re younger than the opposing factors or not. Going against society in ways that not a lot of people were brave enough to endure was something that really stood out, and made him recognizable for decades to come. Being a super-star is something that ordinary people like myself can only dream about.Not necessarily dream as in wanting it so badly it hurts, but dreaming in the sense that living the life of a celebrity would be such an out-of-body experience. Dealing with cameras constantly on a day-to-day basis isn’t some thing that I could put up with. Sure, all the money and fame would be nice for maybe a year or so, by eventually a person reaches a point where privacy is more important than materialistic items. Getting to know someone through the media could possibly be the worst way to get the true story. In pictures, you only get to see one thing, one significant moment that happened to be captured by someone’s Kodak.Gathering background information and searching a little deeper into something that interests you is really beneficial not only for yourself, but also the someone who is getting perceived as a single story. One of his most famous quotes is â€Å"Dream as if you’ll life forever. Live as if you’ll die today. † That’s exactly what he succeeded in doing in his life. â€Å"James Dean lived fast – and died young. † (Gilmore 32. ) Although his life was cut short by an unexpected car crash that ended up being fatal, Dean established a name for himself within the few years that he was an actor.That is astonishing. He has an outrageous amount of fans, and still continues to become known throughout the world today. Works Cited Gilmore, John. ^ John GiLive Fast – Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of Ja. New York City: Thunder's Mouth, 1998. Print. Herndon, Venable. James Dean: a short life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974. Print. Hofstede, David. James Dean: a bio-bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1996. Print. Springer, Claudia. James Dean Transfigured: the Many Faces of Rebel Iconography. Austin: University of Texas, 2007. Print.

Nissim Ezekiel Treatment of Poetry Essay

Nissim Ezekiel’s poem â€Å"Enterprise† describes a metaphorical journey toward a specific goal. The travelers on this journey begin in a real physical place, a desert, and argue about how to cross this challenging landscape. One of the members of the group, who writes the most stylish prose, goes his own way. The rest of the group is left on its own. Some quit the team. The group is attacked by travelers, and over time become unmoved by anything they witness. Fatigue and the stresses of travel have settled in and many of the members of the group cannot go on. By the fifth stanza, the picture ahead is grim. The enthusiasm has faded and their burdens are heavy. Their vision is clouded with the disintegration of the group and their exhaustion. The well-focused goal presented in the first stanza is lost. The travelers are a disorganized group of aimless wanderers unaware any longer of the original motivation for their expedition. Their observations at this point in the poem are about trivial things. In the last stanza, the travelers reach their destination; however, it is not quite home. Ezekiel concludes that this type of expedition is not a worthy undertaking; living â€Å"at home† with inner satisfaction is the greatest achievement of all. The travelers’ consider their journey and have moments of introspection. They come to the conclusion that their expedition has been neither pioneering or notable for any reason. They had thought their journey would make a mark in history. The only problem is that others have made this journey before. It is nothing new. The journey of â€Å"Enterprise† is a metaphor for life and our focus on the destination as the only means for our goals. Some critics have noted that Ezekiel’s â€Å"Enterprise† is also his attempt to bring together two â€Å"homes†: his place of birth and his journey to a European city. His exploration of the idea of â€Å"home† is sophisticated enough to be compared to the same themes in the poetry of Robert Frost, for example.

Intelligent Campus Using Rfid

chapter 1 introduction 1. 1GENERAL With the increasing denial of time and space the RFID technology is gaining momentum day by day. RFID is a source of identification of individuals and unique products. The budding technology RFID proves to threaten even the cloning technique, through the chip insertion. New ways of improving the existing RFID technology are being found and implemented. This advancement of RFID technology is looked beyond the security purposes. 1. 2 PRESENT SCENARIO Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a general term that is used to describe a system that transmits the identity (in the form of unique serial number) of an object wirelessly, using radio waves. RFID technologies are grouped under the more generic Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). The RFID technology is used only in security, tagging goods, inventory purposes. Since the RFID technology is not well established in India, the introduction of new methodology in the field of RFID will indeed enhance the use of RFID technology in various areas of science and technology. . 3 PROBLEM An individual should be allocated to maintain registers in all places and appointment of staffs for coordinating with students in all occasions. The ID card can be duplicated even thought it has some other advancement which will be used in rare occasions. 1. 4 SOLUTION The best solution to the above problem is to develop a single RFID tag that can be used inside the college campus. Each and every RFID tag holds a particular number and it is integrated with the id cards of each and every individuals. The RFID tag reader can be fixed anywhere in campus and it is used to collect the information about the tag location. The collected data can be sent to centralized server to handle that information. Another added advantage is that the ID cards can’t be duplicated. This has several advantages and it is a time saving one for the institution, students and staff members. 1. 5 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIRED The hardware required is: 1) Personal computer. 2) RS 232. 3) Reader. 4) Power supply unit. 5) IR transmitter and receiver pair. 6) Buzzer. 7) LCD. 8) Tags. The software required is: 1) AVR studio 3. 5. 2) Visual studio 6. 0. 1. 6 BLOCK DIAGRAM Figure 1. 1 block diagram of intelligent campus using RFID CHAPTER 2 RFID system 2. 1 INTRODUCTION Radio Frequency Identification or RFID refers to the set of technologies that use radio waves for identifying objects or people. The RFID system is used to identify individual objects or things in the environment which can be monitored through use of wireless technology. RFID is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to remotely store and retrieve data. In other words, it is a combined term with RF and ID where RF means a wireless communication technology and ID means identification information of tag. So it is said that RFID is theoretically a wireless networking technology to transmit identification information stored at an electronic memory space. 2. 2 COMPONENTS OF RFID SYSTEM: ? An RFID device (transponder or tag), that contains data about an item. ? An antenna used to transmit the RF signals between the reader and the RFID devices. ? An RF transceiver that generates the RF signals. A reader that receives RF transmissions from an RFID device and passes the data to the host system for processing. Figure 2. 1: RFID SYSTEM 2. 3 GENERIC RFID TAG ARCHITECTURE The tag contains circuit to both rectify DC power from the incoming RF signal as well as to detect and extract the information modulated on the signal. The antenna load is a controlled resistance that changes the impedance of the dipole, enabling the backscatter. The tag IC is mounted on a carrier known as a strap and subsequently bonded to the antenna to form the fully assembled tag. The chip itself is very small, enabled by modem CMOS technology. The mounting of the die on a carrier has been made very inexpensive and capable of large volume by either flip-flop or by other innovative technique such as the Alien Technologies Fluidic self Assembly process. [pic] Figure 2. 2: Basic Tag IC Architecture 2. 4 Components of a tag The major components of the tag are 1) Microchip. 2) Antenna. 2. 4. 1 Microchip Microchip is electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit. The microchip used in a HF tag is a contact less read/ write passive RFID device that is optimized for 13. 56 MHz RF carrier signal. The device needs an external LC resonant circuit for wireless communication with the interrogator. The device is powered remotely by rectifying an RF signal that is transmitted from the interrogator and transmits or updates its contents from memory-based on commands from interrogator. 2. 4. 2 Antenna The antenna emits the radio signal to activate the tag and reading and writing data to it. Antennas are the conduits between the tag and the transceiver, which controls the system data acquisition and communication. Antennas are available in a variety of shapes and sizes; they can be built in a door frame to receive tag data from persons or things. The electromagnetic field produced by an antenna can be constantly present when multiple tags are expected continuously. If constant interrogation is not required, the field can be activated by the sensor device. 2. 5 rfid readers RFID reader is like any other device that can be connected to a PC Or might be in built like an external or internal modem. The RFID reader can be powered by a power source using an adapter †Reader† or †Interrogator†, a device that is able to locate and activate tags so that the information that has been programmed onto the tag is transmitted back to the reader and subsequently to interface computing systems. The information that is received by the reader is then passed to the backend computing system to initiate the events, transactions, workflows, etc. Not only do reader locate activate and receive transmissions from RFID tags, a reader has the ability of sending data back to read/write capable tag in order to append or replace data. Readers exist that can also scan bar codes in environments where both bar codes and RFID are used. 2. 6 COMPONENTS OF A READER The reader has the following main components: ? Transmitter and Receiver ? Microprocessor ? Memory ? I/O channels for external sensors, actuators and annunciators ? Controller ? Communication interface ? Power. [pic] Figure 2. 3: BLOCK diagram of a reader 2. 6. 1 TRANSMITTER The reader’s transmitter is used to transmit AC power and the clock cycle via antennas to the tags in its read zone. This is part of the transceiver unit, the component responsible for sending the reader signal to the surrounding environment and receiving tag responses back via the reader antennas. The antenna ports of reader are connecting to its transceiver component. One reader antenna can be attached to each such antenna port. Receiver receives analog signals from the tag via the reader antenna. It then sends the signals to reader microprocessor, where it is converted to its equivalent digital form. 2. 6. 2 MICROPROCESSOR This component is responsible for implementing the reader protocol to communicate with compatible tags. It performs decoding and error checking of the analog signal from the receiver. In addition, the microprocessor might contain custom logic for doing low level filtering and processing of read tag data. 2. 6. 3 MEMORY Memory is used for storing data such as the reader configuration parameters and list of tag reads. Depending on the memory size, however, a limit applies as to how many such tag reads can be stored at one time. If the connection remains down for an extended period with the reader reading tags during this downtime, this limit might be exceeded an part of the stored data lost. 2. 6. 4 I/O channels Readers do not have to be turned on for reading tags at all time. A sensor of some sort, such as a motion or light sensor, detects the presence of tagged objects in the readers read zone. This sensor can then set the reader on to read this tag. Similarly, this component also allows the reader to provide local output depending on some condition via an annunciators or an actuator. 2. 6. 6 CONTROLLER A controller is an entity that allows an external entity, either a human or a computer program, to communicate with and control a reader’s function and to control annunciators and actuators associated with the reader. . 6. 7 COMMUNICATION INTERFACE The communication interface component provides the communication instructions to a reader that allows it to interact with external entities, via a controller to transfers its stored data and to accept commands and send back the corresponding responses. 2. 6. 8 POWER This component supplies power to the reader component. The power sources g enerally provided to this component through a power cord connected to an appropriate external electrical outlet. 2. 7 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A READER AND A TAG Depending on the tag type, the communication between the reader and a tag can be one of the following: †¢ Modulated backscatter †¢ Transmitter type †¢ Transponder type The area between a reader antenna and one full wave length of the RF wave emitted by the antenna is called near field. The area beyond one full wavelength of the RF wave emitted from a reader antenna is called far field. Passive rfid systems operating in LF and HF use near field communication, whereas those in UHF and microwave frequencies use far field communication. The signal strength in near field communication attenuates as the cube of the distance from the reader antenna. In far field, it attenuates as square of the distance from the reader antenna. 2. 7. 1 MODULATED BACK SCATTER Modulated backscatter communication applies to passive as well as to semi active tags. In This type of communication, the reader sends out a continuous wave (CW) RF signal containing ac power and clock signal to the tag at carrier frequency. Through physical coupling, the antennas supplies power to the microchip. About 1. 2v are generally necessary to energize the tag microchip for reading microchips. For writing, the microchip usually needs to draw about 2. 2v from the reader signal. The microchip now modulates or breaks up the input signal in to a sequence of on and off patterns that represents its data and transmits it back. When the reader receives this modulated signal, it decodes the pattern and obtains the data. Thus, in modulated backscatter communication, the reader always â€Å"talks† first, followed by the tag. A tag using this scheme cannot communicate at all in the absence of a reader because it depends totally on the reader’s power to transmit its data. pic] Figure 2. 4: backscatter communication 2. 7. 2 TRANSMITTER TYPE This type of communication applies to active tags only. In this type of communication, the tag broadcasts its message to the environment in regular intervals irrespective of the presence or absence of a reader. Therefore, in this type of communication, the tag always â€Å"talks† first rather than the reader. [pic] Figure 2. 5: T RANSMITTER communication 3. 4. 3 TRANSPONDER TYPE In this type of communication, the tag goes to a â€Å"sleep† or in to dormant stage in the absence of interrogation from a reader. In this stage, the tag might periodically send a message to check any reader is listening to it. When a reader receives such a query message, it can instruct the tag to â€Å"wake up† or end the dormant stage. When the tag receives this command from the reader, it exits its current state and starts to act as a transmitter tag again. The tag data is sent only the reader specially asks. [pic] Figure 2. 6: TRANSPONDER communication chapter 3 microcontroller 3. 1 INTRODUCTION The hardware includes the following components: ? Atmega162 (micro controller). ? Power supply. ? In system programming. ? Buzzer. Liquid crystal display. ? Reset. ? Max 232. 3. 2 Hardware details of ATMEGA162 controller Utilizes the AVR – RSIC architecture. 3. 2. 1 Features ? High-performance and Low-power Advanced RISC Architecture. ? Most single clock execution. ? 32 x 8 general purpose working registers. ? Fully static operation. ? On chip 2 cycle multiplier. ? Up to 16 MIPS throughput at 16 MHz. ? 131 powerful instructions. 3. 2. 2 Non-volatile Program and Data Memories ? 16K Bytes of In-System Self-programmable Flash. ? Endurance: 10,000 Write/Erase Cycles. ? 512 Bytes EEPROM. ? 1K Bytes Internal SRAM. Up to 64K Bytes Optional External Memory Space. ? Programming Lock for Flash program and EEPROM data Security. 3. 2. 3 Peripheral Features ? Two 8-bit Timer/Counters with Separate Modes. ? Two 16-bit Timer/Counters with Separate Compare Modes, and Capture Modes. ? Real Time Counter with Separate Oscillator. ? Six PWM Channels. ? Dual Programmable Serial USARTs. ? Master/Slave SPI Serial Interface. ? Programmable Watchdog Timer with Separate On-chip Oscillator. ? On-chip Analog Comparator. ? External and internal interrupt sources. 3. 2. 4 SPECIFICATION ? Low power high speed CMOS process technology. Fully static operation. ? Power consumption at 4 MHz, 3v, 25c. ? Active: 3. 0 MA. 3. 2. 5 Special Microcontroller Features ? Power-on Reset and Programmable Brown-out Detection. ? Internal Calibrated RC Oscillator. ? External and Internal Interrupt Sources. ? Five Sleep Modes: Idle, Power-save, Power-down, Standby, and Extended Standby. 3. 2. 6 I/O and Packages ? 35 Programmable I/O Lines. ? 40-pin PDIP, 44-lead TQFP, and 44-pad MLF. 3. 2. 7 Operating Voltages ? 1. 8 – 5. 5V for ATmega162V. ? 2. 7 – 5. 5V for ATmega162. 3. 2. 8 Speed Grades ? 0 – 8 MHz for ATmega162V. ? 0 – 16 MHz for ATmega162. 3. ATMEGA162 architectural overview The ATmega162 is a low-power CMOS 8-bit microcontroller based on the AVR enhanced RISC architecture. By executing powerful instructions in a single clock cycle, the ATmega162 achieves throughputs approaching 1 MIPS per MHz allowing the system designer to optimize power consumption versus processing speed. The AVR core combines a rich instruction set with 32 general purpose working registers. All the 32 registers are directly connected to the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), allowing two independent registers to be accessed in one single instruction executed in one clock cycle. . 3. 1 features OF ATMEGA162 The 16K bytes of In-System Programmable Flash with Read-While-Write capabilities, 512 bytes EEPROM, 1K bytes SRAM, an external memory interface, 35 general purpose I/O lines, 32 general purpose working registers, a JTAG interface for Boundary-scan, On-chip Debugging support and programming, four flexible Timer/Counters with compare modes, internal and external interrupts, two serial programmable USARTs, a programmable Watchdog Timer with Internal Oscillator, an SPI serial port, and five software selectable power saving modes. The fast-access Register File contains 32 x 8-bit general purpose working registers with a single clock cycle access time. This allows single-cycle Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) operation. In a typical ALU operation, two operands are output from the Register File, the operation is executed, and the result is stored back in the Register File – in one clock cycle. Six of the 32 registers can be used as three 16-bit indirect addresses register pointers for Data Space addressing – enabling efficient address calculations. One of these address pointers can also be used as an address pointer for look up tables in Flash Program memory. These added function registers are the 16-bit X-, Y-, and Z-register, described later in this section. The ALU supports arithmetic and logic operations between registers or between a constant and a register. Single register operations can also be executed in the ALU. After an arithmetic operation, the Status Register is updated to reflect information about the result of the operation. [pic] Figure 3. 1: BLOCK Diagram. Program flow is provided by conditional and unconditional jump and call instructions, able to directly address the whole address space. Most AVR instructions have a single 16-bit word format. Every program memory address contains a 16 or 32-bit instruction. [pic] Figure 3. 2: BLOCK Diagram of the AVR Architecture Program Flash memory space is divided in two sections, the Boot Program section and the Application Program section. Both sections have dedicated Lock bits for write and read/write protection. The SPM instruction that writes into the Application Flash memory section must reside in the Boot Program section. During interrupts and subroutine calls, the return address Program Counter (PC) is stored on the Stack. The Stack is effectively allocated in the general data SRAM, and consequently the Stack size is only limited by the total SRAM size and the usage of the SRAM. All user programs must initialize the SP in the reset routine (before subroutines or interrupts are executed). [pic] Figure 3. 3: Data Memory Map 3. 3. 2 ALU – Arithmetic Logic Unit The high-performance AVR ALU operates in direct connection with all the 32 general purpose working registers. Within a single clock cycle, arithmetic operations between general purpose registers or between a register and an immediate are executed. The ALU operations are divided into three main categories – arithmetic, logical, and bit-functions. 3. 3. 3 Status Register The Status Register contains information about the result of the most recently executed arithmetic instruction. This information can be used for altering program flow in order to perform conditional operations. Status Register format [pic] Bit 7 – I: Global Interrupt Enable: The Global Interrupt Enable bit must be set for the interrupts to be enabled. The individual interrupt enable control is then performed in separate control registers. If the Global Interrupt Enable Register is cleared, none of the interrupts are enabled independent of the individual interrupt enable settings. The I-bit is cleared by hardware after an interrupt has occurred, and is set by the RETI instruction to enable subsequent interrupts. Bit 6 – T: Bit Copy Storage: The Bit Copy instructions BLD (Bit Load) and BST (Bit Store) use the T bit as source or destination for the operated bit. Bit 5 – H: Half Carry Flag: The Half Carry Flag H indicates a half carry in some arithmetic operations. Half Carry is useful in BCD arithmetic. Bit 4 – S: Sign Bit, S = N. V: The S-bit is always an exclusive or between the Negative Flag N and the Two’s Complement Overflow Flag V. Bit 3 – V: Two’s Complement Overflow Flag: The Two’s Complement Overflow Flag V supports two’s complement arithmetic. Bit 2 – N: Negative Flag: The Negative Flag N indicates a negative result in an arithmetic or logic operation. Bit 1 – Z: Zero Flag: The Zero Flag Z indicates a zero result in an arithmetic or logic operation. Bit 0 – C: Carry Flag: The Carry Flag C indicates a carry in an arithmetic or logic operation. 3. 3. 4 Stack Pointer The Stack is mainly used for storing temporary data, for storing local variables and for storing return addresses after interrupts and subroutine calls. The Stack Pointer Register always points to the top of the Stack. The Stack Pointer points to the data SRAM Stack area where the Subroutine and Interrupt Stacks are located. This Stack space in the data SRAM must be defined by the program before any subroutine calls are executed or interrupts are enabled. Stack Pointer FORMAT pic] The Stack Pointer is incremented by one when data is popped from the Stack with the POP instruction, and it is incremented by two when data is popped from the Stack with return from subroutine RET or return from interrupt RETI. The AVR Stack Pointer is implemented as two 8-bit registers in the I/O space. The number of bits actually used is implementation dependent. 3. 3. 5 Reset and Interrupt Handling The AVR provi des several different interrupt sources. These interrupts and the separate Reset Vector each have a separate program vector in the program memory space. All interrupts are assigned individual enable bits which must be written logic one together with the Global Interrupt Enable bit in the Status Register in order to enable the interrupt. There are basically two types of interrupts. The first type is triggered by an event that sets the Interrupt Flag. For these interrupts, the Program Counter is vectored to the actual Interrupt Vector in order to execute the interrupt handling routine, and hardware clears the corresponding Interrupt Flag. Interrupt Flags can also be cleared by writing a logic one to the flag bit position(s) to be cleared. If an interrupt condition occurs while the corresponding interrupt enable bit is cleared, the Interrupt Flag will be set and remembered until the interrupt is enabled, or the flag is cleared by software. The second type of interrupts will trigger as long as the interrupt condition is present. These interrupts do not necessarily have Interrupt Flags. If the interrupt condition disappears before the interrupt is enabled, the interrupt will not be triggered. 3. 3. 6 In-System Reprogrammable Flash Program Memory The ATmega162 contains 16K bytes On-chip In-System Reprogrammable Flash memory for program storage. Since all AVR instructions are 16 or 32 bits wide, the Flash is organized as 8K x 16. For software security, the Flash Program memory space is divided into two sections, Boot Program section and Application Program section. [pic] Figure 3. 4 Programmable Memory Map The Flash memory has an endurance of at least 10,000 write/erase cycles. The ATmega162 Program Counter (PC) is 13 bits wide, thus addressing the 8K program memory locations. 3. 4 EEPROM Data Memory The ATmega162 contains 512 bytes of data EEPROM memory. It is organized as a separate data space, in which single bytes can be read and written. The EEPROM has an endurance of at least 100,000 write/erase cycles. The access between the EEPROM and the CPU is described in the following, specifying the EEPROM Address Registers, the EEPROM Data Register, and the EEPROM Control Register. 3. 4. 1 EEPROM Read/Write Access The EEPROM Access Registers are accessible in the I/O space. A self timing function, however, lets the user software detect when the next byte can be written. If the user code contains instructions that write the EEPROM, some precautions must be taken. In heavily filtered power supplies, VCC is likely to rise or fall slowly on Power-up/down. This causes the device for some period of time to run at a voltage lower than specified as minimum for the clock frequency used. In order to prevent unintentional EEPROM writes, a specific write procedure must be followed. The EEPROM Address Register [pic] Bits 15. 9 – Res: Reserved Bits These bits are reserved bits in the ATmega162 and will always read as zero. Bits 8. 0 – EEAR8. 0: EEPROM Address The EEPROM Address Registers – EEARH and EEARL specify the EEPROM address in the 512 bytes EEPROM space. The EEPROM data bytes are addressed linearly between 0 and 511. The initial value of EEAR is undefined. A proper value must be written before the EEPROM may be accessed. The EEPROM Data Register –EEDR [pic] Bits 7. 0 – EEDR7. 0: EEPROM Data For the EEPROM write operation, the EEDR Register contains the data to be written to the EEPROM in the address given by the EEAR Register. For the EEPROM read operation, the EEDR contains the data read out from the EEPROM at the address given by EEAR. The EEPROM Control Register – EECR [pic] Bits 7. 4 – Res: Reserved Bits These bits are reserved bits in the ATmega162 and will always read as zero. Bit 3 – EERIE: EEPROM Ready Interrupt Enable Writing EERIE to one enables the EEPROM Ready Interrupt if the I bit in SREG is set. Writing EERIE to zero disables the interrupt. The EEPROM Ready interrupt generates a constant interrupt when EEWE is cleared. Bit 2 – EEMWE: EEPROM Master Write Enable The EEMWE bit determines whether setting EEWE to one cause the EEPROM to be written. When EEMWE is set, setting EEWE within four clock cycles will write data to the EEPROM at the selected address. If EEMWE is zero, setting EEWE will have no effect. When EEMWE has been written to one by software, hardware clears the bit to zero after four clock cycles. See the description of the EEWE bit for an EEPROM write procedure. Bit 1 – EEWE: EEPROM Write Enable The EEPROM Write Enable signal EEWE is the write strobe to the EEPROM. When address and data are correctly set up, the EEWE bit must be written to one to write the value into the EEPROM. The EEMWE bit must be written to one before a logical one is written to EEWE; otherwise no EEPROM write takes place. The following procedure should be followed when writing the EEPROM (the order of steps 3 and 4 is not essential): 1. Wait until EEWE becomes zero. 2. Wait until SPMEN in SPMCR becomes zero. 3. Write new EEPROM address to EEAR (optional). 4. Write new EEPROM data to EEDR (optional). 5. Write a logical one to the EEMWE bit while writing a zero to EEWE in EECR. 6. Within four clock cycles after setting EEMWE, write a logical one to EEWE. The EEPROM can not be programmed during a CPU write to the Flash memory. The software must check that the Flash programming is completed before initiating a new EEPROM write. Step 2 is only relevant if the software contains a Boot Loader allowing the CPU to program the Flash. If the Flash is never being updated by the CPU, step 2 can be omitted. Caution: An interrupt between step 5 and step 6 will make the write cycle fail, since the EEPROM Master Write Enable will time-out. If an interrupt routine accessing the EEPROM is interrupting another EEPROM access, the EEAR or EEDR Register will be modified, causing the interrupted EEPROM access to fail. It is recommended to have the Global Interrupt Flag cleared during all the steps to avoid these problems. When the write access time has elapsed, the EEWE bit is cleared by hardware. The user software can poll this bit and wait for a zero before writing the next byte. When EEWE has been set, the CPU is halted for two cycles before the next instruction is executed. Bit 0 – EERE: EEPROM Read Enable The EEPROM Read Enable Signal EERE is the read strobe to the EEPROM. When the correct address is set up in the EEAR Register, the EERE bit must be written to a logic one to trigger the EEPROM read. The EEPROM read access takes one instruction, and the requested data is available immediately. When the EEPROM is read, the CPU is halted for four cycles before the next instruction is executed. The user should poll the EEWE bit before starting the read operation. If a write operation is in progress, it is neither possible to read the EEPROM, nor to change the EEAR Register. 3. 5 Timing External memory devices have various timing requirements. It is important to consider the timing specification of the external memory device before selecting the wait-state. The most important parameters are the access time for the external memory in conjunction with the set-up requirement of the ATmega162. [pic] Figure 3. 5: External Data Memory Cycles without Wait-state. 3. 6 Crystal Oscillator XTAL1 and XTAL2 are input and output, respectively, of an inverting amplifier which can be configured for use as an On-chip Oscillator. Either a quartz crystal or a ceramic resonator may be used. C1 and C2 should always be equal for both crystals and resonators. The optimal value of the capacitors depends on the crystal or resonator in use, the amount of stray capacitance, and the electromagnetic noise of the environment. The Oscillator can operate in four different modes, each optimized for a specific frequency range. [pic] Figure 3. 6: Crystal Oscillator Connections 3. 6. 1 Low-frequency Crystal Oscillator The Low-frequency Crystal Oscillator must be selected by setting the CKSEL Fuses to â€Å"0100†, â€Å"0101†, â€Å"0110† or â€Å"0111†. The crystal should be connected as shown in Figure. If CKSEL equals â€Å"0110† or â€Å"0111†, the internal capacitors on XTAL1 and XTAL2 are enabled, thereby removing the need for external capacitors. The internal capacitors have a nominal value of 10 pF. When this Oscillator is selected, start-up times are determined by the SUT Fuses (real time-out from Reset) and CKSEL0 (number of clock cycles) as shown in below tables [pic] Table 4. 1 Start-up DELAYS from Reset when Low-frequency Crystal Oscillator is selected . 7 Watchdog Timer If the Watchdog Timer is not needed in the application, this module should be turned off. If the Watchdog Timer is enabled, it will be enabled in all sleep modes, and hence, always consume power. In the deeper sleep modes, this will contribute significantly to the total current consumption. Chapter 4 Intelligent campus using rfid 4. 1 INTRODUCTION This project describes about the efficient used of RFID technology around us, it also describes about the use of both hardware and software. In addition we also focus on monitoring every individual inside the campus. 4. 2 Basic setup [pic]Figure 4. 1 basic setup The basic external setup for the project is shown in figure 8. 1. The HF reader is connected to microcontroller through RS-232 cable and the IR pairs are connected to the port pins of microcontroller. The microcontroller is then connected to the host computer (server) through RS-232 cable. The detailed explanation of the blocks are given below 4. 3 PERIPHERALS 4. 3. 1 I/O PORTS All AVR ports have true read-modify-write functionality when used as general digital I/O ports. This means that the direction of one port pin can be changed without unintentionally changing the direction of any other pin with the SBI and CBI instructions. Port A Port A is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port. Three I/O memory address locations are allocated for the Port A, one each for the Data Register – PORT A, SIB($IB($3B), Data Direction Register – DDRA, $1A($3A) and the Port A. Input Pins – PINA, $19($39). The Port A Input Pins address is read only, while the Data Register and the Data Direction Register are read/write. Port B Port B is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port. Three I/O memory address locations are allocated for the Port B, one each for the Data Register – PORT B, $18($38), Data Direction Register – DDRB, $17($37) and the Port B Input Pins – PINB, $16($36). The Port B Input Pins address is read only, while the Data Register and the Data Direction Register are read/write. Port C Port C is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port. Three I/O memory address locations are allocated for the Port C, one each for the Data Register – PORT C, $15($35), Data Direction Register – DDRC, $14($34) and the Port C Input Pins – PINC, $13($33) The Port C Input Pins address is read only, while the Data Register and the Data Direction Register are read/write. Port D Port D is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port. Three I/O memory address locations are allocated for the Port D, one each for the Data Register – PORT D, $12($32), Data Direction Register – DDRD, $11($31) and the Port D Input Pins – PIND, $10($30). The Port D Input Pins address is read only, while the Data Register and the Data Direction Register are read/write. 4. 4 USART (Universal Synchronous and Asynchronous serial Receiver and Transmitter): The Universal Synchronous and Asynchronous serial Receiver and Transmitter (USART) is a highly flexible serial communication device. The main features are: ? Asynchronous or Synchronous Operation ? Master or Slave Clocked Synchronous Operation ? Odd or Even Parity Generation and Parity Check Supported by Hardware ? Data Overrun Detection ? Framing Error Detection ? Three Separate Interrupts on TX Complete, TX Data Register Empty and RX Complete ? Multi-processor Communication Mode ? Double Speed Asynchronous Communication Mode The ATmega162 has two USARTs, USART0 and USART1. USART0 and USART1 have different I/O Registers. Portd0 is the receiver pin and portd1 is the transmitter pin. Here we are using IC MAX232 as a UART driver. [pic] Figure 4. 2 uart driver. 4. 4. 1 AVR UART – Compatibility The USART is fully compatible with the AVR UART regarding: ? Bit locations inside all USART Registers ? Baud Rate Generation ? Transmitter Operation ? Transmit Buffer Functionality ? Receiver Operation 4. 4. 2 USART Initialization The USART has to be initialized before any communication can take place. The initialization process normally consists of setting the baud rate, setting frame format and enabling the Transmitter or the Receiver depending on the usage. For interrupt driven USART operation, the Global Interrupt Flag should be cleared (and interrupts globally disabled) when doing the initialization. The TXC Flag can be used to check that the Transmitter has completed all transfers, and the RXC Flag can be used to check that there are no unread data in the receive buffer. 4. 5 SENSOR Sensors are the devices that are used to convert the physical parameter into signal that can be measured electrically and it can be easily given as an input to the microcontroller. The effectual sensor should have the following properties namely, ? Sensor should be sensitive to measured property. ? It should be insensitive to any other property. ? It should not influence any other property. An IR sensor is used. It uses IR LED as an IR transmitter, which emits IR rays in the wavelength of 940 nm and a phototransistor is used as IR receiver, which detects IR rays and the output comes in collector. If the receiver is receiving IR rays the output will be low otherwise output is high. The output of the receiver is given to the comparator chip LM393, which compares the receiver output with the prefixed voltage signal. The output of the comparator is given to microcontroller. [pic] Figure 4. 3 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM OF IR SENSOR 4. 5. 1 IR TRANSMITTER LED, a special type of semiconductor diode that has a pn junction acts as a transmitter. The wavelength and the color of the light depend on the band gap energy of the material forming pn junction. The materials used for a LED have a direct band gap energy corresponding to near IR, but Germanium and silicon are indirect band gap materials resulting in a non – radiative recombination. Hence does not emit light. The advantages of LED over incandescent sources are: ? Less costly Long life span ? Insensitive to vibration and shocks. 4. 5. 2 IR RECEIVER A phototransistor is used to detect the IR rays from the LED. It is a bi polar junction that is encased in a transparent case so that light can reach the base collector junction. The phototransistor works like a photodiode with a very high very high sensitivity for light, because the electrons that are gene rated by photons in the base collector junction are injected to base and amplified like a transistor. It has a slower response time than photodiode. [pic] Figure 4. 4 BLOCK DIAGRAM OF IR SENSOR 4. 5. 3COMPARATOR The comparator is a circuit which compares a signal voltage applied at one input of an op-amp with a known reference voltage at the other input. For an inverting comparator the reference voltage is applied to the (+) input and input is given to the (-) terminal. The common mode voltage range includes ground, and the differential input voltage equals power supply voltage. [pic] Figure 4. 5: PIN CONFIGURATION OF LM 393 4. 6 BUZZER It is a transducer which converts electrical signal to sound signal. Piezoelectricity is the ability of certain crystals to produce a voltage when subjected to mechanical stress. The effect is reversible (i. . ) crystals when subjected to external applied voltage can change shape by a small amount and the effect is of nanometers. [pic] Figure 4. 6 circuit diagram of buzzer 4. 7 RS-232C RS-232 stands for Recommend Standard number 232 and C is the latest revision of the standard. The serial ports on most computers use a subset of the RS-232C standard. [pic] Fig ure: 4. 7. RS-232 CONNECTOR 4. 7. 1 DB9 INFORMATION The DB9 connection has 9 pins which are each described in the below table. The illustration below is an example of the female serial connector, which would usually be located on the connector that would connect to the computer. 9 pin connector on a DTE device (PC connection) | |Pin No |Direction of the signal | |1 |Carrier(CD) ( from DCE) incoming signal from the modem | |2 |Received data (RD) incoming data from DCE | |3 |Transmit data (TD) outgoing data to a DCE | |4 |Data terminal ready (DTR) outgoing handshake signal | |5 |Signal ground common reference voltage | |6 |Data set ready (DSR) incoming handshaking signal | |7 |Request to send (RTS) outgoing flow control signal | |8 |Clear to send (CTS) incoming flow control signal | |9 |Ring indicator (RI) (from DCE) incoming signal from a modem | Table: 4. 1: DB9 connector DTE stands for Data Terminal Equipment, and DCE stands for Data Communications Equipment. These terms are used to indicate the pin-out for the connectors on a device and the direction of the signals on the pins The RS-232 standard states that DTE devices use a 9-pin male connector, and DCE devices use a 9-pin female connector. 4. 8 LCD LCD is an output device which is used to display a character or a text through microcontroller. So, the LCD is connected in the output port pins of microcontroller. A 2 line LCD display has totally 32 pins. 32 characters can be displayed in our LCD. [pic] Figure 4. 8: 16Ãâ€"2 LCD DISPLAY The starting address for the first line is $80 and for end address is $8F and for second line the starting address is $C0 and the end address is $CF. Pin no |Pin name |I/P or O/P |External connection |Function | |1 |VSS |– |Power supply |GND | |2 |VDD |– | |+5V | |3 |VO |– | |V lcd adjustment | |4 |RS |I/p |MPU |Register select signal | |5 |R/W |I/p |MPU |Read/write select signal | | | | | |Read-1; write-2. | |6 |E |I/p MPU |Operation enable signal | |7-10 |DB0-DB3 |I/p |MPU |Lower order lines | |11-14 |DB4-DB7 |I/p |MPU |Higher order lines | |15-16 |LED,,+,, |I/p |LED backlight power supply |LED,,+,, voltage | | |LED,,-,, | | |type : 4. 2V;Max: 4. 5V | | | | | |LED,,-,, : GND | Table 4. 2 discription of lcd terminals Chapter 5 VISUAL BASIC 5. 1 INTRODUCTION The Visual Basic language is quite powerful – if one can imagine a programming task; it can probably be accomplished using Visual Basic. Once the basics of Visual Basic are understood then one becomes productive. 5. 2 About Visual Basic The â€Å"Visual† part refers to the method used to create the graphical user interface (GUI), Rather than writing numerous lines of code to describe the appearance and location of interface elements, simply add pre built objects into place on screen. The â€Å"Basic† part refers to the BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) language, a language used by more programmers. Visual Basic has evolved from the original BASIC languages and now contains several hundred statements, functions, and keywords, many of which relate directly to the Windows GUI. Beginners can create useful applications by learning just a few of the keywords, yet the power of the language allows professionals to accomplish anything that can be accomplished using any other Windows programming language. The Visual Basic programming language is not unique to Visual Basic. The Visual Basic programming system, Applications Edition included in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and many other Windows applications uses the same language. The Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VB Script) is a widely used scripting language and a subset of the Visual Basic language. The investment one makes in learning Visual Basic will carry over to many other areas. Whether the goal is to create a small utility for an individual, a work group a large enterprise-wide system, or even distributed applications spanning the globe via the Internet, Visual Basic has the required tools. 5. 3 ADVANTAGES ? Data Access features allow you to create databases, front-end applications, and scalable server-side components for most popular database formats, including Microsoft SQL Server and other enterprise-level databases. ? ActiveXTM Technologies allow you use the functionality provided by other applications, such as Microsoft Word Processor, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and other Windows applications. Even applications can be automated and objects can be created using the Professional or Enterprise editions of Visual Basic. ? Internet capabilities make it easy to provide access to documents and applications across the Internet or intranet from within the application, or to create Internet server applications. ? The finished application is a true. exe file that uses a Visual Basic Virtual Machine that you can freely distribute. 5. 4 Program description The front end is visual basic and this programming concept is chosen because it is more users friendly. The information or the status about the persons is displayed and the same can be stored in a database so that it can be accessed later. [pic] Figure 5. : output and database creation, checking form Chapter 6 conclusion RFID technology is a budding technology that is fast growing world wide. RFID proves to be cutting edge technology through its applications. This project moves a step ahead in RFID’s application and presents a new dimension to view through. This project proves to be entirely different and innovative of RFID technology with the existing components. Such an introduction of a new methodology in the RFID technology enhances its use and improves the present knowledge. The project â€Å"INTELLIGENT campus using RFID† will sure make a great difference in the present industrial applications of RFID. It will provide the ultimate solution for the problems that exists in various cases. This is a prototype of the proposed idea wherein the entire reason behind it is to provide a fully compact, covering larger distance. 6. 1 PROCESS EXPLANATION The various processes that take place during the working of the project are as follows: The RFID tag is a passive, high frequency device in which some unique data’s can be stared in the form of serial numbers known as ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE (EPC). Whenever the RFID tag comes in the field of a particular reader, the reader detects the tag and sends the detected information about the EPC to the microcontroller. ACTIVITY FLOWCHART Figure 6. 1: activity flow chart The received information will be fed into the microcontroller which compares the epc number to specific information’s about group of individuals. If the received information is already in the list, it will allow the user to enter inside the campus and also maintains a database for storing this information. The reader refreshes its data continuously checks after certain amount of time interval and when the RFID reader detects the absence of a tag it will remove the tag details from the list. The database can be created with the help of visual basic programming. [pic] Figure 6. 2: database creation of persons entering into the campus Whenever the tag enters into a specific location such as class rooms, library etc, the reader present in that location will detects the tag. Two IR transmitter – receiver pairs are used for the purpose of monitoring whether the person is entering the room or leaving the room. The IR rays interfering sequence is fed to the microcontroller and it is used for detecting the status of the person having that particular tag. The details or the status are also saved into database using visual basic coding. The databases can be shared in the network and it can be used for finding or monitoring each and every individual belonging to that campus. [pic] Figure 6. 3: database creation of persons entering into PARTICULAR LOCATION. The same can be used to find the individual location using search option. 6. 2 FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS The project could further be developed and enhanced in an effective way by suitable polarization RFID reader antennas and increasing the frequency range so that it would not only provide the solution for monitoring persons in a smaller area as mentioned in this model. The security can also be increased by replacing IR devices by some bio-metric ideas. ———————– 162- MICRO CONTROLLER LCD I/O P O R T S I/O P O R T S BUZZER IR 1 IR 2 USART USART PC RFID END CREATES A DATA BASE (In/Out) 1-2 OR 2-1 Yes No Interruption Occurred CHECHS FOR IR SIGNAL CREATES A DATA BASE (Present inside the campus) INFORMATION TRANSFER FROM RFID READER TO M162 Yes RFID TAG PRESENT No READER SIGNAL TRANSMIT START