Rooms Division Operation Plan Essay Example for Free

Rooms Division Operation Plan Essay The rooms division comprises the front office, reservations, bell service, concierge, housekeeping, laundry including health and recreation. (NZQA 2005) Since the resort operates as a full-fledged 4-star category, the reservations, bell service and concierge are made separate sections from the front office and the laundry is made separate from the housekeeping. As a resort, the rooms division extends its scope to the facilities of surfing, spa, swimming pool, maintenance and gardens which are specialized functions are under the Health and Recreation department. The next 12-month operation strategies for the Rooms Division will aim to overcome the weaknesses as determined in the SWOT analysis which are lack of conference facilities and meeting rooms, high employee turn-over, shortfalls in planned maintenance activities and will focus on full blast redesigning and refurbishment, upgrading the service quality, augmenting market research, enhancing service capacity and upgrading management competencies. Refurbishment Any service company, particularly hotels and resorts will always have to consider sufficiency of infrastructure and facilities. The quality of service will always rely on these factors. (Gray 1992) Refurbishment will be necessary to achieve the resort’s major strategies especially in the expansion of conference rooms and meeting rooms. The refurbishment program for the rooms division includes expansion of the ballroom which now becomes a grand ballroom that is breakable into 4 mini ballrooms to accommodate 100 to 150 persons per ballroom, additional 8 function rooms that can accommodate 50 persons and 10 meeting rooms with a capacity of 20 persons. This will encourage local markets to book more parties, meetings and conferences and the resort will be able to accommodate to as much as 600 persons in one sitting at the same time be flexible enough to accommodate small groups. Because of this major move of the resort, some guestrooms will have to be refurbished which are those to be included in the packaging of the conferences and meetings. The 214 guestroom are in resort motifs and there will have to be at least 40 guestrooms that will be redesigned to match the conference package of the resort. It is expected that the conference and meetings engagement will generate the intended occupancy rate increase of 15% in the next year and the targeted increase in sales from the New Zealand and Asian markets. Aside from these more amenities will be supplied to the guestrooms as add-ons to increase occupancy rates particularly during off peak seasons along with refurbishments undergone in for the conference halls and meeting rooms. There will be two (2) business centers to be set up beside the ballroom areas to facilitate easy access to communication and printing requirements of the guests that are booked for the conferences and meetings. These business centers will be equipped with the latest IT facilities and state of the art communication systems that will answer to all types of needs of customers at all levels. These facilities are also expected to contribute to the income generated by the resort. Service Quality Since the resort saturate efforts to increase occupancy rates through massive promotional campaigns to be led by the resort Marketing Department. The rooms division will have its share of strategies and complementary efforts to upgrade the quality of service provided by the rooms division, particularly in the front desk, concierge, bell service and health and recreation departments which are the front liners of the resort. All staff at the front line would be required to learn Japanese Nippongo, Chinese Mandarin and Italian which are the most common language barriers as determined in the previous years. Aside from those, the staff had to improve their English communication skills. All staff of the division will have to undergo re-training and series of seminars on improving service quality. Butlers will be hired to provide special service to the guests at the VVIP suites. Flowers, chocolates, fruit baskets, beach bags, bathing suits and rubber sandals will be provided for the guests as promotional amenities. The image of the resort will depend on the excellent quality of service that the rooms division staff will provide the guests, as they enter the resort and reach the comforts of their rooms. (Branson 1998) Correspondingly, as a move to control the movement of customers, particularly those who will attend meetings, functions and parties, a separate route will be allocated for them, to protect the in-house guests from losing their privacy particularly those staying at the pool area. It is important to consider always, the privacy and comfort of the guests in the resort. This is what customers look for in hotels and resorts and that they are willing to pay much for that. (Gray 1992) Entrance to the pool area will therefore be limited to in-house guests although other restaurant and party patrons may be allowed discretely. Market Research  While there is a Marketing Department that specially focuses on finding the clients and developing strategies to attract guests and bookings (Gray 1992), the Rooms Division provides its counterpart move to market research. The early operations stage of the hotel will need the support of all the staff especially the expertise of the key people, like the Front Office Manager, the Executive Housekeeper and the different managers of the other departments in the rooms division to help determine the hotel’s target customers, their profile and their needs as well as determine how the rooms division services can satisfy them. The division will hold a strategic planning session to give inputs to market research. Here, the staff will give their expert ideas as to who the targeted clients are, where to find them, how the hotel can get them to book and most especially, how the hotel can satisfy them when they finally try the hotel services. The integrated inputs will be submitted to the Marketing Department for integration to the marketing plan. (Lane 1998) Production Development A major weakness identified in the plan is the deficiencies in providing maintenance services especially in the guestrooms. Guest complaints received in the previous year mostly were pointing to unserviceable facilities like the hot and cold water, busted bulbs, defective appliances, and even clogged bathtubs. In any service company, maintenance is as important as the other services provided. (Branson 1998) The division’s response to solve the problem would be to develop a maintenance preventive system that will require regular monitoring of facilities and assure that all is working well. Additional employees will be hired in the housekeeping department, those who already possess technical skills in maintenance and engineering so that housekeeping department can immediately solve minor technical problems without waiting for the engineering team to respond. Management Competencies The resort has been affected by fast employee turn-over and this will be answered by package incentives programmed by the Human Resource Department. Aside from the capability building programs being conducted for the staff skills upgrading including teambuilding and values development, the rooms division will institutionalize a regular learning session among management, which includes supervisors, assistant managers, managers and the division manager to improve the management competencies and benchmark on best practices. Food and Beverage Operation Plan The Food and Beverage Division comprises the FB Service and FB Production departments. FB Service will cover all restaurants, bars and the banquet; FB Production will cover the cold and hot kitchens, pastry and stewarding. Each of these departments is most critical and will contribute significantly to the total make-over of the resort. . The next 12-month operation strategies will aim to overcome the weaknesses as determined in the SWOT analysis which are lack of conference facilities and meeting rooms, high employee turn-over and the resignation of the Head Chef, shortfalls in planned maintenance activities and will focus on full blast refurbishment, upgrading the service quality, augmenting market research, enhancing service capacity and upgrading management competencies. Refurbishment In determining the courses of action to take, it is the SWOT that provides information on the focal concerns. (Branson 2002) Major problems identified in the SWOT were the lack of conference and meeting function areas. Management has decided to answer these needs and provide additional function areas. The focus of the Food and Beverage division on the refurbishment will be on the additional kitchen and storage facilities including kitchen fixtures, tools and equipment that will be put up specifically for the banquet areas. This will cater to the clients of the ballroom, conferences and meetings. The setting up of the banquet kitchen and storage beside the ballroom area will facilitate smooth and speedy transport of food for the specific banquet clients. The kitchen and storage must be able to provide food for at most 1,200 persons, which is the maximum capacity of the ballroom, conference rooms and meeting rooms all together. The expansion of the banquet will encourage local markets to book more parties, meetings and conferences and the resort will be able to accommodate big groups at the same time be flexible enough to accommodate small groups. Likewise for the food and beverage service, additional facilities, glassware, chinaware and silverware and other service tools and equipment will have to be procured for this purpose. Market Research The contribution of the food and beverage division to the over-all marketing strategy is the detailed identification of the targeted clients and how the resort will be able to satisfy them. (Cousins 2002) The general strategy of the resort for the next year is to improve food and beverage revenues through expansion of banquet services. The division will organize a special team of chefs and other banquet experts to study the preferred tastes of the target clients for the banquet and develop special menus that will appeal to prospective engagers. Series of food tasting sessions will be done and this will be coordinated with the resort PR department to invite media personalities and other influential people to promote the food and the service styles that are in store for the new resort image. Surveys may also be conducted to prospective companies and target groups to get their preferences in terms of service, food and the price. The team of FB leaders will have to find ways of developing menus that have lower cost so corresponding, lower prices will be offered to customers. This strategy intends to attract a wider margin of the market including those who would prefer practically priced menus and food and beverage package. Service Quality One of the possible causes of the fast turn-over of employees is the inability to cope with the demands of their jobs. Hotel work is not easy especially for those hired without skills. Employee involvement is very important in every move that the food and beverage division will undertake. (Gray 1992) The division will augment the activities conducted by the Human Resource department through coaching, mentoring and job rotation. This move will prepare next-in-line subordinates as alternates. The division will establish safety nets to protect the operation from being affected by employee absences or resignations. FB Managers and Chefs will work closely with the Human Resource Department to get the best and skilled people. Kitchen staff, particularly Chefs and other key positions like the Maitre-d’Hotel, Ice/Butter Carvers (Cousins 2002), will require special qualifications and ample experience. All staff will be trained on the company standard of values and service including the health aspect of food handling, aside from the specific skills training they will undergo. Simulation exercises and food and beverage tasting will have to be conducted to perfect the quality of food and beverages that will be served to guests. Special effort will have to be made to source for the Head Chef who will have to be provided special package incentives. Precautionary efforts will have to be made to retain hard to find skilled employees, which will be of utmost concern, not only by the Human Resource Department but also the FB Manager who oversees the work of the Head Chef and down the line chefs. Special commitment will have to be made by the Head Chef to be hired, whose role is very crucial to the success of the resort business. Production Development The expansion of the division particularly in the additional function areas will need complementing augmentation in terms of resort warm bodies and systems to equally make the service satisfying to the customers. The division will be expecting customers who are not â€Å"in house guests† for the parties, conferences and other meeting, therefore extra caution will have to be made by the staff, especially in billing guests to avoid losses for the restaurants. Procurement of supplies is critical in the production aspect. (Gray 1992) The key officers from the FB will have to be involved in the procurement as well as the design of the different kitchens and outlets. Their expertise will be needed for the sourcing and selection. All items to be procured will have to suit the standards set by the resort and the varying motifs of the FB outlets particularly the banquet functions. The resort will have will have to scan resources within reach and establish suppliers of hard to find facilities, supplies and ingredients. New technology on order taking and billing will be installed in all the food and beverage outlets. This is an on-line system that will centralize the billing and order taking to the computer which directly will generate summaries in the cashier. This computerization intends to systematize the process and prevent errors in the manual communication of orders and computation of bills. It is noted that this problem has caused stress to many staff in the restaurants, specifically for the waiters and order takers who made significant errors in orders and billings. The computerization intends to minimize these problems. Enhanced Management Competencies The rate of turn-over is highest among the chefs for the past years. Chefs have varying expertise that is crucial to the resort and hard to find. The resort will have to create special package of incentives for the chefs to assure that they are satisfied with the jobs. Chefs as well as the other supervisors and managers of the food and beverage division are relied on in terms of their expertise as well as their management capabilities. Many of the supervisors and managers have technical skills but lack the necessary management competencies. (Cousins et. al. 2002) Stephen Covey emphasized in his â€Å"Seven Habits of Highly Effective People† his seventh habit, which is most important is the â€Å"sharpening of the saw†, which means, every person no matter how effective and efficient will need to improve himself continuously to stay relevant. The food and beverage division will coordinate with the Human Resource department to prepare and package capability programs for the division management staff particularly on people handling, time management and stress management. They will also have series of IT enhancement particularly in Microsoft Office programs so that they will be able to cope up with the computer-based reporting systems being installed in the resort. These moves hope to improve the relations within the division and improve employee relations.

Janey’s Dance :: Child Development Short Stories Essays

Janey’s Dance The Doe household is silent, seemingly without life in all its rooms. Yet listening carefully, a faint sound can be heard leaking from the walls of little Janey’s playroom. Moving closer, the tunes of Lamb-Chops sing-a-long cassette tapes become impeccably clear: â€Å"This is the song that never ends . . . â€Å" Peeking inside, not wanting to disturb the natural environment of the 11 month old, we see Janey’s reactions to this â€Å"classic† song. She is standing latched onto her chartreuse play table, bouncing up and down and flailing her right arm in an infant’s rhythmic motion. Her mouth is open in a wide, goofy grin as squeaks of happy sounds are released into the air. She is, in effect, dancing to the rhythm of Lamb Chop. What has contributed to Janey’s behavior? How has she progressed from a sedentary, crying newborn to an active, excited infant? There are a few different ways to interpret this developed behavior, stemming from four distinct theoretical frameworks used in the field of developmental psychology. Each model has its own explanation of Janey’s Lamb-Chop dance and all provide important contributions to a justification of this charming behavior. An examination of the infant’s dance from a biological-maturation perspective focuses on the development of Janey’s physical structures and physiological processes that allow her behavior to take place. This activity should not be expected from a three month old because an infant of that age has not experienced the maturational changes in the body and brain that are necessary to facilitate dancing in it’s earliest manifestations. Human development occurs in a cephalocaudal pattern, thereby beginning in the head and working downward from that point. Coordinated muscle movements of the arms are not apparent until approximately three months of age and the same behavior in the legs usually not witnessed until around nine months. To allow movements to occur, an infant’s bone and muscle structures must develop from the soft, thin, fragile structures they are born with. â€Å"The bones in the hand and wrist are among the first to ossify† (Cole & Cole, 2001, p.

Gang Violence in America Essay

From Chicago to Rio, from Jamaica to Nigeria, gang violence is leaving an indelible mark on communities across the globe, leaving authorities at a loss for what to do about the epidemic of lawlessness among young men who see little hope in their futures. Certainly the global economic crisis has much to do with the rise in gang violence and influence, as young men of color in most of the affected countries see few options for gainful employment. Indeed, gang violence is a growing epidemic across America and according to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, â€Å"gangs are expanding, evolving, and posing an increasing threat to communities. † In fact, a disturbing trend is for children as young as 8-years-old to be involved in gang activity. Gang violence is an enormous and big problem in every major city, there are multi-generational gangs, with kids growing up in gang families, although out the US. There’s also gang members recruiting kids who are around 8-years-old. It’s only when they are teenagers that we really start to see the violence. There are many reasons why a pre-teens and young people decide to join a gang. At the top of the list is a need for power and recognition, especially for youngsters who feel a sense of hopelessness because of racism, poverty or a lack of support. Who is trying to tackle the issue of urban decay and kids living in war zone? Before the age of eighteen, the averag e American teen will have witnessed eighteen thousand simulated murders on TV. While staggering in number, more disturbing is the effect this steady diet of imaginary violence may have on America’s youth. Over the past forty years, more than three thousand studies have investigated the connection between television violence and real violence . Though none conclude a direct cause and effect relationship, it becomes clear that watching television is one of a number of important factors affecting aggressive behavior. Another thing is lot of people look at what they are running to but we look at what they are running from. Is it a lack of something, or could they be be running from a dysfunctional home? Most often they feel isolated and cut off and the gangs offer them love, family and protection . There are several clues that parents can spot to indicate that a child is involved in gang activity. Some of the early signs that kids have joined gangs are signs or symbols parents haven’t seen before, changes in behavior at home or in school, becoming more secretive and starting to wear specific colors. Parents need to be active in their children’s life and not give them the chance to create alternative role models. They need to be bilingual to understand the language of their children and what their child is going through. Parents can protect their children by being involved in their activities and making sure they have positive role models to keep them out of gangs. Parents fail to realize that an idol mind is the devils territory, provide your children with after school programs which soaks up the downtime that a lot these kids have. The resolve to this on going out of control issue is to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes prevention, intervention, re-entry and law enforcement. There are many indicators whether the child is likely to join a gang, such as 1. hether he or she is committed to the code of the street, 2. a lack of commitment to school 3. substance abuse. The issue of youth gang violence and firearms is defined far more by what is not known, than what is known. Regardless of the approach taken, it is clear that there is a desire, and a need, for more accurate and comprehensive data on youth gang violence and firearms in the US. When I read about the relationship between viole nce in the media and violence among our youth I extrapolate the findings and think of them in regard to gangs. When it comes to the portrayal of gangs and gang members, the mass media sometimes go into great detail. They portray the language, dress, body movements, and look of a gang member – male and female. They show, in explicit detail, the crimes gang members commit – how drugs are sold, how to † shoot up† (inject drugs intravenously), how to free base, how to rape someone, how to stab or shoot someone, how to settle disputes using violence. The list is very long. The problem is that it is the wrong list in terms of socializing our youth into acceptable, legal behaviors. I also believe there are unsupervised children who, fed a constant diet of television and rap music violence, begin to emulate it, particularly if there are others who are doing the same thing. Every child wants to be accepted. If I am rejected by the â€Å"good kids,† perhaps the â€Å"bad kids† will want me if I act and think like they do. And there are those who feel frustration and anger who, after a media portrayal of violence, feel purged of such feelings. The impact of media portrayals of gangs and the activities of their members help us understand why gangs form, but sometimes gangs form by following in the footsteps of others.

Non-traditional vs Traditional Architecture

Introduction to the History of Western Architecture August 26, 2013 Final Written Assignment Non-traditional (Billingsgate) And Traditional Architecture (Batcher Mansion) On our way home from dropping the kids off at the mid-point between Albany and Hilton Head Island my wife and I decided to deviate from driving through the 1-95 route we normally take. Making the better choice to travel through the beautiful countryside of Pennsylvania saved us countless hours of never ending traffic. As we rolled through the countryside of the historic state we had to make a couple of stops.At one of the stops we picked up a Pennsylvania vacation guide. Once home I took a few minutes to browse through the guide. To my delight I found two places I would like to visit the next time we drive through Pennsylvania. One is not what you think. The first place I put on our agenda the next time through the Keystone State is a model train barn with miles of track. As a beginning enthusiast of model railroadi ng I took interest in what the Coho Coho Barn has to offer. The next item on our agenda would have to be Billingsgate (Figure 1) in Mill Run, PA, roughly 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.Billingsgate is an architectural marvel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, arguably America's most famous architect and as luck would have it is one of the architects mentioned in the module assignment. Wright designed the house for his clients, the Kaufmann family and was completed by 1939. Edgar Kaufmann was a businessman and philanthropist. The family owned Kaufmann Department Store in the sass's which now part of the Macy's chain. Mr.. Kaufmann and his wife, Lillian, had one son, Edgar Jar. The Kauffmann used Billingsgate as a mountain retreat like many other Pittsburghers.They could hike in the forest, swim and fish in the streams, go horseback riding, and do other outdoor activities. Following true to their philanthropy, the Kauffmann became acquainted with the Conservancy when they were involved with the early acquisition of Friendlier Peninsula, later to become the cornerstone of Peephole State Park. Their son, Edgar Kaufmann Jar. , commented on the importance of Billingsgate to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Design & development when he said, Such a place cannot be possessed.It is a work of man for man; not by a man for a man. Over the years since it was built, Billingsgate has grown ever more famous and admired, a textbook example of modern architecture at its best. By its very intensity it s a public resource, not a private indulgence. Billingsgate came to the Conservancy with its buildings, collections and site intact. As stated by Loll in a travel log in 2005, Billingsgate is truly unique. The most notable feature was a series of cantilevered balconies protruding from every side and level of the house.In figure 2 large cantilever anchors are embedded in the rock. In breaking with traditional architecture Wright designed the house using the cantilevered system to su pport the structure. Since there was no visible support, they seemed to Just magically extend from the walls of the house. Frank Lloyd Wright believed in organic design, which meant that he wanted the structure to blend in and be a part of its surrounding environment. To accomplish this he used sandstone quarried right on the property so that it matched perfectly with the surrounding stone.The site Billingsgate pictures: photos of Kaufmann house above the waterfall, states beautifully the following with regards to figure 3: Notice that the warm glow from the interior lighting resonates with the autumn colors in this fall photo. Dramatic cantilevered terraces reflect the similar structure of he rock ledges below. Roomy terraces on either side of the living room on the main level, as well as the large terrace above it, create strong horizontal lines balanced by the almost unbroken vertical lines in the tower on the left (which in addition to stone columns over 10 meters tall, has 3 st ories of floor-to-ceiling windows).These and many other clear horizontal and vertical lines in the house may be compared with the formation of the rock, with the horizontal and vertical of ground and trees, and with the water moving horizontally in the stream (Bear run) and vertically as â€Å"falling eater† in the form of waterfalls (visible in the photo and downstream Just out of view in this photo). The falls visible in the photo break at an angle, creating an illusion of water flowing out from beneath the middle of the house.The sound of the flowing water fills the house continuously. The website Billingsgate pictures: also states the following about figure 4: There is no grand front entrance, if that meaner big double doors flanked by decorations and symbolizing the barrier between outside and inside. Rather, the continuity of inside and outside is emphasized, in keeping with the theme of a ruinous and natural relationship to the setting.Other examples of this, besides e verything mentioned above, include windows wrapping all the way around 3 sides of the huge living room, and at the corners where two window panes meet – here and at other places in the house such as the west tower (as well as in other Frank Lloyd Wright houses) – there are no bulky vertical support beams. The Kaufmann house affectionately known as Billingsgate is non-traditional architecture if the definition of traditional architecture is simply that which is having historical precedent and ornamental design.As I look at each photo of the structure I am immersed in the beauty of the simplistic lines and the sense of airiness and the manner in which it appears to float over the waterfall. Additionally, I feel a sense of calm and a desire to find more photos. This building has made its own historical precedent in the way it uses nature as its filler while using strong steel as the roots that allow the building to stand freely amongst the trees. When it comes to traditio nal architectural form, The Batcher Mansion Inn stands as one of the premier examples. The Batcher Mansion is a stately and renowned Saratoga Inn, with quite a history.This elaborate Victorian home turned inn sits in historic Saratoga Springs, NY. As it is put into words by the Innkeeper on the Inn's website: One of the outstanding landmarks of Saratoga Springs, it is an architectural pastiche of High Victorian Eclecticism combining French Renaissance Revival, Delineate and Egyptian influences. It is crowned by a mansard roof and its tower is topped by the evocation off minaret. Built in 1873 by George Sherman Batcher, it still sits majestically on the corner of Circular Street and Whitney Place with a commanding mintage of Congress Park, the heart of historic Saratoga Springs.Resplendent with beautiful gardens, architectural detail and magnificent views, this Saratoga Bed and Breakfast now hosts guests in the timeless tradition of grace and ease, reminiscent of another century. The history lesson continues: George Sherman Batcher began life on July 25, 1837 in the tiny village of Photoelectrical, in the township of Edinburgh, Saratoga County. He was related to Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence as well as to the great orator and statesman Daniel Webster. Batcher received his legal education at Harvard Law School where he received a AL.B in 1856, when at age 21 he was elected to the New York State Assembly he was at that time the youngest person yet elected. In 1861 he married Catherine Cook, daughter of the state's comptroller, and they had three children but only their daughter Kate, born May 19, 1870 survived infancy. It was in 1873 that Batcher commissioned the Albany, NY architectural firm of Nichols & Walcott to build the magnificent mansion at 20 Circular Street, which Batcher named Easer-el-Enough, Arabic for palace of pleasure. Built at a cost of $100,000. 0 its three floors contained, among other features, eleven bedrooms, fiv e bathrooms, two steam-vapor furnaces, a music room, a library, and was fully illuminated by gas light. Its large basement kitchen fed food to the butler's pantry off the formal dining room by dumbwaiters. The plans for the house were considered so unique and its modern features so effective that they were copyrighted. The intricate woodworking includes decorative molding and beautifully carved inlays, that when adding some gilded mirrors, furnishings of the period, Oriental USGS, and elegant chandeliers and the refurbishing is as close to the original as one can get.An excerpt from Saratoga Springs Crown Jewel Enlivens Upstate New York by Gail Rudder Kent on the Inn's website Handsome paneled wainscoting runs the length of the center hall, with a coffer ceiling; spectacular high-arched doorways that conceal imposing pocket doors lead from living room to library to dining room – framed and capped by intricate pediments with neoclassic details; tall recessed windows are Romane sque with ornamental cornices; and each capacious room is warmed by a fireplace of carved arable.The red-and-gray slate mansard roof in figure 10 is bifurcated by dormers, each accented by a huge clamshell arch; the ivory stucco facade is studded by a myriad of ornate bays and balustrade balconies, and, as if that weren't enough to impress, its conical tower resembling a minaret is right out of Arabian Nights. Our lives are vastly different today than 100 years ago when life was slower, less mobile and more lethargic. Our ancestors were not lazy nor were they boring. What happened is technology has advanced so much in the last 100 plus years that our ivies have gotten faster, increasingly mobile and definitely more dynamic.The advancement in technology has allowed us to make better and stronger materials for building. The innovation that comes with strength has allowed for the non-traditional architect and builder to plan and build more open floor plans with independent support for walls, flooring and roof tops. Strong traditional values continue to play a role in how an architect plans a design. Billingsgate will someday, if not already, become a traditional form with the straight lines and the use of nature as part of the structure.What Billingsgate lacks in satirical precedent is more than made up in the bold design and the manner of which Wright designed this classic non-traditional structure. When it comes to falling into the traditional form, the Victorian mansion designed by Nichols & Walcott for Batcher takes the cake. In this case tradition was dictated by society not so much as a â€Å"have to† but more as a â€Å"need to†. The grandiose nature of the structure was perfect amongst the wealthy and above nearly all people's financial meaner back in the late sass's. Though not as popular or noteworthy to the architectural world as Billingsgate, theBatcher Mansion is a notable location to stay for a weekend as a meaner to get away from the modern world and relish in a time long forgotten. An architect wants to make a name for them-self. The â€Å"need to† as dictated by society refers to the basics of form and technology of the era. What we find in the pyramids of Egypt, the Parthenon, Pantheon and others are worldwide awe inspiring works of art beyond their days in technology yet are the very reason why architects push the boundaries even with today's technological advancements. All buildings still need doors to enter into.

Introduction to the Human Genome Project

Introduction to the Human Genome Project The set of nucleic acid sequences or genes that form the DNA of an organism is its genome. Essentially, a genome is a molecular blueprint for constructing an organism. The human genome is the genetic code in the DNA of the 23 chromosome pairs of Homo sapiens, plus the DNA found within human mitochondria. Egg and sperm cells contain 23 chromosomes (haploid genome) consisting of around three billion DNA base pairs. Somatic cells (e.g., brain, liver, heart) have 23 chromosome pairs (diploid genome) and around six billion base pairs. About 0.1 percent of the base pairs differ from one person to the next. The human genome is about 96 percent similar to that of a chimpanzee, the species that is the nearest genetic relative. The international scientific research community sought to construct a map of the sequence of the nucleotide base pairs that make up human DNA. The United States government started planning the Human Genome Project or HGP in 1984 with a goal to sequence the three billion nucleotides of the haploid genome. A small number of anonymous volunteers  supplied the DNA for the project, so the completed human genome was a mosaic of human DNA and not the genetic sequence of any one person. Human Genome Project History and Timeline While the planning stage started into 1984, the HGP didnt officially launch until 1990. At the time, scientists estimated it would take 15 years to complete the map, but advances in technology led to completion in April of 2003 rather than in 2005. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) provided most of the $3 billion in public funding ($2.7 billion total, due to early completion). Geneticists from all over the world were invited to participate in the Project. In addition to the United States, the international consortium included institutes and universities from the United Kingdom, France, Australia, China, and Germany. Scientists from many other countries also participated. How Gene Sequencing Works To make a map of the human genome, scientists needed to determine the order of the base pair on the DNA of all 23 chromosomes (really, 24, if you consider the sex chromosomes X and Y are different). Each chromosome contained from 50 million to 300 million base pairs, but because the base pairs on a DNA double helix are complementary (i.e., adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine), knowing the composition of one strand of the DNA helix automatically provided information about the complementary strand. In other words, the nature of the molecule simplified the task. While multiple methods were used to determine the code, the main technique employed BAC. BAC stands for bacterial artificial chromosome. To use BAC, human DNA was broken into fragments between 150,000 and 200,000 base pairs in length. The fragments were inserted into bacterial DNA so that when the bacteria reproduced, the human DNA also replicated. This cloning process provided enough DNA to make samples for sequencing. To cover the 3 billion base pairs of the human genome, about 20,000 different BAC clones were made. The BAC clones made what is called a BAC library that contained all the genetic information for a human, but it was like a library in chaos, with no way to tell the order of the books. To fix this, each BAC clone was mapped back to human DNA to find its position in relation to other clones. Next, the BAC clones were cut into smaller fragments about 20,000 base pairs in length for sequencing. These subclones were loaded into a machine called a sequencer. The sequencer prepared 500 to 800 base pairs, which a computer assembled into the correct order to match the BAC clone. As the base pairs were determined, they were made available to the public  online and free to access. Eventually all the pieces of the puzzle were complete and arranged to form a complete genome. Goals of the Human Genome Project The primary goal of the Human Genome Project was to sequence the 3 billion base pairs that make up human DNA. From the sequence, the 20,000 to 25,000 estimated human genes could be identified. However, the genomes of other scientifically significant species were also sequenced as part of the Project, including the genomes of the fruit fly, mouse, yeast, and roundworm. The Project developed new tools and technology for genetic manipulation and sequencing. Public access to the genome assured the entire planet could access the information to spur new discoveries. Why the Human Genome Project Was Important The Human Genome Project formed the first blueprint for a person and  remains the largest collaborative biology project that humanity ever completed. Because the Project sequenced genomes of multiple organisms, scientist could compare them to uncover the functions of genes and to identify which genes are necessary for life. Scientists took the information and techniques from the Project and used them to identify disease genes, devise tests for genetic diseases, and repair damaged genes to prevent problems before they occur. The information is used to predict how a patient will respond to a treatment based on a genetic profile. While the first map took years to complete, advances have led to faster sequencing, allowing scientists to study genetic variation in populations and more quickly determine what specific genes do. The Project also included the development of an Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) program. ELSI became the largest bioethics program in the world and serves as a model for programs that deal with new technologies.

The cheese slicer, invented by Thor Bjrklund of Norway

The cheese slicer, invented by Thor Bjrklund of Norway The cheese slicer, or cheese plane, is an ingenious invention developed by a Norwegian cabinet maker, Thor Bjà ¸rklund. Using a principle similar to that of the carpenter’s plane found in his workshop, Bjà ¸rklund perfected a device for making very thin, uniform slices from the hard cheeses favored in Norway, such as gouda and jarlsberg. Thor Bjà ¸rklund Invents the First Cheese Slicer Bjà ¸rklund invented and patented the cheese plane in 1925. He founded the company Thor Bjà ¸rklund Sà ¸nner AS in Lillehammer two years later, which was Norway’s only producer of the traditional Norwegian cheese slicer (ostehà ¸vel), and the first in the world. Since then, the company has produced over 50 million cheese slicers. Originally, it took an hour to produce each cheese slicer, while today, approximately 7,000 slicers can be made in an hour. Other Cheese Slicing Inventions The cheese plane is not the only invention dedicated to cheese, however.  The cheese knife itself is designed to combat the issue of very soft cheeses. With a serrated blade, the cheese knife reduces the amount of soft cheese stuck to the blade. Most blades will also have holes to reduce the likelihood of cheese sticking to the knife.  The cheese cutter features a board with a wire on a cutting arm. The wire is of a fine gauge, again designed to cut through soft cheese without sticking. The action of the cheese wire is like that of a garotte.

Quantitative Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Quantitative Analysis - Research Paper Example of taste and preferences, time of the year, and economic changes among other factors and an understanding of occurrence of such seasonal factors and their effects on equilibrium price is necessary and is recommended. Times series analysis allows for identification of effects of trend and seasonality, that can then be separated in forecasting optimal price and is therefore necessary for effective planning and goal setting. Forecasted seasonality and trend informs on expected changes in optimal prices that can be used to retain customers and even attract new customers for a competitive market share. The analysis, based on an organization’s data or that of the industry’s average and the following equation, can forecast daily or weekly prices for unit commodities that the restaurant could sell. Comparative analysis of cost and revenues is another recommended quantitative best practice for the business. Two approaches inform profit maximization and their understanding and use in the business will ensure optimal profitability. The difference between total cost and total revenue defines obtained profits and can be used to define profitability (Korrapati, 2014). Understanding the maximum level profit that an entity can achieve is more important for efficient resource utilization and this identifies the concept of marginal returns. Profit is maximized when marginal cost equals marginal revenues. Data analysis on difference between unit cost of a product and its unit price is therefore necessary for understanding the point of equality. This, however, relies on other practices such as optimal pricing that could use time series and cost accounting into determination of unit cost. The following mathematical equation expresses to optimization point. The mathematical approach can also inform decisions on optimal prices given cost and production capacity. A restaurant has such capacity limitation to space and number of seats in the restaurant and with a known optimal number