Music Festival Essay

â€Å" When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest † said Henry David Thoreau. Music was and still is a significant factor in almost every culture in the world. It is a form of art that can life the soul, or even heals a patient through music therapy. A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and often include other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines, performance art, and social activities, and even theme park rides such as the festival held annually in Abu Dhabi â€Å"Cream Fields†. Which is similar to the festival that I am going to be designing in this paper. The music festival I will conduct is going to be a rather modern based outdoor event, featuring DJs and live acts. The festival would have cartoon based theme, in which attendants would have to come dressed as cartoon characters of their choice, but no regular clothing would be allowed in, it’s either you come in costume or you get out. The idea is for the festival to be its own world for the weekend, and this would be achieved not only through the outfits, but even the stages would have cartoon decorations all around, making everything look colorful and cheerful. For each stage available, there will be a different cartoon theme for that stage, for instance the main stage would have the most famous of all, Tom and Jerry, and so on and so forth. The festival comers would feel as if they entered a world of childhood, making them forget about all the troubles in the world, and simply enjoy their time as much as they could. They can enjoy refreshments and food, along with special live acts where mimics of famous cartoons will be performed in between one artist and another. Unfortunately for the adolescents, there will be an entry age of 21 and above, all under the age of 21 would not be allowed in due to the consumption of alcohol in the region. The type of music that will be played at this festival will be electronic music. Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker. It may include a user interface for controlling its sound, often by adjusting the pitch, frequency, or duration of each note. This type of music can also be referred to as â€Å" Rave music â€Å". Rave music is what most people now call ‘dance’ music, or as some government wonk put it, music with a distinctive ‘series of repetitive beats’. Early ravers discovered that the combination of ecstasy and music with fast, repetitive beats was a marriage made in disco heaven. The term rave first came into use in Britain in the late 50’s referring to the wild bohemian parties of the time, and the crowds were and still are mostly young from all sections of society. The composition of this music is extremely complicated, and it requires years of practice and experience in order to master it, however, I will give a brief summary of the requirements. There isn’t a single â€Å"piece of equipment† that creates the music, it’s a joining of different elements that’s necessary to allow the creation of a full on song. The basic and most important instrument to create this music is the MIDI keyboard. A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboard device used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface. Not all MIDI keyboards are based on the piano style user interface. Many MIDI keyboard controllers have pads or buttons that also send MIDI signals, and most pads have a velocity sensing capability so that varying volumes of sound can be played. Then comes in the other pieces, for instance, the sequencer is where you control the audio sources and create the structure of your song, and the mixer is then used to set the levels. After the song has been finished, it is recorded and simply played through the DJ set on the stage. However, the DJ will be using a mixer and a sequencer in order to adjust the structure and the levels of the song, also to move on from one song to another without disruption, blending one song to another. The artists I have chosen for my festival are the following, starting from the first to perform to the headliner. Armin Van Buuren, Armin van Buuren, a Dutch trance producer and DJ. He is the number one ranked DJ having won DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs fan poll a record of 5 times, including winning 4 consecutive years between 2007-2010 and again in 2012. David Guetta, a French house music producer and DJ. Afrojack, who is a Dutch music producer and DJ. Skrillex, opening for the headliner is an American electronic musician and singer-songwriter. And finally, the headliner, Deadmau5, is a Canadian electro-house music producer, DJ, and performer based in Toronto. Deadmau5 produces a variety of styles with the house genre, or other forms of electronic dance music. The reason I have selected Deadmau5 to headline for such a cartoony festival is not only does his music suit the atmosphere, but also he comes in costume, as he always wears a big smiling mouse mask that does not fail to attract attention. Moreover, his stage is always colorful and full of energy, a perfect way to end the night at such a festival. The rest of the performers also provide energy to this theme, as it is a day where everything is cheerful, where everything colorful and happy, and this is aim of electronic music, to unite people from every nation, it does not limit anyone, and so do cartoons. That is the connection between my theme and the music being played, all are welcome, no culture, race, nor nationality is looked down upon, everyone is together, one love.

Personal factors that can influence children’s development Essay

Family is a huge part of a child’s development. Older siblings could mean that the child has a good role model to look up to. If the child lives in an extended family could mean that the child has more strong relationships with different members of the family which could give them a strong sense of security. The child may live with one single parent, which could mean the child craves attention from other people because their parent is at work or away for other reasons. A child could get easily confused if their parent remarries which could add step-siblings to the family. Another reason that could affect a child’s development is their housing. Lack of personal space can cause tension between siblings or not having access to a garden or public play area can lead to the lack of physical skills and socializing skills. A child is likely to get jealous over a new baby. Sibling rivalry is common it could make a child feel left out. If they have to share a bedroom it could cause tension between them. Sharing a bedroom with a younger sibling may cause the older sibling not to get enough sleep. Read more:Â  Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay External factors that influence a child’s development. Socioeconomics- Wealth and poverty of a child’s family can have a huge effect on a child’s development; it can determine opportunities like education. Nutrition- A child’s brain development relies of regular nourishment, eating healthy and keeping active reduces the risk of illness. Family and Society- Families can steer a child’s development in three ways; nurturing, stimulation and behavioural modelling. Education- A child’s first years are important for a child’s developing brain. A child needs interaction with adults and other children. Political Environment- Children who are brought into the world around war and threat on war can develop psychosocial stress. They could be affected by this for the rest of their lives.

Process Of Blurring Of Images Health And Social Care Essay

Blurring is a procedure of bandwidth decrease of an object ideal image which leads to the imperfect image formation procedure. This imperfectness may be due by comparative gesture between the camera and the object, or by an optical lens system being out of focus.Blurs can be introduced by atmospheric turbulency, aberrances in the optical system When aerial exposure are produced for distant detection intents. Beyond optical images instances like, electron micrographs are corrupted by spherical aberrances of the negatron lenses, and CT scans enduring from X-ray spread can besides take to film overing. Other than film overing effects, noise ever corrupts any recorded image. Noise can be caused because of many factors like device through which the image is created, by the recording medium, by measurement mistakes because of limited truth of the recording system, or by quantisation of the information for digital storage. The field of image Restoration ( image deblurring or image deconvolution ) is the procedure of Reconstruction or appraisal of the ideal image from a blurred and noisy one. Basically, it tries to execute an reverse operation of the imperfectnesss in the image formation system. The map behind degrading system and the noise are assumed to be known a priori in this Restoration procedure. But obtaining this information straight from the image formation procedure may non be posible in practial instance. Blur designation efforts to gauge the properties of the progressive imaging system from the observed degraded image itself before the Restoration procedure. A combination a pplication of image Restoration along with the fuzz designation is called as blind image deconvolution [ 11 ] . Image Restoration algorithms differs from image sweetening methods which are based on theoretical accounts for the degrading procedure and for the ideal image. Powerful Restoration algorithms can be generated in the presence a reasonably accurate fuzz theoretical account. In many practical scenario mold of the fuzz is non executable, rendering Restoration impossible. The restriction of fuzz theoretical accounts is frequently a factor of letdown. In other manner we must noe that if none of the fuzz theoretical accounts described in our work are applicable, so the corrupted image may good be beyond Restoration. So the implicit in fact is, alternatively of how much powerful blur designation and Restoration algorithms may be, the aim when capturing an image undeniably is to avoid the demand for reconstructing the image. All image Restoration methods that are described, fall under the category of additive spatially invariant Restoration filters. The blurring map assumed to Acts of the Apostless as a whirl meat or point-spread map vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) that does non vary spatially. Furthermore the statistical belongingss ( mean and correlativity map ) of the image and noise assume to be unchanged spatially. In these specfied restraints Restoration procedure can be carried out by agencies of a additive filter whose point-spread map is spatially invariant, i.e. , is changeless throughout the image. These patterning premises can be formulated mathmatically as follows. Leta degree Fahrenheit ( n1, n2 ) denotes the coveted ideal spatially distinct image free of any fuzz or noise, so the recorded image g ( n1, n2 ) is modeled as ( see besides Figure 1a ) [ 1 ] : is the noise which corrupts the bleary image. Here the aim of image Restoration is doing an estimation of the ideal image, given merely the bleary image, the blurring map and some information about the statistical belongingss of the ideal image and the noise. Figure 1: ( a ) Model for image formation in the spacial sphere. ( B ) Model for image formation in the Fourier sphere Equation ( 1 ) can be instead defined through its spectral equality. By using distinct Fourier transforms to ( 1 ) , we obtain the undermentioned representation ( see besides Figure 1b ) : Here are the spacial frequence co-ordinates, and capitals letters denote Fourier transforms. Either of ( 1 ) or ( 2 ) can be used for building Restoration algorithms. In pattern the spectral representation widely used since it leads to efficient executions of Restoration filters in the ( distinct ) Fourier sphere. In ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) , the noise is modeled as an linear term. Typically the noise is considered to be iid which has zero mean, by and large referred as white noise, i.e. spatially uncorrelated. In statistical footings this can be expressed as follows [ 15 ] : Here denotes the discrepancy or power of the noise and denotes the expected value operator. The approximative equality suggests equation ( 3 ) should keep on the norm, but that for a given image ( 3 ) holds merely about as a consequence of replacing the outlook by a pixelwise summing up over the image. Sometimes the noise can be described of incorporating Gaussian chance denseness map, but for none of the Restoration algorithms described in our work is compulsory. In general the noise may non be independent of the ideal image. This may be due to the fact that the image formation procedure may incorporate non-linear constituents, or the noise can be multiplicative alternatively of linear. The mentioned dependence is really frequently hard to pattern or to gauge. Hence, noise and ideal image are by and large assumed to be extraneous, that is tantamount to being uncorrelated because the noise has zero-mean. So mathematically the undermentioned status holds: Models ( 1 ) – ( 4 ) organize the rudimentss for the category of additive spatially invariant image Restoration [ 26 ] along with blur designation algorithms. In peculiar these theoretical accounts are applicable to monochromatic images. For colour images, two attacks can be considered. Firslty, we extend equations ( 1 ) – ( 4 ) to integrate multiple colour constituents. In batch of instances this is so the proper manner of patterning the job of colour image Restoration as the debasements of the different colour constituents like the tristimulus signals red-green-blue, luminance-hue-saturation, or luminance-chrominance are dependent among them [ 26 ] . This formulates a category of algorithms known as â€Å" multi-frame filters † [ 5,9 ] . A 2nd, more matter-of-fact, manner of covering with colour images for presuming the noises and fuzzs in each of the colour constituents to be independent. Restoration procedure of the colour constituents can so be carried out i ndependently [ 26 ] , presuming each colour constituent being regarded as a monochromatic image by itself, pretermiting the other colour constituents. Though evidently this theoretical account might be erroneous, acceptable consequences have been shown to be achieved following this procedure. Background When a exposure is taken in low light conditions or of a fast moving object, gesture fuzz can do important debasement of the image. This is caused by the comparative motion between the object and the detector in the camera while the shutter opens. Both the object traveling and camera shake contribute to this blurring. The job is peculiarly evident in low light conditions when the exposure clip can frequently be in the part of several seconds. Many methods are available for forestalling image gesture film overing at the clip of image gaining control and besides station processing images to take gesture fuzz subsequently. Equally good as in every twenty-four hours picture taking, the job is peculiarly of import to applications such as picture surveillance where low quality cameras are used to capture sequences of exposure of traveling objects ( normally people ) . Presently adopted techniques can be categorized as followers: Better hardware in the optical system of the camera to avoid unstabilisation. Post processing of the image to unblur by gauging the camera ‘s gesture From a individual exposure ( blind deconvolution ) From a sequence of exposure A intercrossed attack that measures the camera ‘s gesture during photograph gaining control. Figure2: Gesture Blur IMAGE BLUR MODEL Image fuzz is a common job. It may be due to the point spread map of the detector, detector gesture, or other grounds. Figure.3: Image Blur Model Process Linear theoretical account of observation system is given as g ( x, y ) = degree Fahrenheit ( x, y ) * H ( x, y ) + tungsten ( x, y ) CAUSES OF BLURRING The blur consequence or the debasement factor of an image can be due to many factors like: 1. Relative gesture during the procedure of image capturing utilizing camera or due to comparaitively long exposure times by the topic. 2. Out-of-focus by lens, usage of a extremely bulging lens, air current, or a short exposure clip taking to decrease of photons counts captured. 3. Scattered light disturbance confocal microscopy. Negative EFFECTS OF MOTION BLUR For telecasting athleticss where camera lens are of conventional types, they expose images 25 or 30 times per 2nd [ 23,24 ] . In this instance gesture fuzz can be avoided because it obscures the exact place of a missile or jock in slow gesture.Special cameras are used in this instances which can extinguish gesture blurring by taking images per 1/1000 2nd, and so conveying them over the class of the following 1/25 or 1/30 of a 2nd [ 23 ] . Although this gives sharper clear slow gesture rematchs, it can look unnatural at natural velocity because the oculus expects to see gesture film overing. Sometimes, procedure of deconvolution can take gesture fuzz from images. BLURRING The starting measure performed in the additive equation mentioned merely earlier is for making a point spread map to add fuzz to an image. The fuzz created utilizing a PSF filter in MATLab that can come close the additive gesture fuzz. This PSF was so convoluted with the original image to bring forth a bleary image. Convolution is a mathematical procedure by which a signal is assorted with a filter in order to happen the resulting signal. Here signal is image and the filter is the PSF. The denseness of fuzz added to the original image is dependent on two parametric quantities of the PSF, length of fuzz, and the angle created in the fuzz. These properties can be adjusted to bring forth different denseness of fuzz, but in most practical instances a length of 31 pels and an angle of 11 grades were found to be sufficient for gesture fuzz to the image. KNOWN PSF DEBLURRING After a distinct sum of fuzz was assorted to the original image, an effort was made to reconstruct the bleary image to recover the original signifier of the image. This can be achieved utilizing several algorithms. In our intervention, a bleary image, I, consequences from: I ( ten ) =s ( x ) *o ( x ) +n ( x ) Here ‘s ‘ is the PSF which gets convolved with the ideal image ‘o ‘ . Additionally, some linear noise factor, ‘n ‘ may be present in the medium of image gaining control. The good known method Inverse filter, employs a additive deconvolution method. Because the Inverse filter is a additive filter, it is computationally easy but leads to poorer consequences in the presence of noise. APPLICATIONS OF MOTION BLUR Photography When a image is captured usig a camera, alternatively of inactive case of the object the image represents the scene over a short period of clip which may include certain gesture. During the motion of the objects in a scene, an image of that scene is expected to stand for an integrating of all places of the corresponding objects along with the motion of camera ‘s point of view, during the period of exposure determined by the shutter velocity [ 25 ] . So the object traveling with regard to the camera appear blurred or smeared along with the way of comparative gesture. This smearing may either on the object that is traveling or may impact the inactive background if the camera is really traveling. This may gives a natural inherent aptitude in a movie or telecasting image, as human oculus behaves in a similar manner. As blur gets generated due to the comparative gesture between the camera and objects and the background scene, this can be avoided if the camera can track these traveling objects. In this instance, alternatively of long exposure times, the objects will look sharper but the background will look more bleary. COMPUTER ANIMATION Similarly, during the real-time computing machine life procedure each frame shows a inactive case in clip with zero gesture fuzz. This is the ground for a video game with a 25-30 frames per second will look staggered, while in the instance of natural gesture which is besides filmed at the same frame rate appears instead more uninterrupted. These following coevals picture games include gesture fuzz characteristic, particularly for simulation of vehicle games. During pre-rendered computing machine life ( ex: CGI films ) , as the renderer has more clip to pull each frame realistic gesture fuzz can be drawn [ 25 ] . BLUR MODELS The blurring consequence images modeled as per in ( 1 ) as the whirl procedure of an ideal image with a 2-D point-spread map ( PSF ) . The reading of ( 1 ) is that if the ideal image would dwell of a individual strength point or point beginning, this point would be recorded as a fanned strength pattern1, therefore the name point-spread map. It should be noted that point-spread maps ( PSF ) described here are spatially invariant as they are non a map of the spacial location under consideration. I assumes that the image is blurred in symmetric manner for every spacial location. PSFs that do non follow this premise are generated due to the rotational fuzzs such as turning wheels or local fuzzs for illustration, individual out of focal point while the background is in focal point. Spatially changing fuzzs can degrade the mold, Restoration and designation of images which is outside the range of the presented work and is still a ambitious undertaking. In general blurring procedure of images are spatially uninterrupted in nature. Blur theoretical accounts are represented in their uninterrupted signifiers, followed by their discrete ( sampled ) opposite numbers, as the designation and Restoration algorithms are ever based on spatially distinct images. The image trying rate is assumed to be choosen high plenty so as to minimise the ( aliasing ) mistakes involved reassigning the uninterrupted to distinct theoretical accounts. Spatially uninterrupted PSF of a fuzz by and large satisfies three restraints, as: takes on non-negative values merely, because of the natural philosophies of the implicit in image formation procedure, when covering with real-valued images the point-spread map vitamin D ( x, y ) is real-valued excessively, the imperfectnesss generated during the image formation procedure can be modeled as inactive operations on the information, i.e. no energy gets absorbed or generated. For spatially uninterrupted fuzzs a PSF is has to fulfill and for spatially distinct fuzzs: Following, we will show four normally point-spread maps ( PSF ) , which are common in practical state of affairss of involvement. NO BLUR When recorded image is absolutely imaged, no fuzz is evident to be presnt in the distinct image. So the spatially uninterrupted PSF can be described utilizing a Dirac delta map: and the spatially distinct PSF is described as a unit pulsation: Theoretically ( 6a ) can ne'er be satisfied. However, equation ( 6b ) is possible subjected to the sum of â€Å" distributing † in the uninterrupted image being smaller than the trying grid applied to obtain the distinct image. LINEAR MOTION BLUR By and large gesture fuzz can be distinguished due to comparative gesture between the recording device and the scene. This can be in a line drive interlingual rendition, a rotary motion, due to a sudden alteration of grading, or a certain combinations of these. Here the instance of a planetary interlingual rendition will be considered. When the scene to be recorded gets translated relation to the camera at a changeless speed of vrelative under an angle of radians along the horizontal axis during the interval [ 0, texposure ] , the deformation is really unidimensional. Specifying the â€Å" length of gesture † as L= vrelative texposure, the PSF is given by: The distinct version of ( 7a ) is non possible to capture in closed signifier look. For the particular instance when = 0, an appropriate estimate is derived as: Figure 4 ( a ) shows the modulus of the Fourier transmutation of PSF of gesture fuzz with L=7.5 and. This figure indicates that the fuzz is a horizontal low-pass filtering operation and that the fuzz contains spectral nothings along characteristic lines. The interline spacing of these characteristic nothing form is ( for the instance that N=M ) about equal to N/L. Figure 4 ( B ) shows the modulus of the Fourier transform for the instance of L=7.5 and. Besides for this PSF the distinct version vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) , is non easy arrived at. A harsh estimate is the following spatially distinct PSF: here C is a changeless that has to be chosen so that ( 5b ) is satisfied. The estimate signifier ( 8b ) is non right for the periphery elements of the point-spread map. A more accurate theoretical account for the periphery elements should affect the incorporate country covered by the spatially uninterrupted PSF, as illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 5 ( a ) suggests the periphery elements should to be calculated by integrating for truth. Figure 5 ( B ) represents the modulus of the Fourier transform for the PSF sing R=2.5. Here a low base on balls behaviour is observed ( in this instance both horizontally and vertically ) along with characteristic form of spectral nothings. Figure 5: ( a ) Firnge elements in instance of distinct out-of-focus fuzz that should be calculated by integrating, ( B ) Popular struggle front by the Fourier sphere, demoing ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE BLUR Atmospheric turbulency is considered a terrible restriction in distant detection. Although the fuzz introduced by atmospheric turbulency is supposed to depend on a assortment of external factors ( like temperature, wind velocity, exposure clip ) , for long-run exposures the point-spread map can be described moderately good by a Gaussian map: Here is the denseness of spread of the fuzz, and the changeless C is to be chosen so that ( 5a ) is satisfied. As ( 9a ) constitutes a PSF which can be dissociable in a horizontal and a perpendicular constituent, the distinct version of ( 9a ) is by and large obtained utilizing a 1-D distinct Gaussian PSF. This 1-D PSF is generated by a numerical discretization of the uninterrupted signifier PSF. For each PSF component, the 1-D uninterrupted PSF is a incorporate country covered by the 1-D sampling grid, viz. . The spatially uninterrupted PSF has to be truncated decently since it does non hold a finite support. The spatially distinct signifier estimate of ( 9a ) is so given by: Figure 6 shows this PSF in the spectral sphere. It can be observed that Gaussian fuzzs do non incorporate exact spectral nothing. Figure 6: Gaussian PSF by Fourier sphere. IMAGE RESTORATION ALGORITHMS In this subdivision the PSF of the fuzz is assumed to be satisfactorily known. A figure of methods are introduced for filtrating the fuzz from the recorded blurred image g ( n1, n2 ) utilizing a additive filter. Let the PSF of the additive Restoration filter, denoted as H ( n1, n2 ) . The restored image can be defined by [ 1 ] [ 2 ] or in the spectral sphere by The end of this subdivision is to plan appropriate Restoration filters h ( n1, n2 ) 2 or H ( u, V ) for usage in ( 10 ) . In image Restoration process the betterment in quality of the restored image over the recorded bleary image is measured by the signal-to-noise-ratio betterment. The signal-to-noise-ratio of the recorded ( blurred and noisy ) image is mathematically defined as follows in dBs: The signal-to-noise-ratio [ 1 ] [ 2 ] of the restored image is likewise defined as: Then, the betterment of signal-to-noise-ratio can be defined as The betterment for SNR is fundamentally a step for the decrease of dissension with the ideal image while comparing the distorted with restored image. It is of import to observe that all of the above signal/noise ratio steps can perchance computed merely in presence of the ideal image degree Fahrenheit ( n1, n2 ) , which is possible in an experimental apparatus or in a design stage of the Restoration algorithm. While using Restoration filters to the existent images of which the ideal image is non available, the ocular judgement of the restored image is the lone beginning of judgement. For this ground, it is desirable that, the Restoration filter should be slightly â€Å" tunable † by the liking of the user. Direct INVERSE FILTER A direct opposite filter is a additive filter whose point-spread map, hinv ( n1, n2 ) is the opposite of the blurring map vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) : Formulated as in ( 12 ) , direct opposite filters [ 22 ] seem to be hard undertaking to plan. However, the spectral opposite number of ( 12 ) utilizing Fourier transmutation instantly shows the possibility of the solution to this design job [ 1,2 ] : The advantage of utilizing direct opposite filter is that it requires merely the fuzz PSF as a priori cognition, which allows perfect Restoration in absence of noise, as can be seen by replacing ( 13 ) into ( 10b ) : In absence of noise, the 2nd term in ( 14 ) disappears to do the restored image indistinguishable to the ideal image. Unfortunately, several jobs exist with ( 14 ) . As D ( u, V ) is zero at selected frequences ( u, V ) the direct opposite filter may non be. This can go on in instance of additive gesture fuzz every bit good as out-of-focus fuzz described in the earlier subdivision. Even though the blurring map ‘s spectral representation D ( u, V ) approaches to be really little alternatively of being zero, the 2nd term in ( 14 ) , which is reverse filtered noise, becomes highly big. So this mechanism of direct opposite filtered images hence goes incorrect in presence of overly amplified noise. LEAST-SQUARES Filters To get the better of the issue of noise sensitiveness, assorted Restoration filters have been designed which are jointly called least-squares filters [ 7 ] [ 8 ] . Here we briefly discuss two really normally used least-square filters, Wiener filter and the forced least-squares filter. The Wiener filter is considered to be additive spatially invariant of the signifier ( 10a ) , in which the PSF H ( n1, n2 ) is selected tot minimise the mean-squared mistake ( MSE ) of the ideal and the restored image. This standard attempts create difference between the ideal and restored images i.e. the staying Restoration mistake should be every bit little as possible: where ( n1, n2 ) can be referred from equaton ( 10a ) . The close form solution of this minimisation job is called as the Wiener filter, and is easiest defined in the spectral sphere utilizing Fourier transmutation: Here D* ( u, V ) is defined as complex conjugate of D ( u, V ) , and Sf ( u, V ) and Sw ( u, v. ) These are the power spectrum of the corresponding ideal image and the noise, which is a step for the mean strength signal power per spacial frequence ( u, V ) in the image. In absence of the noise, Sw ( u, V ) = 0 so that the Wiener filter peers to inverse filter: In instance of recorded image gets noisy, the Wiener filter gets differentiated the Restoration procedure by opposite filtering and noise suppression for D ( u, V ) = 0. In instance of spacial where Sw ( u, V ) Sf ( u, V ) , the Wiener filter behaves like opposite filter, while for spacial type frequences where Sw ( u, V ) Sf ( u, V ) the Wiener filter behaves as a frequence rejection filter, i.e Hwiener ( u, V ) .If we assume that the noise is white noise ( iid ) , its power spectrum can be determined from the noise discrepancy, as: Therefore, gauging the noise discrepancy from the blurred recorded image to happen an estimation of Sw ( u, V ) is sufficient. This can besides be a tunable parametric quantity for the user of Wiener filter. Small values of will give a consequence which is approximated to the opposite filter, while big values runs a hazard of over-smoothing the restored image. The appraisal of Sf ( u, V ) is practically more debatable since the ideal image is really non available. Three possible attacks can be considered for this. Sf ( u, V ) can be replaced by the power spectrum estimations for the given blurred image which can counterbalance for the noise discrepancy In the above formulated equations Sg ( u, V ) of g ( n1, n2 ) is known as the eriodogram [ 26 ] which requires some apriori cognition, but has several defects. Though better calculators for the power spectrum exists, with the cost of more a priori cognition. Power spectrum Sf ( u, V ) can be estimated from a set of representative images, collected from a pool of images that have a similar content compared to the image which needs to be restored. Still there is demand of an appropriate calculator to acquire the power spectrum from collected images. The 3rd attack is a statistical theoretical account. These theoretical accounts contains parametric quantities which can be tuned to the existent image being used. This is a widely used image theoretical account which is popular in image Restoration every bit good as image compaction is represented as a 2-D causal auto-regressive theoretical account Here the strengths at the spacial location ( n1, n2 ) is the amount of leaden strengths of neighbouring spacial locations plus a little unpredictable constituent V ( n1, n2 ) , which can be modeled as white noise with discrepancy. 2-D car correlativity map has been estimated for average square mistake and used in the Yule-Walker equations [ 8 ] . After theoretical account parametric quantities for ( 20a ) have been chosen, the power spectrum can be defines as: The difference between noise smoothing and deblurring in Wiener filter is illustrated in Figure 7. 7 ( a ) to 7 ( degree Celsius ) shows the consequence as the discrepancy of the noise in the debauched image, i.e. is excessively big, optimally, and excessively little, severally. The ocular differences and differences in betterment in SNR are appeared to be significant. The power spectrum for original image has been estimated utilizing the theoretical account ( 20a ) . The consequence is apparent that inordinate noise elaboration of the earlier illustration is no longer present by dissembling of the spectral nothing as shown in Figure 7 ( vitamin D ) [ 26 ] . Figure 7: ( a ) Wiener Restoration of Figure 5 ( a ) along noise discrepancy equal to 35.0 ( SNR=3.7 dubnium ) , ( B ) Restoration method utilizing the noise discrepancy of 0.35 ( SNR=8.8 dubnium ) , ( degree Celsius ) Restoration method presuming the noise discrepancy is 0.0035 . ( vitamin D ) Magnitude of the Fourier series transform of the restored image in Figure 6b. The forced least-squares filter [ 7 ] [ 30 ] is another attack for get the better ofing short comes of the reverse filter i.e. inordinate noise elaboration and of the Wiener filter i.e. appraisal of the power spectrum of the ideal image. But it is still able to retain the simpleness of a spatially invariant additive filter. If the Restoration map is better, it will take to better restored image which is about equal to the recorded deformed image. Mathematically: As in opposite filter the estimate is made to be exact create jobs as a adjustment is done for noisy informations, which leads to over-fitting. A more sensible outlook for the restored image is expected to fulfill: Altough many solutions for the above relation exist, a standards must be used to take among them. The fact is that the reverse filter ever tends to magnify the noise tungsten ( n1, n2 ) , is to choose the solution that is every bit smooth as possible, creates overfitting. Let degree Celsius ( n1, n2 ) represent the PSF of a 2-D high-pass filter, so among the solutions that can fulfill ( 22 ) , the 1 that is chosen suppose to minimise is supposed to give the step for the high frequence content of the restored image. Minimizing this step will give a solution that belongs to the aggregation of possible solutions of ( 22 ) and has minimum high-frequency content. Discrete estimate of the 2nd derived function is chosen for degree Celsius ( n1, n2 ) , by and large called as the 2-D Laplacian operator. Constrained least-squares filter Hcls ( u, V ) is the solution to the above minimisation job, which can be easy formulated in the distinct Fourier sphere: Here is a regularisation parametric quantity that is expected to fulfill ( 22 ) . Based on the work of HUNT [ 7 ] , Reddi [ 30 ] has showed that the built-in equation can be solved iteratively with each loop necessitating O ( N ) operations, where N is the figure of sample points or observations.For more inside informations, refer [ 30 ] . REGULARIZED ADAPTIVE ITERATIVE FILTERS The filters discussed in the old two subdivisions are normally implemented in the Fourier sphere utilizing equation ( 10b ) . Unlike to spacial sphere execution in Eq. ( 10a ) , the direct whirl with the 2-D SPF H ( n1, n2 ) can be avoided. This has a certain advantage as H ( n1, n2 ) has a really big support, and typically has N*M nonzero filter coefficients although the PSF of the fuzz has a little support, which contains merely a few non-zero coefficients. But in some state of affairss spacial sphere whirls have borders over the Fourier sphere execution, viz. : where the dimensions of the blurred image are well big, where handiness of extra cognition the restored image is possible [ 26 ] , particularly if this cognition is non perchance representable in the signifier of Eq. ( 23 ) . Regularized Adaptive Iterative Restoration filters to manage the above state of affairss are described in [ 3 ] [ 10 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 29 ] . Basically regularized adaptative iterative Restoration filters iteratively approaches the solution of the opposite filter, and can be represented mathematically in spacial sphere loop as: Here represents the Restoration consequence after ith loops. Tthe first loop is chosen to indistinguishable to. The loops in ( 25 ) has been independently covered many times. Harmonizing to ( 25 ) , during the loops the bleary version of the Current Restoration consequence is compared to the recorded image. The difference between the two is scaled and so added to the on-going Restoration consequence to give the Restoration consequence for following loop. In regularized adaptative iterative algorithms the most two of import concerns are, whether it does meet and if it is, to what restraint. Analyzing ( 25 ) says that its convergence occurs if the convergence parametric quantity satisfies: Using the fact that D ( u, V ) =1, this status simplifies to: If the figure of loops gets larger, so fi ( n1, n2, ) approaches the solution of the reverse filter: Figure 8: ( a ) Iterative Restoration method ( =1.9 ) of the image in Figure 5 ( a ) entire 10 loops ( SNR at 1.6 dubnium ) , ( B ) sum 100 loops ( SNR at 5.0 dubnium ) , ( degree Celsius ) At 500 loops ( SNR at 6.6 dubnium ) , ( vitamin D ) At 5000 loops ( SNR at -2.6 dubnium ) . Figure 8 shows four restored images obtained from the loop presented in ( 25 ) . Clearly higher the figure of loops, the restored image is more dominated by opposite filtered noise. The iterative strategy in ( 25 ) has several advantages every bit good as disadvantages that is discussed following. The first advantage is that ( 25 ) can work without the whirl of images with 2-D PSFs holding many coefficients. The lone whirl it needs is the PSF of the fuzz, which has comparatively holding few coefficients. Furthermore Fourier transforms are non required, doing ( 25 ) applicable arbitrary sized images. The following advantage is, the loop can be terminated in instance of an acceptable Restoration consequence has been achieved. By taking the bleary image, the loop increasingly goes on deblurring the image. The noise besides gets amplified with the loops. So the tradeoff the deepness of Restoration against the noise elaboration can be left to the user, and the loop can be stopped every bit shortly as acceptable partly deblurring is achieved. Another advantage is, the basic signifier ( 25 ) can be extended easy to include all types of a priori cognition. All cognition can be formulated as projective operations on the image [ 4 ] , so by using a projective operation the restored image can satisfiy the a priori cognition which is reflected by that operator. Sing fact that image strengths are non-negative they can be formulated as the undermentioned projective operation P: So the ensuing purposed iterative Restoration algorithm in ( 25 ) now becomes The demands on co-efficient for convergence and the belongingss of the concluding image are difficult to analyse and fall outside the range of our treatment. In general are typically about 1. Further, merely bulging projections P can be used in the loop ( 29 ) . A definition of a bulging projection can be quoted as, if any two images and fulfill the a priori information described by the projection P, so besides the combined image of these two, i.e. should fulfill this a priori information for every values of between 0 and 1. A concluding advantage, an iterative strategies is easy extended for spatially variant Restoration, i.e. Restoration where either the PSF or the theoretical account of the ideal image vary locally [ 9, 14 ] . On the other side, the iterative strategy in ( 25 ) has two disadvantages. The 2nd demand in Eq. ( 26b ) , where D ( u, V ) & gt ; 0, can non be satisfied by many fuzzs, such as gesture fuzz and out-of-focus fuzz etc. This deviates ( 25 ) to diverge for these types of fuzz. Next, compared to Wiener and constrained least-squares filter this basic strategy does non see any cognition about the spectral behaviour of the noise and the ideal image. But these disadvantages can be corrected by modifying the proposed iterative strategy as follows: Here and c ( n1, n2 ) carry the same significance as in forced least-squares filter. Now it is no longer required for D ( u, V ) to stay positive for all spacial frequences. In instance the loop is continued indefinitely, Eq. ( 31 ) will ensue in forced least-squares filtered image. In general pattern the loop usage to be terminated long earlier convergence occurs. It should be noted that although ( 31 ) seems to affect more whirl comparison to ( 25 ) , many of those whirls can be carried out one time and off-line [ 26 ] : where the bleary image g vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) and the fixed whirl meats K ( n1, n2 ) are given by Another important disadvantage of the loops in ( 25 ) is that ( 29 ) – ( 32 ) is the slow convergence. The restored image alterations merely a small in each loop. This necessasiates batch of loop ensuing more clip consumed. So these are steepest descent optimisation algorithms, which are slow in convergence. Regularized iterative image algorithm has been developed based on set of theoratical attack, where statistical information about the ideal image and statistical information about white noise can be incorporated into the iterative procedure.This algorithm which has the constrained least square algorithm as a particular instance, is besides extended into an adaptative iterative Restoration algorithm. For more inside informations refer [ 31 ] In recent yearss there are two iterative attacks, being used widely in the field of image Restoration, are: Lucy-Richardson Algorithm Lucy-Richardson algorithm [ 29 ] maximizes the likeliness map that the resulting image, when convolved with the PSF by presuming Poisson noise statistics. This map is really effectual when PSF is known but information about linear noise in the image is non present. Blind Deconvolution Algorithm This has similar attack as Lucy-Richardson algorithm but this unsighted deconvolution algorithm [ 27 ] can be used efficaciously when no information about the deformation ( film overing and noise ) is even known. This is what makes it more powerful than others. The algorithm can reconstruct the image and the PSF at the same time, by utilizing an iterative procedure similar to the accelerated, damped Lucy-Richardson algorithm. BLUR IDENTIFICATION ALGORITHMS In the old subdivision it was assumed that the point-spread map vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) of the fuzz was known. In many practical instances designation of the point-spread map has to be executed first and after that merely the existent Restoration procedure can get down put to deathing. If the camera object distances, misadjustment, camera gesture and, object gesture are known, we could – in theory – find the PSF analytically. Such state of affairss are, nevertheless, rare. A most common state of affairs is to gauge fuzz from the observed image itself. In the fuzz designation process, take a parametric theoretical account for the pointspread map ab initio. One manner of parametric fuzz theoretical accounts has been shown in Section II. As an illustration, if we know that the fuzz was due to gesture, the fuzz designation process would gauge the length and way of the gesture. An other manner of parametric fuzz theoretical accounts is to happen the 1 that describes the point-spread map vitamin D ( n1, n2 ) as a ( little ) set of coefficients within a given finite support. Within this scope the value of the PSF coefficients have to be estimated. For case, if a pre-analysis shows that the fuzz in the image resembles out-of-focus fuzz which, nevertheless, can non be described parametrically by equation ( 8b ) , the fuzz PSF can be modeled as a square matrix of – say – size 3 by 3, or 5 by 5. The blur designation [ 15,20,21 ] so needs the appraisal of 9 or 25 PSF coefficients, severally. This above two classs of fuzz appraisal are described in brief below. SPECTRAL BLUR ESTIMATION In the Figures 2 and 3 we have seen the two of import categories of fuzzs, viz. gesture and out-of-focus fuzz, have spectral nothing. The construction of the zero-patterns represents the type and grade of fuzz within these two categories. As the debauched image is already described by ( 2 ) , the spectral nothing of the PSF should besides be seeable in the Fourier transform G ( u, V ) , albeit that there will be deformation in zero-pattern because of the presence of noise. Figure 9: |G ( u, V ) | of two resulted blurred images Figure 9 shows the Fourier transform modulus of two images, one subjected to gesticulate fuzz and other to out-of-focus fuzz. From these images, the location of the zero-patterns and construction can be estimated. An estimation of the angle of gesture and length can be made if pattern contains dominant parallel lines of nothing. In instance dominant handbill forms occur, out-of-focus fuzz can be inferred and the grade of out-of-focus ( the parametric quantity R in equation ( 8 ) ) can be estimated. of the gesture fuzz. BLUR ESTIMATION USING EXPECTATION MAXIMIZATION ( EM ) In instance the PSF does non posses characteristic spectral nothing or in instance of parametric fuzz theoretical account like gesture or out-of-focus fuzz can non be assumed, so single coefficients of the PSF have to be estimated. For this demand EM appraisal processs have been developed [ 9, 12, 13, 18 ] . EM appraisal is a widely well-known technique for executing parametric quantity appraisal in state of affairss in the absence stochastic cognition about the parametric quantities to be estimated [ 15 ] . A item description of this EM attack can be found in [ 26 ] . Figure 4: Popular struggle front of the gesture fuzz by Fourier sphere, demoing Uniform OUT-OF-FOCUS BLUR When a camea images a 3-D scene onto a 2-D imagination plane, some parts of the scene are in focal point while remainder are non. When camera ‘s aperture is round, the image of any point beginning is really a little disc, called as the circle of confusion ( COC ) . The grade of defocus ( diameter of the COC ) really depends on the focal length every bit good as the aperture figure of the lens, and the distance among camera and the object. An accurate theoretical account should depict the diameter of the COC, every bit good as the strength distribution within the COC. In instance, the grade of defocusing is relatively larger than the wavelengths considered, a geometrical attack can be taken for a unvarying strength distribution within the COC. The spatially uninterrupted signifier of PSF of this unvarying out-of-focus fuzz with radius R is given by:

The Business Lifecycle Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Business Lifecycle - Personal Statement Example I have been very keen on how businesses are started and what entails the whole startup process and I have found out that one of the most important issues to be tackled is the legal issues. I was thinking like there was no problem provided that the business I’m intending to start is a legal one, but to my surprise, my research has shown me otherwise. Company law, a book by CR, Datta, clearly shows that there are a lot of legal issues to be looked into before a business is allowed to operate. Some of them are the registration of the business name, application for health and sanitary permits and seeking permission for building premises to be used by the business. The business should also adhere to Acts and statutes governing what they practice. A look into the Horizon Electronics business plan also confirmed the same to me since they have clearly documented their adherence to the relevant regulations, registration, and drafting of contracts. In my research and coursework, I have also learned that a business has to undergo various stages before it is termed as mature. Charlie Gilkey in his book the business life-cycle offers an overview of stages of a business life cycle. He names them as the inspirational stage where an entrepreneur has a business idea but has not yet implemented it, the entry stage where then entrepreneur has decided to start a business and is actively building the market, the growth stage where the entrepreneurs have a business plan and are growing their revenue streams with new clients and customers, the crucible stage where the demand for goods and services outstrip the entrepreneurs ability to meet them, and finally the cruise stage where the entrepreneur has found solutions to the problems and is moving ahead (Gilkey, 2010). In my view, business requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice especially in its initial stages of development. This is because I have come to learn that there are many challenges associated with this stage of a b usiness. One of the major challenges is that of finding a market for your output. It is a fact that without a market for the output, the core objective of doing business: making profits will not be attained. Proper market research (an organized effort to gather information about customers) should, therefore, be performed before the business is commenced. I tend to believe that it is very essential for this to be done keenly because it also gives an outline on how to market the product. Market research also provides information about the prevailing market trends in the industry and the current market prices for similar goods.  

Polynesian Questions and Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Polynesian Questions and Answers - Essay Example allotted $15 million annually to aid them. This brought about the sudden change in the people and had significantly impacted on their culture but did nothing to enable them to implement a self-sustaining economy (Dunford and Ridgell, 1996, p. 60-62). The people came to be overly dependent on the financial aid extended to them and started the commotion fuelled by greed and disparity primarily because of the mismanaged resources that landed constantly on an ill-prepared group of people. The concept of family before the advent of dependency in Micronesia had drastically changed over the last decades. The social unit was characterized by nuclear families that lived together in a compound with harmonious relations with each other. Hezel describes this community where in Chuuk for example dwellings would be in a single cluster of land where extended family units live and in this area there would be what is called a fanang which is basically a cookhouse where the families would take turns i n cooking the meal enough for every member of the nuclear family. The will also be an uut which serves many purposes such as a meetinghouse or a dormitory for the unmarried men as well as a place for them to learn. Other islands would entail similar practices such as Chuuk where most would be centrally matrilineal such as Marshalls and Pohnpei. This would take its turn and change when Western imposition found its way to them (Hezel, 2001, p.9-10). It was in 1991 after having been bona fide member of the United Nations when the Federated States of Micronesia had to elect their own government officials in a legislature who will choose among themselves the person to represent them as president. The people were allowed to migrate to the United States of America where approximately 2,000 flocked to Guam, Hawaii and mainland United States, a great block settling in the two previously mentioned U.S. territories (Dunford and Ridgell, 1996, p. 90-91). The people found this mass migration to be a necessity in order to provide for their underprivileged families by sending them remittances from foreign land instead of staying in a direly impoverished country. With many of its productive citizens abroad labouring on foreign land, Micronesia suffered continued economic immobility for lack of effective economic policy carried over from its years as a trust territory. The islands became excessively dependent on the annual budget provided by the United States and they were not able to cultivate a sense of economic stability since aid regularly comes their way. Father Hezel maintains that though a great number of Micronesians have settled in U.S. soil, many still find themselves deeply rooted to their native land. â€Å"Anyone who thinks that Micronesian emigrants abroad simply vanish one day never to be seen again need only to scan the departure area of a return flight to the islands to discover that this is far from the case (Hezel, 2001, p.159). The mass of Micronesians who were able to immigrate to the United States affects health care and education in the sense that they add up to the government expenditure necessary to finance public education and health care. Most of them have found a permanent home far from their native land and this equates to additional families that rely on government support to live according to decent

It is a mooting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

It is a mooting - Essay Example Therefore, the University cannot exclude itself for any liability as a result of negligence, based on the provisions of term (c) of the tenancy agreement since it does not satisfy the requirements of liability, specifically, Schedule 2(a), which requires that for reasonableness to be satisfied, both parties ought to have bargaining positions relative to each other with regards to the availability of any alternative means via which the requirements of the customer could have been met. This is supported by Phillips v Hyland [1987] 1 WLR 659. Ms. Edwards did not have bargaining power relative to that of the University of East England. With regards to other alternatives, she did not have any other since the University of East England offer was the cheapest, which Ms. Edwards could not find anywhere and as such it seems she was under some sort of pressure. According to Schedule (d), for term c to be deemed reasonable, it must be satisfied that at the time of the contract, compliance to th at term would have been practical. This is supported by Smith v Eric S Bush [1990] UKHL 1 2. ... If it pleases you My Lady, I will start with my first submission My Lady, the appeal before you is for the determination of whether a judge in a trial court erred in law in his decision in favor of the respondent, Ms. Edwards. The Appellant, the University of East England argue that, the trial judge erred in law in his determination that a term in a tenancy contract between the University of East England and Ms. Edwards , specifically term (c), which states, c) In the agreement, the University dissolves itself from taking any responsibility in case of damage to a student’s property within its premises, was â€Å"unreasonable†. According to the Appellant, the University of East England, that term, (c), of the tenancy contract satisfies the thresholds for reasonableness on the basis of Section 2(1-2) of the UCTA 1977. We contest this notion and affirms that, the trial did not make in error in law on the basis of Section 2(1-2), which states, In the case of other loss or d amage, a person cannot so exclude or restrict his liability for negligence except in so far as the term or notice satisfies the requirement of reasonableness. We argue that, the University cannot exclude itself from liability arising from any loss or damage caused by negligence based on term (c) of the tenancy contract since it does not satisfy the requirements of reasonableness. My Lady, Schedule 2(a) of the UCTA 1977, requires that, for a term in a contract to be deemed reasonable, both parties ought to have bargaining positions relative to each other with regards to the availability of any alternative means via which the requirements of the customer could have been met. This was held in Phillips v Hyland [1987] 1 WLR 659, where, Lord Justice Slade, Mr. Justice Neill and Sir John Megaw, held in

The Negative Effect Of Middle Name Atsitso Essay

The Negative Effect Of Middle Name Atsitso - Essay Example These myths have made it worse for me especially in an effort to accept that name as my own. This name has really had negative implications in my life. As seen in the research conducted by Crook, it is in the shrines that bodies are laid and at times the reasons behind the deaths are very unclear (67). The author gives a good example of the ones at Bardney that were laid in a shrine (Crook 67). This explains the mysteries that lie in the shrines as the author claims that the ones at Bardney were indeed unclear. Relating this to my name meaning a shrine, I do not like this aspect at all. Persons may relate to the cultic features of the shrine to my name as well as my personality which does not sound good to me at all. In the work as well, Crook is of the thought that shrines are constructed using the remains of materials that were used to put up other buildings (104). A good example is that of Eadwig’s time when shrines were rebuilt using the old front and back plates (Crook 104). In the event that I relate this fact to my life, I strongly feel that I do not want anyone to call me by that name Atsitso ever again. In my opinion, I relate the construction of the shrines as an afterthought of other constructions. I do not believe I am a product of an afterthought. This hurts my self-esteem a great deal; that is why I forbid people to ever call me using that name. In shrines, dead bodies are laid to rest. Even after burials, some bodies are normally raised from the ground and laid to rest in the shrines. Crook gives an example of Aldhelm who was exhumed and laid to rest in a shrine (104). Who would want a name that relates to shrines and a place for dead bodies? This explains why I renounce my name that has a lot to do with ones and dead bodies. At times people ridicule me because of the same. At times people ridicule me because of the same. As the days pass, my personality is greatly affected and will continually ask people to never call me by that name.

Division and Classsification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Division and Classsification - Essay Example the wedding planners and participants such as the Groomsmen, best man, Bridesmaids, flower girls among others; however, these are not guests because of their roles. Decisively, most people have attended weddings and observed the type of different guests there based on their behavior, contributions in certain areas and their dialogue. There is certain group of guests that one can point out in almost every wedding ceremony no matter how carefully or executive the couple does the event planning. Some of the brides complain that most of these guests are from the groom’s side of the family but even some are from the bride’s side and there is no single person to blame. Comparatively, this essay focuses on evaluating and analyzing the different types of guests commonly found in weddings based on behavior, reception by the other guests, dialogue and other unusual traits. Relatives are probably the first people on the guest list of every wedding because they are the most supportive. However, in every group of relatives there is that one person who is either incongruous or random based on their dialogue around other guests and behavior around the couple. The random or inappropriate has very poor social skills because they say anything that comes to mind and to anyone. Additionally, they tend to sit around people that they have nothing or very little common with, which makes them inappropriate and weird; their conversations are out of place and generally painful, matter of fact, very people opt to sit the next to them, especially the relatives. The only time the inappropriate relatives are fun is when they meet with the group of the couple’s friends that likes to party; however, they are only hilarious to these friends when they are all drunk. Remember the only reason that they attend the ceremony is because they overheard people talking about the wedding and decided to attend. Most of the time, they are introduced to the couple during the

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION - Essay Example That is, the thought that customs, usages, traditions, and habits are all necessary and sufficient features of culture has been dominant throughout the history of sociology (Geertz, 2000, p. 25). Rather, it seems that the idea of computer programs is a more accurate picture of culture, which produces various rules, instructions, recipes, and plans that govern behavior. On this concept, culture is not merely an interesting intellectual consideration in understanding how people behave, but a necessary mechanism in determining what an individual person does and accomplishes (Geertz, 2000, p. 25). The idea of a â€Å"multicultural education†, like culture, engulfs many different perspectives and ideas; namely, it is not merely an idea, but also an educational reform movement and a process of distinct goals. The primary goal of the multicultural education movement is â€Å"to change the structure of educational institutions so that male and female students, exceptional students, a nd students who are members of diverse racial, ethnic, language, and cultural groups will have an equal chance to achieve academically in school† (Banks & Banks, 2009, p. 1). ... ystems, interactions are governed to varying extents by various kinds of prejudices, biases, discrimination, and norms that may restrict (or enhance) group cohesiveness or separation. In the four-step pyramid, the two more fundamental steps involve the educator’s awareness of what he or she is projecting into the society of the school. If, for instance, an educator exhibits a cultural bias against students, then the culture that bias creates will likely have an effect on other students, who tend to mirror adult behaviors. This result demonstrates the fundamentality of teacher attitudes toward students in the classroom, especially with younger children who are especially impressionable. The top steps in the pyramid reflect the need for the educator to recognize outside sources of cultural biases and the need to address those. In a multicultural education, the educator is responsible for managing the impressions of cultural bias and class prejudices in their students. Treating t he school as an ordered social society once again, it is important not to allow factors from the exterior environment to leave an impact on the participants (the students) that will lessen the potential for a welcome, helpful cooperation. Children in elementary schools, although impervious to various kinds of indicators of social class like homes and possessions, are likely to pick up on less concrete signs: such as the effects of economic disadvantage and their parents’ interactions with employers. These clues toward social class ultimately affect a child’s perceptions of the world (including the relationship between school and their future) and their interactions with others (Ramsey, 2004, p. 94). A multicultural education, as an education that seeks to equalize educational opportunity, is

Social Sciences And Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Sciences And Race - Essay Example Race was invented in the eighteenth century by anthropologists who were then referred to as â€Å"radiologists† to claim the superiority or inferiority of different races. Races are usually identified by skin color, hair texture; among other physical features possessed by different people (Reich, 1972). It is insufficient to use just one characteristic to explain race. It is usually a combination of two or three of these characteristics. Conventionally, there are five human races, including mongoloid- the Asian and American Indian, Caucasoid- European, Negroid- East African black, Australoid-Australian and Oceanic and Capoid- South African black. A mixture or races are referred to as â€Å"mongrels†. This theory has been rejected over time since there is almost a hundred percent similarity in genetic composition among all the races. This classification has, however, been accepted as a standard over time. The above theory of race has been used to promote racial profile and racism. The Caucasoid race is predominantly from Northern Europe and is characterized as tall, light skin(white), light colored eyes, thin lips and narrow noses. Their hair is straight or wavy and is usually blond. Mongoloids are said to have straight black hair, yellow skin, thin lips and almond eyes. Their faces are broad and flat. Negroid`s skin color varies from brown to black. They have kinky hair, brown or black eyes, broad noses, thick lips and they are mostly the Africans. Australoids are similar to Negroids, but their hair is a little different.

The Effect of Titanic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Effect of Titanic - Essay Example Titanic was a ship people dreamed to sail in. Being able to sail in Titanic was an experience cherished much. Yet, had the people known what they were destined to end in, nobody would have boarded it in the first place.A particular scene in Titanic changed me as a person. It was when Rose’s fiancà © offers the officer money to be allowed to sit in the boat, and the officer smashes the money at the fiance’s face saying it is of no use. I learned that life cannot be priced.To make the most out of my life, I derive happiness by helping and caring for others. The lesson I derive is that we should never take pride in anything in life. Everything belongs to God and He can take it from us anytime. A particular scene in Titanic changed me as a person. It was when Rose’s fiancà © offers the officer money to be allowed to sit in the boat, and the officer smashes the money at the fiance’s face saying it is of no use. I learned that life cannot be priced.  

Environmental Pollution Essay Example for Free

Environmental Pollution Essay 1. Effects on Climate Land pollution can affect the general environment of the Earth. Land pollutions leads to loss in the forest cover of Earth. This is in turn going to affect the amount of rain. Less rains mean lesser vegetation. The effect of all different kinds of pollution will eventually lead to problems like acid rains, greenhouse effect, global warming. All of these problems have already initiated and need to be curbed before the situation runs out of control. 2. Extinction of Species One of the major causes of concern is the extinction of species. Species are pushed towards endangerment and extinction primarily by two processes. Habitat fragmentation is the fragmentation of the natural habitat of an organism; cause primarily by urban sprawl. Habitat destruction, on the other hand, is when land clearing adversely affects animals special such that their natural habitat is lost. Both the actions can cause some species to go extinct and others to become invasive. 3. Biomagnification Biomagnification is the process in which certain non-biodegradable substances go on accumulating in the food-chain (in one or more species). The most common example is of methylmercury in fish and mercury in eagles. Not only does biomagnification put the particular species at risk, it puts all the species above and below it at risk, and ultimately affects the food pyramid. 4. Effects on Biodiversity Species extinction and biomagnification is going to overthrow the balance of nature very significantly. The main reason for this is disturbance created in the food chain. To give you a very simple example on account of biomagnification of mercury in eagles, they might go extinct in the subsequent years. However, we know eagles prey on snakes. Less (or no) eagles will then result in more number of snakes! As you may have realized, land pollution is indeed going to affect a lot more things than we though it will. Hence, I leave you with some corrective measure you can take on a personal level to reduce land pollution. Encourage organic farming buy organic food. Proper garbage disposal separate your garbage before you give it to the garbage collector; and strictly say NO to plastic. Encourage recycling buy recycled products, notebooks, paper, etc. Restrict use of herbicides and pesticides they are not only used in farm, but in your own backyard as well. If we reduce our contribution to garbage and litter, therein itself we will be able to significantly reduce land pollution and probably curb it entirely in the near future. Also do realize this isnt only about land pollution; it is about all kinds of pollution. We need to take steps to prevent damaging our Earth. We have no other place to go. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-and-effects-of-land-pollution.html

Decline of British Trade Union Membership: Causes

Decline of British Trade Union Membership: Causes Introduction The purpose of this essay is to analyse the factors leading to rapid decline of British trade union membership in the 1980s and 1990s. According to MacKenzie (2008), unions in industrialised countries have faced challenges associated with labour market restructuring. The restructuring happened due to liberalisation and privatisation of the sectors, downsizing the direct workforce and use of sub-contracts. According to Armstrong (2006) the political condition and change of economic condition with the effect of globalisation are the major factors contributing the change in trade union operation and its decline of membership. There are other factors also, one of them, according to Machin (2000) is union inability or unwillingness to unionise the growing number of new workplaces. The introduction of HRM(human Resource Management) concept and practice within the organisations as observed by Taylor (2003) contributed to the introduction of employee relations as a concept that broadened the study of industrial relations from a union focus to include wider aspects of the employment relationship, including non-unionised workplaces, personal contracts, and socio-emotional, rather than contractual arrangements. It is quite clear there are many factors responsible for the decline of trade union membership. It is important to look at British trade union history briefly to get a perspective of its function, growth and difficulties it is facing. As Stephen Dunn (2009) observed the British trade union experienced extraordinary growth for quarter century till 1950s in terms of its membership, activities and ability to carry on collective bargaining on the backdrop of World War 2 and changing socio-economic condition. That progress slowed down but it was still growing till 1970s when it again experienced rapid growth in its membership. The time after 1980s then continued to 1990s and 2000 the trade union membership experienced rapid fall and from 2000 it started stabilising with very slow increase. The report prepared by Cockburn (2009) shows the recorded trade union membership of 7,656,156 in 2008-09, compares to 7,627,693 reported in the previous period. This indicates an increase of 28,463 members or 0.37%. The total recorded membership of around 7.6 million compares with a peak of 13.2 m illion in 1979. The essay will try to discuss about various factors responsible for the decline in membership. Economic Factors The British economy saw many changes after World War 2 in terms of its growth, flexibility and approach. According to David Farnham (1997) there are three major changes happened in international and UKs domestic economy since 1950s and very prominently after 1980s. First, the developing countries restructured their manufacturing industries to become important exporters of manufactured and semi-manufactured goods in Europe, North America and Australasia. Second, the developed countries started moving from manufacturing to service economy thus non-manufacturing industries started growing in these countries. Third, the new emerging markets of East Europe and breaking down of Soviet Union created new opportunities for trade. The above changes had direct impact on UK economy and resulted in declining of number of people employed in manufacturing industries by 45% from 1979 and 1996, David Farnham (1997). There was an expansion on non-manual jobs, professional jobs also the number of worki ng people grew from 25 million in 1971 to 28 million in 1996. The above changes are reflected on British economy and have long lasting effect on life style of people. It also brings more completion in the market from external suppliers and changed the focus of British economy from large, nationalised, manufacturing based economy to privately owned, relatively small and service oriented. The idea of Globalisation in mid 1980s, as described by David Farnham (1997) saw capitalism as the major globalising dynamic and constantly increasing the scale of production and consumption. The increase in trade and commerce with new markets opened new scope as well as competition. The focus of the economy changed to mass produced, cheap products to meet high volume of demand and consumers aspirations. Thus British economy experienced imported products from East Asian countries which resulted in decrease of manufacturing industries in Britain. With the number of people in employment increased the a bility to buy, availability of easy credit and other factors contributed developing of overall living standard of the people. This change in economic condition made the trade union membership less attractive and the collectiveness started eroding among members resulted in decline of membership. Political Factors The British politics observed influence of two political parties The Conservatives and The Labour between 1970 and 2000; their ideological differences were prominent in their policies. The strategy of Conservative party who was in power from 1979 to 1997, as observed by David Farnham (1997), were influential in reducing public expenditure, cut taxation and state borrowing, privatised the nationalised industries and other public sectors, deregulate the economy, working towards free market, free trade, free enterprise, legislation to curb the powers of trade unions to free up labour market as well as undermine collectivism in favour of individualism at work places. As Ed Rose (2008) observed the employers right to manage was reinforced by restricting powers and activities of trade union and encouraged fluidity and flexibility within the labour market. According to Ed Rose (2008) the result is private sector employers achieve greater control over the work and labour process. In 1997 whe n the Labour party formed government they promised to change its traditional Labour policy, as observed by David Farnham (1997), towards promoting competition, pursue tough, efficient regulation, working as a partner to both employers and employee, fairness but no favour to the trade union and last but not the least no return to secondary action, strike without ballots or trade union law of the 1970s. Moreover, consecutive governments passed various legislations which curb the power of trade union and strengthen the hands of employers as well as encourage individualism over the collectivism. According to Millward (2000) and Kersley (2006), the union experienced decline of the unionised sector, collective representation which resulted in fall of collective bargaining with pay and other issues. As observed by Taylor (2003), somewhat hostile treatment from the Government and the policies, legislature changes that are made to restrict trade union power and activities were responsible fo r trade union to lose relevance in private sector organisations and also put challenge in front of trade union to adapt its functioning with the changing circumstance failing of which saw decline in membership and inability to connect with new workplaces. Industrial Factors The period from 1970s as observed by Ed Rose (2008), saw restructuring of British industry in terms of management style of employment relationship, increasing emphasis on communicating with workforce and workplace representation of employees. The result of these changes are adopting anti-union strategies, shifting from pluralist to more unitarist style by many private sectors. Both private and public sector organisations adopted HRM practices, strategies and models of employment engagement thus moving away from collectivism to individualism. As observed by Kersley (2006), Milward (2000), the restructuring of British industry saw the shift from manufacturing economy to service economy, the introduction of technology, computerisation and information technology paved the way for developing specialised skills, part-time, fixed and temporary work contract which resulted significant increase in labour market insecurity and have impact on employment relationship. Moreover, as Ed Rose (2008) pointed out with the changing economic condition and focus on cost saving many organisations sub-contract their fringe jobs to small or other organisations and only concentrate on core activities thus number of employees within the organisation has substantially decreased resulting decrease of employees bargaining power within the organisation. The drive for employing multi-skilled employees also reduced the dependence on specific employee to complete a task thus decreased the level of job security among employees resulting shift of balance towards employers control more than the employees. Trade Unions Internal Factors According to Curran (2006), the trade unions become too institutionalized which prevents it from progressing rather tied up in its own structure with the control power to the full time management of the Trade Union. According to him trade union leaders suffered complacency and forgot to remind people the good work of trade union movement and lot still can be done for those who are being exploited by organizing collective bargaining. Moreover, trade union failed to create connection with the new immigrant workers who would have been highly benefitted from trade union support as they were recruited for low skilled, low paid and most of the times were exploited. He observed that trade unions failed to recognize and adapt itself with the change that the society experienced due to political, economical and the effect of globalization. The trade unions need to understand that they have to adapt and organise its function according to the need of the situation, the advent of technology, pros perity and disposable income has changed the lifestyle of the trade union members but as an organization Trade Union failed to adopt itself with that change and got stuck with the philosophy, style and culture of trade unions foundation time. Moreover, many large Trade Unions still struggle to get rid of their Masculinity culture when the reality is almost 40% of the working population are women and it is difficult for the women to become member of trade union and associate with its day to day activities. As observed by Bob Carter(2004), the Trade Union need to redirect recruitment of members who are in part-timers contract of employment; change bargaining priorities to reflect part-timers concerns; and to change union organization and representation to facilitate participation by part-timers. It is quite evident from the above discussion that trade unions failed to change its priority and redesign its role to suit with the changing world and thus it became somewhat irrelevant to so me members which directly reflected in decline of membership. Future of Trade Union The prediction of future of Trade Union membership and prospect is difficult but can only be done based on past experience, available data and survey results. According to Ed Rose (2008), the evidence shows that there is very less likely the New Labour Government will change the direction of policies towards empowering and giving more authority to the trade unions. It is evident that the balance is more towards the Employers than trade union in controlling employee relationship. Moreover, the specialist skills of managers to deal with employer engagement, various legislations passed to provide more provisions and empower individualism and limiting collective bargaining are the clear indications of limiting trade union roles and powers in future. According to Kersley (2006), the change in giving standard contract to the employees and increase of special kind of contracts like consultancy, fixed term, term time, temporary, part time also private organisations support to non-unionised o rganisations and improving individual employee engagement programme as well as government legislations to support individualism are some of the biggest hindrance towards improving Trade Union membership. According to Ed Rose (2008), the prospect of increasing Trade Union membership looks bleak but analysing the present situation of increase in unemployment, increase of women membership in trade union as revealed from recent surveys and the indications are there that this trend is going to continue as well as the growing general perception among employees that employers are responsible for unfair treatment at workplace may help to improve the situation of trade union membership. There three strategies as suggested by Ed Rose (2008) could change the situation of decreasing Trade Union membership are Servicing Model, Partnership Approach and Organising Model to suit with the changing economic, political and industrial conditions. According to these models the Trade Union need to give service to its individual member by devoting more resources to the enforcement of their rights, be a partner with the employers to achieve competitive advantage for the firm and add values to the service pr ovided as a trade union and last but not the least to organise support for the workforce to solve conflicts and maintain a strong presence throughout. The above models may be theoretically looks good but there are contradictions and depends how well they are executed as well as perception of the role to all the stake holders. There can be element of low level of trust between employers and Trade Union on each other as Partnership Approach can contradict Organising Model. The whole situation of maintaining relationship with both employers and employees can be very difficult if the interest of employees and employers on specific issues are vastly different and in that situation it can be difficult for trade union to follow the above models as this can be perceived as contradictory to each other. According to Peter Wilby (2010), with the growing globalisation and the organisations tendency to move to the countries with cheap labour and favourable business environment, legislation, it is the time for the trade union to think globally as well as strengthening their local roots to strengthen the trade union movement. The trade unions should create a global Union to stop exploiting labour cause anywhere in the world and thus fight for the jobs for local people. It is important for trade union for its own survival to organise movement for local people and working proactively to increase membership, more reliant on its own strength and less dependent on political party like The Labour party introducing favourable legislation to empower Trade Union. According to Curran (2006), trade union should realise that changing its culture and style is not a threat to its values rather a way to sustain its principles of maintaining equality, liberty and solidarity at workplace. The growing tre nd of capitalism in the society creates hour glass situation in organisations where some people at top are enjoying all the benefits and those at the bottom are struggling and their family is experience stress and low prospect of development. This economic condition and stress to fulfil every demand to maintain good lifestyle and the realisation by trade union to change its style of functioning will help to improve the prospect of improving trade union membership in next five years. Though it is difficult to predict if it will able to touch its peak in terms of membership but it will definitely be able to improve current situation in terms of membership. Toyota: Corporate Social Responsibility Toyota: Corporate Social Responsibility The history of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) which is a Japan based-company begins when it is established at 1937 by the founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) Since then, the company has started to emerge into the industry of automobile manufacturing until now. As of today, Toyota is one of the worlds leading company manufacturing vehicles and parts. In order to move fast to keep pace with other competitors and to maintain its position and reputation in the business, Toyota has practiced the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy which is Contribution towards Sustainable Development. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) With this policy, Toyota does not only concentrate in maximizing its profit as they also contribute in taking care of the welfare of the society and the environment. Nowadays, most of the consumers are highly educated and environmentally conscious as they are demanding for more than just a high quality or a reasonable price product. Therefore, To yota has to make sure that they can balance up the needs of the society and consumers. Besides producing high quality vehicles, Toyota also has to respond to the environmental issues which have been occurred. In this new era, Toyota is taking every steps and precautions to protect the environment. They may proclaim that they have done good to the society by implementing some policies or concepts such as the introduction to the hybrid cars. But how far could they go? One of the good examples is when Toyota Prius was first launched in 1997. Many has criticized and questioned about the Priuss green concept which uses the hybrid system. Production of hybrid cars is one of the responses of Toyota towards the issue of global warming and the limits of fossil fuel. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) In producing this car especially the battery itself, it actually causes more harm to the environment. One of the biggest concerns about this car is that Prius battery contains nickel metal hydride. (Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage 2007) Based on the newswire, the nickel is mined and smelted at a plant in Sudbury, Ontario which leads to environmental damage to the surrounding area. This has f urther leads the NASAs astronaut trainees to practice moon rovers around the Sudbury plant which is badly destructed. (Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage 2007) Also, there are many critics who comment on the shipping footprint of the nickel battery. The smelted nickel from Sudbury is shipped to Wales for refinery and to be made into nickel foam at China. The completed batteries which are made in Japan would be then shipped to United States when the car is ready. (Hodges 2009) This has creates doubt about Toyotas environmental aspect as the production process of the battery is not helping in reducing emissions but in fact, the shipping process has already consumed a lot of fossil fuels which would lead to air pollution. Back in 2003, Toyota is questioned about its philosophies towards green environment. Toyota is facing a lawsuit from The Department of Justice and the Environment Protection Agency for violating Clean Air Act. (BJS, 2003) Upon Toyotas application for Certificates of Conformity, it has claimed that Toyota has sold 2.2 million vehicles which were different from the statements in the application. According to the United States government, Toyota has failed to disclose limitation in the operation of the on-board diagnostic system that checks for leaks in vehicles. (BJS, 2003) Because of the leakage problem, Toyota is involved in causing pollution as fuel that vapors into the air would lead to the ozone pollution. Due to this matter, the consumers of Toyota vehicles do not know that they are actually indirectly involved in polluting the environment. Another case which leads to a doubtful thought about Toyotas environmental friendly principles is when Toyota is sued by California at year 2 006. (Glaister 2006) Toyota and several other automakers are to take the blame for producing large amount of vehicles that releases huge quantities of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. According to the states Democratic attorney general, global warming is bringing harm to Californias economy, environment, public health and agriculture. (Glaister 2006) Though Toyota is making revolution by producing hybrid cars and building more fuel-efficient vehicles, Toyotas image and reputation are blemished by the lawsuits that it faced before. In spite of the criticism of the nickel battery and the lawsuit cases against Toyota, the company has actually poured a lot of effort in protecting the environment. Based on Toyotas sustainability concept, it has focused on three areas comprise of technology, manufacturing and social contribution. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) Research and Development (RD) is categorized in the area of technology and one of the RD that Toyota has created is that they have engineered its own flower species. (Merchant 2009) The carbon dioxide released by its Prius assembly operations is offset by this new plant species. The flowers are derived from the cherry sage and gardenia which helps to absorb nitrogen oxides and to reduce the heat of the atmosphere. (Merchant 2009) Toyota should be praised because it has discovered something special in those flowers. Both the flowers have unique characteristics as the sages leaves can absorb harmful gases whereas gardenias leaves can reduce the temperature of t he factorys surroundings by creating water vapor in the air. (Blackburn 2009) With this, Toyota can concentrate in finding and doing research in advanced technology to produce hybrid cars as they have found a greener way to reduce the emissions of the manufacturing process. This also has shown that Toyota has gone beyond their industry area to look for alternatives and new innovations to preserve the environment. Their action would definitely build up its reputation and image among the stakeholders especially the consumers. In committing towards sustainable development, Toyota is also taking initiatives to develop the manufacturing process through a greener way. It cannot be denied that Toyota is actually polluting the environment during the process of manufacturing and producing the vehicles and car batteries. Hence, Toyota is designing and manufacturing its vehicles based on the concept of three Rs which consists of reduce, reuse and recycle. (Toyota Europe n.d.) Toyota has been manufacturing vehicles with recyclable materials as cars are actually built by plastics that are difficult to be recycled. Therefore, Toyota has created Toyota Super Olefin Polymer which is a special recyclable plastic to make car bumpers and other parts. It can then be recycled and used for many times. (Toyota Europe n.d) Besides, Toyota also has indirectly encouraged the consumers and dealers to be involved in recycling program. For example, each of the battery of the Prius car has a phone number on it to ensure every batter y goes back to Toyota for the purpose of recycling it and dealers are to be paid $200 for each battery. (Richard 2005) Other than that, Toyota has also stepped in further in the area of recycling. For instance, Toyota has built up a waste collection systems. It is for the purpose of retrieving used parts such as tyres, batteries and oil filters from European dealers to send them back for recovery. (Toyota Europe n.d.) In order to contribute to the society, Toyota has involved in various environmental activities. One of them is shown by Toyotas support of Planet Arks National Tree Day. National Tree Day is one of the Australias biggest community tree planting events which falls on August 1, 2010. (Tree Day n.d.) It is a special day where all the Australians would gather around to join this event. All of them are working towards the same motive which is to lending a helping hand to plant and to care for native trees and shrub to improve the environment they live in. (Tree Day n.d.) Toyota has demonstrated its concern and care for the environment by joining this event. Toyota has been supporting Planet Ark and National Tree Day since 11 years ago. (Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited n.d.) Ever since Toyota joins this event, its partnership with Planet Ark and National Tree Day are being appreciated and they are working in a collaborative way. All Toyotas dealers, staffs and brand ambassadors are being encouraged to participate and to support this special day. Their supports can be shown by Toyotas contribution of planting almost 15 millions of trees to reduce the effect of global warming. . (Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited n.d.) This action is a good example and role model for society as Toyota would influence the society to contribute to National Tree Day as well. As an automobile manufacturer, Toyota is facing challenges and obligations everyday throughout the whole process of a vehicle starting from the development until the disposal stage. In my opinion, it is not easy to be one of the largest companies. For instance, Toyota has to face pressures given by the government, stakeholders and the society to fulfill and to respond towards their needs for a better product and a better environment. It has been a tough and long journey for Toyota to achieve what they have now because throughout its companys history, they have been criticized and many comments have been given which are against their every action. Though they might not be a hundred percent environmental friendly company, they are actually giving a large proportion of contributions in helping the society to achieve a healthier environment. Which automobile company can be a fully hundred percent based environmental friendly company? I doubt there are any companies who can successfully d o so. All in all, every company including Toyota needs to fulfill their responsibilities towards the society and environment in order to have a better life and world. Our future generations are very much depending on their actions which are taken today. BJS. 2003, March 11. U.S. settles Clean Air Act case against Toyota. Web log post. http://scienceblog.com/1196/u-s-settles-clean-air-act-case-against-toyota/ (accessed August 8, 2010) Blackburn, R. 2009. Car maker develops its own flower species. Drive. http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=66761vf=1 (accessed August 10,2010) Glaister, D. 2006. California sues car firms for global warming. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/21/usnews.travelsenvironmentalimpact (August 10,2010) Hodges, A. 2009. Toyota Prius Battery Harms Environment. NewsOXY. http://www.newsoxy.com/articles/toyota-prius-battery-harms-environment.html (accessed August 8,2010) Merchant, B. 2009. Toyota Engineers New Flower Species to Absorb Emissions at Prius Factories. TreeHugger. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/toyota-engineers-new-flower-species-absorb-emissions-prius.php (accessed August 10,2010) Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage. 2007. EV World, n.d. http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=14582 (accessed August 7, 2010) Richard, M.G. 2005. Should we be Worried About Hybrid-Car Batteries? TreeHugger. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/should_we_be_wo_1.php (accessed August 9, 2010) Toyota Europe. n.d. http://www.toyota-europe.com/corporate/environment/360-approach/end-of-the-road.aspx (accessed August 9, 2010) Toyota Motor Corporation. n.d. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html (accessed August 7, 2010) Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited. n.d. http://treeday.toyota.com.au/tree-day-home (accessed August 23, 2010) Tree Day. 2010. http://treeday.planetark.org/about/ (accessed August 23, 2010)

Importance Of Brand Leadership For A Fmcg Brand Marketing Essay

Importance Of Brand Leadership For A Fmcg Brand Marketing Essay The main objective of this report is to understand the importance of brand leadership for a FMCG brand. The report develops further by analyzing the previous literature on Branding, Brand leadership, and Brand Loyalty which is implied to a FMCG brand. Finally, it underpins the Brand value which enables Irn Bru to create Brand Loyalty. 1.2 Objectives: To identify the Brand Leadership model used by Irn Bru. This is based on Aaker et al. (2000) brand leadership model; an analysis would be carried out in order to compare the model with Irn Bru operations. To identify consumer motives behind purchasing Irn Bru. By the help of a devised survey questionnaire, consumer behaviour toward purchasing of Irn Bru will be analysed To investigate why loyalty develop from consumer perspective in FMCG market. Academic literature and dimension of brand loyalty will be used to investigate this objective. Focus group will be brought under practice to indentify these factors. 1.3 Background: With an increase in the level of competition, and companies offering more than one similar product into the market, it has become necessary to brand the product in order to differentiate it from others. Brands play an important role in modern society, and allow products to be easily identified within the market. The concept of branding is used in many aspects of human life i.e. it could be a product, religion, sports, culture etc. As companies are expanding globally, the concept of branding has been recognised as an utmost important factor. Not only to attract set target markets, but also to attain brand leadership. The main aspects of branding include: building a successful brand, differentiating amongst its competitors, and maintaining the brand image in the market. Due to the intensity of the modern market, there has been increase in the spending on marketing; branding is a major aspect (Aaker, 1991; Simmons, G. 2007). Generally, a brand is considered as a product, service, a pres ence or personality which rides on the mind of consumers. Branding, according to De Chernatony McDonald (1992), has been characterized as the process of creating value by offering convincing and constant customer experience, which in turn satisfy their needs and wants and keep them coming back. Organisations have started referring to themselves as a branding organisation once customers have realized the value of a brand. With diversity in the market, it has become extremely important for companies to create and maintain high brand awareness and identify how it varies from that of the competition. Internet has proved to be a medium that enables consumers to explore the benefits provided. The increasing number of internet users indicates that global brands can be viewed, and interacted from a single point. Also, the increasing number of online purchases reflects the future of brands. Since more than one company manufactures similar products, the question that arises is: which brand is a market leader? Brand leadership has opened a new gateway for the brands who seek to be on the top of the market. Brands can be an important asset for the company, and in the future they will be an increasingly prominent feature of business dealings. AG Barr was founded in 1830 with the foundation of Robert Barrs cork-cutting business in Falkirk. In 1875, his son diversified the company into aerated water production, and in 1887 operations were extended to Glasgow. The Glasgow-based company was re-named AG Barr in 1904. Its core brands included: Irn-Bru, Tizer and Orangina, the latter of which is produced under licence from Pernod Ricard. The company also distributes Lipton on behalf of Unilever Bestfoods in impulse and cash and carry outlets. In 2001, the company established an agreement with Pepsi Bottling Group to distribute Irn-Bru in Russia. The company will continue to focus on its core brands and markets. High brand loyalty for carbonates brand Irn-Bru has seen it maintain sales in a declining market sector The Companys main strength lies in its Irn-Bru brand, which shows no sign of a sales decline and seems unaffected by the general switch to fruit/vegetable juice amongst carbonates consumers. To a certain extent it is po ssible that consumers of Irn-Bru are not much concerned with the health issue; whilst, comparing to other carbonated brands. In order to meet the needs of their potential consumers, Irn-Bru has launched a low-calorie version for the consumers preferring diet carbonated drink. The main strength of Irn-Bru is the inclination of consumers toward Scotlands other national drink. The performance of Irn-Bru in Scotland is astonishing, despite the economic downfall. The catchy advertisements and the tag line Phenomenal has continuously portray the tradition and the uniqueness of the Irn-Bru. AG Barr has also pursued a strategy of diversification through acquisition the company bought Strathmore mineral water in 2006 and acquired both the TAUT sports drink range and the exotic juice drinks manufacturer Group Rubicon in 2008. (GMID, 2009). Rationale for the topic: According to Aaker et al. (2000), the emerging paradigm of strategic brand leadership is replacing the classic, tactically oriented brand management system. Leadership has become an important aspect of the brand, as it leads to innovation. A key element of brand leadership is brand vision. The ability to see the future of the company through the customers eyes is important, as it sets into motion a long-term strategy for the brand. It is vital to discover how consumers perceive the product and what their view points are, as brand value is highly based on it. Measuring loyalty towards a product is equally important as it will enable Irn Bru to reflect on their strategies. Chapter two-Literature Review 2.1 Brand and the concepts: A brand is not a name. A brand is not a positioning statement. It is not a marketing message. It is a promise made by a company to its customers and supported by that company. I may have intelligent agents that can go out and assemble pages of reports on every camcorder on the market, but I dont have time to read them. Ill buy Sony (Sterne, 1999 cited in Rowley, J. 2004). Due to the different characteristics of product, brand enables to distinguish one brand from another ( Riezebos, R. 2003). One of the main concerning areas in the field of marketing is branding. As brands have grown beyond the national boundaries, it has become vital to manage and operate them with a strategic view. This will enable companies to focus on the specific brand, rather than company as a brand. As the level of competition has risen, companies tend to focus on their branding strategies. A well derived strategy will lead a brand to attain high awareness and success in the market niche. As defined by Pickton and Broderick (2001), branding is a strategy that helps the company and their products to leverage in to the market and it also build brand value for the owners of the brand and also the consumers. Whereas, Randall G (2000) has a presented a different approach: Branding comprises of all fundamental strategic process going within the company; it is a part of marketing, but not restricted only to marketing department. Based on the benefits offered by a brand, the consumers form a purchasing decision, and evaluate it depending on their needs and wants. According to Temporal (2001), as the importance of branding is increasing, fast moving consumer goods industry is highly benefited by these strategies. Companies have more than one product in the marketplace, and by viewing the soaring profits in this sector. Companies have tried to differentiate it from their rivals, so that consumers find it easy to purchase. Henceforth, brands provide guarantee package to the consumers in terms of va lue, quality and reliability. Consumers will generate loyalty toward a brand, if the promised quality, value and reliability are full field. As identified by Murphy (1991), Branding adds value to the overall product, and from consumer perspective it provides a self confidence. However, Rowley (2004) has argued by stating that brands not only consist of value, and it also acts an information hub. This enables consumers to eradicate the time spent on searching a specific product offering. 2.2 Brand Equity: The goal of the brand leadership paradigm is to create strong brands. Brand equity is defined as the set of associations and behaviour on the part of a brands customers, channel members and parent corporation that permits the brand to earn greater volume or greater margin than it could without the brand (Wood, 2000). Appendix 1 depicts, according to Aaker (1991) major assets of a company can be brought together into five main types: Brand Loyalty, Brand name awareness, Perceived quality, Brand association, and other proprietary brand assets such as copyrights, patents, trademarks. Appendix 2 shows the brand equity chain, where the description provided on the brand leads to the strengthening the brand and this results in creation or building of brand value. Keller (2003; cited in Atilgan et al. 2005) defined Brand equity from a customer based point of view as Customer based brand equity occurs when the consumer has a high level of awareness and familiarity with the brand and holds som e strong, favourable, and unique brand associations in memory. One of the main reasons for a company to brand their product is to attain organisational goals of attracting and creating amongst their consumers by provision of cost efficient products, as it will aid company to acquire higher margin of profit (De Chernatony McDonald, 1998). Strong brands are the core products of the company and in order to gain a recognition and financial reward, it is important to build a successful brand. Appendix I: Aakers theory on Brand Equity Appendix 2: Brand Equity chain Source: Wood (2000) 2.3 Brand Leadership: Leading brands are perceived to be relevant, unique and compelling. They inspire customer loyalty and enable organizations to charge price premiums. They increase bargaining power with business partners, make it easier to hire and retain talented employees and provide organizations with clear strategic directions and platforms for future growth. Together, these lead to well above average financial performance and a market valuation that far exceeds book value. (Aaker, 2000) Leading brands are organizational assets that must be preserved, enhanced and leveraged for the benefit of their organizations. Aaker Joachimsthaler (2000) developed a Brand Leadership model which will enable companies to build strong brands for the future. It comprises of four challenges which an organisation should consider. 2.3.1 Organisational Challenge: Every organisation should structure and process their functions that will lead them to be a strong brand in the market place. A clear organisational hierarchy should be made so that brands are not at the mercy of ad hoc decisions made by those with no long term interest. When a company increases its portfolio, and extends the production line, every manager from a different production line should provide a common set of inputs, outputs and knowledge that will benefit the organisation. The inter-communication will enable the sharing of insight, experience and brand building initiatives. As companies are going international, there lies a trend which companies struggle to confront with, and organisational challenges are raised. With the increasing competition for talent growing amongst business networks, current economic activities rationalise the challenges which are created within the firm. In order to gain competitive advantage, change in organisational strategy is important as respon se to market need is important. 2.3.1.2 Brand Strategy: Strategies are always used to gain sustainable competitive advantage, which could reflect from any part of the organizations operation. The marketplace is the evaluator of this advantage. Brand strategy is the process whereby the offer is placed to evoke the perception of advantage (Arnold, 1992). Almost all the features of Brand Management are driven by the overall brand strategy; otherwise a company might be leading with a confused perception and image of the brand. Strategy gives focus and direction to brand management and provides the platform that enables brand managers to gain consistency in all their brand related activities (Temporal, 2002). According to Reizebos (2003), a brand strategy is based on two parameters: differentiation and added value. Differentiating refers to the practice of trying to establish the difference between a companys own product and that of the competitor. This signifies that the intention of the brand strategy has a competitive character. By targetin g the differentiation strategy, the firm tends to deliver a brand competitive advantage. The other fundamental trait of a brand strategy is added value, which refers to the fact that a brand has more value for consumers than the bare product. In order to create such an added value, the brand must be meaningful for the consumers (Reizebos, 2003). Appendix 3 shows different branding strategy approaches adapted by brands, and their advantages and disadvantages (Drummond Ensor, 2001). 2.3.2 Brand Architecture: Pertomilli et al. (2002) defines brand architecture from a company perspective as a combination of strategies which include managing, organising and operating in to the market with their brands. 2.3.2.1 Branding in FMCG sector: Branding plays a significant role in FMCG sector, as there are myriad of products in the market. Due to presence of high number of products, it acts a powerful instrument in creation of differentiation and higher store presence. Since the competition is intense in this sector, it is highly important for firms to make their brand identifiable from others. Packaging, graphics and promotional activities such as advertisement is used to attract consumers (Ellwood, 2002). Brands operating in this sector are highly cost efficient and production is carried out in masses. A high capital is required to establish production of FMCG brand, as production cost is high; such firms enjoy the benefits of economies of scale. As identified by Moffett et al. (2002), products are not confined within a region or country. With increase in globalisation, brands can be found in any part of the world. Companies need to consider the global implications of marketing and try to gain brand leadership in the mark etplace. For the FMCG sector, advertising plays a pivotal role and is the best channel to communicate with the targeted audience. Moreover, with the advancement of internet and information provided on it, consumers tend to opt to review product information online before purchasing it. With high competition and many brands offering same product quality, it is very difficult to generate brand loyalty in FMCG sector. 2.3.2.3 Benefits of Branding in FMCG sector: A successful brand is one which evokes the consumers by creating and sustaining a strong, positive and lasting impression. (Fill, 1999). For a FMCG company, it is important to create trust towards its brand in minds of consumers. This trust is being built by providing better quality and satisfaction. Once the trust is created, it subjects to the top most choice of the consumers mind set and leads to re-purchasing actions. The approval of customers signifies that branding, from consumer perspective, is a method which reduces the time taken for decision-making and related perceived risk of the product. This shows that the brand name provides information about the quality, price, and attributes of the product without requiring the consumer to undergo the time consuming process (Fill, 1999). 2.3.2.4 Branding in the soft drink sector: With the fierce competition in the soft drink industry, firms are fighting for market share. Companies should reflect upon their branding strategies, as they are of paramount importance. Companies should extend their brands to various market niches in order to meet the needs of the consumers. The scope and opportunity in this market is high, as products can be differentiated by infusing different flavours. It would be appropriate to emphasize that the value which the brand adds to the product is intangible, however, its presence is undeniable and with immense significance. Considering the characteristics of soft drinks, branding is an ideal marketing tool which allows companies to position and differentiate between the offered product and its incremental value. International product portfolio analysis The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) originated an early version of product portfolio analysis. The BCG version classifies a companys products into four categories: stars, cash cows, problem children, and dogs. The classification is based on market share and market growth rate. The optimum product portfolio for one market is different from that of another. Product A, for example, may be a star in country X, and a dog in country Z. Individualizing the use of portfolio techniques for each country will help define different product portfolios for each foreign market. Although portfolio analysis of products for international sale is relatively new, it can assist the company in determining how to allocate resources among different markets. Positioning a new product/brand depends upon the firms ability to describe product attributes that will generate a flow of benefits to buyers and users. The international marketer planner must put these attributes into bundles so that the benefits created match the special needs of each targeted market segment or subculture. Product positioning then is viewed in a multidimensional space, commonly referred to as theperceptual space or product space (Johanson, 1985). In terms of perceptual space, a particular version of a product is graphically represented as a point specified by its attributes. Competitors (local and international) and other products are similarly located. If points representing other products are close to the point representing the new product, then these are products similar to the new prototype. If the prototype is positioned away from its closest competitors in the world markets and its positioning implies positive features, then it is likely to have a significant competitive advantage. This mapping process is appropriate for each foreign country/market segment contemplated. 2.3.3 Brand identity 2.3.3.1 Competitive Analysis: According to Cohen (1988), competitive analysis permits the understanding of differential competitive advantage, as well as the comparative advantages in relation to competitors. Intense competition requires operations to be carried out with maximum efficiency. The key to this is large-scale production to reduce the value of fixed costs per bottle. With increasingly sophisticated vehicles and rising investment costs, the optimum economic scale increases (Rees, 1999). Industry Analysis Using Porters Five Forces According to Besanko (2007), in order to devise and execute successful strategies, a firm must understand the nature of the markets in which they operate and compete. In 1980, Micheal Porter developed five forces to analyse the extent of competition. Understanding the nature and strength of each of the five forces within an industry assists managers in developing the competitive strategy of their organization. (Campbell D., 2002, p.134) The Five Competitive Forces for Irn Bru: A structural analysis of the UK carbonated soft drinks industry examines the impact the various forces have on this industry. Firms operating in the carbonated soft drink market in the UK, face tough competition from the rivals. Every soft drink organization should review its rivals products, analyse any potential new entrants in the market, understand the demand of substitute products, review the consumption pattern and demand amongst the buyers, and identify appropriate suppliers. Porters five force model is used to analyse the magnitude of competition. The intensity of competition within the industry is quite high, with regular advertising wars taking place; on the other hand, sales are increasing and the products are differentiated. There are high barriers to limit entry such as: the high capital required for production and distribution, increasingly advanced and specialised technology, lack of access to distribution, and strong consumer loyalty to recognised brands. A final, but very critical, point to bear in mind is that the forces themselves change over time. Sometimes in a predictable way, other times not. However, it is usually possible for the firms to have some influence over these changes. If no action is taken to counter the forces, it is extremely likely that the forces will grow stronger over time. Each firm needs to consider the actions that it could take to counter the forces, or position itself in such a way as not to face their full impact. For example, merging with a rival not only eliminates a competitor but also reduces the number of competitors in the market as a whole, something that can benefit all rivals by reducing competitive intensity. Threat of Rivalry: In the UKs soft drink industry, Irn Bru faces the greatest competition from its arch rival Coca-Cola and Britvic soft drinks (Appendix, X). Their presence all round the globe shows their potential strength, and demand in the consumer market. As can be seen from the table, Irn Bru has made constant strides in an upward direction by gaining market share. Manufacturers retail value brand shares in carbonates, 2006-08 2006 2007 2008 (est.) % change  £m %  £m %  £m % 2006-08 Coca-Cola GB, of which: 1,296 65 1,302 65 1,334 66 2.9 Coca-Cola 934 47 942 47 968 48 +3.6 Fanta 127 6 124 6 115 6 -9.4 Schweppes 96 5 102 5 111 6 +15.6 Dr Pepper 61 3 61 3 65 3 +6.6 Sprite 57 3 56 3 60 3 +5.3 Lilt 21 1 17 1 15 1 -28.6 Britvic Soft Drinks, of which: 277 14 280 14 305 15 +10.1 Pepsi 215 11 224 11 252 12 +17.2 7-Up 24 1 28 1 30 1 +25.0 Tango 38 2 28 1 23 1 -39.5 AG Barr Irn-Bru 82 4 86 4 91 5 +11.0 Other 96 5 94 5 88 4 -8.3 Own-label 239 12 235 12 200 10 -16.3 Total 1,990 100 1,997 100 2,018 100 +1.4 Source: Mintel, 2009 Loyalty towards brand names is another factor to measure brands performance. Brand loyalty in the soft drink market is another component which Irn Bru has to deal with from its rivals. Coca Cola and Pepsi are well established brand names all around the globe. Due to high brand awareness and product availability, they attain high market share. The presence of Irn Bru in the international market is very limited. Perhaps, due to its authenticity, it is famous in Scotland, and has struggled in other international markets (e.g. Russia, South Africa, Australia, America and Canada). The soft drink industry is mature, with nominal current growth and limited ability of firms to increase revenues at the pace they may have become accustomed to in the past. Of course, new markets, such as in Middle East or Southern Asia, may result in major new growth opportunities. The current makeup of the industry line-up leads to higher levels of competition. On one hand, key rivals offer different products, but similar in size, which increases competition. Differences in companies philosophies, cultures, and histories result in varied strengths and weaknesses, and lead to different strategies in pursuit of competitive advantage; the overall predictability of the industry development decreases and industry volatility increases. Irn Bru has a strong presence in the Scotland, due to the fact that it is the country of origin and a strong culture is associated with it. Threat of new entrant: Entry to the market, on a large scale, is difficult. The risk of new entrant in the soft drink industry is low. The presence of renowned brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and their strong distribution channels in major grocers, public houses, and fast food outlets dominate the industry. Moreover, as the market is saturated, growth tends to be minimised. Such situations prevent new entrants from entering the market, and competing against strong brands. With high fixed cost attached i.e. labour, warehouse, logistics and economies of scale, it is difficult for new entrants to compete with established brands. Market saturation and high fixed costs, the levels of barriers are increased, and henceforth, entering into the UK soft drink market is difficult. Furthermore, because the products are have already acquired the impression of good experience, and reputation matters, very heavy advertising would be a necessity to gain a foothold as a brand producer. Entry as an own label producer might be possible, but it would demand a large scale operation to keep costs down and be as competitive as the existing large own-label producers. Even with the removal of trade barriers and generally greater harmonization within the European Union, major continental firms have appeared to be reluctant to plan a takeover on the UK market. There are at least several strong brands for every consumer segment currently in the carbonated soft drink industry. Consumers do have a choice, and many have developed brand loyalty. It would be difficult for new entrants to sufficiently differentiate their products and to build brand identity and loyalty. Threat of Substitute: There are number of substitute for carbonated soft drinks e.g. mineral water, fruit juice, energy drinks, tea, coffee etc. Water and sport drinks provide more variety that appeals to the consumers who seek the healthier options. However, carbonated soft drinks have gradually been gaining market share at their expense and this trend does not appear set to reverse. In addition, carbonated soft drinks have a particularly strong appeal to the youth market (10-25years), which is where most of the sales can be traced to. Overall, the threat appears relatively weak, especially to the core youth market. Power of suppliers: Soft drink industry suppliers do not hold a strong competitive pressure. There are usually several suppliers to choose from for any of the soft drink components; therefore, the rivalry between suppliers is high, and companies have many options, including manufacturing components themselves, which some of them still do. Again, relatively weak pressure exists, with the exception of sugar producers and plastic suppliers. The work force is not highly organised, nor is it militant. Power of Buyers: The large numbers of consumers willing to purchase a bottle of carbonated soft drink mean that the actions of a single consumer will not have a notable effect on a companys performance. At the same time, however, these consumers face low switching costs and have varied degrees of brand loyalty, which requires companies to spend significant resources on capturing and retaining that individual consumer. Over 65% of sales are sold through multiple grocers. The top five grocery chains account for nearly 70% of all grocery sales and are thus in a strong bargaining position. Some 8% of sales are through fast food restaurants, and 6% sales are through public houses. (Mintel, 2009) The remainder of sales are relatively weak buyers, including off-licences, confectionaries, newsagents and restaurants. Soft drink manufacturing companies distribute the products to these stores so that they can be sold to the consumers. The top grocers buy soft drinks in bulk, as it allows them to purchase goods at a cheaper price. The strongest pressures come from the power of buyers and the fairly intense non-price competition within the industry. Nevertheless, overall the industry seems to be in a fairly healthy position: the leading firms are very profitable and industry growth is expected to be steady around 8% over the period 2007-9. Cola, as a product, appears to be reaching maturity, but other segments offer prospects of development and growth. This plays to an advantage in the hand of Irn Bru, as the product offered is completely contrary to the Colas. At the same time, the firms are actively competing on quality and bringing new products to market, as well as being innovative in terms of reducing costs by investing in new technology and machinery, developing new forms of packaging and offering better distribution services. The danger is that the firms may not be able to sustain the route to growth and instead may seek growth through techniques such as undercutting rivals prices in a market share game. In this situation, profits are likely to deteriorate rapidly if destructive head-to-head price competition becomes the main competitive instrument. 2.3.3.2 The Brand Positioning Concept: According to Kotler (1997), Positioning is the act of designing the companys offering and image so that they occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the target customers minds. The positioning of a brand is not about the quality which products provide, but it is what consumer thinks about the brand. For positioning, it is important how a consumer perceives the product rather than its physical nature. According to King (1991; cited in Fill 1999), advancements in technological fields have allowed products to offer similar functional and physical appearance, where consumers choices and decision will be based on the brand name. Henceforth, positioning origination as a brand will evoke actual and potential customers. According to McCormack (1984, cited in Olsson 2004), positioning is a factor which determines what consumers are actually purchasing while buying any product or service; and subsequently communicating related imitations and inspirations to the buyer. An organ ization should primarily evaluate and identify where they stand in the market spectrum and then position it accordingly. 2.3.3.3 Branding from Consumers Perspective: A brand provides not only a source of information, but also performs certain other functions which justify its attractiveness and its monetary return, when they are valued by buyers. According to (Kapferer, 2008), there are eight main functions (Appendix 4), Identification and practicality are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand i.e. to function as a rec