Blue Whales Essays (1729 words) - Baleen Whales, Megafauna

Blue Whales Abstract The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name of the Blue whale is, Balsenoptera musculus. Key Words: Balaenoptera musculus, Suborder Mysticeti, balaenoptera intermedia, balaenoptera brevicauds, baleen whale, rorqual, calf, sulfur bottom, Sibbald's Rorqual, Great Northern Rorqual, gulpers, blowholes, blubber, oil, keratin, krill, copepods, plankton, orcas, endangered Introduction Whales are separated into two groups, the baleen and the toothed whales. The blue whale is the largest baleen whale and the largest animal that ever lived on Earth, including the largest dinosaurs. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. They live in pods, the have two blowholes. The blue whale has a 2-14 inch (5-30cm) thick layer of blubber. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 species and are marine mammals. Background The Blue whale is called a ?rorqual?, a Norwegian word for ?furrow? referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale's throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can ?hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded? (Small 1971). Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons. The females are generally larger than the males, this is the case for all baleen whales. ?The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons? (Satchell 1998). The head of the Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is the size of a small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks. During the winter, in cold waters, diatoms stick to the underbelly, giving it a yellow to silver- to sulfur-colored sheen; giving the blue whale its nick-name of ?sulfur bottoms?. Other names include Sibbald's Rorqual and Great Northern Rorqual. Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed tiny crustaceans (krill, copepods, etc), plankton, and small fish from the water. Krill, or shrimp-like euphasiids are no longer than 3 inches. It is amazing that the world's largest animals feed on the smallest marine life. Blue whales are gulpers, filter feeders that alternatively swim then gulp a mouthful of plankton or fish. ?An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900-4100kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold, arctic waters (120 days)? (Hasley 1984). The blue whale has twin blowholes with exceptionally large fleshy splashguards to the front and sides. It has about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles in the blue whale's jaws. These plates can be 35-39 inches (90cm-1m) long, 21 inches (53cm) wide, and weigh 200 pounds (90kg). This is the largest of all the rorquals, but not the largest of all the whales. The tongue weighs 4 tons. Blue whales live individually or in very small pods (groups). They frequently swim in pairs. When the whale comes to the surface of the water, he takes a large breath of air. Then he dives back into the water, going to a depth of 350 feet (105m). Diving is also the way in which whales catch most of their food. Whales

A Failure to Respond essays

A Failure to Respond essays Between June 1941 and May 1945, six million Jews were systematically annihilated under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. However, because of Germany's firm control over most of Europe, information about theFinal Solution? wasn't leaked to the presses until a year later. In June 1942, the Daily Telegraph was the first to report that 700,000 Jews had been gassed (Laqueur, 261). The United States had already declared war against the Axis powers following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. One would then assume that after reading this published report that the United States, as a world power, would have jumped in and taken immediate action to halt the atrocities that were being committed by the Nazis. However, the United States? response was quite the opposite. As a world power, the United States could have and should have put forth a sizeable effort towards assisting the European Jewry, without compromising its war efforts against the Axis powe rs. The American government chose to sit on the information of the mass genocide of the European Jewry. It wasn't until November 24, 1942 that information about the genocide of the European Jewry was published in non-prominent U.S. newspapers. However, at that point, two million European Jews had already been murdered. To make matters even worse, the American State Department actively blocked information about the Nazi's persecution of the European Jewry for eleven weeks. The despicable actions of the American government didn't stop there as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ignored spies who had personally witnessed the atrocities that were occurring in the Nazi death camps. President Roosevelt even went as far as claiming that he was 'too busy? when 400 Rabbis from around the U.S. came to the White House, a day before the most holy Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, with a petition to form a council for rescue in hopes of saving 70,000 Rom...

Marketing Management Examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing Management Examination - Essay Example Product 20 B. Price 21 C. Promotion 22 D. Place 23 References 25 1a. Internal environment of Nokia The following points represents internal environment of Nokia’ 1. Place for Product based Innovation 2. Demand for craftsmanship within the company 3. Demand for high product design 4. Declining market share 5. Lack of brand identity for Nokia Talking on the above mentioned points, there can be a broad array of issues that can be highlighted in this case. 1. Place for product based innovation: It can be said Nokia, being a company that has technology based offering in its product portfolio always realizes the need to create value on a regular manner for its customers. The company believes that since they are in the technology industry, the product life cycle is very small. In an attempt to generate value for the customers, they will have to keep on producing high level of innovative features and new products, so that they can retain the interest of the consumers to their products . As a result, Nokia has developed itself as a hub of product innovation 2. Demand for craftsmanship: The Company Nokia has identified the fact that in an attempt to create value for the customers, they have to focus on the process of creating products of luxury status, which will create a tremendous level of appeal to the customers belonging to the wealthy as well as upper class people of the society. As a result of this, during the process of production of the luxury status phones like Vertu, the company focused on developing mobile phones that requires high level of craftsmanship that will provide an excellent appeal of the company’s products to the elite category customers. 3. Demand for high product design: Nokia has realized that since they cater to the technological sector, hence the demand for providing highly innovative product design is typically high. In order to provide innovative products, the company keeps on providing product that have been designed on the basi s of new product design. 4. Declining market share: It can be said that the company has faced a decline in the market share as a result of various internal issues ranging from the lack of accountability as well as inefficiency arising out of incompatibility in the leadership styles. The company’s representative from the top level management also highlighted that the issues related to the lack of synchronization among various divisions of the company has automatically taken its toll in the process of delivering products of innovative nature on a regular basis. 5. Lack of brand identity: It needs to be mentioned that the entire product offering of the company lacks a factor related to brand equity. Though the company has attained high level of consumer popularity in the previous years’ among a wide range of customers, it can be said that the popularity was mostly related to the luxury category mobile phones named Vertu. So, naturally, it can be said that the company lack s a proper and original brand identity in the market in the recent times. General trends Points: 1. New operating structure 2. Shift to touch screen phones 3. Value added services 4. Counterfeiting issues Talking in broad manner, the following can be mentioned 1. New operating structure: Nokia’s luxury division, Vertu was operating on its own through effective decision making processes. The change that have been initiated as a part of strategic restructuring might hamper the company luxury division’

Environmental Leaders and Laggards in the European Union Essay

Environmental Leaders and Laggards in the European Union - Essay Example Moreover, the author also argued that the problem took place due to shortage in the administrative capacities for effectually implementing EU based environmental policies. It has been viewed in the article that the southern member provinces of EU did not possess adequate technical know-how, potential working staffs and well-structured infrastructures for applying as well as enforcing EU environmental based legislative policies. The author suggested that the southern member provinces belonging to EU should implement environmental policies competently for the purpose of developing their financial progression, increasing economic interests and most significantly generating employment. The effective execution of the EU environmental schemes or policies would ultimately promote the economic advancement of the different southern member provinces belonging to EU as well as enhance their environmental quality level by a greater extent. The author identified a significant reason which eventua lly restricted the southern member provinces of EU to implement EU environmental based policies effectively. The significant reason was that the southern member provinces belonging to EU possessed the political systems which were conventionally dominated by clientelism, disrespect and patronage for the public authority. On the basis of the article, the author argued that there lays significant disparities in meeting with the EU environmental laws throughout the different European member provinces which cannot be escorted.

Character Analysis of A Mid Summer Nights Dream Term Paper

Character Analysis of A Mid Summer Nights Dream - Term Paper Example A Round character is defined as three dimensional, complex and life like. The round character grows as the story progresses. The main character in the play is called a round character as it shows a degree of character development. In terms of this definition Puck can be called round as he is the creator of major actions in the play. Though he does not show development in his qualities as the play progresses but brings twists and turns in the life of other characters. He is not the main character or the protagonist yet his character makes the entire play lively and sets the characters in action. Puck is an Individualized character in the sense that he embodies and exhibits the traits of a particular class or group of people. They are also called Type characters and are very unpredictable in their actions and are representative of their class and group to which they belong. Puck is a fairy and is called Robin Good fellow. He is portrayed a bit bizarre, by the master crafts man Shakespe are where as the other fairies are ethereal and beautiful. As the other fairy describes him, â€Å"I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Good fellow. Are not you he that frights the maidens of the villager, Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern And bootless make the breathless housewife churn†. ... The character of Puck in the play is Symbolic in nature .As all the plays of Shakespeare confirms the presence of a world outside this world, the beings of that world control the destinies of the poor mortals. They love to play prank on the human beings and laugh at their distress and predicaments. Whether it is fate or destiny in some plays or it could be witches as in Macbeth or Puck, a hobgoblin in Mid Summer Night’s Dream. He is Oberon’s jester and introduce himself as, â€Å"I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile...† and delights playing pranks on the mortals. He is swift and willing to please his master, Oberon. When Oberon tells him to bring the potion from the flowers ,he says, â€Å" I’ll put a girdle round the Earth in forty minutes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ His willingness to serve Oberon and please him always, appear in this expression, â€Å"fear not, my lord ,your servant shall do†. In Mid Summer’s Night Dream, Puck’s capricious nature and fun loving humor, evocative language permeates the entire play. By means of his deliberate pranks, this mysterious spirit enjoys his superiority over the humans who are puppets in his hands. He is capricious and fun loving, full of humor and life. These airy creatures are not diminutive human beings with supernatural powers, as quoted in Shakespeare's Fairies: the Triumph of Dramatic Art; they are like young human children and are able to differentiate between right and wrong. They love and quarrel like kids and use tricksters like Puck to avenge themselves. The tricks these Ariel creatures play on the human lovers are like those that children play on one another, without any thought of the suffering they may cause the

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis – A Case Study Abstract- Earned Value management (EVM) is a well-known project management tool that uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to track the current status of the project. It uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to establish the current status of the project. The calculation of earned value is a very effective tool in measuring the progress of contractors in external projects. Computation of earned value can be part of an audit activity, or it can be integrated into the progress monitoring system. The concept of earned value is generally used in the context of fixed price contracts where the objective is to calculate the amount of payment that is due to the contractor. Keywords- Project Performance Evaluation, Earned Value, Cost Control, Forecasting INTRODUCTION Earned value analysis is a project control technique which provides cost and schedule performance measurements of the project. It is a frequently used method of performance measurement for projects. It integrates the project scope baseline and the cost baseline, along with the schedule baseline, to form the performance baseline, which helps the project management team assess and measure project performance and progress. EVM provides project managers and the organization with triggers or early warning signals that allow them to take timely actions in response to indicators of poor performance and enhance the opportunities for project success. Better planning and resource allocation associated with the early periods of a project might be the cause of this reliability. EVM IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS EVM can be used for progress payments to contractors based on the earned value (EV) of contracted or outsourced work. Since such contractual arrangements create legal and financial obligations, it is important to consider the method specified for evaluating progress. These methods and tools for the determination of progress should be carefully considered and negotiated to achieve a fair and equitable environment that encourages successful accomplishment of contracted or outsourced project items. Once a project has advanced to a stage of performance, the consistent and constant flow of information on the true status of the project is essential. EVM is a methodology that associates project scope, schedule, and resource measurements to analyse project performance and progress. The fundamental principle of EVM is that the patterns and trends of performance, when compared against a soundly developed baseline, can be excellent predictors of the future project performance. Feedback is critical to the success of any project. Getting the relevant feedback in time enables project managers to identify problems early and make adjustments that keeps a project on time and on budget. EVM is considered by many to be one of the most effective performance measurement and feedback tools for managing construction projects. In EVM system, the three parameters that influence the project performance control are: Planned Value (PV) Planned value (PV) is the sanctioned budget assigned to a scheduled work. It may also be known as the Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS). This budget is allocated by phases over the life of the project, but at a given moment, planned value outlines the physical work that should have been accomplished. The overall PV is sometimes referred to as the performance measurement baseline (PMB). The total planned value for the project is also known as budget at completion (BAC) [1]. Earned Value (EV) Earned value (EV) is the measure of work performed at a specific point in time, expressed in terms of the authorized budget for that work. The EV being measured needs to be related to the PMB, and it cannot be greater than the authorized PV budget for a component. The EV is often used to calculate the percentage completion of a project. Progress evaluation criteria should be established for each work breakdown structure (WBS) component to measure work in progress. The earned value methodology used to plan the baseline should be used consistently to determine the earned value. Project managers monitor EV, both incrementally to determine current status and cumulatively to determine the long-term performance trends [2], [1]. Actual Cost (AC) Actual cost (AC) is the realized cost incurred for the work performed during a specific time period. It is the total cost incurred in achieving the work that the EV measured. In order for EVM analysis to be reliable, AC must be recorded in the same time period as EV and for the same activity or work breakdown structure component as EV. Fig. 1 shows the actual cost at time now, and indicates that the organization has spent more than it planned to spend in order to achieve the work performed to date. Fig. 1 Earned Value curve for a project over budget and behind schedule LITERATURE REVIEW Previous researches done on the EVM indicate that it is definitely one of the better practice to monitor a project. Therefore in this project we will be considering Earned Value Analysis for research purpose. Pramod M et al. (2014), recognise that the absence of an effective system for monitoring and controlling project cost is the main reason for cost escalation and delays in the project. Their study considers Earned Value analysis and Earned Schedule concept as the two monitoring systems which can be used to monitor a construction project. The study was done on a residential apartment in Bangalore. They concluded their research by saying, Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control when the required information are cost oriented [3]. Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares (2012), did a critical review of the application of EVA for the Amusement Park named Monica Park in Brazil, which was is documented with reports, graphs, analyses and comments. EVA had a relevant role in the integrated management of the project scope, time, progress, cost and risks and the procurement. Because of the implementation of EVA, the project finished on time and on budget. The findings of the case study are analysed and concluded with 10 recommended steps for future implementation of the EVA process [4]. Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja (2014), selected Integrated housing and slum development program (IHSDP) located in Mattampuram, Thrissur, Kerala, for case study. Budgeted cost of work performed was compared against actual cost of work performed and budgeted cost of work scheduled to assess cost and schedule variances, respectively. Based on the collected data, schedule of the project and cost for individual activities had prepared. It gave an idea of cost and time required for individual activities and for the entire construction. S-Curve was drawn showing the relationship between duration and cost of the project. From the calculation of various project performance indicators, they arrived at conclusion that the project has an unfavourable schedule variance of 9.5 which meant the project was behind schedule. A SPI of .62 and a CPI of 0.82 was obtained. EAC of 411.20 lakhs was obtained which is 74.02 lakhs more than the BAC at 337.18 lakhs [5]. EVM PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND FORECASTING PARAMETER Calculating Project Performance EVA analyses project performance by calculating performance variances and performance indices. Common variances include: Schedule Variance (SV):Schedule variance (SV) is the amount by which the project is ahead or behind the planned delivery date, at a given point in time. It is a measure of schedule performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the planned value (PV). The EVM schedule variance is a useful metric which can indicate when a project is falling behind or is ahead of its baseline schedule. The EVM schedule variance will ultimately equal zero when the project is completed because all of the planned values will have been earned. Cost variance (CV):Cost variance (CV) is the amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time. It is a measure of cost performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the actual cost (AC). The cost variance at the end of the project will be the difference between the budget at completion (BAC) and the actual amount spent. Schedule performance index (SPI):The schedule performance index (SPI) is a measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value. SPI indicates the rate at which the project is progressing. It is sometimes used in conjunction with the cost performance index (CPI) to forecast the final project completion estimates. An SPI value less than 1.0 indicates less work was completed than was planned. An SPI greater than 1.0 indicates that more work was completed than was planned. Cost performance index (CPI):The cost performance index (CPI) is a measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources, expressed as a ratio of earned value to actual cost. It is considered the most critical EVM metric and measures the cost efficiency for the work completed. A CPI value of less than 1.0 indicates a cost overrun for work completed and greater than 1.0 indicates a cost underrun of performance to date. Performance Forecasting As the project progresses, forecasts can be developed for cost and schedule performance. Common forecasting data includes: Estimate to Complete (ETC):The estimate to complete (ETC) is the expected cost needed to complete all of the remaining work for a control account, work package, or the project. The most accurate method is to develop a new, detailed, bottom-up estimate based on an analysis of the remaining work. Estimate at Completion (EAC):Estimate at completion (EAC), is the expected total cost of a control account, work package, or the project when the defined scope of work will be completed. The EAC is typically based on the actual cost incurred for work completed (AC), plus an estimate to complete (ETC) for the remaining work. Variance at Completion (VAC):The cost variance at completion (VAC), derived by subtracting the EAC from the BAC, forecasts the amount of budget deficit or surplus at the end of the project. The VAC shows the team whether the project is forecasted to finish under or over budget. This can be expressed as a percentage by dividing VAC by BAC. To complete performance index (TCPI):The TCPI is a comparative measure. It compares work completed to date with budget required to complete the remaining work. The TCPI data can be used as the basis for a discussion which explores whether the performance required is realistically achievable. It is the ratio of remaining work to the remaining budget. TABLE I EVM AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS Project Management Questions EVM Performance Measures Formula Schedule Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Time-Wise. Are we ahead or behind schedule? Schedule Variance (SV) SV = EV/PV How efficiency are we using time? Schedule Performance Index (SPI) SPI = EV/PV Cost Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Cost-Wise. Are we under or over our budget? Cost Variance (CV) CV = EV-AC How efficiently are we using our resources? Cost Performance Index (CPI) CPI = EV/AC How efficiently must we use our remaining resources? To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) TCPI = (BAC – EV)/(BAC – AC ) What is the project likely to cost? Estimate at Completion (EAC) EAC = BAC/CPI Will we be under or over budget? Variance at Completion (VAC) VAC = BAC-EAC What will the remaining work cost? Estimate to Complete (EAC) ETC = (BAC-EV)/CPI CONCLUSIONS The study of various research works and case studies give an idea that Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control. Therefore, in this paper I will be making an attempt to apply and analyse the use of EVM on a live project based on the findings and guidelines of the references. REFERENCES [1] PMI, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 4th Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2008. [2] PMI, Practice Standard for Earned Value Management, 2nd Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2005. [3] Pramod M, K. Phaniraj and V. Srinivasan, â€Å"Monitoring System for Project Cost Control in Construction Industry†, in International Journal of Engineering Research Technology (IJERT), Vol. 3, Issue 7, pp. 1487-1491, July 2014. [4] Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares, â€Å"The Use of Earned Value Analysis (EVA) in the Cost Management of Construction Projects†, International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology, pp1-11, Mar 2011. [5] Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja, â€Å"Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Method†, International Conference on Engineering Technology and Science, Volume 3, Special Issue 1, Feb. 2014.

Shakespeare in my World Essay -- Personal Narrative William Shakespear

Shakespeare in my World These are the forgeries of jealousy: And never, since middle summer's spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By paved fountain or by rushy brook, Or in the beached margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whisteling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport. ~ Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1 I first truly gazed upon William Shakespeare during college. I had to do a monologue of Joan of Arc from Henry VI part I. I remember wrapping my mouth around his words, tasting him for the first time. This had not been our first introduction, but it was the real beginning to the ebb and flow of our dance. I absorbed that monologue, like faint strains of music, growing and spreading through my body. It seeped into my pores, flowed through my veins, and buried itself deep within the endless confines of my vast imagination. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamored of thy note. So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. ~ Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1 He drew me to the Catskills when I was accepted into the National Shakespeare Conservatory the following summer. Alone for the first time, seven miles from the nearest village, I devoured him. His presence was everywhere. I could taste him in the oatmeal for breakfast, I could see him in the early morning fog, I could hear him coaxing me into the secluded woods all around, and I could feel him move over my spirit, coaxing me out of myself and into immortality. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed? The summer still doth tend upon my state; And I do love thee. Therefore, go with m... ...y immortal counterpart erased all my imperfections and gave rise to a being whom I never knew lived inside of me. I had been ripped apart to bring forth new life, creating in a way that Shakespeare could never dream of. My capacity for love, life, and lust knew no bounds. Bringing Shakespeare into my world has been incredible and awful, joyful and sorrowful, empowering and demolishing. What I have taken from our union is my own quiet sense of survival. I stood against the forces of my choices and endured. Shakespeare continues to pour into my essence, but I have created who I am. He is a part of me but not the whole of me. Our blessed dance will ever go on, changing and growing as I do. First, rehearse your song by rote, To each word a warbling note: Hand in hand, with fairy grace, We will sing and bless this place. ~Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1