Company Analysis Johnson And Johnson Essay

Internationalization Overview It was the joint efforts of three brothers, Robert Wood Johnson, Edward Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson that lead to the inception of Johnson & Johnson in 1886 at New Brunswick, New Jersey. Even today the company strongly follows the Credo, which was formulated by its founder Robert Wood Johnson as philosophy that guides their business. It is a multinational firm established in 60 countries with over 275 companies over the world and is mainly diversified in three different fields namely Consumer Healthcare, Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Johnson & Johnson has an asset of $131.19 billion. (jnj.com) With all the companies that it owns, it comprises as the largest and the most diverse medical devices and Diagnostics Company, the sixth largest consumer health company, sixth largest pharmaceuticals company, and the sixth largest biologics company. The company has been driven by innovation from their inception. One of their first products was a first aid kit for treating small injuries, which could be used by anyone. The use of child care products was introduced by them in 1894, which is highly successful till date. It was in the year 1924 that Johnson & Johnson started their internationalization, expanding their operations to the United Kingdom. This was extremely successful expansion and it added a great boost to the company’s growth. This carved a path for further expansion internationally into British colonies like South Africa in 1930 and Australia in 1931 and neighbouring country of Mexico in 1930.With the Robert Wood Johnson II taking the leadership of the company he changed the company’s Global strategy and made the company as a decentralized family of companies. Their operations were further expanded into Argentina and Brazil in 1937 flowed by the formation of Ortho Research Laboratories Inc. and Ethicon Inc. in New Jersey. In 1957 they established their operations in India, the first expansion into Asia. In the 1959 there were many acquisitions by the company, McNeil Laboratories in Fort Washington, United States, Cilag AG in Switzerland followed by acquisition of Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1961, it was considered one of the most innovative firm then. (jnj.com) In the late 70’s and 80’s Johnson & Johnson enters into new health care markets such as diabetes management, vision care and mechanical closure of wounds. This created the possibilities for more expansion, and they entered into China and Egypt. The late 90’s was followed by a series of acquisitions; some of them were Centocor, Cordis Corporation, Kodak’s Clinical Diagnostics and Neutrogena Corporation. The expansion into Eastern European market and Russia was a major move. In 2002 they acquired Tibotec-Virco, a firm which helps patients with non curable diseases such as Tuberculosis and AIDS. A major acquisition was Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in 2006. The main goal for them was to follow their Credo, which has been immensely successful. The internationalization strategy was to adapt to changing global markets and basically decentralize their operations. This was what mate them Strengthen their Global Presence. Most of their international expansion was through large acquisitions of established firms. Their steady growth shows how they have captured markets all over the world. They use mainly use adaptation strategy, hence they are focused on the particular target market and have different methods of operations in  different markets. Network Analysis With over 275 companies under one roof Johnson & Johnson group of companies is one of the largest in the world. The Data sets provided gives us a clear idea of how the network is connected from the parent to its subsidiaries. The main objective is to identify how the main subsidiaries are connected to the parent. (Fig. 1) Subsidiaries The above figure depicts the layout of how the main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson are connected. Generally nodes with higher centrality measures cannot be considered as main subsidiary, hence a series of analysis is done on the identified subsidiaries using network analysis techniques. The main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson are different in each scope of their diversified areas. The Consumer Health Segment is under Johnson & Johnson brand name and they are established in more than 60 countries and are having individual ties with each country and they have their own presence by themselves without any strategic tie ups. However, the administration and finance department seem to have many ties with subgroups within the organization as well as external sources. The Pharmaceutical segment is also one of the largest networks, with Janssen Pharmaceutica which is their main subsidiary. As a main subsidiary, they operate with a number of companies under this banner. Cilag which is also a big company is under the Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Crucell which is a firm developing vaccine is also under the Janssen group. Galapagos which is a joint venture between Crucell and Tibotec deals with the research and development in pharmaceutical industry and is a major contributor to the innovations achieved by Janssen Pharmaceutical. The Medical Devices & Diagnostics segment is the largest and the most diverse  segment in the world. Johnson & Johnson have one of the biggest companies in terms or Research and development under this segment. Some of their subsidiaries are Animas Corporation, Cordis Corporation, Depuy Synthes companies of Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo Surgery, Janssen Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, mentor and Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. Most of these are directly connected to the parent firm, but they also seem to have feeble ties within themselves. The comparison of different centrality measures such as Degree, Betweenness, Eigenvector, Closeness and other analysis such as Density, K-cores, Structural Holes, and subgroup division Algorithms like Girvan-Newman, Fractions will help us identify how the parent subsidiary network is formed. Density The complete network Density or the Average Matrix Value is 0.003 for the given data set. The Standard Deviation of the Density is 0.058 and the average weighted degree is 1.278 Centrality Measures Degree (Fig. 2) Degree Centrality The above figure shows the degree of each node with respect to its size, the highest degree is Johnson & Johnson with 119 ties, followed by Indaver with 30 ties Indaver BV with 18ties, Cilag Holdings AG with 17 ties, Johnson & Johnson management limited with 16 ties, Johnson & Johnson International Finance with 15, Synthes Holdings AG with 14 and Crucell N.V. with 12. Indaver has higher degrees than the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, though it is not its subsidiary. Janssen pharmaceutical is one of the share holder with Indaver, which provides them with waste management solutions, they have helped them to cut CO2 emission by 270 tonnes annually (Indaver Sustainability Report, 2013).The main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson have  also higher degree centrality. The labelled nodes were identified to have the higher degree. Eigen vector (Fig 3) Eigenvector Centrality Eigen vector centrality is measured with respect to the connectivity of nodes with higher degrees. This is effective in helping to identify firms with more social importance or higher level firms such as management and operations level. The key observations from this centrality are that all the nodes they represent the Main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson, have higher eigenvector values, as they had connectivity to nodes with higher degrees, Cilag, Depuy Synthes, Crucell, Janssen Pahrmaceutica, Ethicon, Apsis, all of them have higher eigenvectors as they are the main subsidiaries and are connected with nodes with higher degree. Betweenness (Fig 4) Betweeness Betweeneess represents the nodes that are involved in linking major nodes to lesser connected nodes, thereby making a strong coordination within a network. This identifies the nodes of the network that are bridges between the stronger and the weaker connected nodes. The analysis from fig 4. implies that companies such as Adimmune Corporation, Taiwan Biotech, Indaver, Galapagos , Janssen Pahrmaceutica, Crucell , have very high betweenness and are majorly involved in coordination of work between firms. Closeness (Fig 5) Closeness The closeness determines how close the next node is to the main node, hence  the nodes at the periphery of the network are more closer to the next node inside the network. The nodes with lesser closeness are more harder to be reached for any communication. Fig. 5 shows the different closeness of each node. Nodes of higher degree were not really close to each subset of nodes. Nodes with higher betweenness had proportional farness, which mean they had very low closeness. The lower closeness nodes were mostly the major subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson. Network Cohesiveness K- Core Analysis The K-core analysis identifies nodes of a network that are more connected to other nodes in other parts of the network. The analysis provided us with three k values 1, 2 and 3. This is helpful to identify the core network which is more important than the other nodes. (Fig 6) K-Core Analysis In the above figure the nodes in re have a k value of 1. These nodes are mainly in the periphery of the network and are lesser connected to the main network, the sub nodes connected to them have degree 1. (Fig 7) K-Core Analysis with k value 2 These nodes in fig. 2 have a k value of 2, these are mainly the nodes which bridge the main core to the other network. The labelled nodes are the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson which are in the sub-core. (Fig 8) K-Core Analysis with k value 3 The above figure show the core network of the organization, these nodes are more connected the main node that the others with their connected nodes having higher degrees than others. Hence the labelled nodes are the major  nodes that are involved in the functioning of the organization. The observations of the k-core analysis are that the subsidiary such as Cilag, Ethicon, OMJ pharmaceuticals, Depuy, forms the major core of the organization. The main core also consists of investor management firm, which helps the organisation fund innovations that are much needed for the growth of the company. Turnbull Investment Company plays an important role in handling investments of Johnson & Johnson. Sub Group Analysis Girvan-Newman Algorithm This algorithm helps in sorting out different community of structures within a network that forms a cohesive sub group. The main objective is to identify different subgroups in a large network by removing important nodes and leaving only the sub group intact. Fig. 9 clearly shows the division of subgroups that having different colour. Indaver , Adimmune Corporation, Prime Oil Service Corporation, Taiwan Biotech Co. Ltd., these are external companies that have ties ups or technology sharing with Johnson & Johnson. Other Subgroups that are divided are subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson, some of them are Janssen Pharmaceutica, Synthes Inc., Crucell N.V., Johnson & Johnson Holding Gmbh, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services Company, Johnson And Johnson Management Limited. These firms form the major subgroup in the network. (Fig 9) Girvan Newman Algorithm Factions The Factions sub grouping is another method to find the subgroups within a network. Here again we are able to input the number of groups to be divided.  An estimate of 38 clusters could give an idea of how many major subgroups that existed in the network. Fig 10 shows the outcome of the factions sub grouping. (Fig 10) Factions From the analysis and the network datasets, the parent Network is Identifies as Johnson & Johnson, and some of the major subsidiaries are Janssen Pharmaceutica, Cilag, Depuy Synthes, Animas Corporation, Apsis, Mcneil Products, Crucell, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo surgery, Cordis Corporation, Mentor. Implications of the network structure on the innovation activity Johnson & Johnson has been a firm driven by innovation since its inception. As the outcomes of innovation influences the lives of many people Johnson & Johnson has managed to reach its products 175 countries. From the network structure it is evident that subsidiary firms are maintained with independent operations and the operations of the firms is decentralized. Pharmaceutical companies owned by them are independent by themselves for any innovations involved. They don’t seem to have influence on the other subsidiary firms. Firms such as Apsis, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo, Depuy, Synthes, have innovation activity of their own and are developing their own products, and do not reply upon other firms which are owned by Johnson & Johnson. These firms that deal with Medical Devices and Diagnostics are specific upon their product line and are bound to deliver their targets. Almost all the firms in this segment have Research and Development facilities of their own and do not rely on other investments from external sources. Many joint ventures within its network of subsidiaries have been beneficial for Johnson & Johnson, like Depuy Synthes, the collaboration between them has given birth to subsidiaries like Depuy Spine, Depuy Mitek, Depuy Orthopaedics, and Depuy Products. This shows the strength of Johnson & Johnson as the largest and the most diverse organization in the world. The Pharmaceutical segment which is under Janssen Pharmaceutica, has some firms like, Crucell, Cilga, and McNeill. These companies carry out innovations on their own as well. But they tend to have a collaborated structure within them and they are bound to share technologies with external firms outside their network, In order to share risks and benefits. Crucell have a technology sharing strategy with Adimmune Corporation. Whereas Janssen Pharmecutica are dependent on Indaver for waste management solutions. There are many benefits of collaborations and technology sharing. Johnson & Johnson is a firm with high collaborations within their firms, different companies within their firms have self sustainable resources to develop alliances with other firms, this allows them to grow to a higher potential than the parental firm. This has been the major reason for the vast expansion of Johnson & Johnson into many markets. Scope for further improvement in Innovation As there is no end for innovation the firms has been actively involved in various innovation programs that currently changing the trends in the world. One of the simplest innovations that changed the world was the Band-Aid. It just changed the way people have been treating wounds. The list of innovated products by Johnson & Johnson is vast. They are a firm which are totally depended upon innovation. Technology sharing within the companies within the firm must be initiated within all firms to enhance the ties within partnering firms. As on date they are the Sixth largest Consumer healthcare company, Their Target must be to become the number one company in the world. Only inventing more products will help them reach their target. Setting up more Research and Development programmes in underdeveloped countries will help in opening up new ventures for the firm, as well as then targeted area. Then development of vaccines for new virus that have been identified can be implemented. Viruses such as HIV, Ebola, Swine Flu, and Bird Flu are on the  rise, Johnson & Johnson must capitalize these opportunities and innovate new vaccines for cure. Hence the pharmaceutical companies must take combined efforts to make the firm strengthen its capacity. Diabetes is believed to be increasing in the younger population, hence controlling drugs and prevention methods or early diagnostics can be innovated. Setting up Innovation center in local market will help in bringing up more innovations into the firm, as only local people will understand the need of the local market. This could help them to leapfrog their position as to become the number one Consumer Healthcare Company. References Books: Borgatti, S., Everett, M. and Johnson, J. (2013). Analyzing social networks. Los Angeles [i.e. Thousand Oaks, Calif.]: SAGE Publications. Websites: Adimmune.com.tw, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.adimmune.com.tw/eng/goods.php?catId=5 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). Fields of Activity – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/fields-of-activity/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). History – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/history/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). Portrait – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/portrait/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Cordis.com, (2015). Global Home | Cordis | cordis. [online] Available at: http://www.cordis.com/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Credo. (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.jnj.com/sites/default/files/pdf/jnj_ourcredo_english_us_8.5x11_cmyk.pdf [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Crucell.com, (2015). Crucell’s history. [online] Available at: http://crucell.com/history [Accessed 5 Mar. 20 15].

Healthy Life

Healthy life is a very important thing in our lives. We should watch what we eat. We should look at the nutrition label whenever we buy food and drinks. The most important thing on healthy life is exercise. Living healthy is very relaxing.The best thing to do if you want to live healthy is look at the nutrition label on anything you are eating. Look at how much calcium does the food has because it’s an essential nutrient to our body needs everyday and keeps our body run smoothly. Potassium give you strength and endurance that maintain higher level for a long time. Iron is the another best thing you should worry about because iron helps the blood transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissue cells where it is needed and if you don’t get the iron you need in future you will have problem. They are more good vitamins that you can eat for example â€Å"Multi-Vitamins† has everything you need for the whole day.The most important thing about being healthy is exercise be cause it prevent you getting any type of diseases. There are a lot of things that help you when you exercises everyday. Your body improves stamina because you motivating yourself to work your body out more and you feel better about yourself. The most important thing I have notice is insomnia problem because your not active an you cant’t sleep right. When you work out and active an doing stuff insomnia goes away and you will get nice sleep. Exercising is very important to everyone lives.Living a healthy and relaxing life is very important in our lives because you can live longer. If you don’t work out and be lazy and don’t worry about exercising your long term life will be in danger. Everyone should start exercising everything and trust me you will feel a different in your life.

Animal Imagery of Moral Reversal Essay

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the theme of moral corruption is portrayed through the moral reversal of animals through out the play. Shakespeare utilizes this strategy to help establish the theme to his audience. This type of reversal is usually connected with Macbeth himself and the more he grows self corrupt, the more abundant the animal imagery. Toward the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed off as a lion in comparison to a rabbit, an eagle in comparison into a sparrow, showing Macbeth’s courageousness and bravery; â€Å"†¦Yes’ as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act I: Scene II: Line 35). This image only helps establish further the moral reversal and corruption throughout the play because, as a reader, Macbeth is here seen as a brave courageous man, a hero if you must. But as the play goes on, we drastically see a change in Macbeth as he grows more corrupt and following along with it, we see the change in animal imagery associated with Macbeth. Not only does Shakespeare use animal imagery to portray Macbeth and his own corruption, but he also uses it to evoke it by depicting moral disorder amongst the animals themselves, showing how Macbeth’s actions not only affect him, but the balance of nature as well. â€Å"On Tuesday last A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed. And Duncan’s horses – a thing most strange and certain — †¦Turned wild in nature†¦ ‘Tis said they ate each other.† This scene was depicted after Duncan’s death by the murderous hand of Macbeth. This not only shows how Macbeth’s negative actions upset the balance of nature, but it shows the destroying of balance with in Macbeth himself. This comparison to Macbeth earlier being portrayed as a lion, an eagle, as this courageous man, shows his shift in character. It’s a great depiction of his corruption progressing within contrast to earlier dep ictions. â€Å"We have scorched the snake, not killed it. She’ll be close and be herself, whilst our poor malice remains in danger of her former tooth.† In Act III Scene II, Macbeth thinks of Banquo in this way because of the witches’ saying he will make kings, but not be one himself. Macbeth refers to Banquo like this because he has identified Banquo as a threat that could, as a snake can, lurk in the underbrush and strike him when he least expects it. It is an ironic use of the image, since it is Macbeth who really is the â€Å"snake.† Macbeth falls deeper in his corruption, only causing him to seek out to â€Å"get rid of† others who he sees as a â€Å"threat†. The animal imagery here helps portray this image and this detail. Macbeth says â€Å"o, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!† Meaning his mind is full of evils and dark thoughts. This shows his realization of his corruption, and here we can see more that Macbeth has fallen deeper into his own corruption in contrast to early portrayals of his corruption. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare uses animal imagery not only as metaphorical imagery, but to portray the fall of Macbeth and his inner corruption.

Female Employees Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Female Employees - Case Study Example Indeed, this article is quite insightful. It has important lessons that can help in understanding about the process of selection and recruitment of employees. First, I learnt that it is legally right for any organization to offer equal treatment and opportunities to all employees irrespective of their gender. Even women have important contributions to make towards the success of the organization. Secondly, an organization should ensure that it comes up with creative and feasible measures to ensure that female employees are not frustrated, but motivated to continue serving the organization. Once this is done, they can not quit, but feel motivated to serve and develop their career. Female employees need to be treated with caution because, unlike their male counterpart, they face a myriad of challenges that they need to be helped to overcome. Response to Critical Thinking Questions Q1 The departure of women is an issue to organizations because they constitute an important segment of workforce. Just men, women are needed in any organization because they also have important contributions to make. In fact, there are certain roles that can be best performed by women. Also, it is legally and ethically right for an organization to give equal employment opportunity to men and women. It can help it to have a good reputation. Q2 In my opinion, it is really unfair for women to be offered dismal packages on their re-entry. Once a worker has reached a certain level in their career, they need to be offered appropriate remuneration.

Week 2 - Discussion Question - INTL 5645 Assignment

Week 2 - Discussion Question - INTL 5645 - Assignment Example The Great Leap Forward portrays a period of hope where the people collected themselves into communities. The communes increased interaction between members in the society and increased production. Increased production ensured that the community was provided for during the period. The film portrays a happier and hopeful society as the people share duties. Collective activities increase the cohesion between the people of china (Seth). During the great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, the society experience a period of increased food production. This meant that the society was healthy as nutritional needs were catered. The hopes of the people were affected by periods of drought and floods, which affected food production (James 25). The film showed energetic people, which was a sharp contract to the reality. The film captures Cultural Revolution launched by Mao in an attempt to eliminate political opposition. His intention was to return the nation into Maoism. The sharp contrast with the reality is tragic in the film and affects the credibility of the film (To

Former Auditors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Former Auditors - Essay Example Sub Section 324 CI does not allow a former partner of an audit firm to become a member of the board of directors or other officer of a Public Company which is listed, if that former partner has remained part of the audit team being involved in the audit of that public listed company at any time during the preceding two years of that partner’s retirement.On the other hand, more specific legislative requirements relating to the independence test of the former auditors can be found in Sub Section 324 CF (7), which states that a person is regarded as satisfying the test of independence if,i.  He does not have any control over the operations or financial policies of the audit firm of which he was a partner or an employee;ii.  He does not involve himself in the activities and other operating matter of the audit firm of which he was a partner or an employee;iii.  He does not hold any kind of rights as against the audit firm or any of the members of the audit firm with respect t o the termination of such person from the partnership of that audit firm or other interest of whatsoever;iv.  He has no monetary arrangements or agreements with respect to performance of any professional service with the audit firm from which he so retired. However, this does not include:a.  An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments are predetermined and are independent in direct and indirect.... He has no monetary arrangements or agreements with respect to performance of any professional service with the audit firm from which he so retired. However, this does not include: a. An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments are predetermined and are independent in direct and indirect ways from the earnings being made by the audit firm, or b. An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments, although not predetermined, are calculated on a predetermined basis and are independent in direct and indirect ways from the earnings being made by the audit firm; and v. He has, apart from the agreements mentioned above, no other financial or monetary arrangements or agreements with the audit firm for the receipt of payment under any name which is related, either directly or indirectly, to th e revenues earned by the audit firm, whether such businesses do or do not relate to such person (Corporations Act). The independence test requirements as presented in (I), (ii) and (v) above are independent of each other and these requirements do not seem to cater any serious issues related to independence test in relation to a former audit partner or other professional. In other words, these requirements are not the determinants of the fact that independence exists. This is so because a retiring or former professional cannot eliminate altogether the existence of his past relationship with an audit firm or other professional body (Brayshaw). All these independence testing requirements and regulations are in fact meant for ensuring that a retired or former audit firm partner has

The Role of Marriage in Persuasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Role of Marriage in Persuasion - Essay Example Austen was reared during the Victorian era and the role and status of women were extremely limited and stagnant. For example, women could not vote, they typically received an inferior education to their male counterparts and were limited to domestic occupations (Williams, 5). This is the context in which Persuasion was developed highlighting the prominent position that women have only two good choices in society - to get married or become a governess (Parkinson, 24). Though Austen acknowledges that marriage helps prevent loneliness and isolation, she also examines the failures of society’s perceptions of marriage which may create an intellectual isolation for women. This isolation that she recognizes, as Samuel Burchell tells us, is that â€Å"Jane Austen’s characters start in the primary condition of loneliness, pass through the difficulties of establishing the proper communication with others, and reach fulfillment in the symbolic union of marriage† (Burchell 1 49). Marriage is about many things in the Victorian society but it is rarely about love. For example, Anne's countenance is recognized by Captain Benwick in chapter 11 of Persuasion as it is he who found her "engaging mildness of her countenance, and gentleness of her manner" (Austen, 95) enough to instantly feel at ease; her brother-in-laws family, the Musgrove's, who claimed "We do wish that Charles had married Anne instead." (Austen, 84); and even the unacquainted cousin Mr. Elliot too had an instant attraction to Anne as he passed her during their stay in Lyme. Austen portrays Anne as essentially the epitome of goodness and kindness, but who isn't a very resistant person. She would more often than not succumb to the desires and needs to those around her in order to aid another or to keep the peace, as shown in chapter 4 when she allows Sir Walter and Lady Russell to dispel any notions of marriage to Captain Wentworth. It is this nature that is a desirable characteristic of a wom an and a wife. Wentworth's entire character is full of conservative resistance. The main resistance Wentworth tries to overcome is his desire for Anne and the entire story is based on his resistance to requesting her hand in marriage again. Early in the story, there is the sense of monotony about the standard way of life as Austen uses repetition in here writing to persuade the reader of that sense of boredom. For thirteen years had she been doing the honors, and laying down the domestic law at home, and leading the way to the chaise and four, and walking immediately after Lady Russell out of all the drawing-rooms and dining rooms in the country. (Austen, 6-7) As the passage continues, there is a sense then of the repetition as we see the same thing happening for a span of over 13 years. What Austen wants the reader to see is how things will never change unless something drastic happens. As long as they follow the same routine, they can fake being happy. Thirteen winters' revolving frosts had seen her opening every ball of credit which a scanty neighborhood afforded; and thirteen springs have shewn their blossoms, as she traveled up to London with her father, for a few weeks annual enjoyment of the great world. (Austen, 6-7) What is interesting about this passage is that Austen tends to avoid discussing the central character at the start of the novel and in this case, is the early pages center on the vanity of her father as well as his contempt for those beneath him.  Ã‚  

See below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

See below - Essay Example This is the reason why their poetry are instructive and moralistic. It is not art for art’s sake alone but art as a social tool to teach and reach people, moving them to act and do something for the society and the nation as a whole. The following three poems from Robin Skelton’s Poetry in the Thirties will prove or disprove what Virginia Woolf says about the poetry produced during the 1930s. These are September 1, 1939 by W. H. Auden; Different by Clere Parsons; and Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines by Dylan Thomas. This nine-stanza poem of W.H. Auden is an example of what Virginia Woolf calls a poem of the 1930s that contains â€Å"the pedagogic, the didactic† and â€Å"the loud-speaker strain† calling for â€Å"the creation of a society in which everyone is equal and everyone is free.† The first stanza critiques the system as â€Å"low dishonest decade† where â€Å"The unmentionable odour of death/ Offends the September night.† Feelings of uncertainty, fear, hopelessness and anger dominate this stanza. It is a prologue to the situation that the state or society is at the moment of writing. According to the second stanza, the cause of the dilemma can be explained and be traced back to history. Evil has been committed thus the people reap what they sow: â€Å"Those to whom evil is done/ Do evil in return.† This can also be interpreted as a call to act and fight against the â€Å"evil† and the ones causing this evil. Then in stanza three, the poet/persona plunges right into the main issue: democracy; â€Å"About Democracy,/ And what dictators do.† There has been a neglect and abuse of their duty: â€Å"Analysed all in his book,/ The enlightenment driven away,/ The habit-forming pain,/ Mismanagement and grief:/ We must suffer them all again.† The past is repeated because they have not been good stewards of the freedom they had possessed. They have allowed the dictators to reign over them. Then the

Aviation Organization in Nigeria Research Paper

Aviation Organization in Nigeria - Research Paper Example Women workforce in Nigeria would aid the development of its economy as women have started taking tertiary education. Third, it is also important to understand the difference in the managers’ attitudes to work, in both Nigeria and the United States. This is important as many MNCs have expanded their operations in developing countries and employ both local and expatriate managers. The managers need to have an in-depth understanding of how to manage diversity because decisions on issues such as recruitment and training, promotions and retentions, could vary. Managing diversity could mean utilizing the differences to gain competitive advantage. It not only helps in recruitment and employee retention, it also leads to reduced turnover and absence costs, enhanced customer service and greater flexibility and creativity in the organizations (Maxwell, 2004). Nigeria is the most populous African country having about 130 million inhabitants. It consists of more than 250 ethnic groups and is besieged with ethnic and religious tensions. Nigeria has an abundance of labor and scarce talent. The average Nigerian could find employment based on the culture, religion, language, gender and educational qualifications. Attracting, developing, deploying and retaining talent has become a major concern in Nigeria. Nigeria has been facing the challenge of managing religious and political diversity ever since its independence in 1960 (Anaba, 2011). In the aviation sector diversity matters to customers; hence, in the airline company proposed to be set up in Nigeria, diversity should be kept as a part of the hiring policy. The commercial airline is a highly competitive, safety-sensitive, high technology service industry (Applebaum & Fewster, 2002). The core competency can come from people and employees. Hence, the focus should be in managing people. The whole aviation sector functions as a traditional, top-down, highly divisionalized, industrial model of operations and governance. T o have a customer-centric, learning-oriented workforce capable of adapting to the strategic goals and the change-imperative facing the industry, diversity and equal opportunity are required. Southwest Airlines believes that its dedication to ensure employee diversity also ensures the right fit. They give preference to women and minorities in interviewing them ahead of other candidates. Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity at Continental Airlines experienced continued profits and double-digit growth. It has an aggressive attitude towards hiring, training and retaining minority employees as a result of which 23% of its employees and 37% of its employers are minorities. America West also has a corporate statement of commitment regarding equal employment opportunity that is updated annually. United is committed to provide opportunity for career advancement for women and minorities. Diversity matters to customers and this has been incorporated as the organization’s hiring po licy. Delta Airlines also promotes the development of women and black pilots in an industry where only 5% of all pilots are women and less than 1% is non-Caucasian. Applebaum and Fewster find that a high correlation exists between customer satisfaction and that of employees. A high correlation also exists between satisfied employees and world-class human resource practices. Women in Nigeria have

The Day My Life Changed forever Essay Example for Free

The Day My Life Changed forever Essay I had been awaiting her arrival for a long 9 months. Saying I was over ridden with joy was an untruth I was afraid to bare, So I put on a smile and pretended that the arrival of my first child was going to be a good experience. Truth be told I knew my life was about to change forever and I wasnt sure I was going to be a good mother. All these doubts running through my mind was almost draining out the pain of the inconsistent contractions in my belly, my head started spinning a little with the what ifs and possibilities of failure heightened by the anticipation of my Daughters arrival. I felt so alone even though I was surrounded by my family, I knew better than anyone that this burden would be mine alone, to bare for a lifetime. It was October 4th 2006 about 6:30 pm when the first contraction started. I was at home and had just got done eating dinner. It was the beginning of evening, and the sky was still bright from the sunset behind the mountains. The skies were almost clear with just a few clouds overhead. The house was calm and quiet, unlike the storm brewing inside my mind. Carried away and consumed in my own thoughts and fears, I almost didnt even notice the pain from the first contraction. I kept on with the clean up from dinner ignoring what I feared for more than 9 months, but when the second one came, my fear and knowledge of what was to come nearly consumed me. I immediately ignored the contractions and decided for a brief moment that it was gas and I was just imagining things. I decided that I would continue my house work and see how long I could go without informing my [then] husband. So I started to organize and straighten things in the house all the while my mind was going 300 miles per hour. I was consumed with worry and guilt because I knew that the truth of the situation was I was not ready to be a mother. I wanted more from my life then to just be a mother and a wife. I wanted a career, education, and experience, before I had to hand it all over and give up my freedom. It was a little too late for that now my Daughter was coming weather I liked it or not. I knew the contractions were not yet consistent so I hoped maybe this was just the pre-labor pains I was experiencing, and they would eventually subside and go away. I couldnt have been more wrong. My husband arrived home that evening around 8:30 pm and was exhausted from a long days work. He had been working two jobs lately to support us and prepare for the arrival of our baby. He sat defeatingly on the couch as if life had consumed him all day and he couldnt take one more bit of disappointing news. He looked so tired I didnt want to inform him of the long night I knew was ahead of us. His hair was disheveled, his face looked long and tired and his eyes were sad and dark. I wondered if our baby would look like him, maybe she would get this thick curly hair, or his tanned brown skin. Maybe she would have those big sad eyes with long eyelashes, or his cute rounded nose. I hope she had his smile. That is what I fell in love with, and those big beautiful sad eyes. Then maybe loving her would come easier. As I looked at my husband sitting on the couch nodding off to sleep, I almost didnt want to wake him and be the bearer of bad news. Let him sleep I thought he has had a hard day. These pains were becoming so intense I couldnt ignore them for much longer so I decided to time them before I disturbed him. I looked at the time and it was 8:45 pm. Here comes another, I held my breath and counted to 10, and then the pained eased, then ceased. I looked at the time, oh NO, it was 8:47 and here came another one. One two three, breath. I can’t keep this up much longer I think its time to tell him. I walked over and sat next to him on the couch, he opened his eyes and before I could say a word he noticed the tears in my eyes. †Whats wrong he asked? † with a look of worry on his face. I knew once I opened my mouth the truth was going to scare him so I thought I’d choose my words wisely to have a more positive effect, but before I could say anything the pain was back, and this time I closed my eyes and groaned, as my belly tightened. One two three, breath. I opened my eyes and the look of fear on his face was only there for a moment, he quickly smiled with excitement and asked if it was time. I told him yes and that I had been timing the contractions for about 15 mins and they were getting stronger and more consistent. He decided that we were going to the hospital and I called my best friend for a ride. After that everything became very chaotic. I wasn’t sure which was making me sick the pains from the contractions or the thought of everything that could go wrong. I was about to meet my child and was overcome with fear. I wondered why I wasn’t overjoyed, like other women described with their anticipation. Instead the fear and pain was starting to eat me alive. This burden I could not share with anyone, for fear of judgement. I couldn’t tell my best friend that I truly didnt want to be a mother and that I was sick with the idea of the responsibility. How was I supposed to reveal that this child growing inside of me was more of a burden than a blessing. What women would understand my feelings without judging me, or thinking I am a selfish women. I knew none of them understood because this was my duty as a wife and a woman. I felt guilty for wanting a different life and for thinking of my unborn child as a burden. An innocent life was about to be my responsibility and I wasnt ready. I wanted to scream and run away, this fear was too much. When my best friend arrived she was excited and happy. She was pregnant too and due three months from now. She kept saying we would remember this experience for a lifetime and how glad she was to be here with me for the birth of my first child. Her and my husband talked and and seemed very happy while we got things together to go to the hospital. I couldnt understand why I wasnt excited like them or happy that I was about to meet my first child. Instead my mind was going in circles trying to make sense of it all. All the different possibilities of how things could go wrong was scaring me more then anything else. I couldnt imagine How I could be happy at a time like this. Finally we were getting in the car. I started trying to calm my thoughts and counter them with rational thoughts, As the pain came and went the fear inside my mind stayed consistent and started to grow stronger. I could feel every bump on the road as if it were a bat beating against my pelvic bone. By the time we got to the hospital I was starting to cry. I wasnt sure if it was from the pains or if my fear and emotions had gotten the best of me, but it scared my husband and best friend so they started hurrying me out of the car. The hospital admitted me right away and got me in a birthing room quickly. The room was big and impressive for a hospital. It was very comfortable, there was a pink couch that ran against an entire wall. There was three green chairs for my guests and all of them reclined. The walls were painted blue, and wall papered with a pink blue and green contemporary design. My husband was really impressed with the 47 inch flat screen television on the wall with all the cable channels a man could want. There was large wooden storage cabinets that looked like an entertainment center urrounding the large TV on the wall. I had my own private bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub. My favorite part was the oversized window with the view of the city. It felt more like a hotel room rather than a hospital birthing room. As I undressed and lie on the bed I keep thinking this is all happening too fast and I just want my mom. So my best friend decided to go pick her up. the doctor came in and checked my cervix to see how far I was dilated and informed me that I wasn barely at 2 cm. She asked if my water had broke yet, and I told her no. She said they would monitor me for a while but if my water didnt break then they would have to send me home. So I began to walk hoping it would increase my contractions and allow my water to break. My mother arrived quickly and gave me a great deal of comfort and reassurance. She rubbed me on the back and held my hand as we walked while she recounted the birth of my brothers and I. She told me how proud she was of me and that everything was going to work out just fine. She said that I was going to make such a great mother and went on and on about how my daughter would change my life as I had changed hers. Of course this made me feel even worse about my own thoughts and yet I still couldnt understand why I was feeling so selfish and scared about becoming a mother. We walked for a while and then my feet grew tired so my mother thought we could try a warm bath. So we went back to my room and I got in the bath in my room . We had been there for hours already and nothing seemed to be happening, I began to get frustrated with the progress of this event I was exhausted and wanted this to be over with already. The Doctor came in and checked again to see if I had dilated any more and I seemed to be at a standstill. The Doctor decided to send me home because I wasnt dilating. So I went home I was angry and frustrated and just wanted this to be over with a already I wasnt sure I could bear this pain for much longer but I knew this was involuntary and I just had to deal with it the way it was. We got home around 12:30am and decided to try and get some sleep I was so restless from the pain that I couldnt find a comfortable position to sleep tossing and turning over and over again I thought I might go crazy. I finally found a comfortable position and nodded off to sleep. I was sleeping for maybe and hour when a sharp pain woke me from my sleep. This contraction was more intense than the others but I wasnt sure it was going to make a difference. I lie there in my bed awake and still wondering if the pain would return, and sure enough it did . One two Three breath, I counted out loud and this time I felt the pain in my back as well. I knew these pains were different, and as I considered waking my husband to tell him, I felt a gush of water coming from between my legs. I quickly woke my husband up and told him â€Å"My water just broke†. He jumped up and ran to get the phone. We both knew that this time it was real. He called his mom to come get us and I got up and got dressed. I noticed as I was cleaning myself up that the water was green and had a funny smell. When I realized the seriousness of that I called to my husband. Went he came into the room and I showed his he didnt understand why, it could be a bad thing so I explained about women who go past their due date sometimes the baby defecates inside the womb and if the child ingests that bacteria I could be very dangerous to their health. I knew this because this happened to a friend of mine a few years before, her baby was very sickly for six months and then lost her battle when the infection took the childs life. Would this happen to my baby too I wondered? His mother arrived then and we started towards the door. Then the pain came again, One two three, breath. The pain increased so much that I was doubled over in tears. I was no extremely scared that my thoughts, doubts, and selfish thinking was going to cost my childs health. Now the guilt set in and I started praying. Oh Lord please dont let my baby be sick. I swear I will do the best I can if you just give me a good chance and a healthy baby. Please dear God hear my desperate plea. We arrived at the hospital again and this time I was in so much pain I asked for the epidural I couldnt do this naturally what was I thinking. I needed some pain medication because this was awful . The nurse came in to give me an IV. She poked me so many times that I started to cry again. She missed the vein three times and once she blew a bubble in my arm. I started yelling at her and asked for a different nurse. A new nurse came in and gave me and IV in her first try. I asked again for an epidural and the nurse checked to see how dilated I was. I was dilated to 4cm so she said she would call the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist came and had to put a long needle in my spine, to feed the medicine for the epidural. I had to sit really still and couldn’t move. Again I was scared but I felt much better holding on to my husband and my mom. After the medicine took effect I was feeling much better. The pain was now manageable and I could get some sleep. After an hour the Doctors came in to talk to me. They said that the epidural slowed my contractions and they wanted to give me a shot of pitocin to increase my contractions. I agreed and told them about the color when my water broke. They said they would keep a close eye on me and the baby. I decided to get some sleep. I was still scared of becoming a mother and was struggling with my thoughts of being selfish and worry of not being a good mother. But now the thoughts of worry had taken over and I was concerned for my childs health. I kept thinking that what if while we were waiting for my body to dilate my baby was getting sick inside me and I could be losing her. I thought of how selfish I had been throughout my pregnancy, and how I would feel if I had a sickly child or even worse a still born. My thoughts were running wild while my family sat around in the room sharing stories of love family and children. I couldnt help but envy them and their happiness. I wondered if I would ever have that happiness and share stories with my children like that. I feared I wouldnt instead that I would always be selfish and resent my life and wish for my freedom. The worst part was how could I expect my child to love me if I was a selfish women. Was I capable of being a good mother even though I was feeling so selfish and resentful. I layed there for about 7 hours with little progress in the labor. It had already been 24 hours since my first contraction and I was feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvic bone. I called for the Doctor and she said I was only dilated to 8cm and that I hadnt been dilating for three hours. I told her that I felt sick and wanted a c section. She strongly advised me against it. I insisted that something was wrong and if I was supposed to have the baby naturally that my body would still be dilating. She finally agreed and brought me the forms to sign. She told my family that only one person was allowed in the room with me because it was surgery. I picked my husband and she gave him a sterile gown to put on with a cap and gloves. This was it I was about to see my baby for the first time. I was scared and excited at the same time it was like a bittersweet feeling but I just wanted to meet her I was exhausted from the anticipation already and was really anxious. hey took me into the delivery room and strapped me to this board and put a curtain over me. I could feel them tugging and pulling my belly but it was numb so it was sort of like an out of body experience. I lay there asking over and over if everything was okay. My husband held my hand tightly and reassured me everything and fine. It felt like an eternity lying there not knowing if she was going to be alright or if my thoughts had caused something to go badly or if I was going to have a sick baby. They called my husband to go cut the umbilical cord and I just laid there in what felt like purgatory, and seemed like an eternity . Then I saw them take her over to the pediatric table and she wasnt crying yet I started crying because I hadnt heard her cry yet I thought something was wrong. Just as I was asking if she was ok I heard her cry. Tears of relief streamed down my face. They cleaned her up and my husband brought her over to me to see her. She was beautiful, she had dark black hair cute little brown slanted eyes like mine , big chubby cheeks and her daddys nose. I fell in love with her immediately and all the worry and selfish thoughts were gone. She was an angel and God sent her to me. It took awhile for me to recovery and be able to hold her but once she was in my arms I couldnt let her go. I knew that being a good mother to her would be the most significant thing I could ever do in my entire life. I promised myself that day that no matter what feelings I have I was going to be the best mother I could possibly be to her. I would always put her first even when I didnt want to and I would always make sure she is safe and loved. That day My life changed. That Day I went from being a selfish women to being a mother of a beautiful little girl . She will always be one the best thing that ever happened to me.

Aluminium Wings Verses Composite And Future Wing Materials Engineering Essay

Aluminium Wings Verses Composite And Future Wing Materials Engineering Essay The comparison of the properties of the materials used in aluminium and composite wings and the advantages and disadvantages of which they both possess and make them suitable for use within the manufacture of wings. A discussion of future materials which have been developed and are suitable for the use in wings will also take place. Collected information came from appropriate websites and books. Aluminium is the widest used material for the manufacture of aircraft wings to date since the first time it was used in the 1920s. Now the use of composites is becoming greater utilized in the manufacturing of aircraft wings at present instead of traditional aluminium wings. This is mainly to do with the weight saving properties that composites can posse. Weight saving properties is just one of the advantages of composite materials, another can be stiffness, but there are also disadvantages to using composites compared to aluminium, such as if they get damaged they need replacing immediately unlike aluminium which is very tolerant to damage. Aluminium production and repair is also much easier than that of composites. Aluminium and composites both have their own advantages and disadvantages and their properties have to be taken into account before any material changes are made. Future developments will hopefully provide a material that which will provide sufficient advantages and mini mal disadvantages compared over composites or aluminium. This report will look at the Boeing 737, which features aluminium wings, and the Boeing 787 dreamliner, which incorporates composite wings, and refer to them for the comparison of the different properties and structures of the two wing types. It will look at each type of material found in a traditional aluminium aircraft wing structure at present and will go into depth about the use of composites in wings instead of aluminium at present and in the future. The types of composites used, as well as investigating whether the structure of the wing had to be altered to compensate for the different properties of the composites will be discussed. The strength and weight properties of each different type of aluminium and composites used in an aircraft wing will also be examined. Types of corrosion which occur on an aluminium wing, including the inspection and repair of it will also be included, as well as the inspection and repair of composite materials and the types of damage which can occur in composites, such as delamination. The cost of production and repair of composites compared to aluminium and aluminium alloys, as well as the weight saved resulting in lower running costs for the company will be examined. The collected information will then be compared and advantages and disadvantages of each type of wing will be produced. It will also look at future aircraft wing materials, such as the use of incorporating aluminium with composites, and if they will change the way aircraft looks at present. The different properties of the new materials will also be examined and compare to the properties of both aluminium and composite wings. An overall conclusion of all the main findings and collected information will also be given. Recommendations will also be given at this point. Methodology After deciding what the topic of the report was going to be about, the research undertaken would need to be relevant. The first part of the study was to find information about Aluminium wings and the materials and structures which made them. This part incorporated finding and recording relevant information from certain websites off the internet. Another source used was finding appropriate books which gave suitable information about the subject in hand. Finding information on composite materials and structures was carried out by the same method. Locating appropriate information about future aircraft wing materials was carried out only with the use of the internet. Findings Aluminium wings Types Aluminium (Al) has been used in aircraft since the 1920s due to it being lightweight while also being relatively strong. It is used over steel as aluminium is three times the density less then that off steel, this means that for the same density the aluminium would be three times thicker, resulting in it being much stronger. Aluminium is also has good corrosion resistance, which is an advantage as an aircraft is subject to all weather conditions. Nowadays aluminium is joined with other elements to change the properties of the metal, improving specific areas of it, creating an aluminium alloy. At the present time, Aluminium alloys make up a vast total of a commercial aircrafts unloaded weight. Alloys Adding different elements to aluminium improve different properties, for example adding zinc to aluminium will improve the strength of the material. The added zinc allows the aluminium to be heat treated, where the metal is heated and cooled which in turn changes the structure of the metal along with its properties. More than one element can be added at the same time resulting in different properties being produced from having the same main alloying element. Even tho some of the properties of the aluminium will improve, the alloying elements need to be correctly chosen as other properties within the metal will be sacrificed. Certain aluminium alloys are used in the manufacturing of aircraft wings, the types of aluminium alloys, along with where it is used, the elements which are used to create the alloy and the improved properties are listed in the table below. Al Alloy Area Used Elements (%) Properties 7178 Spars, Beams, upper wing skin Zinc, magnesium, copper High compressive strength to weight ratio 7055 Lower wing skin Zinc, magnesium, copper Improved stress corrosion and fatigue resistance 7075 Wing ribs zinc Improved stress corrosion cracking resistance, high mechanical properties 2024 Slats, flaps copper Good fatigue performance, fracture toughness, slow propagation rate The Boeing 777 also uses the aluminium alloy 7055 due to it having a greater compressive strength than other alloys that had been tried before. Due to this, it was able to be used in the manufacture of parts of the wing, in the stringers and the upper wing skin. Corrosion Even though Aluminium has good corrosion resistance, it is still susceptible to corrosion. Aluminium is somewhat protected from corrosion as an aluminium oxide film forms on the surface. This is due to the aluminium being protected from additional oxidation by the existing aluminium oxide film. Minimal corrosion, such as light surface or small pitting corrosion, does not normally cause a problem to the metal. Heavier corrosion occurring in metals used on aircraft is not wanted as it can lead to a weakening in the structural rigidity of the metal. If this is not rectified it can lead to a structural failure within part of the aircraft. Corrosion can occur in many different forms, which include pitting, intergranular, and galvanic corrosion. Pitting This is one of the main types of corrosion which occurs on an aircrafts wing. This type of corrosion is a localised type and starts on the surface of a metal, whether it is on the skin panels of the aircraft or within the aircraft itself. It works its way through the surface protection of the metal, and then penetrates its way further into the metal creating a hole within the metal itself. Due to metals have different mechanical and chemical properties, when pitting corrosion occurs, the pits created will be different from one metal to another, as shown in on the right. This hole decreases the strength of the metal due to the grain damage caused by the pitting corrosion.pitting_shape.gif Detection One way of detecting certain corrosion is by using x-rays or gamma rays to take a picture of the piece of metal suspected of having corrosion. Once the picture is developed, it is clear to see where the corrosion, such as pitting, is taking place in the metal, as it produced a darker spot on the film. This is due to less of the radiation being absorbed where the corrosion is taking place. If pitting corrosion is taking place, the image can be used also to establish the depth of the pit within the metal. Another way of determining whether pitting corrosion has occurred on a piece of metal is by the use of Eddy currents. This type of non-destructive testing uses magnetic fields, where the metal object being tested is placed. The magnetic field is produced by putting an alternating current through a coil. An alternation in the back EMF (Electromotive force) occurs when the eddy current gets disturbed by a pit in the metal. This alternation is amplified so it can be seen as an image or heard as a sound by the operator. Prevention There are lots of ways to try and prevent corrosion from occurring. One method is to uses surface treatments which protect the surface of the metal, therefore reducing the chance of corrosion and painting the metal surface can also prevent corrosion as no air or moisture can tough the metal. The use of cathodic protection can also prevent corrosion. Composites The use of composites within aircrafts is a relatively new concept. They were first introduced in the 1980s in secondary aircraft components, such as wing leading and trailing edges, and then as more composites were produced they made their way into larger structures in the 1990s. The Boeing 787 dreamliner tries to make the fullest use out of composite materials that is possible. Around 50% of the full aircraft, including several parts of the wings are manufactured using composites. The rest is manufactured using other materials, such as aluminium, which incorporate properties which at the present cannot be bettered by composites. At the moment composites are used mainly on non structural parts of the wings, and are used on parts such as the wings skins and the flaps. The great attraction for airline industries to use composites within the manufacture of their aircraft is because composites can be strong, and at the same time be lightweight. This means that heavier metals can be replaced with lighter weight composites which have the same strength. This causes the overall weight of the aircraft to decrease, resulting in a more fuel efficient aircraft as less fuel is needed to be burned to move the aircraft. This is an advantage to an airline company as it would result in lower running costs for that aircraft. Costs in manufacturing were also managed to be reduced as during assembly, a smaller quantity of fasteners were needed and there were also a smaller amount of parts required to construct the component. Composites do have disadvantages compared to metals for use within aircraft. One of these is that damage to composites can be difficult to see. Another is due to the fact that composites do not conduct electricity which may cause a problem if the aircraft is struck by lightning. These have also been concerns regarding the safety of the use of composites if there was a crash. Make up Composites are made up by joining together two or more materials which creates a material with improved properties compared to that of both original materials. Composites are made up of a matrix, which is a resin which joins together with a reinforcing material, which is a fibre. There are different types of reinforcing fibre and matrix which individually have different properties and need to be carefully chosen to make sure that they will be suitable for their purpose within the aircraft if chosen. The most commonly used reinforcing fibre used in aircraft is Kevlar. This is due to it having the greatest impact resistance and tensile strength compared to all other reinforcing materials while still being reasonably light. Types Carbon fibre reinforced plastic is the composite used within the manufacture of the Boeing 787 aircraft wing. This composite is used as it has lightweight qualities while also being very strong, and can have the equivalent strength to steel. It is manufactured using carbon fibre as the reinforcing fibre and the matrix is usually epoxy. Damage One of the main disadvantages with the use of composites is the difficulty to tell if damage has occurred within it, this can be known as barely visible damage. This is due to the way in which the composite structure is manufactured and that the majority of the damage will occur behind the surface. The surface of the composite may only seem to have a small bit of damage, such as a bit of scratched paintwork, while behind it the inside of the structure has been badly damaged. Delamination can happen due to moisture being able to go through the surface of the composite. If this moisture freezes, which can occur at high altitudes, it will start to force the layers of the composites apart. This could continue to occur if undetected causing serious damage to the composite structure. Fibre damage, where the fibres within the reinforcing material break, and matrix damage, where the matrix splits, may also occur if there is damage to the composite. Inspection There are several ways of testing for damage to composites. The simplest one of these is tap testing. This is where the surface of the composite is tapped using either a light hammer or a coin. An area of which is undamaged will make a ringing sound where as a duller note will be heard if the area is damaged. A more accurate version of this method can be had with the use of an electronic tap tester. Other methods of detecting damage are with the use of ultrasonic or x-ray machines. All these forms of testing are known as non destructive testing. This is due to no damage is needed to be made to the component getting tested by any of these methods. Repair Unlike Aluminium which can withstand damage and still be useable, composites when damaged have to be either repaired or replaced immediately. Repairing a composite panel is considerably more difficult than repairing an aluminium panel. This means that the repair will take a longer time in comparison, and will mean that the aircraft will be out of service longer. The cost of the materials to replace the damaged part is also more expensive, and may not be available at the airport where the damage is detected. Special training for working with composites may also be needed, resulting in even greater costs for the airline operator. Lightning Strikes The use of metal wing skins meant that if there was a lightning strike on the aircraft, it would be dispersed over the whole body of the aircraft and would dissipate at the end of the wings, through static dischargers, due to its conductive nature. The problem with the use of some composites as a wing skin is that they are considerable less conductive compared to a metal wing skin. Therefore, this could lead to damage occurring to the composite panel as the intensity of the lightning strike would be concentrated on the spot it hit as there would be no way for the energy to disperse due to the non conductive nature of the composite. The main danger of this is that the energy of the lightning bolt may be able to penetrate through the surface of the skin enough to produce a spark inside the wings where the fuel tanks are. This spark could cause the fuel vapour within the tanks to ignite, causing an explosion within the wing. Boeing have created several ways to prevent this scenario from occurring within their 787 dreamliner. The main method is having a thin metal mesh on the outside of the composite. This causes the composite skin panel to act in the same way as the metal one, and disperse the energy of the lightning strike over the whole surface of the aircraft. They also make sure that each fastener holding the composite skin panel to the wing structure is tightly fitting, preventing sparking from occurring between the spaces. Edge sealant will also be used to make sure there are no gaps present, and can be of either a glass fibre or goop. The use of a nitrogen generating system will be used to add nitrogen into the fuel tank, which will mix with the fuel vapours creating a safer non-flammable mixture should a spark occur. Future Materials New materials are continually being created by the aviation industry to try and lighten their aircrafts, and thus making them more appealing to airline operators. There has been increased competition to try and make composite materials which can be used throughout an aircraft. Other manufacturers are looking for slightly different ways to improve on materials that are available at present, with the use of shape memory alloys. Composite Spar Al/Composite The continued development of composites has lead to the creation of a material which incorporates both aluminium and composite. This material would be ideal for the use in aircraft wings due to several properties in which it possesses. The main one being that it is virtually fully resistant to metal fatigue. Metal fatigue comes about due to the cyclic loading of material. This will lead to a failure of the metal after a crack starts within the component then increases in size. This is relevant in aircraft wings as they experience cyclic loading as the lift generated by them changes during flight, such as take off and during patches of turbulence. Compared to the manufacturing costs of composites, the manufacturing costs of this material are significantly lower. As well as this, repairs to damaged sections are more straightforward compared to composites, which reduce the cost. The strength properties in which this material holds are greater than the composites which are used in aircraft wings at the present time. The most noticeable being the Boeing 787 which incorporates carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Due to this increased strength, the thickness of the material needed can be reduced and this can lead to a weight saving of around twenty percent, which is equivalent of between 600 to 800kg. This reduction in weight will cause a reduction in fuel use, along with the reduction in maintenance cost will reduced the overall running costs imposed on the airline operator. Morphing wing Shape memory alloys have existed for a reasonable long time, but it is only recently in which it has found a purpose within the airline industry. The use of shape memory alloys within the manufacture of aircraft wings is being looked at to improve the efficiency of the wing. This would happen as the flight crew would be able to change the shape of parts of the wing during different flight operations. There has been research into the development of a fully morphing wing and also that of a morphing winglet. Both of these ideas would lead to several advantages, but there are also disadvantages of the use of shape memory alloys. The main advantage of this material is that it can remember its shape after being deformed. When the material has been deformed, if the material is then heated to a certain temperature it will return to original shape. These materials also incorporate the property of Pseudo elasticity, which is super elasticity. This is when if the alloy is subjected to load it will stretch and change form. The load imposed on the material will then be absorbed, and it will return to its original form and shape. Shape memory alloys, such as Nickel Titanium, can be polished to give very smooth finishes resulting in a reduction in drag as the air flows over it. There are disadvantages which hold up the development of shape memory alloys, which include the difficulty and the cost of manufacture. The main problem with the use of this material in aircraft wings is that it does not have very good fatigue properties, which one needs. A shape memory alloy is manufactured to the shape in which it will take when heat is applied to it. As the reactivity of titanium is high, the use of a vacuum during manufacture is common. Hot working is one of the methods used to create these types of alloy and is where the material is heated up to temperatures of 900oc and then shaped. Cold working is another method that can also be used, but comes with the disadvantage that the material need constant heat treatment due to work hardening occurring. The use of this material in winglets would allow the winglets to change shape depending on the flight conditions such as the relative airspeed of the aircraft. This would allow them to have the most efficient angle between them and the wing. A reduction in wing vortices would then be able to occur over each flight operation. The drag experience on the aircraft at each point would be minimised, in turn reducing the fuel consumption of the aircraft as less thrust is required to move the aircraft would decrease. The idea of the winglets flattening out during takeoff and landing is also being examined as the wing would produce more lift at the slower speeds. This means there would be a reduction of noise generated from the engines as less thrust would be required. Constructing a wing out of smart alloy materials has been look at as it could lead to several advantageous properties, such as weight saving and reduction in drag. This means that the wing could change shape during flight operations to make them more efficient. The wing surface would be continuous as there would be no gaps in between flap and the surface would be smoother as there would be fewer rivets needed. This would result in a reduction of drag generated from the surface of the wing. A reduction in weight could be seen from the removal of the hydraulic system needed to move the control surfaces of the wing at present. There has also been investigation into using the shape memory alloy for use in just the leading and trailing edges as a replacement for the traditional metal flaps. The overall result of using shape memory alloys to replace traditional wings would be better fuel consumption as there would be a reduction of drag and weight. Discussion Conclusion I recommend that there should be a continued development of composites within the airline sector. This will lead to the manufacture of composites which are strong enough to be used on the main structural parts of the wings, and which could also be used on other components of the aircraft. The more widely use of composites would also lead to a reduction of weight of the aircraft, making them more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly. This would also be an advantage for the airline company as there would be a reduction in the amount of fuel needed resulting in reduced running costs.

Romeo as a Tragic Hero Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

â€Å"A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;† (Prologue, 6) Tragedy, events of great misfortune, has engulfed the world for centuries. Tragedy often giving rise to feelings of depression, anger, sorrow, and guilt. Romeo, in the tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, is a wealthy adolescent of the Montague family. He falls in love with young Juliet, of his rival family—the Capulets. Romeo’s infatuation with Juliet leads to a hasty desire for marriage. This creates a rash and careless mindset, making Romeo susceptible to errors in judgement. This same poor judgment causes Romeo to thoughtlessly slay Tybalt, as revenge for the death of his friend, Mercutio. Through fate, Romeo coincidentally falls in love with a Capulet, his family’s rival. It is ultimately Romeo’s hamartia, combined with chance, and death, that produce the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is only human, an as such, will inevitably make errors—but some will have a much larger impact than others. Hamartia, or a tragic flaw, is an error in a certain character, which leads to his destruction. During the Capulet’s masquerade ball, Romeo is love-struck at the sight of Juliet, for â€Å"[he] ne’er saw true beauty till [that] night.† (I, v, 52). Romeo is suddenly entranced and overcome by emotion. Romeo feels forced to linger and see Juliet once again. He finds Juliet, on a balcony, unaware of his presence. Juliet secretly hopes Romeo would â€Å"refuse [his] father and refuse [his] name:† (II, ii, 34). Romeo, struggles with the notion of betrayal of his family. Refusing his father would lead to the loss of his entire inheritance. This choice imposes compromise upon Romeo. He must make a tough decision—his lifestyle or his love. Romeo’s naive infatuation with Jul... ...rong sense of pathos and pity in the audience. The viewers are meant to feel connected to the experiences of the actors by being reminded of similar circumstances in their own lives. Romeo’s hamartia, combined with chance and death truly do produce the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo’s tragic flaw leads to infatuation and haste—bringing about his recklessness. Chance then causes a chain of unfortunate events; Tybalt’s chance encounter causing Romeo’s exile, as well as Romeo’s fatal decision to commit suicide moments before Juliet’s awakening. Death adds yet another layer of tragedy, by connecting the loss of characters in the play to feared real-world loss of family and friends. Although tragedy was ever-present in Romeo and Juliet, the characters learned from their mistakes and grew stronger from their failures. Perhaps we will be able to do the same.

Culture from Cranium :: essays research papers fc

Culture from Cranium Eliot Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the history of anthropology it has been a popular view that people are largely products of their culture, and not the other way around. Yet culture is an exclusively human phenomenon. While it is true that everyone lives within a cultural context, and that context accounts for varying degrees of who that person is (indeed, there are those who say that certain people are wholly products of their culture), the reverse is also true. Each person, then, has some degree of impact on the culture around him or her. The current culture of this country, for example, was hugely shaped by the intellects and ideals of those who founded it, even of the original European settlers. Just as a person can be almost fully created by their culture, so can a culture result almost fully from one person's intellect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been many cases of such things happening throughout history. Some have met with success, and some not. For the purposes of this essay I have chosen to examine one case, which, considering it's sharp deviation from the cultural context from which it came, was surprisingly successful. The Oneida Community, in Oneida, New York was a unique religious communist society in the mid-nineteenth century. The community was based on the radical religious beliefs, and biblical interpretations of John Humphrey Noyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Noyes grew up in a well to do household in Vermont. He Graduated from Dartmouth College in 1830 with high honors. Up to that point he had been cynically agnostic. But in 1831 he attended a revival with his mother lead by Charles Finney, the leader of a large religious movement in the northeast. Deeply moved he decided to enter the ministry. Noyes attended the Andover Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. It was at Yale that he started developing his controversial views, which then prevented him from being ordained. He decided that when one accepted Jesus that they were then totally without sin and had achieved a state of spiritual perfection. He also became convinced, as he wrote in a letter to a friend, that he was God's agent on Earth. Returning to Vermont, Noyes assembled a core group of 32 followers, consisting of his family and some friends, calling themselves the Putney Association. In 1844 the group adopted communism. They owned three houses, a store, a small chapel for collective worship, and ran two farms. Two years later they began practicing the systems of Mutaual Criticism and Male Continence. These practices lead to the persecution of the group by the surrounding communities, culminating in the arrest and indictment of Noyes.

Essay --

K-pop, also known as Korean Pop Music, is a musical genre containing electronic, hip hop, pop, rock and R&B music originating from South Korea. K-pop started in the early 1990s and grew from a musical genre into a subculture among teenagers and adults throughout East and Southeast Asia in the late 2000s. In 1957, American music started influencing Korean Music which led to many comparing the two genres together. Ever since Korean artist Psy has taken the world by storm with his single "Gangnam Style", K-pop is becoming more globally recognized. Many people are new to the genre K-pop and try to compare it to American pop music. Although there are some similarities, there are major differences between the two. K-pop is often critique for misusing English words in its lyrics and having meaningless song titles. Many k-pop songs have simple and repetitive lyrics that make little to no grammatical sense. K-pop also throws in a lot of English phrases into their songs and sometimes it is misused causing parts of the song to not make sense. My interviewee, Tina, played a few k-pop songs that had English phrases in it that didn’t make much sense. One of the songs was â€Å"Mama† by Exo. There was a phrase in the song that went â€Å"Careless, careless. Shoot anonymous, anonymous. Heartless, mindless. No one. Who care about me?† and I had no idea what this meant. When I first listened to it, I thought it was silly and random but the next day after the interview, I found myself singing the lyrics to the song. Tina was telling me this is the power of k-pop. Even though the lyrics and English phrases don’t make sense, the beat is catchy enough to make you sing along to it. â€Å"Another song I didn’t like when I first listened to was Bar Bar Bar by Crayon Po... .... The song â€Å"Swagger Jagger† is about somebody who steals somebody else’s style. I found the lyrics kind of full of herself and very self-centered because she think people are stealing her style and declaring hate on them. While Crayon Pop’s song was about inspiring people to have fun. The lyrics to â€Å"Swagger Jagger† were somewhat sending a message to all her haters who stole her unique style I don’t think this song sends a good message because it’s essentially telling people it’s alright to hate. There was no real choreography during the entire concert. She just walked back and forth around the stage. There were times when she would start jumping to get the crowd hyped up and shook people’s hand but there was no real dancing throughout the concert. I was not into the performances as much as I was with Crayon Pop. The music was good but it wasn’t as fun and enjoyable.

Mercury Drug Research Essay

Mercury Drug Corporation is the Philippines’ dominant pharmacy group. The Quezon City-based company operates a national chain of more than 450 drugstores, including company-owned and franchised stores. Mercury Drug is estimated to sell as much as 60 percent of all medicines sold each year in the Philippines (the country’s hospitals sell about 12 percent of medicines). Mercury Drug’s pharmacies follow the American model, combining drug and medical equipment sales with over-the-counter medicines, personal care items, basic household needs, cosmetics and other beauty products, and the like. Most of the company’s stores also are equipped to store and sell serums, blood plasma, albumin, and similar biologically active medical products. In addition to its drugstores, Mercury operates a chain of Mercury Drug Superstores. Generally attached to the company’s pharmacies, the Mercury Drug Superstores extend the group’s assortment to include convenience store and fast-food items. By the mid-2000s, Mercury Drug Corporation operated more than 150 Mercury Drug Superstores. Founded by Mariano Que, who first sold pills from a pushcart in the 1940s, Mercury Drug Corporation remains a privately held company. Leadership of the company also remains in the family: The company’s president is Mariano Que’s daughter, Vivian Que-Ascona. Mercury Drug is a subsidiary of the Mercury Group of Companies, which governs other Que family interests, including the 10*Q convenience store chain and the Tropical Hut fast-food group. In 2003, Mercury Drug’s revenues amounted to nearly PHP 43 billion ($8.8 billion). Founding a Filipino Pharmacy Giant in the 1940s Mariano Que started his career working in a Manila drugstore in prewar Philippines. There he came into contact with many medications, including the newly discovered class of sulfa drugs, including sulfathiazole. These new drugs, developed by German scientists in the early 1930s, were quickly hailed as new â€Å"miracle† drugs. Indeed, the sulfa drugs enabled the treatment of many illnesses, such as pneumonia, gonorrhea, and other bacterial infections, that previously had been difficult, if impossible, to treat. Despite the fact that the sulfa drugs later were shown to have a number of undesirable side effects (they formed deposits in the kidneys, and bacteria quickly became resistant), they were credited with saving millions of lives around the world through World War II. The end of the war and the liberation of the Philippines by U.S. forces brought new business opportunities in the country. During the occupation, supplies of medicines had become scarce, and the immediate postwar period saw a surge in demand for sulfa drugs, and sulfathiazole, considered by many to be a virtual cure-all. With most of the country’s businesses, including its pharmacies, destroyed during the war, much of the country’s trade shifted to its busy marketplaces. Mariano Que, inspired by the new entrepreneurial spirit, used his drugstore experience to launch his own business. At first, Que bought and sold medical vials and capsules. After he had generated sufficient savings, however, he took PHP 100 (worth about $1.50 at the time) and bought a bottle of sulfathiazole tablets. Que brought the sulfathiazole bottle to Manila’s busy Banbang market and sold the pills—in single doses. The method of selling, known as â€Å"Tingi-tingi,† became extremely popular in the poverty-stricken Philippines, bringing life-saving medications within financial reach of many more people than before. Que invested his profits in purchasing more pills, and before long he had generated enough revenue to buy a pushcart, which he filled with an expanding assortment of pharmaceuticals. The unregulated nature of the country’s drug market, especially its pharmaceutical black market, led to abuses by sellers, who sometimes peddled fake or dangerous formulations, or sold medications long out of date, often at extortionist prices. Que, however, built a reputation for the quality and freshness of his products, and also for the fairness of his prices. Before too long, he had built up a steady clientele, and in March 1945, Que opened his first store. Que named the Bambang-located store Mercury Drug, after the Roman god and bearer of the caduceus, the symbol of the medical profession. Branching Out in the 1970s Mercury Drug remained a one-store operation into the 1960s. In the meantime, Que continued to drive innovations in the Filipino pharmacy sector. In 1948, for example, Que began a drug delivery service, becoming the first to use motorized vehicles for swifter delivery times. In the 1950s, Que expanded his store hours, introducing a 17-hour-per-day, seven-days-per-week opening schedule. Part of the motivation behind the move came in recognition of a Filipino tendency to auto-medicate their illnesses. By remaining open  longer, Mercury Drug responded to its clients’ demands for increased access to pharmaceutical products. Launched in 1952, the new opening schedule was expanded to 24 hours per day in 1965. Mercury Drug began its drive to become the Philippines’ dominant drugstore group in the next decade. At the beginning of the 1960s, the company was contacted by the Ayala Corporation, which was building a shopping center in Makati. Ayala offered to lease space to Mercury, in order to include drugstore services at the center. Mercury agreed, and once again revealed its penchant for innovation, opening the country’s first self-service pharmacy in 1963. Two years later, Mercury opened its third drugstore, in Quiapo, which became the company’s flagship and set the model for its further development. In 1967, the company opened a centralized warehouse to serve its growing store chain, introducing computer-guided temperature controls to safeguard its products. Then, in 1969, the company became the first to introduce biological refrigerators in its stores. This permitted the company to assure the quality of its life-saving medicines. Mercury Drug began building out its n etwork of drugstores, staying close to the Manila market for much of the early 1970s. The company also began branching out beyond pharmaceutical sales. A significant early purchase was that of Medical Center Drug Corporation (MCDC). Founded in 1946, MCDC focused on sales of pharmaceutical supplies, equipment, and basic surgical instruments. The purchase of MCDC, complementary to its existing drugstore business, led Mercury Drug to change its structure. In 1972, Que created the Mercury Group of Companies, Inc., which in turn oversaw Mercury Drug and MCDC. Both companies remained independent of the other; in 1980, MCDC changed its name, to Medical Center Trading Corporation (MCTC), in order to highlight its difference from Mercury Drug. MCTC then grew into the Philippines’ leading importer and distributor of medical, hospital, laboratory, and related equipment, with branches throughout the Metro Manila and surrounding region. MCTC was not the only venture by Que (who was joined by daughter Vivian Que-Ascona, later president of Mercury Drug) to expand beyond his drugstore empire. The introduction of the convenience store concept in the Philippines in the early 1980s represented both a new source of competition for Mercury Drug and a new opportunity. Mercury developed its own convenience format in response to the growth of competitors such as 7-11. Typically located next to its drugstores, the Mercury Drug Superstores expanded the company’s range of goods beyond drugs and into wider consumer categories, such as beauty and personal care products, fast-foods, and the like. Separately, the Que family added other interests, including the Q*10 convenience store format and the Tropical Hut fast-food restaurant chain. Nonetheless, Mercury Drug Corporation remained the focus of the family’s holdings. â€Å"Oligopoly† in the New Century Mercury Drug, meanwhile, continued to grow strongly. In 1976, the company expanded beyond the Metro Manila market for the first time, and over the next decades added locations in the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions of the Philippines as well. Supporting this network was the implementation of a fully computerized warehousing, inventory, and order processing system, installed in 1985. Mercury Drug’s growth was impressive: By 1995, the company operated more than 270 stores. Less than ten years later, Mercury had expanded its number of branches to more than 450, giving it a near monopoly grip on the country’s drug sales. By 2004, Mercury controlled as much as 60 percent of all drug sales in the Philippines. Ironically, Mercury’s dominant position led the group, which had achieved its early growth based on its low prices, to be criticized for what many considered as its restrictively high prices. Indeed, as some critics pointed out, similar drugs could be purchased in India and other markets for as much as one-third the price Mercury Drug charged. In the early 2000s, the government began taking action to force the Philippines’ drug industry, including Mercury Drug, to lower prices on many life-saving medicines. As part of that effort, the country’s Trade and Industry and Health departments began encouraging the parallel importation of pharmaceutical generics from India, which had earned worldwide recognition for the quality of its generic equivalents. Company Perspectives: The company’s mission is continuously be the leading, trusted and caring drugstore. In 2004, the government stepped up its pressure. In September of the year, the government passed legislation expanding drug discounts for the country’s senior citizens. The country’s smaller independent drugstore owners protested the decision, in part because it was expected to serve only to increase Mercury’s dominance over the market—as the country’s largest retailer of pharmaceutical products, Mercury was easily able to negotiate discounted prices from its supplies. Also in that year, President Arroyo established the lowering of drug prices as one of the government’s priorities. In December 2004, the Filipino government announced a new plan to break what some were calling Mercury’s â€Å"oligopoly† on the country’s retail market. The Philippine International Trading Corp. (PICT), owned and run by the Filipino government, announced its intention to organize up to 300 of the country’s independent pharmacies into a new network of privately owned and operated drugstores, dubbed â€Å"Botika ng Bayan.† The new network would then sell drugs, sourced by PICT directly from drug companies, at prices as much as six times less expensive than â€Å"market†Ã¢â‚¬â€i.e., Mercury’s—rates. Despite these pressures, Mercury Drug Corporation remained a fixture on the Philippines pharmacy market. The company also remained one of the Philippines’ largest corporations, ranking in eighth place among the country’s largest corporations and third place among the corporations in the high-quality services/products br acket. Mercury Drug appeared to have discovered its own â€Å"miracle drug† for success. Principal Subsidiaries Mercury Drug Superstore. Principal Competitors Caltex; I-Mart International Corporation; Phils. Corporation; Easy Mart; Petron Corporation; Philippine Seven Corporation; Robinsons Convenience Store Inc.; Seaoil Philippines Inc.; Shell Philippines Inc.; Philippines Corporation. How did Mercury Drug Started? From its humble beginnings, Mercury Drug has gone beyond expectations. Shortly after the liberation of Manila from Japanese occupation, Mariano Que, realizing the need of the people for medicines, bought with his hard earned savings of P100 a bottle of 1000 tablets of Sulfathiazole and sold it â€Å"patingi-tingi† for P1.00 per tablet in the sidewalks of Bambang, Manila. Sulfathiazole is a wonder drug that cures all during that time. From pushcart – peddling and with his previous working experience in a drugstore before the war, he eventually opened his first small drugstore in Bambang Street. Mercury Drug has today grown into a vast network of over 700 company-owned and franchised stores nationwide. Mercury Drug Stores Success Mercury Drug believes that it owes its success to the millions of customers who have trusted and patronized the drugstore chain all throughout these years. Its feat could also not have been possible without its pool of professional and dedicated staff numbering close to 9,000 today. As a way of giving back to the people, Mercury Drug vows to bring quality, safe and affordable health-enhancing and life-saving medicines closer to the public. In the first place, it is what the name Mercury Drug stands for. In Roman mythology, Mercury is known as the god of commerce and manual skill. Being the messenger of gods, Mercury needed a winged feet for his swift flights. Mercury Drug remains committed to its name as seen on its corporate philosophy of total and speedy customer service: â€Å"To serve you, to have what you want, when you want it.† Aside from bringing its chain of stores closer to the homes of the people, Mercury Drug has constantly endeavored to reach the hearts of the customers. To achieve this, Mercury Drug has taken pride in the introduction of many firsts in the drug retailing business —all in an effort to satisfy, please and further serve the people. Mercury Drug Innovations In 1945, it opened a drugstore and one of its innovations is to sell â€Å"tingi-tingi† or piece by piece to those who could not afford to buy a whole bottle of medicine. Realizing that not everyone could go to the drugstore, Mercury Drug introduced the first motorized customer delivery service in 1948. Four years later, it commenced the 17-hour, 7 days a week drugstore service; in 1963, the country’s first self-service drugstore; in 1965, the 24-hour, 7 days a week service; in 1967, the first computerized temperature-controlled central warehouse; in 1969, the first drugstore chain to use biological refrigerators to preserve life-saving medicines and in 1976, the first drugstore chain to expand throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Mercury Drug believes that quality and life-saving medicines made affordable and accessible are as important today as it was then. Now more than ever, it is committed to introducing enhanced services to better serve the customers farther and wider, whoever and wherever they may be. For instance, Mercury Drug makes certain the availability of less common but life-saving medical products such as serum, blood plasma, albumin and the like that are stored in a Bio-refrigerator. This would require Mercury Drug to invest on modern technology and to continuously upgrade its facilities in its head office, stores and distribution centers. Aside from pharmaceutical products, it now carries basic household necessities such as food, health and personal care products and others for the buying convenience of its customers. It has also incorporated value added facilities and services in many of its drugstores. More and more branches are open on a 24-hour service all days of the week. Aside from cons istently complying with the 20% discounts to senior citizens, Mercury Drug has also launched its †Suki† card, a customer program as a way of expressing gratitude to its loyal customers. As a drugstore with a heart, Mercury Drug has been conducting â€Å"Operation Bigay Lunas† every March 1, on their anniversary day together with its business associates. For the past decade, this annual and all-day free clinic catering to the less-privileged provides medical consultations and free medicines to indigent patients in selected cities and municipalities nationwide. This year alone, it served more than 130,000 beneficiaries in around 63 cities and municipalities. In 2002, Mercury Drug, in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), has launched a program that has been helping rural and urban marginalized communities nationwide to have access to potable water system within their communities through the Artesian Well Project. The installation of this potable water system helped improved the quality of life of the beneficiaries by promoting better health and sanitation practices. Mercury Drug Perspectives and its Struggles with the Philippine Government In 2004, the government stepped up its pressure. In September of the year, the government passed legislation expanding drug discounts for the country’s senior citizens. The country’s smaller independent drugstore owners protested the decision, in part because it was expected to serve only to increase Mercury’s dominance over the market—as the country’s largest retailer of pharmaceutical products, Mercury was easily able to negotiate discounted prices from its supplies. Also in that year, President Arroyo established the lowering of drug prices as one of the government’s priorities. In December 2004, the Filipino government announced a new plan to break what some were calling Mercury’s â€Å"oligopoly† on the country’s retail market. The Philippine International Trading Corp. (PICT), owned and run by the Filipino government, announced its intention to organize up to 300 of the country’s independent pharmacies into a new network of privately owned and operated drugstores, dubbed â€Å"Botika ng Bayan.† The new network would then sell drugs, sourced by PICT directly from drug companies, at prices as much as six times less expensive than â€Å"market†Ã¢â‚¬â€i.e., Mercury’s—rates. Despite these pressures, Mercury Drug Corporation remained a fixture on the Philippines pharmacy market. The company also remained one of the Philippines’ largest corporations, ranking in eighth place among the country’s largest corporations and third place among the corporations in the high-quality services/products bracket. Mercury Drug appeared to have discovered its own â€Å"miracle drug† for success. Mercury Drug Mission Statement â€Å"Continuously be the leading, trusted and caring drugstore.† In the years to come, Mercury Drug will keep on looking for opportunities to further enable customers to have more access to quality, safe and life-saving medicines, thus enabling them to have more meaningful, healthier and longer lives. It will always pursue its commitment to better and further serve its customers whose trust and loyal patronage has allowed Mercury Drug to be of continued service to the nation. Mercury Drug Official Website: https://www.mercurydrug.com Mercury Drugstore| â€Å"This drugstore as I believe have also started as a small pharmacy and they grew to be a big chain of drugstores†inquire| â€Å"I like the idea of what they have presented to their clients and customers, you can have this Suki Card and earn points as you purchase in the mercury drugstores†inquire| â€Å"The best thing about mercury drugstores is that there are branches, usually near residential areas that have extended operating hours†inquire| â€Å"Mercury drugstore branches are also strategically placed in some shopping malls that is convenient for customers†inquire| | | | People in the Philippines, especially those who live in the urban areas are very much exposed to the drugstores called Mercury Drug. This is a local drugstorechain in the country that has quite a number of branches throughout the country. This drugstore as I believe have also started as a small pharmacy and they grew to be a big chain of drugstores. I like the idea of what they have presented to their clients and customers, you can  have this Suki Card and earn points as you purchase in the mercury drugstores; these points are then converted to cash to be used for your succeeding purchases. Known for having the most complete varieties of medicines, even those that are not very common, mercury drug sure has made their way to the top of the pharmaceutical industry as a retailer. Just a few years back, they have also put up some retail products sold in their bigger shops which is also good, since you can use your membership card with supermarket items like household products, or bread s, and chips. The best thing about mercury drugstores is that there are branches, usually near residential areas that have extended operating hours. This helps a lot to those families who will have emergencies and would need to buy medicines during these hours. They open early too, for those who will be going to the office, so they can purchase what they need first prior to their work time. Mercury drugstore branches are also strategically placed in some shopping malls that is convenient for customers; not only that, aside from the usual medicine, and healthcare products, Mercury Drug also are selling some medical equipments common to hospital patients and practitioners. The first Mercury Drug drive-thru The company began in 1945 with a single store. Today, Mercury Drug has more than 700 stores. Even with a wide lead over competitors, Mercury Drug still aspires to reinvent itself. I happen to pass by Madison St. in San Juan Greenhills and was surprised to see a Mercury with a drive-thru. Terms of UseCLOSE Please read this agreement carefully before accessing or using this site and its mobile applications. 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You can also use our web site, without disclosing your identity and without revealing any personally identifiable information, to learn more about Mercury Drug Corporation including but not limited to our products and services, promotions, company updates, special product offers and customer feedback. The personal information you provide when using the Mercury Drug web site such as your name, password, age, civil status, gender, mailing address, email address, telephone number, mobile number, Suki Card number, credit card information and other personal details are necessary information to allow you to use certain features and tools in our web site and for us to respond individually to your queries, provide  your required service, inform you of special product offers, process your order, conduct surveys or administer contests, if any. Disclosure of information All your personal information is not shared with or sold to any other third party entity or individual. We will not share or intentionally disclose your personal information other than to you, Mercury Drug Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates, your authorized representative(s) and agents, including medical professionals and our agents who are engaged or hired to perform functions on our behalf. These functions may include sending postal mails and e-mails, delivering packages, fulfilling orders, analysing information or processing payments. Our agents will not use your personal information for any purpose other than in performing their legitimate functions for Mercury Drug. By way of exception, we may share information about you with a third party whenever mandated or compelled by law, judicial proceeding or valid legal process (i.e. court warrants or subpoenas) , or to prevent harm or injury (such as product recalls or other circumstances). Links to Other Sites Mercury Drug’s web site may have links to other sites. Please be reminded that if you decide to access these links, you will be leaving our web site. Thus, we highly recommend that you fully and carefully read the privacy policies of those sites since Mercury Drug Corporation shall not be responsible for their contents, links or privacy policies. Security In our steadfast efforts to protect your personal data and information, Mercury Drug Corporation has adopted capable security measures and protection to safeguard your personal information. We utilize generally accepted standards for safeguards including administrative, technical and hardware measures. We also ensure that additional protections are in place for privileged or highly sensitive personal information. These safeguards and security protections are constantly updated, maintained and monitored by our qualified information technology professionals. Mercurydrug.com utilizes 256 bit encryption technology, thereby offering the highest level of encryption and security possible. This means you can be assured that  communications between your browser and our site’s web servers are private and secure. Updating of Personal Information You can review and update any of the personal information you provide us by emailing us or calling (632) 911-SUKI (7854). Our customer service representatives will assist you in updating your personal information. Changes to Our Policy This policy was last updated in February 2013. We reserve the right to modify, change or amend this policy at any time. Please check this policy periodically for changes. The use of information that you provide us now is subject to the privacy policy in effect at the time of use. Use of this Mercurydrug.com web site after modification of this policy is deemed to constitute your consent to this policy as amended.