Islamic or State schools

How Moslem parents make their determination of directing their kids to Islamic schools or to State schools.The survey of how Moslem parents decide to direct their kids to either Islamic Schools or public has now been studied for some clip and it has provided different replies for different inquiries. This survey has chiefly been carried out because of the now increasing grounds if the cultural and political differences being seen as a consequence of the diverse civilizations and faith in being amongst people of different ethnicities in the universe. For one to understand the strong differences that occur in people ‘s civilizations and beliefs, it is critical to look at the beginning of the procedure of socialization in a peculiar community or society. Socialization is the procedure whereby there is exchange of certain facets of a civilization between two different cultural societies. The socialization procedure normally begins at childhood. This is because kids are easy socialized in the norms that are involved in their civilization and this affects their societal mentality as they grow up. Education on the other manus is the transmittal of information and cognition from one coevals to the following. Education is a basic of every individual today to derive instruction. The Muslim civilization encourages its members to seek cognition. This is viewed to be one of the most cherished things that one can get in life because it enhances rational growing. Education is an single plus which no 1 can take away from another and which is necessary in traveling through life. In life and in Islam the greatest value of instruction is to enable one to supply good leading largely amongst the young person. The major aim of Islam is to enable the development of one ‘s character and besides one ‘s Islamic personality and this is what is emphasized in many Islamic schools . Parents play a major function in educating their kids. The initial instruction provided to kids under the counsel of their parents is really of import and shows the parents function. As kids grow the society they grow about has a great impact in act uponing the character of every single kid. However, the bad intelligence is that Moslems have been evidenced to be the most illiterate in the universe in a survey conducted in all Muslim states. This has led to many parents who value more limitless instruction for their kids to direct them to schools abroad to the western states. This has proved to be advantageous to their kids but has besides led to the debut of unobserved challenges to both the parents and the kids. For illustration In Britain, the Muslims send their kids to authorities schools and so they teach them at place or in the mosques. Consequently, like any other normal school in the universe, in province schools kids would frequently confront jobs like know aparting or strong-arming based upon their spiritual orientation. The harm whether it is psychological or physical can impact the behaviour and can act upon the Muslim pupil ‘s public presentation in the schoolroom. From the Muslim parents ‘ position, the cognition that their kids would have is traveling to be through a secular position and this frequently will be unfastened and indifferent towards any peculiar faith. As a consequence, there emerged two picks for Islamic parents to take in educating their kids. This is whether to direct them to Islamic schools or to province schools. This job started in the coming of the 20th century and due to chiefly Western influence and sometimes colonialism, Muslim parents sometimes preferable leaving merely secular cognition to their kids. The weak pupils were chiefly sent to spiritual schools known as Madrasas within their states. However those who migrated to the West chose to take their kids to both public and spiritual schools for a figure of grounds. These grounds applied both to those in the West and those in the middle-east. One of the best and most popular grounds among Muslim parents for the ground as to why they send their kids to Islamic schools is that it provides the perfect environing to larn the Muslim civilization because of an Islamic surrounding and environment. For illustration, kids in Muslim schools socialize with other kids of the Islamic followers and pray together in the Islamic manner. They are more significantly exposed to modern frailties that exist in urban and westernized schools such as fornication, intoxicant and drugs. Furthermore, Muslim schools are ideal centres to supply individuality in the society for kids. To turn out this, some interviewed Muslim kids attest that their parents would most likely send them to an Islamic school if there is the presence of one in their vicinity. This shows the penchant of many Muslim parents. Harmonizing to one Islamic based teacher in New York by the name of Yahiya Emerick states that Islamic Schools provide the kids with the chance to be able to place themselves with the Islamic community and its values and therefore it provides a sense of belonging to the kids and they feel that they belong to a certain community and proud to be identified with it. To back up this position, the president of the Muslim Education Council in Virginia points out that these Islamic schools provide a sense of dignity, pride and cultural individuality that the kids can non get in a populace or State school. His organisation Teachs largely decision makers and pedagogues about Islam and the Middle Eastern civilization. He besides adds that the sense of individuality comes from non merely socialising with other Muslim kids and praying together but besides from memories of praying and declaiming Islamic Bibles, listening to the Adhan and speaking about the jobs confronting the Islamic society and this proved to be invaluable for an Islamic person in the hereafter. However, there are many other grounds why parents sometimes prefer taking their kids to Islamic school. For illustration is that for illustration if a parent realizes that his kid is turning into being ill-mannered and boisterous, the parent may ensue in looking for a speedy solution to the state of affairs at manus and decide to direct his kid to an Islamic school and this is estimated to be the instance that has led about one tierce of the kids in Islamic schools to be admitted at that place. This nevertheless has proved to be extremely disadvantageous to Islamic schools because some of the kids expelled from public schools because of gross misconduct are being dumped in Muslim schools. This is said to be the consequence of the attitude of most Muslim parents that the Muslim establishments are effectual rectification centres for their kids alternatively of public schools which they see as holding a higher chance of being a accelerator for their kids ‘s bad behaviour. This has sometimes led to some parents kicking sometimes that Islamic schools are being a bad influence on their kids ‘s behaviour at times but Islamic establishments have been speedy to indicate out that the kids did n't all come a being of good behavior in the society and some had come from public school. Another good ground why Muslim parent take their kids to Muslim school is because they are more open to Islamic cognition in Muslim schools. The former president of the immature Muslims of Canada which is an organisation based in Ontario, Taha Ghayyur says that a batch of Canadian born Muslim kids have a batch of trouble in analyzing Arabic Hagiographas and the Quran and because of their interaction with other civilizations, they tend to hold a small difference in their position to Islam in comparing to their Middle-Eastern brothers and sisters. However, there are a figure of Islamic followings who besides believe that the information chiefly acquired in Islamic schools is much more limited as compared to that gained in Public schools. One of the people who support this position is Shabbir Mansuri who is the establishing manager if the institute of Fountain Valley which is a Council on Islamic Education based in California. Taking his illustration, he has three girls of which merely the youngest attends an Muslim school because Islamic schools were non available before when his two other girls were turning up. He points out that in the instance of his younger girl, she has been able to declaim the Surahs and Bibles from the Quran but he besides sees that the Islamic schools have non made a difference in the apprehension of the Quranic Bibles. This is considered to be one advantage of State schools because they help the kids understand what they are analyzing, This and many other grounds give cause to the determination of inscribing their kids in province schools. One ground for illustration is that in most public schools largely in the West, province school instruction is normally provided free by the authorities. This is an economic consideration by most parents in the universe. for illustration in the state of affairs of Islamic parents populating in the West, it is merely when they grew in Numberss and acquired more resources that they opened more Muslim schools get downing from kindergarten to high school. As a consequence, it is estimated that in topographic points like in Northern America entirely, there are soon about three hundred Islamic schools which provide integrated instruction. In instances of where there were lower resources, the kids were taken to province schools during the weekdays and to Islamic schools during the weekends. Another factor is that due to the high registration rates to public schools, there are a higher figure of persons from different societal and economic backgrounds and this is non ever a bad factor as and enables kids to encompass people of different backgrounds. This is a point supported by many broad Islamic households populating in the West. Other factors which give an advantage to province schools over Islamic schools are that have sometimes better qualified and trained and certified instructors who provide standard instruction to the kids. The instructors are chiefly nonsubjective in impacting the needed cognition on the pupils and supervising the pupils ‘ advancement. This is the chief ground that many Islamic parents sometimes send their kids from the middle-east to the western schools. This can be evidenced by the kids of the sovereign of Saudi Arabia and Dubai. In decision, it can be observed that the boundaries of cognition are spread outing on a day-to-day footing and in the western universe ; Muslim parents are confronting an ever-increasing challenge of make up one's minding the right school for their kids. It overall clear that the every parent would wish to inscribe his or her kid in a school that provides academic excellence and religious growing but it is largely the function of the parents to weigh the better option between Islamic schools and public schools. This is by seting their disadvantages and disadvantages together and sing what is best for their kids.MentionsLawrence D. , ( 2005 ) . A Concise History of the Middle East. London ; Westview PressLevy, Reuben ( 1969 ) . The Social Structure of Islam. United kingdom: Cambridge University Press.Ridgeon, L ( 2003 ) . Major World Religions ( 1st ed. ) . London. Routledge Curzon publishing houses.Shahid A. ( 1998 ) . Sex Education: An Islamic Perspective.London. Oxford University P ress.Hamsa Y. ( 2002 ) . Understanding Muslim Education and Elementss of Success. Cairo: Alhambra Productions

F&B Revenue Management

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT, AURANGABAD Synopsis – Food and Beverage Revenue Management: Implementation at „The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace? Kussh Raathi (H – 16045) â€Å"Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirement for B. A. (Hons) in Hotel Management† THE UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD, UNITED KINGDOM July 2010 food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 DISCLAIMER This is an academic endeavour does not necessarily reflect the view of IHM – A and/or hotel chains discussed herein and are not binding on the Institute and/or the companies in any manner.This report is the intellectual property of the author and/or IHM – A and the same or any part thereof may not be used in any manner whatsoever, without express permission of the author in writing. The assignment does not aim to reveal any information confidential to the hotel companies discussed. No one provided significant profession al or personal review assistance to the person signing this disclaimer and report. This is all authors‘ work and does not necessarily represent the views of either IHM – A, India, or University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom, or any other party.Kussh Raathi (Year 3, H – 16045, Hotel Management, Institute of Hotel Management – Aurangabad) July 31, 2010 raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 2 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As the author sums up the draft of this assignment, he reminisces appreciatively the contribution and extends his heartfelt gratitude to the following persons lacking whose support and help, this report could not have taken its present form: Mr.Anand Iyengar, Understudy Project Mentor and Academic Registrar, Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (IHM–A), for providing me with the opportunity to work on an interes ting project like this, for his continuous support, feedback and guidance. A special thanks to Mr. Rahul Upmanyu, Revenue Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, who is the most responsible for helping me in the compilation of this project report as well as the challenging research that lies behind it. Without his encouragement and constant guidance, I could not have finished this report.He was always there to meet and talk about my ideas, to proofread and mark up my papers and chapters, and to ask me good questions to help me think through my problems (whether philosophical, analytical or computational). Sincere thanks to the entire executive committee at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace for their unconditional support, encouragement and guidance. Kussh Raathi July 31, 2010 raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 3 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ uly 2010 ABSTRACT / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose â₠¬â€œ This paper aims to suggest the efficacy of revenue-management levers to improve a restaurants‘ revenue through process control for customer profitability through literature review and Seasonal Tastes as an excellent study site in south-India‘s largest luxury hotel. Design / methodology / approach – The research finds its basing upon a popular/busy coffee shop called Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, Andhra Pradesh, India.The study presents the state-of-the-art of the literature review related to restaurant revenue management and a case study of a restaurant with high operational complexity and an extensive customer product and commercial service line. The literature review demonstrates the few empirical studies that have actually addressed the application of revenue management systems in the food and beverage industry. Much of this section comes from the article by Kimes, S. (2004). Findings – Seeking to augment revenue and also to imp rove customer service, the restaurant analyzed its operations and customers‘ characteristics.It found that its table-mix (mostly 6tops) was inappropriate for its customer base (mostly singletons, couples and groups of three/four). It also found that it could tighten up its post-meal procedures, particularly those involving settlement. The findings of the study show that the measurement of cost-to-serve provides specific and detailed customer information that enables a more comprehensive customer profitability analysis than the classical paradigm. Research limitations/implications – The result would lead to an increase in revenue (from higher occupancy) that paid for the increased capital costs in one year.The revenue improvement in this instance was to guests‘ advantage, since menu prices were not changed as part of this revenue management implementation. Originality/value – The paper includes a comprehensive review of literature and the empirical case stud ies by Kimes (2004), Thompson (2009, 2003, 2002), Kimes et al (2007), offers additional insights in food and beverage revenue management and analysis. Paper type – Research Project raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 4 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ uly 2010 1. Introduction C efficiency. ross (1997), defines the concept as, ? the art and science of predicting real-time customer demand at the micro-market level and optimizing the price and availability of products‘. Conceptually, revenue management is a micro-economic concept about how to manage the relationship between supply and demand to maximize revenue potential. Simplified it means – selling the right product to the right customer at the right time for the right price on the right distribution channel with the best commission Revenue Management ReviewThe era has ended when revenue management can stand alone as a tact ical approach to rooms management, with technological and management support, revenue management must be and is being integrated into all aspects of hotel management marketing and operating strategies. Going beyond its role of managing room inventory, revenue management will consider total revenue contributions, including group business and its ancillary revenues. Because prices are essentially transparent, hotels will need to consider customer price elasticity and not simply match competitors‘ prices, with a goal of ptimizing prices. Beyond that, revenue management can be used to manage all of the hotel‘s revenue streams, in part by considering the interaction of room sales and food and beverage sales. While revenue per available room (RevPAR) has been a good measure of performance, a revenue generation index, which compares competitors‘ RevPARs, is even more useful. Even more sophisticated is a revenue opportunity model, which monitors the effectiveness of invent ory controls and analyzes the effects of revenue management decisions.Perhaps most promising is a customer-focused approach that tracks customers‘ purchases and targets promotions based on an understanding of customers‘ responses to prior offers. Hotels can benefit by increasing revenues and profitability through revenue management by optimally matching demand to available supply (rooms) to accommodate the most profitable mix of customers at each property. In the lodging industry, revenue management is the process of selectively accepting and rejecting customers by rate, length of stay and arrival date to maximise revenues.The process of revenue management generates incremental revenues (Kimes 1999; Cross 1997). raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 5 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 2. Theoretical Framework / Literature Review From its origin in the airline industry nearly sixty years ago, revenue management has expanded to other hospitality industries, notably lodging and rental cars. More recently, ? nontraditional? ervice industries, such as restaurants, golf courses, and casinos, have begun to adapt and apply revenue management principles. Need for a holistic approach towards RM Revenue management of hotel inventory has long been the practice for hoteliers worldwide, both large and small, chain and independent. Hotel operators understand and accept the need to forecast customer demand at some level of detail and recommend product availability conditions that will deliver the maximum revenue based on that demand.However, for the most part, traditional hotel revenue management is focused purely on maximizing sleeping room revenue with no regard for any other revenue associated with the hotel guest. Many companies are now realizing that there is a strong need to adopt a more holistic approach to revenue management across the enterprise. This involve s two distinct components. First, there is a need to capture and track all revenue associated with hotel guests in order to segment customers more discretely based on their value—this can come from food and beverage, spa, event venues or, in the case of a casino/hotel, gaming.Second, and equally important, operators need to begin to apply the same principles of revenue management employed at the hotel to each discrete revenue source—there has been a strong push for revenue management in restaurants, spas, event venues and even on the casino floor. (HSMAI Article, published on March 10, 2010) While many hotel companies have implemented loyalty programs, the real opportunity lies in the ability to capture data about the customer beyond the hotel in order to truly capture the guest‘s profitability, not the room revenue generated.There has been a lot of altercation lately about the move from REVPAR to GOPPAR, TOTALPAR or some other such acronym; this is where those c ompanies who practice Total Hotel Revenue Management will win, in realizing it is not about the room, it is all about the guest. raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 6 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 Restaurant Revenue Management (RRM) Revenue-management tools can be used by restaurant managers to analyze the ffects of process-control changes. A dinner house seeking to shift demand and to achieve greater facility utilization during busy times analyzed the factors that caused delays in the service process—and thus increased the guest queue. Although the restaurant was able to hasten the actual dining time, much of the slack was found in the processes that occurred before and after the actual dining period. Moreover, the restaurant managers were able to analyze customer-arrival and market-mix data in relation to the restaurant‘s table mix.Seat occupancy was improved by mat ching the table arrangement to the customer mix, and table turns were increased by improving the kitchen operations so that front-of-the-house functions could be tightened up. In particular, end-of-meal steps were speeded up. As a result of its process improvements, the restaurant enjoyed revenue growth greater than that of comparable restaurants. (Bertsimas and Shioda, 2003) The challenge of a floor manager is to decide when and where to seat each arriving customer.If there are only tables of four available and a party of two enters, does he seat the party at the larger table or reserve it for a larger, more revenue-producing party? In addition, if the restaurant takes reservations, he needs to further decide how to seat walk-in customers so that they would not take tables away from the reservation customers while considering the possibility of no-shows. These are important practical issues for restaurant managers, where in some cases a good floor manager can make the difference of couple of hundred dollars per night (Kimes, 1999).Thus, a tool that can help floor managers better make these decisions would be of significant value to a restaurant. Genesis / Background Nestled amidst the emerging central business district of Cyberabad-Madhapur, the fastest growing commercial destination of Hyderabad, also known as the ? new Silicon Valley of India? , The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace (TWHM) identifies myriad possible aspects that can offer a sense of wellness to business travellers when they stay at the hotel. The author captures the unique ? wellness‘ service approach that the hotel has on offer. The 428-room property is the largest one in Hyderabad.Opened in December 2009, the property managed an average occupancy of 50 per cent until March end. The revenue share raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 7 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 of the hotel is 70:30 for room/F&B and banquet/conferences, respectively. Effectively, it is being positioned as the benchmark that the brand wants to set in India and that it is known for internationally. Nancy London, Vice President – Global Brand Leader, Westin, explains, â€Å"The idea is to preserve wellness in travel.Customers from various facets could derive this wellness factor where they interact in our hotel as our guest. So, each and every aspect has to offer that very essence of wellness that Westin stands for. † 3. Approach / Methodology: A Case Restaurant operators can manipulate two main strategic levers to manage revenue: price and meal duration. Price is a fairly obvious target for manipulation, and many operators already offer price-related promotions to augment or shift peak-period demand (e. g. , early bird specials, special menu promotions).More-sophisticated manipulations of price include daypart pricing, day-of-week pricing, and price premiums or discounts based on party or table size. Managing meal duration (i. e. , speeding table turns) is a bit more complicated, as discussed ahead. For example, meal duration depends in part on the efficiency of the restaurant‘s service cycle, as well as on the foible of customer arrival patterns and diners‘ deciding to linger (or not) after the meal. However, as explained further, duration control has great potential in a revenue-management strategy.To develop an RRM program, managers should (1) establish the baseline of performance, (2) understand the drivers of that performance, (3) develop a revenue management strategy, (4) implement that strategy, and (5) monitor the strategy‘s outcomes. This paper discusses and illustrates how to establish the baseline and understand its drivers, and how to develop a revenue-management strategy. The article starts off with a brief introduction to revenue management, followed by a description of the restaurant that provided data for this study. In so oing, the author analyzes the restaurant‘s baseline performance, including seat occupancy, revenue per available seat hour (RevPASH), party size/mix, and dining duration. The author also analyzes/examines the possible causes of performance. After reviewing the revenue management strategies for duration control the author talks about how managers could implement those strategies. The article concludes with an evaluation of the said restaurant‘s revenue-management strategy and recommendations for how other restaurateurs can implement revenue management. raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 8 of 16 understudy project ood & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 With all the data that are collected by the POS software, a revenue-maximizing seating policy can be utilized. The present paper stems from the belief that restaurants can increase their revenue by optimizing their nesting decisions, i. e. , when to save tables in anticipation for larger parties, even when there are smaller parties currently in queue. To control duration, managers can use either internal means (i. e. , those that do not involve customers) or external means (that do involve customers).The chief internal duration-control methods involve regulating and redesigning service processes (including speeding up service to promote customer turnover and providing an optimal table mix), forecasting customer arrivals (i. e. , forecasting the timing and party-size mix of arriving customers), and implementing inventory controls (usually through overbooking, if a restaurant takes reservations). External methods include booking fees or guarantees (e. g. , having guests guarantee reservations on a credit card) and such behavioural approaches as restricting the length of time that customers can use the table.Not surprisingly, most firms have chosen to manage duration internally, so as not to risk dissatisfied customers. The Study Site As part of the research the author developed an RRM system for an extensive, casual coffee shop in Mindspace, Hyderabad. Seasonal Tastes, a 208-seat restaurant, serves regional Indian and international favourites, and also features a live show kitchen concept that has Chefs actually interacting with guests while serving. The oriental theme show kitchen here takes authenticity to new heights while the centre piece bread oven bakes freshness into every slice. Its average check is approximately $18 (INR 840/-).The Japanese Sushi counter, the cold plate dessert counter, the SuperFoodsTM offering for breakfast and the Spa cuisine make the a-la-carte options here as appetizing, the roasted beef and goat cheese gateaux, the fishand-chips, the roasted lamb chops and the mango cheese cake are signature dishes. The restaurant is open 24 x 7 and has a manager always on duty. The next section describes the type of data and analysis necessary to establish a baseline, the tools that can be used to under stand actual service-cycle performance and operational tactics that are part of a revenue-management strategy.The researcher uses his experience at Seasonal Tastes to illustrate the discussion. raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 9 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 4. The Five-step Revenue Management Approach The managers and the author used the five-step process explained here to develop a revenue management strategy for the restaurant. Rather than attempt price-related promotions, the focus was on internal revenue management, specifically related to the duration of the dining experience.Although the data presented here are specific to Seasonal Tastes, the process and analyses described can be applied to any restaurant. Step 1: Establish a Baseline The first step in the process was to establish the restaurant‘s baseline performance. Baseline statistics were drawn from five sets of four-week periods of point-of-sale (POS) data and detailed time studies over the same time-frame. Using these data, an analysis of average check per person, RevPASH, seat occupancy, meal duration (from both the POS data and the time studies), and the party-size mix by day of week and hour of day was done.The POS data showed that the average check per person for the 208-seat main dining room was approximately near about INR 840/- (refer Exhibit D). Calculated by day of week and hour of day, average check ranged from INR 505/- at breakfast to INR 1,324/- at brunches on Sundays (Considering only the main meal periods, viz. Breakfast, lunch and dinner). The highest check averages occurred on Friday and Sunday afternoons, while the lowest checks occurred for lunch on Wednesdays. (Since breakfast is a part of the room plan its APC generally remains the lowest) RevPASH provides a good estimate of seat occupancy combined with the average check.This statistic is useful in two ways, the f irst being the important matter of how much revenue the restaurant is realizing in each time period. RevPASH was calculated by first determining the total hourly revenue from the main dining room for each day of the week and then dividing the hourly revenue by the 208 covers, as shown in Exhibit E. RevPASH ranged from INR 207/- on Mondays at Breakfast to INR 3,208/- on Fridays at Lunch. The highest RevPASH of INR 5,959/- was recorded on Sundays between 11:00 to 16:00 hours and on Fridays from noon to 15:00 hours.The lowest RevPASH was experienced mid-week postbreakfast, before noon and late-night. raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 10 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 SEASONAL TASTES? BASELINE The first thing done to determine the baseline at ? Seasonal Tastes‘ was collection of data from the POS system. The resulting data were analyzed to develop hourly arrival rates, meal tim es, and RevPASH. All results presented in this paper are from January 2010 – May 2010.The data was extracted on the date, the check number, the transaction time, the party size, and the transaction amount. Each party at the restaurant usually had multiple transactions for their meal-including when the check was opened, when orders were entered, and when the check was closed. (In a few cases there were just two transactions: when the check was opened with the entire order and when it was closed at the end of the meal. Any voided checks were excluded from the study. ) The usable data was then transferred to Microsoft Excel, where the multiple transactions were condensed into a single record for each party.Each record contained information on the date, the check number, the starting time, the closing time, the party size, and the check amount for each party. Data analysis to find the number of hourly arrivals, the mean and standard deviation of meal duration, and the hourly RevP ASH was performed using Microsoft Excel. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS It was not at all surprising to find that Sunday brunches and Wednesday – Thursday nights were busy and profitable, but the low RevPASH and head counts that we recorded for the other nights and all lunch periods were unexpected.The average meal time of almost an hour and a quarter seemed right, but we were alarmed at the high standard deviation of the meal time. Armed with this knowledge and the results of the time study, the author decided to proceed to the next step and study the possible causes of the aforesaid findings. Step 2: Understand the Causes A variety of tools can be used to help managers understand the underlying causes behind operational problems, including service blueprints, process analysis, and fishbone diagrams. Those techniques are fairly simple to implement and have been widely used in total-qualitymanagement programs.Service blueprints can be used to graphically illustrate a service process. Th e steps in the process are mapped and the connections between steps are identified. One of the key strengths of the service blueprint is the identification of potential delays and failure points. raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 11 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 THE CAUSES AT SEASONAL TASTES A blueprint for Seasonal Tastes was developed so as to identify potential sources of failure.It was noticed that the biggest problem at Seasonal Tastes was the length and variability of dining time. Reducing the mean dining time would be difficult without first reducing the standard deviation of the meal time. The consensus reached upon was that if variation could be reduced, the average meal time could also be reduced. Possible Causes Low seat occupancy Equipment Table mix Methods Personnel Customers Hard to find Reneging Materials Wait list Meal duration and variation Point-of-sale termina ls Credit-card authorization Service stations Restaurant layoutBussing Training Hosting Number Communication Commitment Compensation Management Hosting Training Seating Greeting Food and beverage delivery Cooking Check processing Pre-bussing Check drop Check pick-up Check processing Folder drop Management Pre-bussing Communication Hosting Number Commitment Compensation Management Choose to linger Unsure how to behave Party size Trays Payment and Credit-card folders departure authorization Point of sale terminal Training Number Commitment Compensation Training Number Commitment Compensation ManagementChoose to linger Unsure how to behave Uncomfortable Check folders Bussing Folder pick-up Stacking space Service Stations Bucket, trays Cleaning supplies New place settings The Problem: High standard deviation of meal duration Figure K: Possible Causes of Poor Performance at Seasonal Tastes raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 12 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 Step 3: Developing a Revenue-management Strategy The busy (hot) and slow (cold) periods by day of week and meal-period were first identified.Hot periods were defined as times when guests were waiting to be seated, and the remaining periods were cold. The restaurant had ten hot hours per week, which became the focus of the revenue management program. The two major goals were to reduce dining duration by ten minutes and to increase seat occupancy by 10 percent during the hot periods. An ancillary goal was to reduce the standard deviation of total dining time by 30 percent. It was expected by these changes to increase revenue by at least 5 percent during the ten hot hours, as explained further.The goal of increased seat occupancy could be achieved by attracting more customers, providing a better table mix so more customers could be accommodated, and reducing the dining duration so more customers could be served. The restaurant already had excess demand on Sunday Brunches and Friday Lunches (as indicated by the waiting lines). More worrisome, because the restaurant‘s current table mix and dining duration would not allow the restaurant to serve additional customers, the manager‘s focus was on improving the table mix and reducing dining duration.THE FIVE PERCENT (5 %) SOLUTION To assess the revenue effects of increased occupancy and decreased dining duration, we first calculated the annual revenue for the hot periods. To review, during the ten hot hours each week, the main dining room had an average seat occupancy of 63 percent, an average check of $18 (INR 840/- approx. ), and an average dining time of seventy-five minutes. Annual sales for the restaurant in January – May 2010 totalled (INR 20,699,517/-). The restaurant took in about one-fourth (INR 5,000,000/- approx. ) of its monthly revenue during its ten hot hours.If hot seat occupancy increased from 50 percent to 60 pe rcent, even if dining duration remained the same, monthly revenue would potentially increase by 7. 3 percent (INR 1,511,065/-). Beyond that, if dining duration could be decreased from seventy-five minutes to sixty-five minutes, even if seat occupancy remained the same, the annual revenue potential would increase by 3. 8 percent (INR 786,582/-). If both factors could be changed (i. e. , seat occupancy increased and dining duration decreased at the same time), the annual revenue potential would increase by 11. 9 percent (INR 2,463,243/-).Even if only half of the revenue raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 13 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 potential could be achieved, the restaurant could nevertheless achieve better than a 5 percent increase in annual revenue. Step 4: Possible / Probable Implementation Once the strategy was developed, the hard work of implementation begins. In keeping with the strategy, implementation should focus on training staff, convalescing table mix and on improving the efficiency of service delivery.TABLE MIX An optimal table mix, one that matches party-size mix as closely as possible, would allow this restaurant to serve an increased number of customers with no increase in the number of seats, thereby boosting seat occupancy during busy periods. UNCERTAINTY OF DURATION A restaurant who has dealt with the arrival-time issue must be able to predict meal-length, because this controls the number of tables available. With this information, restaurants can decide which reservation requests to accept, and restaurants with a large walk-in trade will be better able to provide accurate estimates of waiting time for guests in the queue.In addition, a reduction in meal duration during busy periods can increase seat occupancy and table turnover and thus can lead to increased revenue. As stated at the outset, one of the difficulties of implementing re venue management in restaurants is the fact that their explicit unit of sale is a meal (or an event) rather than an amount of time, although one can also argue that the true measure of the restaurant‘s product is time. While the likely length of a meal can be estimated, its actual duration is not firmly set. Reduced dining times can have considerable revenue potential during high-demand periods.Here, Seasonal Tastes, a restaurant with 208 covers, an approx. $20 average check, an average one-hour twenty minutes dining time, and a busy period of three hours per day. During busy periods, defined as those when customers are waiting for a table, a decrease in dining time can increase the number of customers served and the associated revenue. Under the example, the restaurant could theoretically serve approximately 400 covers during its three-hour busy time, assuming all 208 covers were occupied two times for exactly eighty minutes each time.That would result in revenue of $8000. If the average dining time could be raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 14 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 reduced to 50 minutes, the potential number of customers served would increase to 750, and the potential revenue would increase to $15,000, an increase of 18%. The question of how customers would react to such changes, however, causes restaurant operators to approach time decreases with caution. Step 5: Monitor OutcomesAs with much business practice, the success of revenue management cannot be assessed without measuring changes. After establishing the baseline and implementing revenue management, operators must develop a system to measure financial, operational, and customer-satisfaction performance. 5. Summary and Conclusion By implementing revenue management tactics, Seasonal Tastes, would be able to increase revenue by approximately 5 percent. The improved table-mix, the chang es in the service delivery, and the improved training led to the improvement in the restaurant‘s performance.Seat occupancy and RevPASH would increase, at the same time leading to a decrease in dining duration and variability, and thus an increase in revenue. Other restaurant could realize similar results by carefully analyzing their current performance, determining the causes of that performance, and developing appropriate strategies to improve it. Changes in table-mix and problematic service-delivery processes hold particular promise, but only with proper implementation that emphasizes training, employee buy-in, and enhanced management. 6. References o o o Anderson, C. and Xie, X. (2010), ?Improving hospitality industry sales: twenty-five years of revenue management? , Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Vol. : 51, No. : 1, pg. : 53 – 69 Bertsimas, D. and Shioda, R. (2003), ? Restaurant revenue management? , Operations Research, Vo. : 51, No. : 3, pp. : 472 – 486 Bh ar, S. (2010), ? Creating a culture of wellness? , Express Hospitality, June 15 – 30, 2010 Issue, Section: Spotlight, Management Article, online available at: raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 15 of 16 understudy project food & beverage revenue management: implementation at ‘the westin hyderabad mindspace’ july 2010 etrieved on June 16, 2010 at 11:15 hours o o Cross, R. (1997), ? Revenue Management? , London: Broadway Books HSMAI Online article, Anon. (2010), ? The need for a more holistic approach to revenue management? , published on March 10, 2010, available at retrieved on June 12, 2010 at 11:01 hours o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Hwang, J. (2008) ? Restaurant table management to reduce customer waiting times? , Journal of Foodservice Business Research, Vol. : 11, No. : 4, pp. : 334 — 351 Kimes, S. and McGuire, K. , (2001), ? Function-space revenue management? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. : 33, pg. : 33  œ 47 Kimes, S. and Robson, S. (2004), ? The impact of restaurant table characteristics on meal duration and spending? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 45, No. : 4, pg. : 333 – 348 Kimes, S. and Thompson G. (2004), ? Restaurant revenue management at Chevys: determining the best table mix? , Decision Sciences, Vol. : 35, No. : 3, pg. : 371 – 392 Kimes, S. Barrash, D. and Alexander, J. , (1999), ? Developing a restaurant revenue-management strategy? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 40, No. : 5, pg. 18 – 31 Kimes, S. , (1999), ? Implementing restaurant revenue management: a five-step approach? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 40, No. : 3, pg. : 1 – 7 Kimes, S. , (2003), ? Revenue management: a retrospective? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 44, pg. : 131 – 139 Kimes, S. , (2004), ? Restaurant revenue management: implementation at Chevys Arrowhead? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 45, No. : 1, pg. : 52 – 69 Kimes, S. , (2004), ? Restaurant revenue management? , CHR Reports, Vol. : 4, No. 2, pg. : 1 – 36 Noone, B. Kimes, S. Mattila, A. and Wirtz, J. , (2007), ? The effect of meal pace on customer satisfaction? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 48, No. : 3, pg. : 231 – 246 Sill, B. and Decker, R. (1999), ? Applying capacity-management science: the case of Browns restaurant? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 40, No. : 3, pg. : 22 – 32 Thompson, G. (2002), ? Optimizing a restaurant‘s seating capacity: use dedicated or combinable tables Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 43, pg. 48 – 59 Thompson, G. (2003), ? Optimizing restaurant-table configurations: specifying combinable tables? , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. : 44, pg. : 53 – 61 Thompson, G. and Kwortnik, R. Jr. (2008), ? Pooling restaurant reservations to increase service efficiency? , Journal of Service Research, Vol. : 10, No. : 04, pg. : 335 – 348 Thompson, G. and Sohn, H. (2009), ? Time-and capacity-based measurement of restaurant revenue? , Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Vol. : 50, No. : 04, pg. : 520 – 539 raathi, k. (h – 16045) page 16 of 16 understudy project

Leo Burnett Company Essay

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KOREAN HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Why don't we prove results in social research Essay

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Conferencing Software or Social Media - Research Paper Example The web conferencing enables training and webinars are also held during the web conferences. Audio accessories enhance the conferencing experience. The VoIP is used in the process of communication between the members attending the web conference. Two main technologies enable web conferencing. The technologies employed in the process include VoIP and HD. VoIP technology helps in the conversion of human voices from analog to digital mode. The converted voice data are transmitted over the internet. The web conferences also rely on the phone lines, which enhance communication among the participants in a web conference. The router used in the process of transmission of voice data helps in the relaying of the data to the internet service provider modem (Spielman and Winfeld, 2008). The voice data are also converted at the point of internet service provider. After the data is received by all the web conference members, the information is assembled by the computer and converted into usable form. The audio data flow smoothly through a cheaper way. Social media refers to the medium through which people chat on an online platform such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype. These forms of social media help in the exchange of ideas. The forum helps in the meeting of many people on internet forums. Social media is more reliable than the web conferencing because it enhances many applications including online marketing. Social media is commonly used for business purposes. Different people advertise different commodities on the social media under different web links. According to Spielman and   Winfeld (2008), social media serves as a meeting point for potential buyers and sellers. The chatting engagement with social media is live and reliable because an individual is able to extract sufficient from his partner on the social media platform. Different forms of software are applied in social media. These include the IM software and

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Review and Response of the Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The Composer Benjamin Britten Essay Example for Free

The Composer Benjamin Britten Essay On November 22, 1913, the feast day of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of Music, was born a child who showed a great interest and talent in music. Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft in Suffolk. Though his father was a dentist, he had great interest in music, and his mother also was an amateur singer, and so it could be said that Britten inherited his interest in music from his parents. Even as a child, he could compose creatively. Benjamin Britten was educated at Gresham’s School. In 1927, Britten started his private training with Frank Bridge, an eminent English composer. He also studied under John Ireland at the Royal College of Music and under Ralph Vaughan Williams. After his graduation, Britten was very clear about his future. He was determined to be a composer and composed music for a number of plays. His first notable compositions were the Sinfonietta and A Boy was Born, and from there his fame grew, and he was Benjamin Britten 2 popular. In 1936, Benjamin met tenor Peter Pears, which set off a great relationship. Peter Pears was his inspiration, and they eventually became partners. Peter Pears had a great influence on his life and his music, and to him, Britten had composed a number of songs. Peter had a great influence on Britten, both in his personal life as well as his professional life. He was among the greatest English composers of the 20th century. Though some critics found Benjamin’s social and sexual relationships not appropriate of a young English musician, his perfect technique and his knack of treating the traditional musical forms with originality and freshness compensated the charges. He was excused from army service and was allowed to practice his composition work provided he performed as a pianist at concerts at wartime sponsored by the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts. Over the years, he had also started writing for operas. As an opera composer, Benjamin Britten gained worldwide reputation. It is indeed interesting to note that he was the first musician to be honored with the title of â€Å"Lord† by the Queen. He also was approached for writing for special occasions. Benjamin went to America for some time but later returned to England. In 1945, with his opera Peter Grimes, Benjamin became a celebrity. It was a great success. His successive operas like the Church Parables were also greatly appreciated. Benjamin’s best known orchestral music, popularly known as The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, a tribute to the great composer Henry Purcell, is very informative. His Reflections on a Theme of Dowland is also a tribute, this time to the lutenist John Dowland, which is indeed a moving Benjamin Britten 3 performance. Benjamin Britten was an outstanding English composer popular throughout the world. In 1948, he successfully planned the first Aldeburgh Music Festival which later became an annual event. Benjamin also excelled in chamber music, his notable ones being Cello Sonata and three Cello Suites. Benjamin often worked with the renowned poet W. H. Auden who offered the texts for which Britten provided music. Britten was awarded the Order of Merit in March 1965. This was his most treasured honor. Since its inception in 1902, only two people had got it prior to Britten. He also won the Robert O. Anderson Aspen Award in the Humanities. He was the first musician to be honored with the title of Baron. During the latter years of his life, Benjamin often complained of ill health. In May 1973, he had an open heart surgery which made him an invalid for life. He still attended the London premiere of Death in Venice in October 1973. He then traveled to Germany and Italy. According to Pears, Britten was not scared of death. On December 4, 1976, in his hometown in Suffolk, he died of a heart attack. He is buried in the resting place of the Aldeburgh Parish Church with his colleague Peter Pears resting in peace adjacent to his grave. Benjamin Britten 4 Works Cited 2007 Naxos Digital Services, Britten Benjamin, biography [Electronic Version] Retrieved on June 6, 2007, from www. naxos. com

Women’s Roles during WW1 Essay Example for Free

Women’s Roles during WW1 Essay World War 1 was a pivotal event that affected Canada in many ways. Not only for the men that fought for their country, but also for the thousands of women that contributed behind the soldiers of the front lines. It was a heavy change for them; going from dependant housewife to being employed at some of the largest industries and factories. World War 1 was centered on Europe and began in the summer of 1914 (Wikipedia). That summer changed the lives of many families in Europe, and all over the world. Men were forced to leave their homes and families behind and fight for their countries. In result of the men’s absence, women had the opportunity to take the available jobs. It was a major step in the history of women, since they were confined to their homes and specific jobs called â€Å"women’s work† before World War 1 took place. Women started to gain more freedom and responsibility, but still kept their roles at home. Little did they know that World War 1 would provide them with the opportunity to become successful and independent, and that it would change their lives forever. Women were almost obligated to fill in for the men who were away from home, which was a very big change for women. Men were the providers for their families, and the women were expected to complete the duties at home and specific women’s work. Women’s work consisted of two main trades, textile and clothing. These jobs employed far more women than men. Women rarely left the house, and they were kept very busy by fulfilling the role of mother, wife, and housekeeper. Their main job was to keep their husbands happy, and the house in an orderly fashion.

Autism Intervention Therapies

Autism Intervention Therapies Introduction Autism is a neural development disorder exemplified by weakened social communication and interaction, and by restricted and repetitive limited behavior (Ardnt, 2005). These signs all initiate to ensue prior to a child grows to be three years old. Autism influence and affects processing of information in the brain by varying how nerve cells and their synapses organize and connect (Levitt, 2005). Autism is an invisible silent, outbreak that is whipping children and their prospects from the world whilst their mothers observe in, feebly, fear even as there is no means to do fight, since it evades all way of thinking (Rink, 2010). Signs of autism comprise extremely poor development of language, unusual or repetitive behaviors and a lessening interest in other individuals. There are considerable concerns classically, in relation to the children’s, communication, social interaction or behavior prior to a diagnosis of autism is done. Autism is an completely diverse world, one which ev erybody cannot understand appropriately It is constituent of several people’s regular life and it is extremely significant to teach not simply such persons so that they can afford better support for their loved one however as well to teach the community as a whole for a better acceptance and understanding., For autism regrettably there is no total cure like a further disease for instance diabetes, however medical advancements made custom help manage the disease consecutively for the autistic person to function more successfully and competently in society and be accepted as a human being. The autism biological causes have been debate for more than half a century and been a foundation of inquisition. The extensive range of cognitive and social deficits that are identified as autism spectrum disorders[ASD] are habitually moderately disabling, consequently there is animperative need to discover treatments. Scientists and a variety of experts at the present have started to determine that not all disorders of autism-related are similar. They materialize to have diverse inferences for brain function and, accordingly, treatment. Autism does not have a proven treatment and does avert children in definite realms of life however it is treatable. When it is early on diagnosis and treated, it will let some kind of normalcy for the children and parents. Autism has no proven cure and do restricts children in definite realms of life however it is treatable. When timely early on treatment, this will let some sort of normalcy for the kids and their parents. Studies and lately develope d methods of imaging have helped to demonstrate several of the bigger brain areas mixed up with autism. The areas comprise the, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and temporal lobe—particularly the amygdala (Kibiuk, 1998). The disorder might approach from the malfunction of diverse parts of the brain that work together. Autistics are described as not having compassion in a comparable way that a predator animal does have emotions in relation to its prey. Various types of interventions are used to treat ASD. Autism interventions endeavor to reduce the abnormal behaviors and deficits connected with autism and further ASD, and to add to the excellence of life and functional autonomy of individuals with autistic, in particular children. Treatment is classically accommodated to the needs of child. Following are the well-known forms of interventions used for its treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy There is a sturdy support base for the utilization of interventions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in ASD populations. There is a diversity of approaches of CBT, nevertheless the majority share a number of normal elements. The most important objectives of conventional CBT are to recognize and defy catastrophic cognitions, dysfunctional beliefs, and habitual thoughts in addition to change difficult behavior. The individual with a therapist’s help, is supported to defy his or her beliefs and mechanical thoughts in the course of a diversity of techniques. The individual through CBT, learns skills to change beliefs and thoughts, in addition to strategies of problem-solving to develop interaction with others in appropriate and effective ways, thus supporting self-regulation. Models of CBT for the treatment of anxiety attempt to generate a fresh coping pattern by means of behavioral techniques for instance exposure, modeling, and relaxation in addition to as cognitive techniques tackling cognitive deficiencies and distortions. These models of treatment usually highlight 4 vital constituents of therapy: evaluation, psycho education, restructuring of cognitive, and exposure. CBT by means of these four components has been revealed to be an empirically supported treatment for classically developing children with issues of anxiety. The mainly regularly used methods to treat anxiety in children are cognitive restructuring, relaxation, exposure, and modeling in that order. It is imperative to make certain that the young individual has the similar definition and understanding of words, and affective education can assist enhance their language of emotional expression.[ Wood, J. J., Drahota, A., Sze, K., Har, K., Chiu, A., Langer, D. A. (2009).] Several components of intervention can be inserted to CBT. A number of of the implications comprise; a) Increasing the utilization of visual aids. b) Associate emotions with concrete objects. c) A stress on dealing with strategies that do not need the employ of intangible language for example the employ of relaxation. d) Use of substitute modes of communication. e) Embedding the employ of additive interests into sessions of CBT. f) Increasing the spotlight on teaching communal skills.[ Wood, J. J., Drahota, A., Sze, K., Har, K., Chiu, A., Langer, D. A. (2009).] There has been as well the concept of an emotional toolbox and centered on operational with the young children in recognizing diverse tools to ‘fix’ problems that take place as a effect of negative emotions together with anxiety, anger, and sadness. The ‘tools’ are additional divided into those that fruitfully reduce or release energy and those that develop thinking. The therapist usually works collectively with the young children to depict a range of tools and actions which support constructive emotions fix. Autistic children do recognize how to utter words, however require a few help in what and when to say it. Speech therapy can as well help autistic children on how to be taught to continue a conversation while comprehending the significance of the words being used. Incorporated in the standard bill which was recommended by Autism Speaks, which has been filed, passed or has been at present under development in all except six states, is a legislation that includes reporting for the deliverance of ABA services. Social skills therapy will as well assist children to be taught to deal with autism and direct normal lives. The mainly prominent and obvious complication with autism children is their incapability to commune and interact clearly and efficiently with others. As they have extremely little information and knowledge of what precisely is going on in a social situation, they are limited to what they can say and do (Ryder, 2010). Cognitive restructuring intends to facilitate the young children to correct dysfunctional beliefs and distorted conceptualizations. It entails challenging the existing thinking with logical facts and guarantying and control cognitive rationalization of their emotions. Young children with ASD can construct false supposition of their intentions and circumstances of others owing to mind abilities impaired or delayed theory. These young children as well are inclined to construct accurate interpretations and are less able to seek out alternative responses or explanations. Psychopharmacology Pharmacologic interventions might be deemed for maladaptive behaviors, for instance self-injury, aggression, repetitive behaviors (e.g., compulsions, obsessions, perseveration, stereotypies), , mood lability, sleep disturbance, irritability, hyperactivity, anxiety, inattention, destructive behavior, or additional troublesome behaviors. After medical treatable causes and adjustable factors of environmental have been lined out, a therapeutic examination of medication might be considered if the symptoms of behavioral source considerable harm in functioning. In a number of cases, the analysis of a psychiatric disorder can be completed, and the patient can be cured with the related medications utilized in treating these situations in classically adolescents and developing children.[ à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Erickson CA, Posey DJ, Stigler KA, McDougle CJ.] Atypical antipsychotic agents, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), alpha2 agonists and stimulants, are the mainly usually set psychotropic medications in kids with ASDs. Placebo-controlled Double-blind, trials have revealed that the fluvoxamine (Luvox; no longer accessible in the United States) and SSRIs fluoxetine (Prozac) are efficient in the treatment of maladaptive and additional repetitive behaviors in patients with ASDs. Trials of Open-label of these and additional SSRIs have revealed enhancement in symptoms of target, as well as irritability, repetitive behaviors, tantrums, depressive symptoms, aggression, anxiety, difficulty with social interaction, transitions, and language. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Risperidone (Risperdal) is the primary medicine for the treatment of indication of irritability (as well as deliberate self-injury, aggressive behavior, and temper tantrums) in adolescents and children with ASDs. Potential unfavorable effects comprise insulin resistance, extreme appetite and weight gain, hyperprolactinemia, dyslipidemia, extrapyramidal symptoms, hematologic abnormalities neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, QTc prolongation, urinary retention, dry mouth, seizures, constipation, and sedation. Recent placebo-controlled double-blind, methylphenidate (Ritalin)trials have revealed improvement in impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention in kids with ASDs. Methylphenidate is effectual in a number of children with ASDs, however the rate of response is lesser than that in children with disorder of isolated attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and unfavorable effects are more general. It is ambiguous whether the effects can be generalized to additional stimulants. Adverse Potential effects comprise inhibition of growth, appetite reduction, delayed sleep onset, exacerbation of tics, jitteriness, increased blood pressure, abdominal discomfort, increased anxiety, increased heart rate, irritability, and repetitive behaviors. Placebo-controlled two small double-blind, trials have revealed modest advantages of clonidine (Catapres) in reducing symptoms of hyperarousal (e.g., irritability. impulsivity, hyperactivity,and outbursts, repetitive behaviors) in kids with ASDs. A potential open-label trial and a retrospective review of record recommend that guanfacine (Tenex) is likewise efficient in several patients. Adverse Potential effects of these alpha2 agonists comprise sedation, constipation, drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, and irritability. Pharmacotherapy persists to be a significant constituent of a comprehensive program of treatment for ASD. Evidence is collected supporting the utilization of antipsychotic second-generation medications and discerning reuptake serotonin inhibitors. Fresh studies propose that they are efficient and moderately well endured, not merely in the adult population however as well in children with this disorder. Additional approaches, for instance the use of anticonvulsants, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and dietary enzymes, might as well be potentially helpful, however additional research on these compounds is required. Complementary and Alternative Medicine The employ of alternative and complementary medicine (CAM) is general in kids with ASDs. Children by the time obtain a formal evaluation of diagnostic for a alleged ASD, almost one third previously have endeavored a complementary or alternative therapy. It is significant that professionals of health care recognize how to appraise the facts used to sustain all treatments, as well as psychopharmacologic, CAM, and additional interventions. Ideally, the facts refuting or supporting a treatment must comprise studies of peer-reviewed with well-defined homogeneous correctly diagnosed, study populations;, double-blind, a randomized placebo-controlled design; and an sufficient sample size to sustain the arithmetic analysis presented. It must as well control for stunning factors and utilize validated appropriate, outcome measures. [Leskovec TJ, Rowles BM, ]When assessing the efficiency of studies, it is mainly significant to bear in mind confounding factors, for instance the effect of placebo, and the normal history of the disorder. CAM therapies utilized to treat ASDs have been classified as nonbiologic or biologic. Examples of biologic therapies comprise interventions of immunoregulatory (e.g., administration of antiviral agents or immunoglobulin, dietary restriction of food allergens,), therapies of detoxification (e.g., chelation), treatments of gastrointestinal (e.g., antifungal agents, â€Å"yeast-free diet,† digestive enzymes, probiotics, gluten/casein-free diet), and regimens of dietary supplement (e.g., vitamin A, vitamin B6 . vitamin B12, vitamin C, and magnesium, carnosine,folinic acid, folic acid, trimethylglycine and dimethylglycine, various minerals omega-3 fatty acids, inositol,). [William Shaw, Bernard Rimland]Examples of interventions of nonbiologic comprise auditory integration training, dolphin-assisted therapy,craniosacral manipulation, music therapy, behavioral optometry, and facilitated communication.[ Leskovec TJ, Rowles BM,] Since of methodologic flaws, lack of replication or insufficient numbers of patients, , a lot of CAM therapies have been insufficiently evaluated; consequently, recommendations of evidence-based for their utilization are not likely. The mainly current and mainly properly designed trials have revealed no considerable advantage of vitamin B6, dimethylglycine, and magnesium, or auditory integration training. Negative and Positive results have been depicted for small, flawed methodologically studies of intravenous immunoglobulin. A current placebo-controlled double-blind, trial divulged no statistically considerable difference on Checklist sub-scale scores of Aberrant Behavior amid small groupings of children with ASDs who were specified omega-3 fatty acids and individuals who were specified placebo. On the other hand, the investigators noted an inclination in the direction of dominance of omega-3 fatty acids above placebo for hyperactivity, which proposes that additional examination may be needed. Even though employ of the diet of gluten/casein-free for children with ASDs is accepted, there is little proof to sustain or disprove this intervention. Conclusion For autistics, its important and crucial to be included in, job training, education etc. and the system which provides those opportunities will have to change in a radical way for that to happen. For bringing change, people who are not much involved in the system must challenge the system rather than agree to the compromises which are advertised as incremental alterations, which make things better. Parents of such children are desperate. Aging caretakers similar to single mother knowing how complex it is to take care for an adult with autism, are habitually turn out to be prisoners in their individual homes, with extremely less or no relief in sight. They are acquainted with how simple it would be for any ordinary untrained children to be disturbed at the poor skills of communication and extremely strange behavior of their daughter or son, and how without difficulty abuse can occur. Children with autism don’t require wheelchairs, artificial legs, or a guide dog. They need help of others. Manyeven mostneed job coaches consecutively to be employed in incorporated work settings. There needs to be a program of accreditation which is knowledgeable and sensitive to, about the specific issues faced by the providers of autism-specific services to adults with autism—especially residential services. Statewide Positive Behavioral Support is part of an endeavor to additional evidently classify the merging of the judicial system and the school system. Psychosocial and Pharmacological treatment have been the majority general approaches to the anxiety treatment in children with ASD, however no solitary anxiety treatment has materialized to accomplish well established or almost certainly effective empirically sustained treatment position for children with an ASD. Substantiation for intervention of pharmacological is restricted. Also the medication effects simply materialize to last only if the medicine is used, with degeneration just the once administration is ceased. Children with ASDs Parents will reasonably follow interventions that they consider might assist their child, predominantly if the therapies are viewed as being dubious to have any undesirable effects. Regrettably, families are frequently depicted to pseudoscientific unsubstantiated, theories and associated practices of clinical that are, at preeminent unproductive and, at worst, contend with authenticated treatments or direct to emotional, physical, or financial harm. Professionals of Health care can assist parents and other caregivers differentiate validated empirically treatment approaches from ineffective or unproven treatments. References Erickson CA, Posey DJ, Stigler KA, McDougle CJ. Pharmacologic treatment of autism and related disorders. Pediatr Ann. 2007;36(9):575–85. Levitt, P. : The Clinical-Basic Interface in DefiningAutismand Developmental Disorders.164 (1): 107-116,2005 Leskovec TJ, Rowles BM, Findling RL. Pharmacological treatment options for autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2008;16(2):97–112. Moree, B. N., Davis III, T. E. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders: Modification trends. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 346–354. Ryder, J. (2010, July 31). Current Trends in Autism Treatment. Retrieved October 24, 2010, Wood, J. J., Drahota, A., Sze, K., Har, K., Chiu, A., Langer, D. A. (2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 224–234. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01948.x William Shaw, Bernard Rimland, Biological treatments for autism and PDD, 3rd ed., W. Shaw, 2008

Personal Narrative- Moose Hunt Essay -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Moose Hunt It was the middle of October, and it was finally time for my long awaited moose hunt. I have waited ever since I was a little girl for this opportunity, and it was finally here. So, my father and I packed up our stuff and left the warmth of Phoenix. We were leaving the "Valley of the Sun" and headed for a place called Wyoming. After two days and fourteen long hours of driving, we made it to our hunting unit. The mountains were tall (11,000 feet +) and covered with bright powdery snow. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was eager to set-up camp and prepare for our nine day hunt. But, Dad said that we had to drive around and check out all the good places, just to make sure that we were in the best area. This was partially understandable, but since I am a teenager I'm not supposed to understand anything! So, we spent another several hours driving. We went up and down through the mountains and then we saw it. The spot was beautiful; it was right on the edge of a vertical drop-off, over looking everything. It was like paradise, but colder! We set up our camper and got everything ready to go for morning. Sooner than I knew it, morning came and that annoying alarm clock was ringing in my ear. I slowly dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go on yet another driving/scouting trip. This would be our first opportunity to really look around and see what these mountains had to offer. We spent several days really scouting the entire unit, and we had seen several decent bulls. Finally, the evening before opening day we spotted the best bull yet, and he was right by the jeep trail! I decided that he was the one I wanted. He was with a cow and a calf, so we thought he would probably be i... ...e high in front of the lungs and behind the brisket. All of his bleeding had been internal. An inch either way would have made our tracking job a lot easier. But then I would not have had such a great story to tell! We also found that my third shot with the 300 grain hollow point went through the moose and took out both lungs. My final shot broke his spine and dropped him in his tracks. They say that the easy part of moose hunting is up until you pull the trigger. Well, if this had been the easy part, I did not want to know what the hard part was. Then, six hours later, I understood! Actually, we finally had a lucky break; a half-mile before we caught up to the moose they had crossed a jeep trail. So, after we de-boned the Moose, it only took us four hours of packing fully loaded pack frames to get him to the road†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and we are still eating that tasty meat.

The Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis) :: botany

The Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis) Rubber is a valuable commodity in today's economy. A vast number of products are made from it, including washers, gloves, gaskets, tubing, waterproof clothing, toys, erasers, belts, elastics, bottle stoppers, and insulation for electrical wiring. The largest single use of rubber is in the manufacture of pneumatic tires which consumes 60% to 70% of the total world production each year. Demand for rubber has grown remarkably since the beginning of the industrial revolution. It is one species, Hevea brasiliensis, which makes up 99% of the world's natural rubber production. In 1989 that production was worth an estimated 4 billion dollars. Hevea brasiliensis (the para rubber tree) is a South American native that can grow to a height of 150 feet. The trees have a smooth bark and palmately compound leaves. They are monoecious and have small inconspicuous flowers. The seeds are akin to castor beans. On ripening, the fruit capsule explodes and propels the seeds away from the tree. Hevea brasiliensis is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae (the spurge family). Euphorbiaceae is a diverse family with approximately 290 genera and 7,500 species. Within the family, there are herbs, shrubs, trees, and fleshy cactus-like species. Some plants from this family are used for their medicinal properties and edible parts. Others are used simply as ornamentals. While there are many useful plants in the family Euphorbiaceae, the sweet and bitter cassava plants (Manihot dulcis and Manihot esculenta), as well as the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), are of greatest economic importance. Latex bearing plants are found in some 20 botanical families. The most prominent families include Sapotaceae, Moraceae, Compositae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. In total there are about 18,000 species of latex-producing plants. Yet, only a few species are currently exploited. Commercially useful rubber-producing species include Hevea benthamiana (Para rubber), Hevea guianensus (Para rubber), Manihot glaziovii (Ceara rubber), Manihot dichotoma (Jeque rubber), Castilla elastica (Panama rubber), Ficus elastica (India rubber), Funtimia elastica (Lagos rubber), Landolphia kirkii (Landolphia rubber), Landolphia gentilli (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Landolphia heudelotii (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Landolphia owariensis (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Crytostegia grandiflora (Madagascar rubber), Crytostegia madagascariansis (Madagascar rubber), Parthenium argentatum (Guayule), Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion), Taraxacum megalorhizon (Russian dandelion), Palaquim gutta (Gutta percha), Manilkara bidentata (Balata), and Manilkara zapata (Chicle). Depending on the species of plant, the latex may be found in a number of locations. It may be within the cells or intercellular spaces of the roots, stems, or leaves of the plant.

The High Enlightenment and the Low-Life of Literature Essay -- Literar

Today, as historians look at the enlightenment they look at it through the eyes of the great thinkers.â€Å"The philosophic spirit itself took refuge in the writings of some great men†(D’Alembert,7).They helped create knowledge in how it is viewed today. However, the question remians what is the category that these men fall into. There are many different names and definitions of what these men can be called and who qualifies to fit in this group. It is said that many of the men that were classified in the category were not actual philosopher thinkers that expanded the mind and challenged thought. In the essay â€Å"The High Enlightenment and the Low-Life of Literature† by Robert Darnton he discuses the status of these philosophes that were being produced during the High Enlightenment. He argues that â€Å"the summit view of eighteenth-century intellectual history has been described so often and so well that it might be useful to strike out in a new direction, t o try to get to the bottom of the Enlightenment, and try to penetrate into its underworld...from below†(Darnton,57). He decides to look at the status of the enlightenment thinkers during this time to see the social standing that they had and the influence upon the world around them, not from the overall philosophes. Not from their works that were produced or the social responses to them; from the actual men of letters themselves.Darnton criticizes other historians for having looked at the Enlightenment â€Å"only through the eyes of this elite and proposes that, instead, we examine it from the perspective of those who failed to break into this closed elite of ‘literary aristocrates’†(Who were the Philosophes, 44). Darnton discusses, in his essay, the stance of the men of letters during the ... ... impoverished. The members of Grub Street now needed the change that was happening in thought during the Early Enlightenment. â€Å"It would seem to be necessary, therefore, in looking for the connection between the Enlightenment and the Revolution, to examine the structure of the cultural world under the Old Regime, to descend from the heights of metaphysics and to enter Grub Street†(Darnton, 65). These ideas of the old Enlightenment were seeping down into the lower classes because of what was happening to the Men of Letters. These members needed a change. â€Å"[W]hile they grew fat in Voltaire’s church, the revolutionary spirit passed to the lean and hungry men of Grub Street, to the cultural pariahs who, through poverty and humiliation†(Darnton, 66). This is what was happening in France during the High Enlightenment that led down into the Revolution for further change.

Social Capital

In recent decades, many social scientists have drawn attention to the importance of â€Å"social capital. † Social capital is meant to capture the value, economic and otherwise, that comes from social networks, through which people frequently interact with one another. But what if social capital ends up contributing to the rise of extreme movements, including fascism? It is well-established that individuals and societies can gain a great deal from civic institutions, such as parent-teacher associations, athletic leagues, churches and music clubs.High levels of social capital have been associated with numerous social benefits, including improvements in health, promise-keeping, trust, altruism, compliance with the law, child welfare and individual happiness. Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam has done a great deal to explore the beneficial effects of social capital. In his book â€Å"Bowling Alone,† he documented what he saw as its decline in the U. S. , connecting that decline with a wide range of social problems. Pointing to research by Putnam and others, many people have argued that the U.S. and other nations should make a sustained effort to measure and increase social capital, with particular attention to civic associations that help to generate it. At the same time, social capital can have a dark side. If people are in a social network whose members are interested in committing crimes, the existence of social capital will promote criminal activity. A fascinating recent study called â€Å"Bowling for Fascism† goes much further: It shows that the rise of Nazism was greatly facilitated by unusually high levels of social capital in Weimar Germany.The research offers an important and novel perspective on Adolf Hitler’s ascension to power. And by identifying conditions that help to spread extremism, it also offers significant lessons for the present, including the risk of terrorism. The study, conducted by New York Un iversity’s Shanker Satyanath and his co-authors, is based on a wide range of original materials, including Nazi Party membership lists and hand-collected data from 112 German towns.The central question: Who was most likely to join the Nazi Party? In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Germany had an exceptionally vibrant civil society that included clubs involved in hiking, animal breeding, shooting, gymnastics, bowling, fire fighting and singing. The authors’ principal finding is that in cities with dense networks of clubs and associations, Germans were far more likely to join the Nazi Party. Intheir words, â€Å"a dense fabric of civic associations went hand-in-hand with a more rapid rise of Nazi party membership. † It could be suggested that some independent factor, such as socioeconomic status or religion, accounts both for associational activity and for willingness to join the Nazi Party. But that suggestion is inconsistent with the evidence. Even if we control for these and other variables, a dense network of civic associations is correlated with significantly higher rates of entry into the Nazi Party.This finding undermines the view, held by some, that the Nazi Party succeeded by appealing to people who were socially isolated and that Hitler was able to draw support largely from the lonely and the rootless. But this evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Nazism spread in part as a result of face-to-face interactions by people who were in frequent contact with one another. Consider the chilling remarks of a Nazi Party member who recalled his growing acquaintance â€Å"with a colleague of my own age with whom I had frequent conversations.He was a calm, quiet person whom I esteemed very highly. When I found out that he was one of the local leaders of the National Socialist party, my opinion of it as a group of criminals changed completely. † The authors’ central findings fit well with emerging research on the immense importanc e of social influences on individual behavior. With respect to music, political convictions, voting and food, we constantly learn from others. Like-minded people tend to go to extremes, in large part because they learn from each other.Within nations and around the world, modern social media connect disparate people and hence build social capital, intensifying social influences on thought and behavior. For the current period, there is a straightforward lesson. Individuals and nations generally benefit from large numbers of private associations, including sports clubs, religious groups and parent-teacher associations. But in some nations, dense social networks also increase people’s vulnerability to extremism.A great deal of work suggests that terrorism itself can arise not because people are isolated, poor or badly educated, but because they are part of tightly knit networks in which hateful ideas travel quickly. No one should doubt that private associations are desirable and valuable, and that they can produce a dazzling range of social goods, including checks on the power of government. But Satyanath and his co-authors reveal another possibility: that such associations can facilitate the spread of extremism, ultimately laying the groundwork for serious challenges to democracy itself.