Economics - Case Study on Costco (2010)

Economics - Case Study on Costco (2010) Costco - let the grocery wars beginAuthor: John RolfeApril 16, 2010THE arrival of retailer Costco in Sydney is going to push down the price of shopping. And you won't even have to be a customer to benefit.As UNSW associate professor and competition expert Frank Zumbo said yesterday: "I have no doubt that once these Costcos are in full swing you will see significant pricing pressure on Coles and Woolworths."Premier Kristina Keneally yesterday confirmed a report in The Daily Telegraph that planning authorities had set aside the objections of Westfield and others, allowing Costco to build its first Sydney store, on Parramatta Rd at Auburn.The store should open next year along with a new intersection to cope with the expected traffic.Ultimately the US giant hopes to have five Sydney sites and maybe one in Canberra. It believes getting the OK for the first store will make it easier to get consent for the rest.costco entranceWestfield and other mall operators strenuously objected to Costc o's $60 million Auburn proposal.Professor Zumbo said Costco "would suck customers into Auburn, away from other shopping centres".The cornerstone tenants of those malls are Woolworths and Coles.In other markets Costco has been able to undercut competitors similar to Woolworths and Coles by as much as 25 per cent.Costco's cost of doing business is about 10 per cent of revenue while Woolworths' is 20 per cent.A price comparison yesterday by The Daily Telegraph showed Costco's first Australian store, at Docklands in Melbourne, was selling Vegemite for nearly 20 per cent less than Coles and 10 per cent cheaper than Woolworths.Coca-Cola was 44 per cent less than at Coles and 32 per cent less than the Fresh Food People.Cold Power laundry powder...

Top 10 LinkedIn Overused Buzzwords 2012

Top 10 LinkedIn Overused Buzzwords 2012 It’s that time of year again†¦ the â€Å"Lists† season! The first one I’d like to share with you is the list of overused professional buzzwords from LinkedIn. These words give a nice glimpse into what words you might be overusing on your resume as well. The most overused words vary by country; according to LinkedIn, the Swiss boast primarily about being â€Å"analytical† while India’s natives assert themselves as â€Å"effective† (just as they did last year); Spaniards claim they are â€Å"specialized† while Brazilians declare they are â€Å"experimental.† Looking for â€Å"motivated† professionals? Try Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the U.K. In the United States, the Top 10 Overused Buzzwords in LinkedIn Profiles are as follows: 1. Creative 2. Organizational 3. Effective (no change from last year!) 4. Motivated 5. Extensive Experience (the #1 overused buzzword in 2010 and a phrase that sets me on edge!) 6. Track Record 7. Innovative 8. Responsible (making an appearance for the first time in LinkedIn’s top 10 list) 9. Analytical (also listed for the first time) 10. Problem Solving The two words that got knocked off the list are â€Å"dynamic† and â€Å"communication skills.† Perhaps people got the point that too many people were claiming to be dynamic, and that communication skills are most aptly demonstrated through actual communication. What would it take for you to scrub your LinkedIn profile clean of overused and overrated buzzwords? I provided specific suggestions for the top three (creative, organizational and effective) in my 2011 article on most overused LinkedIn buzzwords. Sometimes you really do need to be â€Å"creative† to succeed in presenting yourself in a unique way. The Essay Expert’s writers can work with you to write a profile that stands out from the rest of the world’s. For details on our services see LinkedIn Profile Writing Services. You can also contact us through our Web Form. We look forward to giving you that extra edge on LinkedIn! Category:Archived ArticlesBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 10, 2012

Strategies to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Paper

Strategies to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Research Paper Example   Such policies set by developed and developing nations that are members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have been fundamental in articulating measures to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The UK, for instance, initiated its 2010 to 2015 policy on greenhouse gas emissions (Committee on Climate Change, 2015). The U.S has policies aimed at reducing the level of emission of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2013). EPA proposed emission standards to be recognized by states (ALEC, 2014; Utech, 2014). President Obama’s action plan on climate change also articulate measures to reduce carbon emission levels (US Climate Action Network, 2014). Besides, similar policies in other IPCC member countries have been instrumental in articulating measures to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, UNEP launched a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (UNEP, 2011). The WMO, in coordination with UNEP, initiated the IPCC in 1988 with the mandate to regulate global warming. Under the panel, member countries work on a global policy strategy to reduce climate change and manage its influence following the agreements drafted at Lima, Peru. The draft by the nations stipulates that developing and developed countries would be responsible for fighting against global warming under different circumstances (Nordhaus, 2011). However, policies set by IPCC member countries have not proved as viable strategies to combat climate change.   

Organisational Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Organisational Decision Making - Essay Example The major constituents of a business organization are analysed in the light of the Cadbury case study to justify the aforementioned argument. Human Resource: The staff members of the organization or the human resource of the organization is deemed as the pillar for an organization's sustainability both at operational and strategic levels as argued by Richard Lynch (2003)ii. This is also because of the fact that the human resource is the indispensable asset for an organization. Hence, the inability of an organization to effectively manage the human resource not only to improve their performance but also address their concerns is the primary reason for an organization's failure or financial loss in the target market as argued by Derek Torrington and Laura Hall (2003)iii. From the video, it is clear that the organization was initially one of the preferred places to work by many in the British general public. The strive of the organization to generate more revenue since 1966 was the major factor that influenced the Human Resource of the organization. ... The view on the company under consideration reveals that the effectiveness of the organization was mainly because of its rather 'unusual' method of people management, which not only had direct contact of the senior management with the operational staff but also enabled a sense of responsibility and team working amongst the staff members. The arguments of Kathy Ball - one of the employees of the organization who worked in the company for over forty years in the video justifies the aforementioned. The arguments on the team working and the contact with the management team that was emphasised by Kathy Ball are the critical elements that contribute to the motivation of the staff members. This is the critical element for a strategic growth in the organization as argued by Janice E Carrillo and Cheryl Gaimon (2004)iv. From the Cadbury case study video it is clear that the changes implemented in the organization for the purpose of increasing the revenue through the procedural approach to management and strict portfolios proposed by Mckinsey and Company were the major hurdles for the organization's growth. This is evident from the opinion of not only the ex-staff members but also by Adrian Cadbury the then managing director of the organization. Alongside it is also clear that the company's approach to increasing profits through cutting costs involved with the subsidies provided to the staff members is another critical area where the human resource or the workforce was de-motivated due to organization decision-making. Although the withdrawal of the subsidies are justifiable with the soaring costs in the market, the introduction of middle managers in the team as an approach to streamlining the operations in the organization

Poetry and Ozymandias Heart Essay Example for Free

Poetry and Ozymandias Heart Essay How life goes on: the analyzing of diction and imagery in â€Å" Ozymandias† The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† by Percy Bysshe Shelley is about a traveler telling the speaker about a statue in the desert. This statue is half sunk in the sand and the traveler explains that the â€Å"sneer of cold command† on the statue’s face shows that the sculptor understood the passions of the statue’s subject. This man sneered at the people who were not as powerful as him, but he fed his people because of something in his heart. The Traveler goes on and says that on the pedestal of the statue, it is written, â€Å"My name is Ozymandias’, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!† But when you look all around the statue for the â€Å"works† there is nothing but sand and a bare desert. In this poem, Percy Bysshe Shelley creates the image of destroyed sculptures to show that nature destroys all and his choice of diction is quite interesting. The diction in this poem creates a strong sense of imagery. The notable diction is combined with alliteration to create even more powerful imagery, such as the â€Å"Sneer of col command†. Ozymandias’-â€Å"ozy† meaning air and â€Å"mandias† meaning King/God, is a sonnet, a fourteen lined poem metered in iambic pentameter. Percy Bysshe Shelley uses words such as, Trunk-less- torso is gone, visage- another name for face, and colossal- which is an allusion of the colossus of roads. He uses this choice of diction to interest the reader furthermore by being more descriptive and letting the readers imagination go wild. The poem Ozymandias has two voices. The first is the speaker, who tells the entire poem. The other is the traveler, who tells the main speaker about the poem. The speaker tells us the traveler is from an antique land,† which is a metaphor for the old age of his country. Antiques are valued mainly for their age and are almost always not modern. The traveler is described as well-traveled, knowledgeab le, and wise. The Traveler’s whole speech is about a statue that he once saw in the middle of a desert. He tells us that the â€Å"trunk† of the statue is gone; The head of the statue lies in the sand at the feet of the legs and the expression on the face is still visible. There is a lot of death in this poem. The figure represented in the statue is dead, along with the civilization to which it once belonged. The Traveler says that the lip is â€Å"wrinkled†, but he says this is not because of old age but it is the â€Å"sneer of cold command†. This leaves the reader with an impression that Ozymandias’ was a cold ruler and had no trouble giving orders. In this  octave though it is suggests that the stone is â€Å"lifeless†, but on it is some â€Å"passions†. The reader, most likely imagines that these passions are greed, conceit, and other passions that are appropriate to a harsh, power-loving ruler. These same passions are said by the traveler to â€Å"survive† the â€Å"hand that mocked them,† which would be the sculptor, and the â€Å"heart that fed† them, which is Ozymandias’.The poem is consistent to a single metaphor: the shattered, ruined statue in the desert wasteland, but another metaphor is â€Å"the heart that fed†. Ozymandias’ heart â€Å"fed† these passions. The heart seemed to be compared to a powerful figure and the passions seemed more like an animal the master throws some food to, but I think the sense is more that Ozymandias’ heart fed on the passions. When you look at it like this, Ozymandias’ heart becomes a killer and the passions his prey. It seems obvious then that the passions kept the heart alive and beating, the passions are sustenance to the heart. The passions don’t seem to be suggested to be bad, but Ozymandias’ feeding on these passions of greed and conceit resulted in evil, the same evil we see on the statue’s face. His image of the broken sculpture shows how things change over time and that human beings and materialistic values are seasonal and are bound to end. They are all prone to be affected by the laws of time.

Opposing the Death Penalty Essay -- Against Capital Punishment Essays

Opposing the Death Penalty Capital punishment is the infliction of the death penalty on a person convicted of a crime. Executing convicted felons has been one of the most widely practiced forms of criminal punishment in the United States. However, this highly controversial form of punishment is not carried out in all of the states in the nation. Currently, the states that do not practice the death penalty are: Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Even for the states that do enforce the death penalty, it has been a topic of debate for many years. In this paper, I will review the major issues related to capital punishment with an emphasis on opposition to it. There are two groups who argue over the decision to take a person's life as a punishment for a crime. There are many points of discussion including whether or not it is a fitting and reasonable punishment, whether or not it acts as a deterrent to crime and whether or not it is morally neutral or morally wrong. These two classes of people can be grouped together as the 'retentionists', and the 'abolitionists' (Americana 596). For the retentionists, the main reasons they are in support of the death penalty are to take revenge and to punish. Their main worry is the protection of society from dangerous criminals. The retentionists have some good ideas, but they are still very wrong. The abolitionists view the death penalty as morally and legally wrong. Further, they argue that it does not act as a deterrent for crime, it is irreversible and could be used on an innocent person, it is more expensive than imprisonment, and that those who are con... ...iego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 ?Capital Punishment.? Encyclopedia Americana. 1990 ed. Draper, Thomas. Capital Punishment. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1985. Gibeaut, John. ?Death penalty a lively issue.? Aug 2002: 70-74. Criminal Justice Periodicals Proquest. Roesch Library, Dayton. 18 October 2002. Leone, Bruno. ?Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1998 McMillon, Rhonda. ?Seeking a fair penalty.? Sep 2002: 70-72. Criminal Justice Periodicals Proquest. Roesch Library, Dayton. 18 October 2002. Mitchell, Hayley. The Death Penalty. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001 Nathanson, Stephen. An Eye For and Eye? Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2001 Pohier, Jacques. ?The Death Penalty and Torture.? New York:Seabury Press, 1979

Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

This story is not only extremely ironic but it also has so much depth and symbolism involved. â€Å"The Necklace† begins by focusing on a woman that has no ability to accept her situation. She is overly materialistic to a point that is almost annoying. â€Å"She suffered constantly, feeling herself destined for all delicacies and luxuries†. At first she even seems like a spoiled women who is downright unrealistic. Guy De’ Maupassant is very clear in expressing how dissatisfied she is with her existing life, and how she believes that she is practically royalty yet unfortunately dealt the wrong hand. She was one of those pretty and charming women, born, as if by an error of destiny into a family of clerks and copyists†. At first, the opinion of her is casted in a negative light. However, it is not until reading the entire story that we realize that Mathilde Loisel is in fact just like any other woman today. By the end of the story we realize that not only the moral of her character increases but so does her strength. In the beginning of the story, Maupaussant focuses tremendously on painting a perfect picture of exactly how upset Mathilde is with her life. He also focuses on the fact that Mathilde is not content with her husband at all. The way she speaks to him comes off very distasteful and leaves a sour feeling. Yet, not until we analyze further do we realize that her husband is as just as weak a character as herself. When he brings home the invitation to the ball her reaction is heart wrenching; â€Å"She looked at him angrily and stated impatiently, what do you want me to wear to go there? † Here we see what’s important to her. Not the kind thought and invitation to the ball, but how she’s going to appear to the others there and what she’s going to wear. This, in my opinion is the first clue to how selfish this character truly initially is. Eventually we see the story unfold as we learn after her husband gives her all of his savings for a dress, she is still not satisfied and wants to borrow a diamond necklace to add to the outfit. Once at the ball, she’s able to finally even if only temporary, she is able to live in her fantasy world she’s imagined so much. She bathes in the high life while her husband falls asleep. Eventually we see him bring her back to her painful reality when he says its time to leave. But what we realize is even more painful is when Mathilde realizes the necklace is gone. Panic and chaos ensue, and her husband runs out in the middle of the night to retrace their steps. After searching all night, the necklace has vanished and Mathilde and her husband are left with no choice but to use everything they have to buy a replacement. Ironic that this necklace was of that much importance to her that she had to have it along with a dress she couldn’t even afford, and after she lived in her fantasy world for some time, she loses the necklace along with anything else they had. Because of her need for the necklace and insistence on the piece, they now have nothing. This is where we see Mathilde’s character begin to grow and gain so much strength as she is forced to become a tough woman and live the truly hard life. Now her original life doesn’t seem so bad. Then the story’s classic twist is revealed and we realize that the necklace was none other than costume jewelry and the Loisel’s pain was all in vain. Then this is where we begin to ask ourselves if it really all was done in vain in fact or if this adverse experience actually improved her character and was meant to happen for that purpose alone. And personally I believe this experience in fact totally improved her character for the good.

Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons from Crude Oil by Pseudomonas Putida

Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons from Crude Oil by Pseudomonas putida A Project done under the guidance of Dr. K. Bharathi Department of Biotechnology. Submitted to the faculty Of Department of Biotechnology National Institute Of Technology, Warangal (A. P) Submitted By Febin P. Nalpady, Anzal Rahman, Shruti Sharma, Sindhuja Nandiraju, Giraboina Kranthi Kumar NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL (A. P) (DEEMED UNIVERSITY) 2010-2011 DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, WARANGAL (A. P) CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the project entitled â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † carried out by †¦.. , bearing roll no. †¦. ,, final year B. Tech, Biotechnology, during academic year 2010-2011, is a bonafide work submitted to the National Institute of Technology, Warangal in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology. Guide : Dr. K Bharathi Dept. of Biotechnology NIT Warangal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT With great pleasure and deep sense of gratitude, we take this opportunity to express our sense of indebtedness to Dr. K Bharathi, our project guide for accepting us under her good self to carry out this project work, and providing us his invaluable guidance and constant encouragement at each and every step throughout the progress of this project. To be sincere it was an inextinguishable treasure of pleasure for us to work under her excellent guidance. I would also like to thank the faculty of our department,Dr. P Sreenivasa Rao, Mr. Onkara Perumal and Mr. K. Narasimhulu. They were a pillar of strength for us and encouraged us to do our best. Name Roll no Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 2. 1 Bioremediation 2. 2 The conventional techniques of remediation 2. 3 Advantages of Bioremediation 2. 4 Microbes that are useful for bioremediation 3. Review of literature 3. 1 Microbial degradation 3. 2 Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons 3. 3 Factors affecting Degradation 3. 4 Mechanism of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation 4. Brief outline of the project work 5. Materials and Methods 5. 1 Preparation Of Nutrient Broth 5. 2 Preparation of Nutrient Agar Slants from the Bacterial Strain 5. Preparation of SubCultures of Bacterial Strain 5. 4 Centrifugation of Crude Oil 5. 5 Subculturing Of Petri Plates with oil 5. 6 Biodegradation Studies 5. 7 Gravimetric Analysis 6. Results 6. 1 Growth Analysis of Pseudomonas Putida 6. 2 Gravimetric Analysis 7. Discussion 8. References 1. ABSTRACT Oil spills have become a serious problem with the ever-increasing re source exploitation, transportation, storage, and accidental leakage of oil. Several techniques, including physical, chemical, and biological methods, are used to recover spilled oil from the environment. Bioremediation is a promising option for remediation since it is effective and economic in removing oil with less undue environmental damages. However, it is a relatively slow process and the degree of success depends on a number of factors. These factors include the existence of a microbial population capable of degrading the pollutants, the availability of contaminants to the microbial population and the environment factors are type of soil, temperature, pH, the presence of oxygen and nutrients. This project aims to study the degradation extent of the pseudomonas putida on oil. The microbial strain used is procured from NCL pune. 2. Introduction In quantitative terms, crude oil is one of the most important organic pollutants in marine environment and it has been estimated that worldwide somewhere between 1. 7- 8. 8? 106 tons of petroleum hydrocarbons impact marine waters and estuaries annually. Reports have been appearing since last three decades on the biodegradability of crude oil by bacteria which can use hydrocarbons as source of carbon and energy. A way to mitigate the effects of oil spills is bioremediation. 2. 1 Bioremediation It is a process by which chemical substances are degraded by bacteria and other microorganisms. The use of these microorganisms has been successfully applied for the treatment of waste and wastewater in controlled systems. Several research studies have recently been performed to investigate the use of bioremediation for oil-spill cleanup in seawater, freshwater and terrestrial areas. The technique has been found to have a potential for broad applications in terrestrial and freshwater environments for treating soils and sediments contaminated with oil and other substances, as well as for coastal environments impacted by oil spills. Water is a more sensitive medium than soil and requires different remediation techniques. Spills to surface water are easier to clean up than spills to groundwater, for obvious reasons. It is not only much harder to see the extent of the contamination, but also to remove the source of the contamination as, for example, a leaking underground storage tank. 2. 2. The conventional techniques of remediation . The conventional techniques used for remediation have been to dig up contaminated soil and remove it to a landfill, or to cap and contain the contaminated areas of a site. The methods have some drawbacks. The first method simply moves the contamination elsewhere and may create significant risks in the excavation, handling, and transport of hazardous material. Additionally, it is very difficult and increasingly expensive to find new landfill sites for the final disposal of the material. A better approach than these traditional methods is to completely destroy the pollutants if possible, or at least to transform them to innocuous substances. Some technologies that have been used are high-temperature incineration and various types of chemical decomposition (e. g. , base-catalyzed dechlorination, UV oxidation). They can be very effective at reducing levels of a range of contaminants, but have several drawbacks, principally their technological complexity, the cost for small-scale application, and the lack of public acceptance, especially for incineration that may increase the exposure to contaminants for both the workers at the site and nearby residents. . 3 Advantages of Bioremediation Bioremediation is an option that offers the possibility to destroy or render harmless various contaminants using natural biological activity. As such, it uses relatively low-cost, low-technology techniques and can often be carried out on site. It will not always be suitable, however, as the range of contaminants on which it is effective is limited, the timescales involved are relatively long, and the residual contaminant levels achievable ma y not always be appropriate. Although the methodologies employed are not technically complex, considerable experience and expertise may be required to design and implement a successful bioremediation program, due to the need to thoroughly assess a site for suitability and to optimize conditions to achieve a satisfactory result. Because bioremediation seems to be a good alternative to conventional clean-up technologies research in this field, especially in the United States, rapidly increasing. Bioremediation has been used at a number of sites worldwide, including Europe, with varying degrees of success. Techniques are improving as greater knowledge and experience are gained, and there is no doubt that bioremediation has great potential for dealing with certain types of site contamination. Unfortunately, the principles, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages of bioremediation are not widely known or understood, especially among those who will have to deal directly with bioremediation proposals, such as site owners and regulators. 2. 4 Microbes that are useful for bioremediation The biodegradation of petroleum in the marine environment is carried out largely by diverse bacterial populations, including various Pseudomonas species. The hydrocarbon-biodegrading populations are widely distributed in the world’s oceans; surveys of marine bacteria indicate that hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed in the marine environment. Generally, in pristine environments, the hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria comprise < 1% of the total bacterial population. These bacteria presumably utilize hydrocarbons that are naturally produced by plants, algae, and other living organisms. They also utilize other substrates, such as carbohydrates and proteins. When an nvironment is contaminated with petroleum, the proportion of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms increases rapidly. In particular, in marine environments contaminated with hydrocarbons, there is an increase in the proportion of bacterial populations with plasmids containing genes for hydrocarbon utilization. The proportion of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial populations in hydrocarbon-contaminated marine environments often exceed 10% of the tot al bacterial population 3. Review of Literature 3. 1 Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons is a complex process that depends on the nature and on the amount of the hydrocarbons present. Petroleum hydrocarbons can be divided into four classes: the saturates, the aromatics, the asphaltenes (phenols, fatty acids, ketones, esters, and porphyrins), and the resins (pyridines, quinolines, carbazoles, sulfoxides, and amides) [R. R. Colwell, J. D. Walker, and J. J. Cooney, â€Å"Ecological aspects of microbial degradation of petroleum in the marine environment,]. Di? erent factors in? uencing hydrocarbon degradation have been reported by Cooney et al. One of the important factors that limit biodegradation of oil pollutants in the environment is their limited availability to microorganisms. Petroleum hydrocarbon compounds bind to soil components, and they are difficult to be removed or degraded [S. Barathi and N. Vasudevan], â€Å"Utilization of petroleum hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas ? uorescens isolated from a petroleum-contaminated soil]. Hydrocarbons di? er in their susceptibility to microbial attack. The susceptibility of hydrocarbons to microbial degradation can be generally ranked as follows: linear alkanes > branched alkanes > small aromatics > cyclic alkanes [J. J. Perry, â€Å"Microbial metabolism of cyclic alkanes,† in Petroleum Microbiology]. Some compounds, such as the high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), may not be degraded at all. 3. 2 Microbial degradation Microbial degradation is the major and ultimate natural mechanism by which one can cleanup the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from the environment [1-3] The recognition of biodegraded petroleum-derived aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments was reported by[ Jones et al]. They studied the extensive biodegradation o alkyl aromatics in marine sediments which occurred prior to detectable biodegradation of n-alkane pro? e of the crude oil and the microorganisms, namely, Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Rhodococcus were found to be involved for alkylaromatic degradation. Microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a polluted tropical stream in Lagos, Nigeria was reported by Adebusoye et al. Nine bacterial s trains, namely, Pseudomonas ? uorescens, P. aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus sp. , Alcaligenes sp. , Acinetobacter lwo? ,Flavobacteriumsp. , Micrococcus roseus, and Corynebacterium sp. were isolated from the polluted stream which could degrade crude oil. Hydrocarbons in the environment are biodegraded primarily by bacteria, yeast, and fungi. The reported e? ciency of biodegradation ranged from 6% to 82% for soil fungi, 0. 13% to 50% for soil bacteria, and 0. 003% to 100% [6] for marine bacteria. Many scientists reported that mixed populations with overall broad enzymatic capacities are required to degrade complex mixtures of hydrocarbons such as crude oil in soil, fresh water, and marine environments [8]. Bacteria are the most active agents in petroleum degradation, and they work as primary degraders of spilled oil in environment [7]. Several bacteria are even known to feed exclusively on hydrocarbons [9]. Floodgate [36] listed 25 genera of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria and 25 genera of hydrocarbon degrading fungi which were isolated from marine environment. A similar compilation by Bartha and Bossert [6] included 22 genera of bacteria and 31 genera of fungi. In earlier days, the extent to which bacteria, yeast, and ? lamentous fungi participate in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons was the subject of limited study, but appeared to be a function of the ecosystem and local environmental conditions [7]. Crude petroleum oil from petroleum contaminated soil from North East India was reported by Das and Mukherjee . Acinetobacter sp. Was found to be capable of utilizing n-alkanes of chain length C10–C40 as a sole source of carbon [6]. Bacterial genera, namely, Gordonia, Brevibacterium, Aeromicrobium, Dietzia, Burkholderia, and Mycobacterium isolated from petroleum contaminated soil proved to be the potential organisms for hydrocarbon degradation [9]. The degradation of poly- aromatic hydrocarbons by Sphingomonas was reported by Daugulis and McCracken . Fungal genera, namely, Amorphoteca, Neosartorya, Talaromyces, and Graphium and yeast genera, namely, Candida, Yarrowia, and Pichia were isolated from petroleum contaminated soil and proved to be the potential organisms for hydrocarbon degradation [ Singh et al. ] also reported a group of terrestrial fungi, namely, Aspergillus, Cephalosporium, and Pencillium which were also found to be the potential degrader of crude oil hydrocarbons. The yeast species, namely, Candida lipolytica, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Geotrichum sp, and Trichosporon mucoides isolated from contaminated water were noted to degrade petroleum compounds [5]. Though algae and protozoa are the important members of the microbial community in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, reports are scanty regarding their involvement in hydrocarbon biodegradation. [Walker et al. ] isolated an alga, Prototheca zop? which was capable of utilizing crudeoil and a mixed hydrocarbon substrate and exhibited extensive degradation of n-alkanes and isoalkanes as well a aromatic hydrocarbons. Cerniglia et al. observed tha nine cyanobacteria, ? ve green algae, one red alga, one brown alga, and two diatoms could oxidize naphthalene. Protozoa by contrast, had not been shown to utilize hydrocarbons. 3. 3 Factors affecting Degradation A number of limiting factors have been recognized to a? ect the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, many of which have been discussed by Brusseau. The composition and inherent biodegradability of the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutant is the ? rst and foremost important consideration when the suitability of a remediation approach is to be assessed. Among physical factors, temperature plays an important role in biodegradation of hydrocarbons by directly a? ecting the chemistry of the pollutants as well as a? cting the physiology and diversity of the microbial ? ora. Atlas [4] found that at low temperatures, the viscosity of the oil increased, while the volatility of the toxic low molecular weight hydrocarbons were reduced, delaying the onset of biodegradation. Temperature also a? ects the solubility of hydrocarbons [8]. Although hydrocarbon biodegradation can occur over a wide range of temperatures, the rate of biodegradation generally decreases with the decreasing temperature. shows that highest degradation rates that generally occur in the range 30–40? C in soil environments, 20–30? Cin some freshwater environments and 15–20? C in marine environments . Venosa and Zhu [11] reported thatambient temperature of the environment a? ected both the properties of spilled oil and the activity of the microorganisms. Signi? cant biodegradation of hydrocarbons have been reported in psychrophilic environments in temperate regions. Nutrients are very important ingredients for successful biodegradation of hydrocarbon pollutants especially nitrogen, phosphorus, and in some cases iron [8]. Some of these nutrients could become limiting factor thus a? ecting the biodegradation processes. Atlas [11] reported that when a major oil spill occurred in marine and freshwater environments, the supply of carbon was signi? cantly increased and the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus generally became the limiting factor for oil degradation. In marine environments, it was found to be more pronounced due to low levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in seawater [10]. Freshwater wetlands are typically considered to be nutrient de? cient due to heavy demands of nutrients by the plants. Therefore, additions of nutrients were necessary to enhance the biodegradation of oil pollutant. On the other hand, excessive nutrient concentrations can also inhibit the biodegradation activity [11]. Several authors have reported the negative e? ects of high NPK levels on the biodegradation of hydrocarbons especially on aromatics [10]. The e? ectiveness of fertilizers for the crude oil bioremediation in subarctic intertidal sediments was studied by Pelletier et al. . Use of poultry manure as organic fertilizer in contaminated soil was also reported , and biodegradation was found to be enhanced in the presence of poultry manure alone. Maki et al. eported that photo-oxidation increased the biodegradability of petroleum hydrocarbon by increasing its bioavailability and thus enhancing microbial activities. 3. 4 Mechanism of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation The most rapid and complete degradation of the majority of organic pollutants is brought about under aerobic conditions. Figure 2 shows the main principle of aerobic degradation of hydrocarbons [11]. The initial intracellular at tack of organic pollutants is an oxidative process and the activation as well as incorporation of oxygen is the enzymatic key reaction catalyzed by oxygenases and peroxidases. Peripheral degradation pathways convert organic pollutants step by step into intermediates of the central intermediary metabolism, for example, the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Biosynthesis of cell biomass occurs from the central precursor metabolites, for example, acetyl-CoA, succinate, pyruvate. Sugars required for various biosyntheses and growth are synthesized by gluconeogenesis. The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons can be mediated by speci? c enzyme system. Figure 3 shows the initial attack on xenobiotics by oxygenases. Other mechanisms involved are (1) attachment of microbial cells to the substrates and (2) production of biosurfactants [12]. The uptake mechanism linked to the attachment of cell to oil droplet is still unknown but production of biosurfactants has been well studied. 4. Brief outline of the project work: 1. Procurement of oil Samples. 2. Procurement of Pseudomonas putida strain. 3. Sub-culturing the microbe in nutrient rich media for checking viability.. 4. Culturing microbes on a mineral salt media containing only crude oil as a carbon source. 5. Biodegradation studies. 6. Gravimetric analysis 5. Materials and Methods Soil Samples – Samples(500g) contaminated with oil used for hydrocarbons utilizing microorganisms, were collected from Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai(where a recent oil spill has took place). Crude Oil – Crude Oil is procured from an Oil production site of ONGC. Bacterial Strain – Pseudomonas Putida PS-I strain procured from NCL Pune. 5. 1 Preparation Of Nutrient Broth For preparation of nutrient agar, malt extract, yeast extract, Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and dextrose is required. Malt extract and yeast extract is generally used as a nutritious agent. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate i. . KH2PO4 is used as a buffering agent to maintain the pH. Dextrose is generally used as a carbon source because dextrose inhibits the growth of other micro-organisms. AUTOCLAVE is a device to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure steam at 121 ° C or more. Machines in this category largely operate by utilizing pressurized steam and superheated water. To sterilize culture media, rubber material, gowns, dressing, gloves etc. are used. It is particularly useful for materials which cannot withstand the higher temperature of hot air oven. CHEMICALS REQUIRED:- For 1000ml, Malt extract — 10 gm Beef Extract — 4 gm K2HPO4 — 1 gm Magnesium sulphate — 1 gm Sodium Chloride — 0. 5 gm pH — 7. 0 Agar — 15% PROCEDURE:- For preparation of 100ml of nutrient broth, around 100ml of double distilled water was taken in a conical flask. Malt extract, yeast extract, KH2PO4 and dextrose was weighed as per the composition mentioned above and added to the conical flask. The conical flasks are to be shaken so well so that all the chemicals should dissolve. pH was checked using pH meter and adjusted to 7. 0 using NaOH and HCl. The volume was made to 100ml by adding double distilled water. The above solution i. e. nutrient agar along with the Petri-plates was autoclaved at 15 psi and 15 minutes. Now the solution was allowed to cool down to ready to pour condition. PRECAUTIONS:- The autoclave should be done at 15 psi and 15 min. The pH should be maintained at 7. 0. 5. 2 Preparation of Nutrient Agar Slants from the Bacterial Strain For the preparation of Slants, Flame the inoculating loop to redness by holding it pointed down into the flame, starting near the handle and then moving the loop into the flame. This technique sterilizes the loop and, if wet with a culture, heats up the loop without spattering bacteria into the air and onto the surrounding area. Let the loop cool a minute. A hot loop will damage the bacteria cells. Using the fingers of the â€Å"loop hand† remove the cap from the stock culture tube and flame the tube mouth. Do not set the tube top down on the table. Insert the cooled sterilized loop into the culture tube being careful to not touch the sides of the tube. Touch the loop to the culture. You need not scrape a visible amount from the culture. Hold the tube as horizontal as possible to preclude particles from the air settling into the tube But do watch out for any condensate in the bottom of slant cultures. Don't let this fluid wash across the face of the culture. Remove the loop being careful again to not touch the tube sides. Flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Remove the cap of the broth tube. Flame the top. Remember to hold the top in your fingers. Insert the loop into the Slant tube filled with agar and shake to remove the bacteria. Withdraw the loop, flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Resterilize the inoculating loop and place it on the table. Never place a contaminated loop on the table. If there is any liquid in the bottom of the slant tube avoid sticking the loop into this condensate. 5. 3 Preparation of SubCultures of Bacterial Strain The Nutrient Broth Cultures are inoculated with the bacterial strain from the nutrient agar slant as detailed below. PROCEDURE Light your Bunsen burner. In one hand hold both the Nutrient Broth culture to be inoculated and the nutrient slant agar. Loosen the tube caps. In your other hand hold the inoculating loop. Flame the inoculating loop to redness by holding it pointed down into the flame, starting near the handle and then moving the loop into the flame. This technique sterilizes the loop and, if wet with a culture, heats up the loop without spattering bacteria into the air and onto the surrounding area. Let the loop cool a minute. A hot loop will damage the bacteria cells. Using the fingers of the â€Å"loop hand† remove the cap from the stock culture tube and flame the tube mouth. Do not set the tube top down on the table. Insert the cooled sterilized loop into the slant tube being careful to not touch the sides of the tube. Touch the loop to the culture. You need not scrape a visible amount from the culture. Hold the tube as horizontal as possible to preclude particles from the air settling into the tube But do watch out for any condensate in the bottom of slant cultures. Don't let this fluid wash across the face of the culture. Remove the loop being careful again to not touch the tube sides. Flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Remove the cap of the broth tube. Flame the top. Remember to hold the top in your fingers. Insert the loop into the broth and shake to remove the bacteria. Gently shake the broth culture. This inoculated broth culture is incubated at room temperature for 72 hours and the bacteria is allowed to grow in the broth medium. 5. 4 Centrifugation of Crude Oil Centrifugation is a process that involves the use of the centrifugal force for the separation of mixtures with a centrifuge, used in industry and in laboratory settings. More-dense components of the mixture migrate away from the axis of the centrifuge, while less-dense components of the mixture migrate towards the axis. The precipitate (pellet) gathers on the bottom of the tube. The remaining solution is properly called the â€Å"supernate† or â€Å"supernatant liquid† The Crude Oil is Centrufuged at a speed of 5000 rpm for a period of ten minutes. The Contaminants in the oil are collected at the bottom of the tube in the form of pellets. These pellets can be removed by filtration using a filter paper. Now the concentrates oil which is free from impurities is collected in a flask and gently shaken. Spectophotometric Analysis Optical density, measured in a spectrophotometer, can be used as a measure of the concentration of bacteria in a suspension. As visible light passes through a cell suspension the light is scattered. Greater scatter indicates that more bacteria or other material is present. The amount of light scatter can be measured in a spectrophotometer. Typically, when working with a particular type of cell, you would determine the optical density at a particular wavelength that correlates with the different phases of bacterial growth. Generally we will want to use cells that are in their mid-log phase of growth. Typically the OD600 is measured. 5. 5 Subculturing Of Petri Plates with oil % of crude oil is mixed with 100 ml of Nutrient broth medium. The 1. 5g of agar is added to the medium and Nutrient Agar(with 1% crude oil) is prepared. Now take 6 Petri dishes. Open one of the dishes. Take the nutrient agar to be added and Swab the agar, barely pressing, side to side on the entire surface. The dish is closed immediately after swabbing to prevent contamination. The dish is sealed with tape around the edges to prevent co ntamination. Repeat the same procedure for the other dishes. Put the dishes in an incubator for 4 days to allow some growth. 5. 6 Biodegradation Studies Laboratory Biodegradation studies were carried out under optimized conditions for assessing the biodegradation potential of the pseudomonas putida PS-I Strain. After the desired interval of time, the petriplates were taken out and the bacterial activities were stopped by adding 1% N HCl. For the extraction of crude oil from these plates, 50ml of culture broth was mixed with 50 ml of acetone : petroleum ether (1:1) in a single separating funnel and shaken vigorously to get a single emulsified layer and acetone was added then to it and shaken gently to break the emulsification which resulted in three layers. Top layer was a mixture of Petroleum ether crude oil and acetone. Clumping cells aere formed in the middle layer and the bottom layer contains acetone, water and biosurfactant in soluble form. The lower two layers were separated out while the top layer containing petroleum ether mixed with crude oil and acetone is taken out in a fresh beaker. The extracted oil is passed through anhydrous sodium sulphate in order to remove the moisture. The petroleum ether and acetone were evaporated on a water bath leaving us with the dry oil clump. 5. 7 Gravimetric Analysis Gravimetric analysis describes a set of methods in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte based on the mass of a solid. the analyte must first be converted to a solid by precipitation with an appropriate reagent. The precipitate can then be collected by filtration, washed, dried to remove traces of moisture from the solution, and weighed. The amount of analyte in the original sample can then be calculated from the mass of the precipitate and its chemical composition. Gravimetric analysis is performed on the dry oil clump collected after the water bath. It is done by weighing the quantity of residual oil left after biodegradation in a tared vial. The mass of this crucible is subtracted from the initial mass of the 1% of oil that is added in the petridishes giving the amount of oil that is degraded due to the biological avtivity of the pseudomonas putida strain. 6. Results 6. 1 Growth Analysis of Pseudomonas Putida: The culture which was obtained in test tube slants was further sub cultured in conical flasks in a LB medium and the growth analysis was done to check the viability of the culture obtained. The growth kinetics plot was obtained by measuring the O. D. y using a visible spectrophotometer and recording the reading at regular intervals. The Graph was then plotted. 6. 2 Gravimetric Analysis: Biodegradation studies were conducted for 15 days and gravimetric analysis was done after every five days. The biodegradation effect was seen from the 5th day onwards. Laboratory biodegradation studies on crude oil by Pseudomonas putida No . Of Days| Initial Concn| Final Concn| Difference| Degradation (%)| 5 days| 1. 431  ± . 57| 1. 325  ± . 46| 0. 106  ± . 11| 7. 4| 10 days| 1. 453  ± . 71| 1. 198  ± . 38| 0. 255  ± . 34| 17. 54| 15 days| 1. 398  ± . 68| 0. 936  ± . 31| 0. 62  ± . 28| 33. 04 | 7. Discussion It can be seen that the degradation percentage of oil has increased from mere 7. 41 in the first 5 days to a good 33. 04 percentage towards the 15th day, from this it is clearly understood that pseudomonas putida is an ideal organism for bioremediation programmes. Moreover this rate of degradation has been obtained under normal conditions without any aid from surfactants or fertilizers. Hence there is scope for achieving much greater rates by using the above mentioned methods of fertilizing or adding surfactants. 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1). U. S. Enviromental Protection Agency (1990). Interim Report, Oil Spill Bioremediation Project. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington (2). T. Cairney. Contaminated Land, p. 4, Blackie, London (1993). (3). R. B. King, G. M. Long, J. K. Sheldon. Practical Environmental Bioremediation: The Field Guide, 2nd ed. , Lewis, Boca Raton, FL (1997). (4). Atlas, Ronald M. (1995). Petroleum Biodegradation and Oil Spill Bioremediation. Marine Pollution Bulletin 31, 178-182 (5) Hoff, Rebecca Z. (1993). Bioremediation: an overview of its development and use for oil spill cleanup. Marine Pollution Bulletin 29, 476-481. 6). Irwin, Patricia (1996). To clean up environmental spill, know your medium. Electrical World 37-40. (7). Swannell, Richard P. J. ; Lee, Kenneth; McDonagh, Madeleine (1996). Field Evaluations of Marine Oil Spill Bioremediation. Microbiological Reviews 60, 342-365 (8). Radwan, S. S. ; Sorkhoh, N. A. ; El-Nemr, I. M. ; El-Desouky, A. F. (1997). A feasibility study on seeding as a bio remediation practice for the oily Kuwaiti desert. Journal of Applied Microbiology 83, 353-358. (9). P. E. Flathman, D. Jerger, J. E. Exner. Bioremediation: Field Experience, Lewis, Boca Raton, FL (1993). 10). J. G. Mueller, C. E. Cerniglia, P. H. Pritchard. Bioremediation of Environments Contaminated by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. In Bioremediation: Principles and Applications, pp. 125–194, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996). (11). P. J. S. Colberg and L. Y. Young. Anaerobic Degradation of Nonhalogenated Homocyclic Aromatic Compounds Coupled with Nitrate, Iron, or Sulfate Reduction. In Microbial Transformation and Degradation of Toxic Organic Chemicals, pp. 307–330, Wiley-Liss, New York (1995). (12). A. S. Allard and A. H. Neilson. Oil Eating Microbes 39, 253–285 (1997).

Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) 1410

Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) 1410 After nearly two centuries of crusading on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea, the Teutonic Knights had carved out a sizable state. Among their conquests was the key region of Samogitia which linked the Order with their branch to the north in Livonia. In 1409, a rebellion began in the region which was backed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In response to this support, the Teutonic Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen threatened to invade. This statement induced the Kingdom of Poland to join with Lithuania in opposing the Knights. On August 6, 1409, Jungingen declared war on both states and fighting began. After two months of fighting, a truce extending to June 24, 1410, was brokered and both sides withdrew to strengthen their forces. While the Knights sought foreign aid, King Wladislaw II Jagiello of Poland and Grand Duke Vytautus of Lithuania agreed upon a mutual strategy for the resumption of hostilities. Rather than invade separately as the Knights anticipated, they planned to unite their armies for a drive on the Knights capital at Marienburg (Malbork). They were aided in this plan when Vytautus made peace with Livonian Order. Moving to Battle Uniting at Czerwinsk in June 1410, the combined Polish-Lithuanian army moved north towards the border. To keep the Knights off balance, small attacks and raids were conducted away from the main line of advance. On July 9, the combined army crossed the border. Learning of the enemys approach, Jungingen raced east from Schwetz with his army and established a fortified line behind the Drewenz River. Reaching the Knights position, Jagiello called a council of war and elected to move east rather than make an attempt on the Knights lines. Marching towards Soldau, the combined army then attacked and burned Gligenburg. The Knights paralleled Jagiello and Vytautus advance, crossing the Drewenz near Là ¶bau and arriving between the villages of Grunwald, Tannenberg (StÄ™bark), and Ludwigsdorf. In this area on the morning of July 15, they encountered the forces of the combined army. Deploying on a northeast–southwest axis, Jagiello and Vytautus formed with the Polish heavy cavalry on the left, infantry in the center, and Lithuanian light cavalry on the right. Wishing to fight a defensive battle, Jungingen formed opposite and awaited attack. The Battle of Grunwald As the day progressed, the Polish-Lithuanian army stayed in place and made no indication that they intended to attack. Increasingly impatient, Jungingen dispatched messengers to chide the allied leaders and provoke them to action. Arriving in Jagiellos camp, they presented the two leaders with swords to aid them in the battle. Angered and insulted, Jagiello and Vytautus moved to open the battle. Pushing forward on the right, the Lithuanian cavalry, supported by Russian and Tartar auxiliaries, began an attack on the Teutonic forces. Though initially successful, they were soon pushed back by the Knights heavy cavalry. The retreat soon became a rout with the Lithuanians fleeing the field. This may have been the result of a misinterpreted false retreat conducted by the Tartars. A favored tactic, the sight of them intentionally retreating may have led to panic among the other ranks. Regardless, the Teutonic heavy cavalry broke formation and began a pursuit. As the battle flowed on the right, the remaining Polish-Lithuanian forces engaged the Teutonic Knights. Focusing their assault on the Polish right, the Knights began to gain the upper hand and forced Jagiello to commit his reserves to the fight. As the battle raged, Jagiellos headquarters was attacked and he was nearly killed. The battle began to turn in Jagiello and Vytautus favor when the Lithuanian troops that had fled rallied and began to return to the field. Striking the Knights in the flank and rear, they began to drive them back. In the course of the fighting, Jungingen was killed. Retreating, some of the Knights attempted a final defense at their camp near Grunwald. Despite using wagons as barricades, they were soon overrun and either killed or forced to surrender. Defeated, the surviving Knights fled the field. Aftermath In the fighting at Grunwald, the Teutonic Knights lost around 8,000 killed and 14,000 captured. Among the dead were many of the Orders key leaders. Polish-Lithuanian losses are estimated at around 4,000-5,000 killed and 8,000 wounded. The defeat at Grunwald effectively destroyed the Teutonic Knights field army and they were unable to oppose the enemys advance on Marienburg. While several of the Orders castles surrendered without a fight, others remained defiant. Reaching Marienburg, Jagiello and Vytautus laid siege on July 26. Lacking the necessary siege equipment and supplies, the Poles and Lithuanians were forced to break off the siege that September. Receiving foreign aid, the Knights were able to quickly recover most of their lost territory and fortresses. Defeated again that October at the Battle of Koronowo, they entered peace negotiations. These produced the Peace of Thorn in which they renounced claims to Dobrin Land and, temporarily, to Samogitia. In addition, they were saddled with a massive financial indemnity which crippled the Order. The defeat at Grunwald left a long-lasting humiliation that remained part of the Prussian identity until the German victory on the nearby ground at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. Selected Sources Teutonic Knights: Battle of GrunwaldBattle of Grunwald 1410

Holidays of Spanish-Speaking Countries

Holidays of Spanish-Speaking Countries If youre traveling to a Spanish-speaking area, one thing to consider is the countrys fiestas, holidays and other celebrations. On the positive side, you may get an opportunity for an upclose look at the countrys culture and a chance to participate in activities youll see nowhere else; on the other hand, with some of the more important holidays, businesses may be closed, public transportation may crowded and hotel rooms may be difficult to reserve. Spring Holidays Because of the Roman Catholic heritage, in nearly all the Spanish-speaking world la Semana Santa, or Holy Week, the week before Easter, is among the most widely celebrated of holidays. Specific days observed include el Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, a celebration of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his death; el Jueves Santo, which commemorates la Última Cena de Jesà ºs (the Last Supper); el Viernes Santo, or Good Friday, marking the day of Jesus death; and the weeks climax, el Domingo de Pascua or la Pascua de Resurreccià ³n, or Easter, a celebration of Jesus Resurrection. The dates of la Semana Santa vary from year to year. Winter Holidays La Navidad, or Christmas, is also universally celebrated on December 25. Related days include la Nochebuena (Christmas Eve, December 24), el dà ­a de san Esteban (St. Stephens Day, honoring the man traditionally believed to be the first Christian martyr, on December 26), el dà ­a de san Juan Evangelista (St. Johns Day, on December 27), el dà ­a de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocents, honoring the babies who, according to the Bible, were ordered slaughtered by King Herod, December 28) and el dà ­a de la Sagrada Familia (the Day of the Holy Family, observed the Sunday after Christmas), culminating in la Epifanà ­a (January 6, Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, marking the day los magos or Wise Men arrived to see the infant Jesus). In the middle of all this is el Aà ±o Nuevo, or New Years, which typically is celebrated beginning on el Nocheviejo, or New Years Eve. Independence Holidays Most Latin American countries also celebrate an Independence Day to mark the day of separation from Spain or, in a few cases, some other country. Among the dà ­as de la independencia are February 12 (Chile), Feb. 27 (Dominican Republic), May 24 (Ecuador), July 5 (Venezuela), July 9 (Argentina), July 20 (Colombia), July 28 (Peru), August 6 (Bolivia), August 10 (Ecuador), August 25 (Uruguay), September 15 (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua), September 16 (Mexico) and November 28 (Panama). Spain, meanwhile, celebrates its Dà ­a de la Constitucià ³n (Constitution Day) on December 6. Other Days of Celebration: Dà ­a del Trabajo or Dà ­a del Trabajador - May Day or Labor Day is widely observed on May 1.Fiesta Nacional de Espaà ±a - This day, observed on October 12, marks the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. It also goes by other names, including la Fiesta de la Hispanidad. In Latin America, it is often known as el Dà ­a de la Raza.Cinco de Mayo - This Mexican celebration marking a victory in the Battle of Puebla has been exported to the United States, where it is more widely observed than in Mexico.Dà ­a de la Asuncià ³n - A day commemorating the Assumption of Mary is observed in some countries on August 15.Dà ­a de la Revolucià ³n - Mexico celebrates the start of the Mexican Revolution on the third Monday of November.Dà ­a de Todos Santos - All Saints Day is widely observed on November 1.

Sustainable marketing plan for Emirates Airline Essay

Sustainable marketing plan for Emirates Airline - Essay Example Emirates Airlines ensures that passengers have the best experience possible while flying, no matter in which class a passenger is flying. Currently, Emirates Airlines has 1,000 flights leaving Dubai every week to six continents and nearly 40% of airline traffic in the Dubai International Airport consists of flights by Emirates Airlines out of Terminal 3. It is also the largest world-wide operator of the Airbus A380. In continuing its growth in the global airline market, a new Airbus Hub will be opening soon to accommodate Emirates’ large fleet of Airbus planes. The Hub will contain shopping and dining areas, first class and business class lounges that lead right on to the planes, and a first-class hotel with both four-star and five-star rooms for overnight accommodations (Emirates Global, 2012). Fig. 1(Emirates Airbus Hub, 2012) In September 2012, Qantas of Australia signed an agreement with Emirates for joint use of the new hub in Dubai, thus opening up new markets for both c ompanies. As part of the agreement, Qantas now moves its current Airbus hub from Singapore to Dubai, providing world-class seamless traveling to all parts of the globe and include it frequent flyer benefits program. This also means far more traffic through the Dubai Hub, providing customers for its shops, restaurants and its world-class hotel, a huge bonus for travellers making very long journeys who would prefer to stay overnight at the hotel instead of just getting onto another plane. While neither airlines has equity in the other, there will be a sharing of benefits such as the network collaboration of coordinated scheduling of flights, ticket sales and a seamless transition from one airline to another for those travellers who need it ( Dubai Hub, 2012). Currently, the Airbus 380 planes are used by seven global airlines: Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern (Waugh, 2012). The marketing plan goal: to align Qantas and Emira tes as major brands names in the Airbus airline industry; to create a buzz as offering the best benefits by flying with either airline; and to induce other Airbus 380 airlines to join in partnership with the Emirates Hub (3Bs). This also benefits passengers who receive special high-value benefits by flying through the Hub; promotes international flying on Airbus airplanes as the most valued way to go; and finally, brings in more profits through customer acquisition, Airbus acquisition to the Hub, and sustainable income with profits seen within the first two years of the program (3BL). Marketing Mix = 2000 Hub Customer Plan The marketing mix for customers in this plan consists of all first class and business class passengers who use the Airbus fleets of the two airlines currently signed to the new Emirates Hub. As part of the acquisition, retention and add-on selling process (ARA), the intention is for first-time Airbus Hub flyers to receive exceptional bonuses when flying through th e Dubai Hub for the first time. This first stage will include a free night at the hotel, based on the flying status of the customer, whether first class or business class. This is a major bonus because people will love the hotel once they have experienced its fine services and