Detection of Oil Spillage in the Sea Research Paper

Detection of Oil Spillage in the Sea - Research Paper Example The images were taken during the Prestige oil spill that happened in Spanish coast. Geographical Information System (GIS) database was used in the integration of the images to study the spatial distribution, slick progression and the results compared to field observations. From the results acquired, a relationship is developed between the use of radar imagery and other available options like wind data and in situ interpretations. Integration of these techniques produces efficient ways of monitoring and forecast oil spills in the oceans. Key words Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), oil spillage, Geographical Information System (GIS), and oil slick. Introduction Oil spillage in the sea or oceans serves as a main source of water pollution and environmental degradation. Most leakages result from ships ferrying oil to various destinations across the world. Storms in the sea cause ship wreckages that lead to oil spillage. Monitoring of such incidences before extensive damage is made is essential. The case study for this project is an oil tanker, Prestige that was damaged in a storm in the coast of Spain. Though it had a capacity of 77000 tons of heavy fuel, after the damage, there was an immediate loss of 5000 tons. Over 190kms of the coast was contaminated with the oil within a period of three days. After a few days, the ship broke and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. During the incident,3000tons were lost as spillage as other 6000tons as it sunk. Oil spread 270km along the south/south west of the cape of Finisterra. Satellite images have been provided by the European Space Agency daily since the accident occurred. The Envisat space craft and European Remote Sensing (ERS) revealed the leakage, raising an alarm in salvaging process of the sea (Palanzuela, Gonzalez, & Cuadrado 2006). The data retrieved from radar was of great use in oil spillage detection because it covers a wide area. Radar also assists in taking images at all times. This makes it useful in detecti ng and clean up operations of oil spills. The mode of technology used in the project was Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR). The images retrieved from the radar were very critical in detecting oil spills from the Prestige tanker. The images were integrated by the Geographical Information System (GIS) database that revealed further information about the spillage. The area covered by oil spill, its quantity and spatial distribution in the area within the oil spillage period was traced. Observations made in the field and the condition of wind during the incident could be retrieved. Oil Slick Detection The area affected lies in the north-west coast of Spain on Atlantic Ocean. The coast line covers the Cape of Finisterre to the mouth of Mino River. The marine biodiversity in the area is rich, with a blend of vertical water and column layers. The rich cold water provides nutrients that support pelagic and demersal fisheries. A rich mussel raft culture is also maintained. The fishing industry, mussel culture creates employment to the natives. Beaches, resorts and ecological important areas offer good grounds for national parks. The spillage that occurred became a threat to these areas. ASAR scenes retrieved through wide-swath mode by ScanSAR technique showed that the area affected was greater than 400kms. Several organizations took part in field survey. The data

JP Morgan Chase and Bank One Merger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

JP Morgan Chase and Bank One Merger - Essay Example Bank One Corporation had been created through mergers with many other banks like Banc One of Columbus, First Chicago NBD, and Ohio but the mergers were considered a failure until Jamie Dimon who had been chosen as the president and CEO took over the leadership of the company and reformed the new firm’s practices (American Bar Association, 2007). Dimon improved the firm by changing the disastrous technology jumble inherited from the prior mergers done by Bank One Corporation and ensured that the bank was more than sufficient to be a viable merger for JPMorgan Chase. Bank One Corporation had spread its roots in many States with the beginning of interstate banking and acquired many banks and with this successful process, they resisted combining into one bank. According to the writings by Truitt (2006), Bank One Corporation, had to be merged with JPMorgan after the departure of their CEO John B. McCoy, whose father and grandfather had headed Bank One. McCoy left because after the First Chicago NBD merger, Banc One Corporation started having financial issues and there was no other option other than accepting help from others. Dimon was brought in as the head of the company and this is when the JPMorgan completed the acquisition of Bank One. The mega-merger was a success because JPMorgan Chase & Co. is one of the largest and best-known financial institutions in the world. Skeel (2011) stated that J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm with valuable assets and operations in more than 50 countries. The firm provides good services to people in the society and many of the world’s most prominent government, institutional and corporate clients. The mega-merger was a success because Bank One would have failed running on its own due financial difficulties. Griffin and Moorehead (2010) stated that JPMorgan Chase & Co is

The operations of a spares supply and service support Case Study

The operations of a spares supply and service support - Case Study Example The company sources its supplies directly from Air solutions manufacturing plants in Birmingham and Manchester. Airco will also purchase the Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit directly from Air solutions because it offers discount for bulk buyers and the parts purchased are genuine. The company anticipates distributing Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) spare parts until the year 2014 while Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit (HACU) spare parts will be distributed by the company until the year 2017. This is because the company supports distribution of spare parts of a particular machine or equipment of a particular company for a period not more than fifteen years since the first year a machine or equipment has been introduced to the market or since major modifications of an existing machine or equipment has been made and released to the market. The aim of the company is to ensure that all spares of Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit are available and accessible at all times. In addition the company strives to provide quick service to all its customers. The company has three outlets. The main outlet is situated at Birmingham while the other points are in Leeds and Manchester. At the above selling point, the company is able to reach all its customers with ease and low cost. By the end of 2017, Air Solutions Company would have supplied a total of 180,000 Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and 180,000 Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Units. This is because each year, it sells 12,000 units each of them. By the end of 2017, the company would have about 19,800 total customers in the United Kingdom for both Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Units. It would have also sold a total of 1,497,600 spare parts. 806,400 spares of Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and 691,200 pares of Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit (HACU). Airco Company would be commanding 7%

What Ties Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to Tony Morrison's Sula Essay

What Ties Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to Tony Morrison's Sula - Essay Example This novel compares to Tony Morrison’s Sula, written in 1978. The two books have strikingly similar themes, such as Family, mystery, the pursuit of knowledge, unconventional thought and love and romance. The theme of family ties seems to best join the two novels, since it is at the heart of this theme that the novels unravel. Both Shelley and Morrison seem top agree that the family is a very important institution in the society, and that its choice to accept or reject a person has serious implications on the person’s self worth, conduct and final outcome. For instance, both novels reveal that the family is the most important social order. Shelley’s Frankenstein’s begins with a narration by Robert Walton, an unsuccessful author who, in pursuit of fame, sets out on a scientific exploration of the Polar North. Captain Walton is writing a letter to his sister, Madam Margaret Walton Saville. The letter ends up being the novel Frankenstein. By indicating Waltonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s background, Shelley accounts for the inconsistencies and discontinuities seen in his narrative letter. On the other hand, Morrison’s introduction of the Bottom, the area where Sula is set brings about a slave and his master. The slave hopes to attain a reward from his master, who has become his family. The master points to the hills, the Bottomland. The authors could not have found a stronger way to introduce their stories. Shelley’s introduction of a captain talking to his sister foreshadows the close ties to be identified later in the novel. Similarly, Morrison’s introduction foreshadows the future issues which will arise from family ties. Captain Walton explains the story of Victor as received from a dying Victor Frankenstein. It will be noted that almost throughout the novel, Shelley introduces a character by first stating their family background. Victor’s birth in a wealthy family from Geneva, as well as that of his brothers Ernest and Willi am point to his current situation. The death of his mother just before he joins the University inspires him to venture in to researches in Alchemy, Chemistry and Physical Sciences. He is more fascinated with how such sciences can be used to bring back the dead. Shelley’s connection of Victor’s mother’s death to his ambitious pursuits in the University has significance in bringing coherence to her storyline. It is also a statement that circumstances affecting our beloved ones affect our life choices. Little is said about his brothers, which is understandable in a novel setting. On the other hand, in Sula, the background of the protagonist, Nel, and antagonist, Sula, take a similar perspective. The ... chapter contrasts the families of the two. Nel’s family upholds conventional living to the latter. The family wants her to lead a similar life, but she is not decided, even after meeting her unconventional grandmother. Sula’s family is the exact opposi te of Nel’s family. Her promiscuous mother and grandmother, as well as her three adopted brothers, the deweys represent an unconventional family. Nevertheless, Nel and Sula become fierce friends in their adolescence. Morrison uses the family to show how our personality types, life beliefs and philosophies are shaped. Similarly, the contrast builds in to his conflict and later resolution.     

Compare shopping online with traditional shopping Essay

Compare shopping online with traditional shopping - Essay Example s to wider range of customers, convenience and pace in the experience of shopping at the cost of lack of physical touch of the products being purchased, alongside the incremental rates of credit card frauds and identity thefts. Traditional shopping compelled the customers to make endless trips to the stores to choose their most preferred products; such trips usually involved wastage of time in terms of commuting, waiting in lines etc. On the contrary, online shopping does not involve any commuting since the customer has the facility of making the desired purchase from the vicinity of his choice. This results in lesser wastage of any time and enables the user to choose a product from a wide range of categories under one platform. E-commerce Marketing and Optimization (2006) stated that the selection of the products can be done by means of a methodical approach of browsing in different categories; however the lack of touch and physical viewing of the objects by the customer might become an unpleasant surprise at delivery time. The trip to the retail stores makes the customer see the texture, different features of the objects in a more detailed manner rather than merely reading such information at a website. Retail stores only provide service to a certain range of customers that might be limited to a specific region and location, whereas online stores provide products and services to customer on a global level; such global access enables developing countries to attain the same quality of products that might be utilized by developed countries. One of the major issues in the increasing acceptance of online shopping is the rising rate of the credit card frauds and identity thefts. Srivastava, Kundu, Sural and Majumdar (2008) quoted research findings regarding the increasing losses to customers and organizations due to the occurrence of credit card frauds; $2.7 billion were recorded for the year 2005 while $3.0 billion in the year 2006. Credit card frauds and identity

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Essay

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Essay Example â€Å"Steven Holl Architects’ extension to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has torn up the rule book of established codes of extension conduct and transformed the existing building into one of the most exciting exhibition spaces we’ve seen. The existing Nelson-Atkins museum is a ceremonial, classical structure – all colonnades, porticos and grand facades, sitting atop the undulating hillocks looking down on Kansas City. When in 1999, Steven Holl Architects entered the competition to build a suitable extension, it was the only firm daring enough to tamper with the existing facade and not hide its proposed structure in the shadow of the grand building. And it clearly paid off† (Yanko Design, 2007). In order to understand the choices that went into the Bloch Building, it is essential to understand architectural theory, philosophy, phenomenology and structuralism. Interpretive Strategies of Architecture as Art Though a kaleidoscopic array of the ories exist on the matter of architecture, three should suffice. By far the most important is the architects' theory: Stephen Holls', as explicated in his 2009 Urbanisms: Working with doubt. Holls' philosophy here is that urban planning in the 21st century faces qualitatively new techniques. He argues that the attempt to break down all architecture to quantitative mathematical analysis is quixotic and counter-productive; instead, architects must â€Å"work with† and manage doubt in increasingly complex cityscapes by managing Fragments, Porosity, Insertions, Precious and Fusion elements. Holls emphasizes phenomenology here. He argues, â€Å"It is odd that few urban planners speak of the important phenomenological characteristics determining the qualities of urban life – spatial energy and mystery, qualities of light, color, sound and smell. The subjectivity of urban experience must be held in equal importance to the objective and practical† (2009, pg. 16). Holl a rgues that, just as the brain has a rational left side and a creative right side, so too must urban planners synthesize art and science, and urban planning must represent both the vagaries of subjective psychology and the rationality of controlled and planned spaces created by mathematical-scientific intervention. What is phenomenology? â€Å""The philosophical movement that concentrates on the study of consciousness and its immediate objects† (Lecture 2). The distinction is complex. In essence, since the skeptical revolution of Hume, wherein it was demonstrated that it is impossible to philosophically know any empirical fact (such as that gravity follows the inverse square or that billiards bounce the way a pool shark knows they do) because of the limits of inductive logic and the fact that to generalize from the past to the future requires an untestable assumption: That the past is like the future (Hume, 1910). Kant then argued that not only was it impossible to know the na ture of things, their ontology, but in fact human beings could never get access to ontological truth. Just as a camera takes an image of the world but that photograph it produces is not the same as the world it represents (â€Å"Ceci pas un pipe†), the human eye makes a model of the real world, a model that psychology has increasingly come to realize is a highly specific one with many features jettisoned for ease of processing. That model is not the real world, so no matter how precise our instrumentation or perceptions, we are never seeing things as they are. Thus, Kant argued that the study of ontology was impossible, and sharply cut it off from the study of phenomenology, which Husserl, Heidegger and Sartre later developed (Lecture 2). What does this have to do with architecture? Holl's argument is only

Video game industry analysis Essay Example for Free

Video game industry analysis Essay History The history of video games goes as far back as the 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Este Ray Mann filed a United States patent request for an invention they described as a cathode ray tube amusement device. Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and 1980s, when arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games were introduced to the general public. Since then, video gaming has become a popular form of entertainment and a part of modern culture in most parts of the world. There are currently considered to be eight generations of video game consoles, with the seventh and the eighth concurrently ongoing. Early Founders During the golden age of video games in the 1970s, it was a rush to the start to see which company and which programmer could create a video game and platform that could trump the rest. However, most large video game manufacturers can trace their roots far before that decade, reaching back into the early 1900s or even the late 1800s. While some video game companies, such as Nintendo and Sony, would begin their economic pursuits in other fields, companies like Atari and Sega were created with an eye toward producing the ultimate gaming system. The first major video game company to come into being was Nintendo, which would eventually make video games popular again in the 1980s. Nintendo is a Japanese company that was created in 1889 and was originally named the Marufuku Company. In 1951, this company, which manufactured Western-style playing cards in Japan, would take the name Nintendo, meaning â€Å"leave luck to heaven. In 1891, the Philips Company, owner of Magnavox and an important frontrunner in the video game production race, was established in the Netherlands. In 1947, another major video game icon was founded under the name Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company. After the founders realized this name was too cumbersome to say and remember easily, they modified the Latin word sonus (meaning sound) to form the company name Sony. Sega was founded in 1952, under the name Service Games, as a company that provided coin-operated games and jukeboxes to American servicemen in Japan. It would not be until 1972, well into the beginning of video games, that Atari was formed as a cooperative partnership between leading video game programmers Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. First Video Games and Platforms The idea for an interactive video game was first conceived of by Ralph Baer, an engineer with an airborne electronics company, in 1951. Commissioned to design a television for the company, Baer believed the TV could be more marketable to consumers if it contained a type of interactive game (Kent 2001). His idea was shot down by the company, but other engineers and programmers would not let it settle for long. The first official video games, a table-tennis type game and a computer space game, were developed in 1958 and 1961, respectively. These early video games proved to be the necessary catalyst for game programmers and were the early predecessors of the popular arcade games Pong and Space Invaders. Pong, created by the Atari Company in 1972, turned into an incredible success in arcades and led to the creation of the first home video gaming system, the Magnavox Odyssey. After the moderate success of the Odyssey, several video game companies would follow with their own home gaming systems in 1976 and 1977, including the Atari Video Computer System (VCS). Video Games Take Off By 1978, home video game consoles were beginning to sell well, and more competitors had entered the market. Nintendo of Japan released its first video game that year, a simplistic version of the board game Othello that was marketed in arcades. The popular toy makers Mattel and Milton Bradley also entered the video game scene in the following two years with a hand-held video game unit from Milton Bradley and the Intellivision by Mattel, the first video game console to offer true competition to Atari. During this golden age of video games in the late 1970s, the two leading contenders, Magnavox and Atari, both tried to add competition to the home computer market. Magnavox released the Odyssey 2, a programmable video game console that included a built-in keyboard, while Atari began selling its own personal computer designed to rival Apple. However, most consumers connected Atari only with video games, and the computer system was widely disregarded. During this time period, Atari also released its first home version of the popular arcade game Space Invaders, leading to a massive increase in sales for the VCS game console. As video gaming entered the 1980s, two incredibly popular games that would revolutionize the industry were created. Pac-Man, created by Namco in 1980, became the best-selling arcade game of all time and the first video game that was popular with both males and females. The later version, Ms. Pac-Man, would also prove to be immensely popular at arcades. The next year, in 1981, Nintendo of America created Donkey Kong for arcades. While the hero of Donkey Kong was originally named Jump man, this name was later changed to Mario and he would become an icon in years to come as a key video game hero. Unfortunately, as video games began to take off in the early 1980s, the market quickly became flooded with multiple consoles and games, and the industry experienced a market crash in 1984. Industry Growth Along with increasing Internet and broadband penetration throughout the world, online and mobile gaming represents the greatest push in the video game growth. The implication of this increase in accessibility to technology is many developing countries -specifically the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) – are now becoming major players in the industry. As online and mobile gaming becomes more affordable, video gaming becomes more accessible to developing countries. Though console gaming currently represents the largest market in the industry, its growth is projected to slow down in the upcoming years, from a 10. 9% growth between 2003 and 2008, to a 5. 5% between 2008 and 2013. In 2008, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) represented the largest video gaming market share (35. 3%). In 2013 it is projected the Asia-Pacific region will be the leader in both growth and market share. The projection is market share in EMEA and North America will decline, while it is expected to increase in Latin America. The video game industry in the BRIC economies has developed in parallel fashion to these countries’ general economic expansion. It is projected the BRIC countries will have increased market share in future years. Market size The Video Games are a cultural phenomenon that is growing ever more prominent among young and old alike. They have become an integral part of the mass media culture and have been in existence for nearly as long as the television. While the video games of today are growing ever more detailed and lifelike, early video games like Pong, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man were equally impressive and highly entertaining at their time. From their earliest years to the complex video game landscape of the twenty-first century, video games have developed into enchanting, alternate worlds that have captured the hearts of millions of players. As of today, it is estimated that video game consoles represent more than 25% of the worlds general-purpose computational power. Also they were banned in China since June 2000 and now China is seeing explosive growth. Market size from 2003 to 2013 in $billions REVENUE FOR 2012. Size of global traditional video game market revenue, excluding mobile games on smart phones and tablets: $70 billion, up from $65 billion in 2011 Size of global video game market revenue, including mobile games on smart phones and tablets: $78. 5 billion for 2012 Retail software revenue: $28 billion, down from $29. 5 billion in 2011 Online revenue, including digital delivery, subscriptions, Facebook games: $24 billion, up from $18 billion in 2011 (Source: DFC Intelligence) CONSOLE MAKERS Microsoft Corp * Xbox 360 launched in the United States: November 2005 * Xbox consoles sold: 67 million. * Kinect motion sensors sold: 19 million Major initiative: Microsoft is expected to show off new entertainment features of its Xbox 360 and a new version of Halo. Sony Corp * PlayStation3 launched in the United States and Japan: November 2006 * As of March 31, PlayStation3 units sold: Over 63 million units * As of June 6, 2011, Sony Move motion sensors shipped: 8. 8 million units Major initiative: Sony is expected to push new games to boost sales of the Vita and PlayStation 3. Nintendo Co Ltd * Launched Wii in the United States: November 2006 * Wii units shipped: More than 95 million * DS units shipped: More than 151 million. * 3DS units: More than 17 million Major initiative: Nintendo will finally unveil the first home console in six years at E3. Device is expected to feature HD graphics, a special tablet controller and motion sensors. SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS Activision Blizzard Annual revenue: $4. 8 billion Top franchises: Call of Duty and World of Warcraft Electronic Arts Inc Annual revenue: $4. 1 billion Top franchises: The Sims and Madden NFL Take-Two Interactive Software Annual revenue: $826 million Top franchises: Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption Ubisoft Annual revenue: 1. 06 billion euros Substitute Products. Substitute products for games maybe songs from music industry, movies from movie industry, and television programs from television industry which people also sought fun and entertainment. There have not been so many problems with the substitute products because video game industry is uprising. According to a writer for Fortune, music sales have been falling in recent years, the movie going experience hasn’t change that much and network TV is on the skids. Political Determinants Unlike many other industries, the gaming industry isn’t universally affected by political determinants. Political determinants are generally specific to a country. While violence and sexual content of games are common themes of discussion, how they are handled varies from country to county. Social and Environmental Factors Social Factors Video games have an enormous place in society – most kids are exposed to video games in some sort of capacity growing up. Just like other technological mediums, there are both positive and negative social issues related to video gaming. Some Positive Effects of Playing Video Games Video games have proven to be effective tools for children’s learning when used appropriately as they impart specific attitudes, skills and behaviors on the player. For example, some video games have helped to teach children how to effectively deal with their asthma and diabetes. Further, in a study with college students, playing a golf video game improved students’ actual control of force when putting, even though the video game gave no bodily feedback on actual putting movement or force. Video games have also been shown to increase surgical skills for doctors, and research has more broadly proven that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games. [1] Some Negative Effects of Playing Video Games. Research has shown that video games can lead to negative effects on children’s physical health, including obesity, video-induced seizures, and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders, such as tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, the amount of time spent playing video games has been shown to have a negative correlation with academic performance. [2] But even more prevalent, is that playing video games has been shown to have a positive correlation with antisocial and aggressive behavior. Violent video games are most commonly defined as games where the player can intentionally harm the other characters. Not only do a majority of video games today fall under this definition, but a recent study established that the majority of 4th to 8th grade students prefer violent games. [3] Environmental Factors E-Waste Almost 50 million tons of electronic products are discarded every year, and the figure continues to grow as the lifespan of new devices continues to shrink. According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, that estimated amount of e-waste generated every year put into containers on a train would be enough to circle the globe! In fact, up to five percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide is this electronic waste (e-waste). Such is the magnitude of this e-waste that it now ties with plastic packaging in number; yet electronic waste is much more hazardous. While mobile phones and computers are the main causes of this ever-increasing waste as they are replaced on average more frequently, video games and video game consoles contribute significantly to e-waste. [1] http://www. mediafamily. org/facts/facts_effect. shtml [2] http://www. buzzle. com/articles/effects-of-video-games-on-children. html [3] http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_6_21/ai_n9772319/.