Cognitive Ergonomics

Cognitive Ergonomics Introduction Cognitive ergonomics is focused on modifying processes to suit the human capability (Budnick 2001, p. 1). Ergonomics in its entirety is focused on redesigning processes to suit human meaning. This can be done through modifying equipments, tools, environments and such like elements to increase efficiency or production (Budnick 2001, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Ergonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, a lifting job can be redesigned to happen at the waist level for ease of functions; or a tool can be redesigned to reduce awkward postures and instead be more comfortable for human use (Robertson 1995, p. 279). There are many other applications that employ the concept of cognitive economics and some of them include the design of software interfaces (for easy human use), the design of airplane cockpits and automobile controls to reduce human errors and the likes. The concep t of cognitive ergonomics is especially relied on when designing complex machines and hi-tech equipments because they are normally difficult to operate, thereby posing a challenge to many people, regarding how to operate them (Cohen 1997, p. 2). For example, a hi-tech mobile phone may not necessarily cause an accident but if it poses a challenge to customers regarding its operability, it may eventually turn out to be a market failure (because it will be shunned by customers). In industrial processes, the concept of cognitive ergonomics cannot be overemphasized because if a plant or equipment is poorly designed, it may consequently lead to the occurrence of errors or accidents, besides increasing the probability of reduced production or the production of low quality goods (Talty 1988, p. 702). Often, people are known to over-trust ergonomics but in other times, they are known to mistrust the concept altogether (Moray 2005, p. 546). For instance, if a ship’s system indicates th at all the valves are in working condition, but in real sense, not all of them are working as perfectly as they should, the captain may carry out subsequent procedures based on the assumption that, all the valves are in working condition.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This could lead to an accident (Shahbazian 2008, p. 165). Often, people would blame the captain for the accident, but in real sense, the systems are to be blamed. This is a clear example of an over-trust in ergonomics. A case of ergonomics mistrust has also been evidenced in the past. For instance, in an American prison, administrators installed motion sensors to trigger an alarm if a prisoner tried to escape. Within the first month of installation, the motion sensors went off all the time because it was triggered by wind motions and flying animals. This prompted the officers to start ignoring the s ensors. One inmate took advantage of the officers’ attitudes and managed to climb off the prison walls into freedom. The Importance of cognitive ergonomics can therefore not be underestimated because in the above scenario, if the same situation was observed in systems, such as fire alarms, the consequences would be disastrous and adverse. Cognitive ergonomics is therefore crucial in the society because almost everything is controlled by systems. This study however focuses on a case of establishing cognitive ergonomic issues of the Toyota Pruis model to establish strategies that can be used to improve the same. Since this study is focused on the cognitive ergonomic issues of the Toyota Prius model, emphasis will be made on the vehicle’s controls. To do so, a brief description of the product will be made in the first part of this paper, and secondly, ergonomic principles will be applied to the product to constitute the second part of the paper. In subsequent sections of the study, the ergonomic principles identified will be used to identify how best to redesign the car’s system controls. Finally, a summary of the study will be contained in the conclusion segment of the paper. Product The Toyota Prius model plays a significant role in the evolution of the global automotive industry because the model is a â€Å"green† car and so far, it has had immense success in the global automotive market (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). In California, the Toyota Prius model was rated one of the cleanest vehicles in America because it is run on a hybrid power engine (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). The Toyota hybrid car was first launched in Japan (in the year 1997), and since the year 2001, when it was launched in other markets across the globe, the car has been received very well by the consumers (Product Team 2011). So far, Toyota Prius model has been launched in more than 70 markets across the globe but its highest success has been witnessed in A sian markets and Northern Europe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Ergonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2008, the model was rated one of the highest selling vehicles across the globe because vehicle sales reached the one million mark in the same year (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). Two years after that, the company attained the two million vehicles sales mark (Abuelsamid 2011). Since the Toyota Pius model has received great sales across major world markets, there has been increased interest about the vehicles ergonomics especially regarding the vehicles safety. Seeking a vehicle with the right type of cognitive ergonomic safety controls is not a simple task for people willing to find the right type of car for their convenience. Having the right car with the right cognitive ergonomic control is however very important in today’s society because many people spend most of their time driving (w hen compared to the past). Vehicle safety is an important part of cognitive ergonomics because safety is an essential determinant of vehicle sales. In other words, consumers are becoming increasingly aware about the need to buy vehicles which have a high safety standard. This standard can be determined by a vehicle’s safety controls. The Toyota Prius model is special in this regard because the car is fitted with power seats, automatic headlights, automatic climate control features and selective parking lights, all which add to the vehicle’s cognitive ergonomic features (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The selection and design of a right ergonomic car is often important in the automotive industry because many individuals seek products which are safe and easy to use (Dainoff 2007, p. 19). The market has a variety of ergonomic cars, but it would be misleading for anyone to buy a car, simply because it is deemed â€Å"ergonomic†. In this context, it is important to note that , ergonomic cars are designed to suit a variety of clients, but the variety is evidence enough that not everybody will find ergonomic cars appropriate for their use. For instance, some cars are designed to suit people of different genders, disabled people and the likes. Moreover, not all ergonomic cars blend well with a market’s environment, or even how a given terrain is perceived.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The right selection of an ergonomic car is therefore a tricky affair (but yet a simple one) because the right ergonomic car is only obtained when it suits the user’s purpose and safety requirements (Reilly 2007, p. 12). Moreover, the right ergonomic car should also suit the user’s task. From this analysis, it is important to understand that, the right ergonomic car can be obtained, although the process may be cumbersome. Application of Ergonomic Principles Recent cognitive ergonomic trends in the automotive industry incline towards developing cars with a high ease of use and a strong sense of automation (Silverman 2011, p. 1). Disabled drivers using the Toyota Prius model have benefitted a lot from the focus on ease of use and automation. For instance, in the Toyota Prius model, the automatic temperature feature has been cited as a major feature in the user control panel because users only have to set the temperature right (at 22 degrees Celsius) and the car does the r est, (in ensuring safety concerns are upheld) (Silverman 2011, p. 1). However, the Toyota Prius model falls short of accommodating all its customer subgroups. The car’s ease of reading control instructions is especially wanting, when it is perceived in the context of elderly drivers using the car. The text sizes in the car’s controls are small, and elderly drivers may find it difficult to read the small print when driving. Not only do elderly drivers find the readability of the texts difficult, other drivers may find it difficult to read the text too because when driving, a lot of attention is focused on the wheel as opposed to reading texts on the car’s dashboard. Since the readability of the user interface is wanting, drivers waste a lot of time trying to understand the commands on the car’s dashboard. This technical fault may be dreadful when driving because drivers are likely to cause an accident if their attention is shifted from the road. The positi on of the Prius model steering wheel is also placed in a wrong position which inhibits the visibility of the vehicles controls. Moreover, the high steering position is a barrier to good visibility when driving. Experts note that, this poor steering position obstructs the driver’s view of blind spots and may subsequently cause accidents (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The control panel of the Toyota Prius model is also a victim of poor lighting which hampers the visibility of texts in the control dashboard. The lighting is deemed too dim by most drivers and therefore, they have to strain to understand what is written in the control panel. People with poor visibility are therefore likely to find the readability of the texts on the control panel very poor. This may cause an accident or engine failure if there is a communication breakdown between the car’s system and the driver. On another negative front, the Prius model is criticized for lacking an adjustable seat height that fac ilitates easy visibility of the road. Other cars which lack this feature are criticized for poor visibility of the road because they fail to factor the average distance of driver visibility, between the driver’s eye level and the dashboard (Silverman 2011, p. 1). This distance always varies because the height of the driver seat fails to allow the driver to have the maximum visibility of the road. This feature is more serious for short drivers because they do not have the ability to see the road at all. Cars which do not allow for easy adjustability of the driver seat hinder the driver’s ability to have a maximum view of the road. The Toyota Prius model has however shown some positive cognitive ergonomic attributes in the development of its recent models. This observation is based on the fact that, recent models have been designed with a hands-free device to enable drivers to communicate without deviating their attention from driving. This control device was recommended for integration into the car’s user interface after it was affirmed that, driver attention was consistently lost with the absence of a hands-free device in most cars (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The Prius model was therefore designed to include this feature and it has proved beneficial to most users who want to communicate over the phone without putting their lives at risk by using a handheld mobile. Moreover, this feature has made the compliance to new automotive legislation in the automotive sector very easy. Most automotive manufactures are nowadays required to integrate hands-free mobile features in their cars, to reduce chances of vehicle accidents caused by the use of handheld mobile phones (Silverman 2011, p. 1). This is a positive cognitive ergonomic feature for the Toyota Prius model. Recommendations To rectify the small font size hindering the readability of the user interface, it is crucial to redesign the user interface of the vehicle control system to accommodate lar ge texts. Large fonts should therefore be used to improve user readability and improve the overall understandability of the information conveyed (Sedlack 2011, p. 1). Achieving this objective may involve changing the entire control software or accommodating a user interface where drivers can change the size of the fonts, depending on their readability level. For instance, the elderly may have the opportunity to increase the size of the fonts, while young drivers may find that reducing the size of the fonts is effective. Regardless of the variables, the drivers would be in a position to adjust the font’s size to suit their reading capabilities. To correct the poor seat height that hinders the drivers’ visibility of the road, users or buyers of ergonomic cars should be able to identify certain common features of any good driver ergonomic seat. These features identify the benchmarked factors to be considered before selecting the right ergonomic car. Also, these benchmark features should be useful to all drivers, regardless of their purpose of car use. The first benchmark feature is adjustability. Adjustability is crucial in cognitive car ergonomics, especially in defining the right seat height to be set by the driver because at times, it is difficult for automotive companies to design seats which are suitable for all heights (International Labour Office 1996, p. 138). However, adjustability should also be evidenced in other features of the seat to enable the driver have maximum visibility of the road. The depth of the seat is also important in the selection of the right ergonomic seat because the right ergonomic seat should be suitable for tall and short drivers. The last benchmark feature is stability. Stability is important for the drivers’ comfort because unstable seats are known to be frustrating and possibly dangerous to drivers. Stability is crucial because it sustains driver concentration on the road. The standard base should be at lea st five-points (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 2005). To rectify the poor brightness hindering the visibility of the driver interface panel, it is important for the interface designers to integrate a lighting control system that is able to adjust the brightness of the texts (or its background), depending on the lighting environment in the car. When it is too bright, the texts should be brighter to make the texts more visible and when it is darker, the texts should still be bright to enable the users to easily read the controls. To rectify the poor steering position hindering the visibility of the driver’s view, it is crucial to observe an important ergonomic feature in the automotive industry which dictates that, the driver needs to have enough space between the steering wheel and the legs (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The same distance should be maintained between the control dashboard and the steering wheel for easy visibility. This adjustment ensures drivers have the maximum view of the road and vehicle controls. It also ensures that drivers are in a good position to control the vehicle and comprehend the engine’s attributes from the control system. Conclusion Designing the best cognitive ergonomic controls for the Toyota Prius model is a matter of precision. However, the user’s preference is at the centre of the design process because this study establishes that, not all ergonomic cars are suitable for use in all environments. Moreover, not all aspects of a car’s ergonomic controls can be designed for everyone. This is the main motivation for categorizing drivers into different profiles with different needs. For instance, this paper categorizes the drivers into disabled or elderly drivers. From this understanding, it is crucial for the designers of the Prius model to consider the cognitive ergonomic needs of the users. This should especially be observed during the design of the car’s user interface because i t influences important issues on car performance, such as safety. However, considering the fact that, not all cars can be designed for everyone, this paper establishes several benchmarks, in terms of recommendations that should be factored at the design stage in the manufacture of the Toyota Prius model. From this understanding, this paper advocates for a strong focus on the interface font size, interface text brightness, driver steering position and the driver’s seat height and depth. In making most users comfortable, it is crucial to ensure the fonts and brightness of the texts in the user interface board of the car is easily adjustable to ensure all drivers comprehend information conveyed in the user control board. It is also crucial for the steering position to be placed in a manner that allows for the full view of the road and the user interface on the vehicle’s dashboard. The seat height should also be positioned in the same manner so that drivers can have a maxi mum view of the road. The recommendations provided in this study should be the default standards to be used in the automotive industry. For instance, if the adjustable features are installed in the user interface, many users would find the Toyota Prius model appropriate for their use. References Abuelsamid, S. (2011) Toyota Tops 2 Million Hybrid Sales Worldwide (Online) Available at: http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/04/toyota-tops-2-million-hybrid-sales-worldwide/ . Budnick, P. (2001) What is Cognitive Ergonomics? (Online) Available at: ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=352 . Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2005) Ergonomic Chair (Online) Available at: ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/chair.html . Cohen, A. (1997) Elements of Ergonomics Programs: A Primer Based On Workplace  Evaluations of Musculoskeletal Disorders. New York, DIANE Publishing. Dainoff, M. (2007) Ergonomics and health aspects of work with computers: international  conference, EHAWC 2007, he ld as part of HCI International 2007, Beijing, China, July 22-27: proceedings. New York, Springer. Green Car Congress. (2011) Worldwide Prius Cumulative Sales Top 2M Mark; Toyota  Reportedly Plans Two New Prius Variants for the US By End of 2012 (Online) Available at: greencarcongress.com/2010/10/worldwide-prius-cumulative-sales-top-2m-mark-toyota-reportedly-plans-two-new-prius-variants-for-the-.html#more 2010-10-07. International Labour Office. (1996) Ergonomic Checkpoints: Practical and Easy-To-  Implement Solutions For Improving Safety, Health And Working Conditions. New York, International Labour Organization. Moray, N. (2005) Ergonomics: Major Writings. London, Routledge. Product Team. (2011) 2008 Toyota Prius (Online) Available at: hybridcar.com/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=521Itemid=103 . Reilly, M. (2007) An Ergonomics Guide to Computer Workstations. New York, AIHA. Robertson, S. (1995) Contemporary Ergonomics. London, Taylor Francis. Sedlack, W. (2011) The I mportance of Readability in Good Website Design (Online) Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Readability-in-Good-Website-Designid=2591054 . Shahbazian, E. (2008) Harbour Protection through Data Fusion Technologies. New York, Springer. Silverman, J. (2011) How Car Ergonomics Work (Online) Available at: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/car-ergonomics2.htm . Talty, J. (1988) Industrial Hygiene Engineering: Recognition, Measurement, Evaluation,  And Control. New York, William Andrew.

World War II Turning Points in the Pacific

World War II Turning Points in the Pacific Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and other Allied possessions around the Pacific, Japan swiftly moved to expand its empire. In Malaya, Japanese forces under General Tomoyuki Yamashita executed a lightning campaign down the peninsula, forcing superior British forces to retreat to Singapore. Landing on the island on February 8, 1942, Japanese troops compelled General Arthur Percival to surrender six days later. With the fall of Singapore, 80,000 British and Indian troops were captured, joining the 50,000 taken earlier in the campaign (Map). In the Netherlands East Indies, Allied naval forces attempted make a stand at the Battle of the Java Sea on February 27. In the main battle and in actions over the next two days, the Allies lost five cruisers and five destroyers, effectively ending their naval presence in the region. Following the victory, Japanese forces occupied the islands, seizing their rich supplies of oil and rubber (Map). Invasion of the Philippines To the north, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, the Japanese, who had landed in December 1941, drove US and Filipino forces, under General Douglas MacArthur, back to the Bataan Peninsula and captured Manila. In early January, the Japanese began attacking the Allied line across Bataan. Though stubbornly defending the peninsula and inflicting heavy casualties, US and Filipino forces were slowly pushed back and supplies and ammunition began to dwindle (Map). Battle of Bataan With the US position in the Pacific crumbling, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave his headquarters on the fortress island of Corregidor and relocate to Australia. Departing on March 12, MacArthur turned over command of the Philippines to General Jonathan Wainwright. Arriving in Australia, MacArthur made a famous radio broadcast to the people of the Philippines in which he promised I Shall Return. On April 3, the Japanese launched a major offensive against the Allied lines on Bataan. Trapped and with his lines shattered, Major General Edward P. King surrendered his remaining 75,000 men to the Japanese on April 9. These prisoners endured the Bataan Death March which saw approximately 20,000 die (or in some cases escape) en route to POW camps elsewhere on Luzon. Fall of the Philippines With Bataan secure, the Japanese commander, Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma, focused his attention on the remaining US forces on Corregidor. A small fortress island in Manila Bay, Corregidor served as the Allied headquarters in the Philippines. Japanese troops landed on the island on the night of May 5/6 and met fierce resistance. Establishing a beachhead, they were quickly reinforced and pushed the American defenders back. Later that day Wainwright asked Homma for terms and by May 8 the surrender of the Philippines was complete. Though a defeat, the valiant defense of Bataan and Corregidor bought valuable time for Allied forces in the Pacific to regroup. Bombers from Shangri-La In an effort to boost public morale, Roosevelt authorized a daring raid on the home islands of Japan. Conceived by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and Navy Captain Francis Low, the plan called for the raiders to fly B-25 Mitchell medium bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), bomb their targets, and then continue on to friendly bases in China. Unfortunately on April 18, 1942, Hornet was sighted by a Japanese picket boat, forcing Doolittle to launch 170 miles from the intended take-off point. As a result, the planes lacked the fuel to reach their bases in China, forcing the crews to bail out or crash their aircraft. While the damage inflicted was minimal, the raid achieved the desired morale boost. Also, it stunned the Japanese, who had believed the home islands to be invulnerable to attack. As a result, several fighter units were recalled for defensive use, preventing them from fighting at the front. When asked where the bombers took off from, Roosevelt stated that They came from our secret base at Shangri-La. The Battle of the Coral Sea With the Philippines secured, the Japanese sought to complete their conquest of New Guinea by capturing Port Moresby. In doing so they hoped to bring the US Pacific Fleets aircraft carriers into battle so that they could be destroyed. Alerted to the impending threat by decoded Japanese radio intercepts, the Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, dispatched the carriers USS Yorktown (CV-5) and USS Lexington (CV-2) to the Coral Sea to intercept the invasion force. Led by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, this force was soon to encounter Admiral Takeo Takagis covering force consisting of the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, as well as the light carrier Shoho (Map). On May 4, Yorktown launched three strikes against the Japanese seaplane base at Tulagi, crippling its reconnaissance capabilities and sinking a destroyer. Two days later, land-based B-17 bombers spotted and unsuccessfully attacked the Japanese invasion fleet. Later that day, both carrier forces began actively searching for each other. On May 7, both fleets launched all of their aircraft, and succeeded in finding and attacking secondary units of the enemy. The Japanese heavily damaged the oiler Neosho and sunk the destroyer USS Sims. American aircraft located and sunk Shoho. Fighting resumed on May 8, with both fleets launching massive strikes against the other. Dropping out of the sky, US pilots hit Shokaku with three bombs, setting it on fire and putting it out of action. Meanwhile, the Japanese attacked Lexington, hitting it with bombs and torpedoes. Though stricken, Lexingtons crew had the ship stabilized until fire reached an aviation fuel storage area causing a massive explosion. The ship was soon abandoned and sunk to prevent capture. Yorktown was also damaged in the attack. With Shoho sunk and Shokaku badly damaged, Takagi decided to retreat, ending the threat of invasion. A strategic victory for the Allies, the Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle fought entirely with aircraft. Yamamotos Plan Following the Battle of Coral Sea, the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, devised a plan to draw the remaining ships of the US Pacific Fleet into a battle where they could be destroyed. To do this, he planned to invade the island of Midway, 1,300 miles northwest of Hawaii. Critical to Pearl Harbors defense, Yamamoto knew the Americans would send their remaining carriers to protect the island. Believing the US to only have two carriers operational, he sailed with four, plus a large fleet of battleships and cruisers. Through the efforts of US Navy cryptanalysts, who had broken the Japanese JN-25 naval code, Nimitz was aware of the Japanese plan and dispatched the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet, under Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance, as well as the hastily repaired Yorktown, under Fletcher, to the waters north of Midway to intercept the Japanese. The Tide Turns: The Battle of Midway At 4:30 AM on June 4, the commander of the Japanese carrier force, Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, launched a series of strikes against Midway Island. Overwhelming the islands small air force, the Japanese pounded the American base. While returning to the carriers, Nagumos pilots recommended a second strike on the island. This prompted Nagumo to order his reserve aircraft, which had been armed with torpedoes, to be rearmed with bombs. As this process was underway, one of his scout planes reported locating the US carriers. Hearing this, Nagumo reversed his rearmament command in order to attack the ships. As the torpedoes were being put back on Nagumos aircraft, American planes appeared over his fleet. Using reports from their own scout planes, Fletcher and Spruance began launching aircraft around 7:00 AM. The first squadrons to reach the Japanese were the TBD Devastator torpedo bombers from Hornet and Enterprise. Attacking at low level, they did not score a hit and suffered heavy casualties. Though unsuccessful, the torpedo planes pulled down the Japanese fighter cover, which cleared the way for the American SBD Dauntless dive bombers. Striking at 10:22, they scored multiple hits, sinking the carriers Akagi, Soryu, and Kaga. In response, the remaining Japanese carrier, Hiryu, launched a counterstrike that twice disabled Yorktown. That afternoon, US dive bombers returned and sunk Hiryu to seal the victory. His carriers lost, Yamamoto abandoned the operation. Disabled, Yorktown was taken under tow, but was sunk by the submarine I-168 en route to Pearl Harbor. To the Solomons With the Japanese thrust in the central Pacific blocked, the Allies devised a plan to prevent the enemy from occupying the southern Solomon Islands and using them as bases for attacking Allied supply lines to Australia. To accomplish this goal, it was decided to land on the small islands of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tamambogo, as well as on Guadalcanal where the Japanese were building an airfield. Securing these islands would also be the first step towards isolating the main Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The task of securing the islands largely fell to the 1st Marine Division led by Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift. The Marines would be supported at sea by a task force centered on the carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), led by Fletcher, and an amphibious transport force commanded by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. Landing at Guadalcanal On August 7, the Marines landed on all four islands. They met fierce resistance on Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tamambogo, but were able to overwhelm the 886 defenders who fought to the last man. On Guadalcanal, the landings went largely unopposed with 11,000 Marines coming ashore. Pressing inland, they secured the airfield the next day, renaming it Henderson Field. On August 7 and 8, Japanese aircraft from Rabaul attacked the landing operations (Map). These attacks were beaten off by aircraft from Saratoga. Due to low fuel and concerned about further loss of aircraft, Fletcher decided to withdraw his task force on the night of the 8th. With his air cover removed, Turner had no choice but follow, despite the fact that less than half of the Marines equipment and supplies had been landed. That night the situation worsened when Japanese surface forces defeated and sank four Allied (3 US, 1 Australian) cruisers at the Battle of Savo Island. The Fight for Guadalcanal After consolidating their position, the Marines completed Henderson Field and established a defensive perimeter around their beachhead. On August 20, the first aircraft arrived flying in from the escort carrier USS Long Island. Dubbed the Cactus Air Force, the aircraft at Henderson would prove vital in the coming campaign. In Rabaul, Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake was tasked with retaking the island from the Americans and Japanese ground forces were routed to Guadalcanal, with Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi taking command at the front. Soon the Japanese were launching probing attacks against the Marines lines. With the Japanese bringing reinforcements to the area, the two fleets met at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on August 24-25. An American victory, the Japanese lost the light carrier Ryujo and were unable to bring their transports to Guadalcanal. On Guadalcanal, Vandegrifts Marines worked on strengthening their defenses and benefited from the arrival of additional supplies. Overhead, the aircraft of the Cactus Air Force flew daily to defend the field from Japanese bombers. Prevented from bringing transports to Guadalcanal, the Japanese began delivering troops at night using destroyers. Dubbed the Tokyo Express, this approach worked, but deprived the soldiers of all their heavy equipment. Beginning on September 7, the Japanese began attacking the Marines position in earnest. Ravaged by disease and hunger, the Marines heroically repulsed every Japanese assault. Fighting Continues Reinforced in mid-September, Vandegrift expanded and completed his defenses. Over the next several weeks, the Japanese and Marines battled back and forth, with neither side gaining an advantage. On the night of October 11/12, US ships under, Rear Admiral Norman Scott defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Cape Esperance, sinking a cruiser and three destroyers. The fighting covered the landing of US Army troops on the island and prevented reinforcements from reaching the Japanese. Two nights later, the Japanese dispatched a squadron centered on the battleships Kongo and Haruna, to cover transports heading to Guadalcanal and to bombard Henderson Field. Opening fire at 1:33 AM, the battleships struck the airfield for nearly an hour and half, destroying 48 aircraft and killing 41. On the 15th, the Cactus Air Force attacked the Japanese convoy as it unloaded, sinking three cargo ships. Guadalcanal Secured Beginning on October 23, Kawaguchi launched a major offensive against Henderson Field from the south. Two nights later, they nearly broke through Marines line, but were repulsed by Allied reserves. As the fighting was raging around Henderson Field, the fleets collided at the Battle of Santa Cruz on October 25-27. Though a tactical victory for the Japanese, having sunk Hornet, they suffered high losses among their air crews and were forced to retreat. The tide on Guadalcanal finally turned in the Allies favor following the naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 12-15. In a series of aerial and naval engagements, US forces sank two battleships, a cruiser, three destroyers, and eleven transports in exchange for two cruisers and seven destroyers. The battle gave the Allies naval superiority in the waters around Guadalcanal, allowing for massive reinforcements to land and the beginning of offensive operations. In December, the battered 1st Marine Division was withdrawn and replaced by XIV Corps. Attacking the Japanese on January 10, 1943, XIV Corps forced the enemy to evacuate the island by February 8. The six month campaign to take the island was one of the longest of the Pacific war and was the first step in pushing back the Japanese.

Euthanasia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Euthanasia - Term Paper Example The American Medical Association holds that active euthanasia is impermissible due to its involving the intentional ending of human life by another human being and many contemporary philosophers have argued for and against this view discussing the moral permissibility of such an action and some of the most notable arguments come from James Rachels and Thomas Sullivan. Rachels states that a strong case can be made against the American Medical Association’s doctrine and his main point is that passive euthanasia is not always preferable to active euthanasia. He states that in some cases, there is simply no moral difference between active and passive euthanasia because they are morally equivalent at that time and that active euthanasia may actually be better than passive euthanasia. He says that once the decision has been made not to prolong the patient’s agony, active euthanasia would be preferable because the latter would lead to an unnecessary period of suffering. His mo st vivid example is the case of severe Down’s syndrome babies born with intestinal obstructions about whom he states that sometimes in such cases, the babies are allowed to die. Even though if this matter were considered deeply, we would find compelling moral grounds for preferring active euthanasia to passive euthanasia in the vastly greater degree of suffering involved in letting the baby die (Rachel pp.78-80). The doctrine that passive euthanasia is preferable to active euthanasia is challenged by Rachels who declares that it leads to decisions concerning life and death based on irrelevant grounds as to whether a person’s life should continue or not. He argues that ordinarily, an intestinal obstruction can be fixed and is not a life or death matter but in the case of a baby with Down’s syndrome who has an intestinal obstruction, the baby is allowed to die because of the Down’s syndrome and not the intestinal obstruction. The presence of the intestinal obstruction in the baby becomes irrelevant due to its having down’s syndrome and it is this argument which justifies allowing the prolonged suffering of the baby before it dies instead of fixing the intestinal obstruction which would relieve it of the pain. This justifies Rachels’ argument against the American Medical Association’s doctrine that this doctrine rests on a distinction between killing and letting die that itself has no moral importance because they both lead to the same end and the means of getting there is inconsequential (Rachel pp.78-80). Sullivan, on the other hand, states that Rachels’ interpretation of the American Medical Association’s doctrine is flawed and argues that Rachels’ interpretation that this doctrine draws a distinction between killing and letting die is misplaced and that in fact, it does not draw a distinction between intentionally killing and not intentionally killing. Despite his disagreement with Rachels on this matter, he agrees with Rachels that killing is not always worse than letting die. He states that it is true that if someone is trying to bring about the death of another, then it makes little difference from the moral point of view if his purpose is achieved by action or by malevolent emission. He further agrees with Rachels that passive euth

Roman Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Roman Architecture - Essay Example It could hold 45-50,000 spectators who would queue for tickets days in advance. There would have been a wooden floor covered in sand to soak up the blood (Augent 25). The underground corridors of the Colosseum The arena floor measured 228 feet by 177 feet (crystalinks 3). A wooden construction had existed from the year 29 BC but it was burnt down in the fire of 64 AD (Caggia 1). Nero had not been interested in listening to the demands of his people and following the fire he built a huge palatial palace, known as the Golden House (Domus Aurea), on large expanses of Roman land. After Nero's death Vespasian wanted to offer the Roman people a gesture and set about draining a large lake near the site of Nero's palace and knocking down the great Golden House for its rich source of materials for the amphitheater (Caggia 1). It is understood by historians that the name Colosseum actually referred to the 'collosus', (crystalinks 2) due to a huge statue of Nero that once stood nearby which was 130 foot high (crystalinks 2). A Spectators view of the arena The class system was used to determine the seating arrangements of the audience. The 'first level, called the podium, was for the Roman senators' (crystalinks 3) and the seating would have been quite lavish with cushions and marble coverings. Above this on the 'maenianum primum' (crystalinks 3) there would have been Roman aristocracy and then above them the 'maenianum secundum' (crystalinks 3) was split into two separate areas; the wealthy people in the lower section and the poor citizens on the upper section. Domitian had a further wooden section added at the highest position for the very poor and lower class women (crystalinks 3). The entrance would have been on the... Exterior walls of the Colosseum showing the many arches within the Construction Concrete were a good material to use, as it is stronger in resisting compressive stresses whereas it is very weak when dealing with tensile stress. Spanning an open space or doorway, where forces on the arch are not vertical would provide the most suitable circumstance to use an arch, as it would be at its strongest. The correct formwork had to be used to ensure that the structure would remain intact. Wood was built in a frame to support the underside of the arch and form its basic structure. The Romans used a ‘Voussoirs’ technique, which involved the placing of a stone at the uppermost point of the center of the arch. It was understood that they learnt this technique from the Etruscans; however, they were the first to adopt the structures for above ground use as previously they had been used for drainage systems and vaults underground. The technique was not the strongest of the arch types, however, it was simple for them to build. There were eighty arches on every floor of the building; each of the arches was numbered and divided by half columns of a different style on each floor. There was a Doric style on the ground floor where the arches measured 13’9’’ in width and 23’1’’ in height, followed by Ionic on the second and Corinthian in the third where the arches were lower at 21’2’’ in height. The upper wooden flo or had windows with panels separated by Corinthian style columns at every second panel.

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun Essay -- Raisin S

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun depicts the struggles of three generations of the Youngers family in the 1950's of poorer Chicago.   Act 2, scene 2 of the play displays an understanding of the Youngers and the atmosphere in which they live.   In just a few pages, Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles enforced upon the characters individually as well as with their united desires as a family.   Individually, each character must overcome prejudice from his family and associates, while still enduring struggles and hardships that diminish any intended goals.   Together, however, the Younger family must overcome the racial bigotry incurred by society, while still maintaining social pride and integrity.   In contrast, a predominant expression of hope and encouragement is a factor in the lives of such characters, as revealed by the author.   With the use of dramatic elements to interpret the events of this section of the play, in addition to the issues of race and gender, it is obvious that the Youngers represent a black family struggling towards middleclass respectability not only in society, but in their own home as well.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To interpret the significance of this scene, it is necessary to consider the environment, including the way the scene is set up and other devices used to interpret the situation.  Ã‚   Set in the home of the Younger's, the scene represents the Youngers' living conditions.   Objects such as packing crates are thrown into the scene, representing the moving of the family.   All dramatic elements intertwine to offer an o... ...p; Props such as the bed, the phone, the radio and the newspaper had bold meanings associated with them.   The actions of the characters and the struggles they faced with issues of racial discrimination and gender differences symbolize the struggles of society as a whole.   The time, the 1950's, the reference to the Ku Klux Klan, and the place Chicago, represent a period of great trials and tribulations for black people overcoming the slavery of their people in America.   Throughout the entirety of the play, issues of gender and race play a recurring role.   It isn't until Act 2, scene 2 of the novel when hope is sought for these issues.   Through the revelation of this section, it is discovered that the Younger's are a family with a lot of pride who struggle and seek hope to better their position in the corruption around them.   

Make and Recieve Telephone Calls

The telephone that I use for work is a complicated phone and I don’t use all of its features, the basic features it has are the function to answer the phone and transfer calls to another person, it also allows me to answer a call from some else’s phone that is in my group. To transfer calls to another colleague I have to press R on the phone and then enter my colleague extension number for the call to be transferred. If I wanted to answer another colleagues phone I simple have to press *84 on the keypad and pick up the phone to receive their call.I am able to adjust the volume of the ring and I am able to place the call on loud speaker. I am also able to turn on or off the microphone in the handset as well as view the list of the numbers that I called last. I am also able to create a directory of number on the phone to be able to make calls quickly, on top of this there are 12 preset phone numbers with quick dial buttons on the phone however the previous owner had set t hese up and I am unable to change them.The phone is also capable of diverting the call to another phone and send messages between phones although I haven’t used this yet. Before making a phone call it’s a good idea to identify the purpose of the call as it would make me the caller sound more professional as I know exactly what I want and would waste no time with anything else, it would also allow me to have information that I can then use to prepare questions to ask and get the necessary details which I may require.An example of this is when a colleague requested that I acquire some information regarding the prospectus of the local colleges I had to identify whom I was going to make the call to and what the call would be regarding, after speaking to my colleague more and gaining the knowledge of exactly what they wanted me to get I was able to identify that the purpose of this call was to contact the college and ask what lessons they would be providing that relate to t he request made by my colleague.There are multiple ways to acquire the telephone number of people in my organisation as I can use the local address book to get there details, for example if I only knew there phone number which within the organisation would only be their extension number, I could use that to acquire their name and location as well as the department they work in, and I could do the same with only their name. Another method of gathering the contact details of someone is either using the internet to look up their business and get the information from their or ask a colleague if these have access or know the individuals name or number.I was request to book a venue for a stakeholder workshop for a colleague and they provided me with the specifics of the workshop but not where the workshop would be, they left that up to me to decide, therefore I had to determine which venue would best suit the requirements made. I spoke to another colleague that recommended Dillington Hous e, however they were unable to provide any contact details for me. Due to Dillington House not being within the organisation I was unable to use the local address book so I had to use the internet to acquire their contact numbers.After locating their website via a Google search I found the contact details for a Robin Kyd who arranged bookings. To finally make the call to the individual within the organisation I would simple enter their extension number on my phone and the call would be put through. On the other hand if I need the contact details of someone outside the organisation I would either have to research their details on the internet, this would include looking up their business, and getting their number from their website.However this number may only be a general enquiry number and I would then contact them and ask for the relevant details I need. However to make the phone call to someone outside the organisation I simply have to enter the number 9 before entering their ful l phone number to make the call. An example of me doing this is when I had to make a phone call to Dennis Quick who works for Taunton Deane, I was given his contact details from a colleague when they passed a message along to me.When I first made the call the line was engaged and I couldn’t get through, but when I rang again later that day I reached Dennis’s secretary who said he was available and transferred my call along to him, it was confirmed that I was speaking to the correct person when he introduced himself as Dennis Quick. The purpose of giving a positive image of myself and my organisation is to give me a polite, efficient and professional image otherwise people will not respect or take you seriously and if you have a professional image then this reflects well on the organisation.If you have a positive image then communication between people both within and outside the organisation would be better and more efficient possibly allowing for the transfer of infor mation quicker and efficiently. Summarising a telephone conversation before the call ends can be beneficial to both parties as it allows everyone to agree on what has been said and ensure there are no confusions this is especially useful when the telephone conversation has been going on for a long period of time and various things have been discussed, its easy to lose focus on what has previously been said and summarising overcomes this.It also allows objectives to be clear and information fresh in the mind for both parties to write down or relay to another person or persons. An example of this is when I had to make alterations to a booking that I had made with a business called Monks Yard in Ilminster. After discussing with the person that was arranging the meeting on their end, I ended the telephone conversation by asking the person to repeat the amendments that I wanted them to make and once I was happy that he had everything correct by checking with the list that I had in front of me at the time, I thanked them and ended the call.When a call comes into the office I’ll always take a name (full if possible and preferably) and the company they are calling from, I’ll try and obtain from the caller either what the problem is exactly or from which department the problem arisen from and if they know who within the department they spoke to. I’ll pass messages along to departments or relevant staff members and see what information can be found to resolve the problem.If this is not possible try and locate a member of staff who can help from the information obtained from the caller e. g. A company was expecting a Goods Receipt Note via SAP a week ago, I logged into SAP and saw that I needed to send the Goods Receipt Note but as I didn’t have an training and didn’t know what to do, I located a staff member who I knew had training on this and could help me, I contacted her department and was put through to her and she talked me throug h the problem, however I hadn’t been set up correctly and couldn’tsend out a Good Receipt Note and had to contact IT and get it fixed, during this entire period of getting it fixed and finally sending out the GRN I kept the company informed on what happened and gave them an estimated time that they would receive the GRN. The organisational structure of County Hall is that of a hierarchical structure which uses clear reporting lines and it is easy to see what each team is called and how many people are in that team and how they relate to other people in the system.The communication channels for us are different per team or department for me my phone is linked with everyone else’s in my team and I am able to answer their phone by entering *84 however I am not able to answer any other phone on the floor this way. I can contact anyone internally as long as I know their extension number as this is the main method of contacting anyone internally and I can call anyone externally by simply entering the number 9 before entering their phone number.When I make a external call I introduce myself by saying my name and company that I’m calling from, if I know prior to the phone call which member of staff or department that I want to call I would request to speak to them. If I don’t know who I’m reaching I would explain why I’m calling and request help on locating the member of staff that can help me. When I’m connected to this person, I ideally should have some questions ready or know exactly what information I require.At the end of the call I should summarise the call and recap information to make sure that it is accurate. If a fault was to occur with my telephone I would simply call the IT department and inform them when the problem occurred and how frequent it is happening, they would resolve the issue by either providing a replacement handset until it is fixed or locating the fault and fixing it at their earliest c onvenience.When I received a call I should identify who the caller is and their needs to do this I should follow my phone call procedures and gather the callers name and who they calling from, with this done I have now identified my caller and go about identifying their needs. Sometimes the caller will not provide you with their name at the start of the call as for example in a telephone conversation I had with a man asking for a colleague who was away from the desk, after following call procedures I asked to take a message, once the caller had given me his message, I asked who the call was from and he provided me with his name.Following procedures I will then ask the caller what I can help them with and they should briefly explain why they are calling, depending on why they have called and what my job entails I will either transfer them to another member of my team who can deal with their call, check the availability of a team member and inform the caller that they will call them b ack at a certain time or providing the information that they require to the best of my ability, although I will inform them that I am new and may not be able to answer all their questions.An example of this is when I received a phone call from a lady who wanted to submit a complaint to our department, after taking her name and contact details, she proceeded to tell me why she was complaining and what she would like done about it.During this telephone call I was taking notes so I could pass along her message when the call had ended, at the end of the call when she had finished explaining the problem, I repeated to her the points that I had taken and asked if these were correct, after making some small arrangements I summarised the information that she had given me and once she confirmed it was all correct, I informed her that I was going to pass this along to the relevant person and he would respond as soon as he can, I also informed her that I would call her when I had done this so she would know that action had been taken and it would also create a positive image of myself and my team. Giving accurate information to callers means when someone calls they have done so with the anticipation of getting their question or query answered promptly and professionally. Having up to date information available in a clear and concise manner will confirm in the callers mind that they question has been answered properly. For example if someone rang up asking for details on the most recent consultation regarding one of the teams projects and I gave them a out of date or incorrect document details then it would make a bad impression for the team and could affect their reputation as they may be deemed unreliable.From a callers point of view they want their personal details kept secure and confidential by showing this when dealing with a caller I am showing them that I can be trusted with their personal information and from my point of view, I need to keep the information priva te and respect their privacy otherwise I could become liable for prosecution under the Data Protection Act and with the information that my team handles a lot of it is private and confidential so this is a daily thing. If any confidential or information to do with security is given out, then it is causing a threat to others. Types of information that could affect confidentiality and security are people’s personal details so in my case it would be personal phone numbers and addresses. Therefore to reduce the risk of breaking confidentiality the information should only be handled by those that absolutely need access to it and if anyone requests the information then I should ask the persons whose information it is if they can have it or inform the person asking that someone will contact them.The Data Protection Act was setup to prevent confidential and security information from being given out and it is breaking the law if I was to do so. All these sorts of information should be handled by a maximum of 2 people and seen by no one else; this way no information will be revealed. After answering the call following the team’s procedure, I’d ask the caller if they know the name of the person they wish to speak to, if they don’t ask regarding which department. If they caller doesn’t know who to speak to then I would find out briefly, as they call may be regarding a private matter, what the call in about. Using the information I had gathered it would make it easier to transfer the call to the right person or department.If the person the caller is trying to reach is unavailable either because they are out of the office or away for the moment, then I would try to located someone else that may be able to take the call and explain to them the name of the caller, and what they are calling about as this would save time for the caller as they wouldn’t have to relay the information again. A lot of the time the case with transferring a c all is that the caller would either leave a message or inform me that they would call later, however with some calls that I receive the person they are trying to reach have left the desk momentarily and return while I’m still talking to the caller allowing me to transfer the caller to the person they were trying to reach. I would then inform the caller that I am transferring them to that particular person and explain why they would be more useful and helpful to deal with their request.Another option would be to leave a message I would either leave a message on their answering machine or a note on their computer, I would leave the following details; who the caller was, full name, where they were calling from, the time that they rang and the details of the call and any specific details or requests the caller wanted the intended receiver to know. A problem that could occur and has occurred it when transferring a call to a colleague the connection to the caller has become lost du ring the transfer, To amend this I would simply call them back apologising for the inconvenience, also ringing them back would show that I am keen to help them and am trying my best to provide good customer service. I would then log the problem as a technical fault, however if the problem kept occurring then I would report the problem with the IT department.Another problem that could occur is that I may transfer the caller to the wrong person this may have happened due to a system fault or a technical fault, though in my case it could be due to the fact that I’m new and could have made a mistake. If the caller went to the wrong number then the call would circulate around back to me and I would deal with the call accordingly. However if a call had been transferred to me by mistake then I would explain to the caller that unfortunately they had been transferred to the wrong person, though not necessarily the wrong department. I would apologise to the caller and ask for them to e xplain the problem and then transfer them to the correct person.I would then take a note of the problem and if the problem continued I would contact the transferee informing them that they have transferred the call to the wrong person and if it persists then I would inform IT about the problem. When receiving a phone call from an individual I would follow my teams phone call procedures this would involve doing the following things. If it was my phone that was ringing I was answer it as promptly as possible with the greeting, â€Å"Isaac Young, Major Programmes†, If it was another member of my teams phone that was ringing and due to the layout of the office it is hard to tell which phone is ringing, It is procedure to wait for the phone to ring three times and if it hasn’t been answered by then, I would enter *84 on the phone to take the call and answer with the previous greeting.Once I am connected to the caller I would obtain who the caller is and where they are from, by now the caller has usually mentioned the person they wish to speak to, if the caller mentions why they are calling this is noted when transferring the call and it is not company procedure although it is recommended that you ask what the call is in reference to. When reporting a fault to the IT department I have to be as exact as possible as this will help the issue to be resolved as fast as possible. Having an accurate account of when the problem first started and the frequency the fault occurred, what is actually happening, which can be obtained by the fault log that I have written down. I would request IT to provide a replacement phone while the problem is amended.

The Masculine Focused Ibo Culture in Chinua Achebes,...

1. In traditional Ibo culture, women are not treated as equals and are equivalent to possessions. In a family, the children always belong to the father, not the mother. â€Å"I have even heard that in some tribes a man’s children belong to his wife and her family† (74). Okonkwo appears appalled to this blasphemy. It is common and ideal for a husband to possess multiple wives, and men beat their wives for even the smallest infractions. During the Week of Peace, the goddess forbids wife beating, such as when Okonkwo beat Ojiugo. â€Å"And when she returned he beat her very heavily †¦It was unheard of to beat somebody during the sacred week† (29-30). To live in a culture with so many threats to them, women are required to be mentally and emotionally†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Feast of the New Yam†¦ was an occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth goddess and the source of all fertility† (36). The importance of this goddess demonst rates that women have a place of power in Ibo religion as well. 2. The Ibo people are in no way savages because they have an organized structure to their society with rules and laws. A society that employs morals, ethics, and accountability for peoples’ actions cannot be considered savage. The Ibo are highly religious; the base of most of their daily life revolves around religion, whether it is how they raise their families or how they grow their crops. â€Å"The Feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honor the earth goddess† (36). Yams control the Ibo economy, and if a person farmed well, success tended to follow. The Ibo village created a very stable economy due to this. The society itself is organized mostly by a person’s title, which states their place in a sort of government. The Egwugwu act much like â€Å"judges† and the people themselves try to settle things peacefully between each other. During the Feast of New Yam, many enjoy the most popular recreational activity in the village: wrestling. â€Å"It was difficult to say which the people enjoyed more-the feasting and fellowship of the first day or the wrestling contest of the second† (39). The old festival obviously remains popular due to the ancient culture behind it, creating a close