Chopper Fed Dc Motor

INTRODUCTION During the nineteenth century, when power supply was dc, dc motors were used extensively to draw power direct from the dc source. The motor speed could be varied by adjusting field current by a rheostat. That was an open loop control. Most of the drives were constant speed and the characteristics could not be matched with a job requirement. A vast development in the dc drives system took place when the ward Leonard Control System was introduced in the 1980s. The system was motor-generator system to deliver power to the drive motor. The supply power available was still dc and dc motor was used to drive the dc generator set at a more or less constant speed. Afterwards when the ac power system came into existence and became popular, ac motors were developed and became attractive owing to their constructional simplicity, ruggedness and lower initial as well as maintenance cost. Machine requiring variable speed drives use the ward Leonard System employing ac motors driving dc motors at a constant speed. In the 1950s electronic came into existence and brought about remarkable improvement in the speed control system. The open- loop manual control system was replaced by close loop feedback control, which resulted in improved response and better accuracy. Initially, gas diodes and ignitrons were developed and ac to dc converters were used to control dc motors. The advent of thyristors capable of handling large current has revolutionized the field of electric power control. Thyratrons, ignitrons, mercury arc rectifiers, magnetic amplifiers and motor generator sets have all been replaced by solid state circuits employing semi-conductor diodes and thyristors. Thyristor controlled drives employing both ac and dc motors find wide applications in industry as variable speed drives. In the 1960s ac power was converted into dc power for direct control of drive motors with solid state devices (high power silicon diodes and silicon controlled rectifiers). Initially saturable reactors were employed in conjunction with power silicon rectifiers for dc drives. Of late solid state circuits using semi- conductor diodes and thyristors are becoming popular for controlling the speed of ac and dc otors and are progressively replacing the traditional electric power control circuit based on thyratrons, ignitrons, mercury arc rectifiers, magnetic amplifiers, motor-generator sets, etc as compared to the electric and electro-mechanical systems of speed control. The electronic system has higher accuracy, greater reliability, and quick response and also has higher efficiency as there is no I2R losses and moving parts. Moreover four-quadrant speed control is possi ble to meet precise high standards. All electronic circuits control the speed of the motor by controlling either, ? The voltage applied to the motor armature or ? The field current or ? Both of the above DC motors can be run from dc supply if available or from ac supply, after it has been converted to dc supply with the help of rectifiers which can be either half wave or full wave and either controlled ( by varying the conduction angle of the thyristors used) or uncontrolled. AC motors can be run on the ac supply or from dc supply, after it has been converted into ac supply with the help of inverters (opposite of rectifiers). As stated above, the average output voltage of a thyristors controlled rectifiers by changing its conduction angle and hence the armature voltage can be adjusted to control its speed. When run on a dc supply, the armature dc voltage can be changed with the help of uncontrolled rectifiers (using only diodes and not thyristors). The dc voltages so obtained can be then chopped with the help of a thyristors chopper circuit. In this method of speed control of a dc motor, available ac supply is first rectified into dc supply using uncontrolled rectifiers. The supply is then filtered and smooth ended dc output is supplied to the thyristors chopper. It allows dc to flow through for the time Ton and then disconnects for the time Toff. This cycle is repeated. During supply-on period (i. e. for the time period Ton) the dc motor gets supply and accelerates. During the supply off period Toff (i. e. for the time period Toff) there is no supply to the motor and the motor decelerates till the next on cycle begins. If the cycles repeated continuously at a definite frequency and the elements of the cycle are maintained in a fixed relationship, the motor will then operate at a constant voltage across the motor will be, V0 = (V*Ton)/(Ton +Toff) = (V*Ton)/T = f*V*Ton The dc voltage across the motor can be control by varying the Time Ratio Control (TRC) which may be accomplished by, ? Varying the duration of the on-time, Ton keeping the total time period, T or frequency, f constant ? Keeping the on- time, Ton constant and varying the frequency, f. ? Varying both. The Variable dc voltage below the supply dc voltage is made available to the dc motor and therefore, the motor speed available is below base speed. For automatic control of speed, both current feedback and speed feedback is used. BRIEF DISCUSSION ON CHOPPER A dc chopper is a static device used to obtain variable dc voltage from a source of constant dc voltage. The dc chopper offers great efficiency, faster response, smooth control, lower maintenance, small size, etc. Solid state chopper due to various advantages are widely used in the battery operated vehicles, traction motor control, control of a large number of dc motors from a common dc bus with a considerable improvement of power factor. PRINCIPLE OF CHOPPER OPERATION: A chopper is a thyristors on/ off switch that connects load to and disconnects it from the supply and produces a chopped load voltage from a constant input voltage. The chopper is represented by a thyristors (SCR). It is triggered periodically and is kept conducting for a period Ton and is blocked for a period Toff. During the period Ton, when the chopper is on, the supply terminals is connected to the load terminals. And during the interval Toff when the chopper is off, load current flows from the freewheeling diode Df. So, the load terminals are short circuited by Df and load voltage is therefore zero during Toff. Hence the chopper dc voltage is produced at the load terminals. Now, the average load voltage, Eo is given by Eo = Edc*? [? =Duty Cycle=(Ton/Toff)] Or, Eo = Edc*(Ton/T) [T=Ton + Toff] So the voltage can be varied by varying the duty cycle, ? of the chopper. CLASSIFICATION OF CHOPPER: Power semiconductor devices are used in chopper circuits are uni-directional device. A chopper can however operate in any of the four quadrants by an appropriate arrangement of semiconductor devices. These characteristics of their operation in any of the four quadrants form the basis of their classification as, 1. Type-A or First Quadrant Chopper 2. Type-B or Second Quadrant Chopper. 3. Type-C or Two Quadrant Type-A Chopper 4. Type-D or Two Quadrant or Type-B Chopper 5. Type-E or Four Quadrant Chopper. PERFORMANCE EQUATION OF DC MOTORS The equivalent circuit and on its basis the performance equation of a separately-excited dc Motor and series dc motor are presented below. ? Separately-excited dc motor: The equivalent circuit of a separately-excited dc motor coupled with a load under steady state condition is shown in the fig 4. 1. The load torque, TL opposes the electro-magnetic torque, Te. For the field circuit, Vf = If*rf For the armature circuit, Vt = Ia + Ia*ra Motor back emf or armature emf, Ea=Ka ? Ia=Km? m ————– (4. 1) Te=ka ? Ia = KmIa Also, Te = D wm + TL where, rf=Field circuit resistance in ohm, Ia=Armature current in A, Vt=Motor terminal voltage in V, ra=Armature circuit resistance in ohm, Km=Ka ?=Torque constant in Nm/A*emf constant in V-sec/rad, m=Angular speed of motor in rad/sec, D=Viscous friction constant in Nm-sec/rad. Electromagnetic power, P=wmTe watts From equation (1), Ea=Kmwm=Vt-Iara Or wm= (Vt – Iara)/Km= (Vt – Iara)/Ka ? ——————– (4. 1) So it is seen from equation (4. 2) that speed can be controlled by varying, ? Armature terminal voltage, Vt : This method is k nown as Armature-voltage control. Speed below base speed is obtained by this method. ? Field flux, ? : This method is known as Field flux control. Speed above base speed is obtained by this method. ? DC Series Motor: In a dc series motor, field winding is in series with the armature circuit. It is designed to carry the rated armature current. The fig. shows the equivalent circuit of a dc series motor driving load with load torque, TL. For the armature circuit, Vt = Ea + Ia ( ra+ rs ) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (4. 3) Te = Ka ? Ia For no saturation in the magnetic circuit, ? = CIa Hence, Te = KaCIa2 = KIa2 Also, Ea = Ka ? wm = KaCIawm = KIawm From eqn (4. 3), Vt = KIawm + Ia (ra + rs) = Ia [ Kwm + (ra + rs)] Or, speed wm = (Vt/ KIa) – (ra +rs)/K †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (4. 4) where, rs = Series field resistance in ohm, K = KaC = constant in Nm/A2 or in V-sec/ A- rad. CLOSED LOOP CONTROL OF CHOPPER FED DC MOTOR For practical purposes motors are required to operate at desired speed with low losses to meet the desired load –torque characteristics which depends on the armature current. Suppose a motor is operating at a particular speed an suddenly a load is applied, the speed falls and the motors takes time to come up to the desired speed . but a speed feed back with an inner current loop provides faster response to any disturbance in speed command ,load torque and supply voltage. Another reason for the requirement of feedback loop in dc drives is that, the armature of a large motor represents very small impedance which when supplied with nominal voltage would result in an excessive current of up to 10 times the nominal value. Under normal conditions, this is prevented by the induced armature voltage, E which cancels most of the applied voltage, Va so that only the difference is driving the armature current, Ia. But under transient conditions or steady state over load of the motor, there is always a danger of excessive currents due to sudden torque demand and rapidly changing armature voltage or speed . t is therefore important to provide a fast current or torque limit to protect the motor, the power supply and the load. This is best realized by feedback control establishing an effective safe guard against electrical and mechanical stresses. In it the output of the speed controller, Ec is applied to the current limiter which sets the reference current, Ia (ref erence) for the current loop. the armature current is sensed by a current sensor, after being filtered by an active filter to remove ripples which is then compared with the reference current, Ia (ref. the error current is processed through a current controller whose output, Vc adjusts the firing angle of the chopper and brings the motor speed to the desired value. Any positive speed error caused by an increased in either speed command or load torque demand can produce a high reference current, Ia (ref) the motor accelerates to correct the speed error and finally settles down at any reference current, Ia(ref) which makes the motor torque equal to the load torque resultant in a speed error closed to zero. For any large positive speed error, current limiter saturates and limits the reference currents, Ia (ref) to a maximum value, Ia (max) the speed error is then corrected at the maximum permissible armature current ,Ia(max)until the speed error becomes small and the current limiters comes out of the saturation . normally ,the speed error is corrected with the Ia less than the maximum permissible armature current, Ia max. For speeds below the base speeds, the field error, Ef is large and the field controller saturates thereby applying the maximum ield voltage and current. The speed control from zero to base speed is normally done at the maximum field by armature voltage control. When the speed is closed to the base speed, Va is almost near the rated value and field controller comes out of saturation. The speed control above base speed is generally done by field weakening at the rated armature voltage. In the field control loop, the back emf Eb is compared with a reference voltage , Eb ( ref) the value of which is generally between 0. 85 to 0. 95 of the rated armature voltage. For a speed command above the base speed, the speed error causes a higher value of Va then motor accelerates, back emf , Eb increases and field error, Ef decreases. The field current when decreases and the motor speed continue to increase until it reaches the desired speed. In this mode of operation, the drive responds slowly due to large field time constant. A full converter is generally used in the field because it has the ability to reverse the voltage thereby reducing the field current much faster as compared to the semi converter. MODELING AND OBSERVATIONS ? Modeling using Matlab: ? DC Motor with Load Parameter given: Voltage = 220v Current = 6. 2A Ra = 4 ohm La = 0. 072H Speed = 1470 rpm J = 0. 0607 kg-m2 Kb= 1. 26v/rad/sec Bt =0. 0869N-m/rad/sec Parameters calculated: Ta=La/Ra= 0. 02sec Tm=j/Bt =0. 7sec K1 = Bt/[KB2 + Ra Bt] =0. 0449 -1/T1 – 1/T2 =-1/2[Bt/J +Ra/La] + sqre[1/4(Bi/J + Ra/La)2-{(Kb2 + Ra Bt ) /JLa}] T1 = 0. 1077sec T2 = 0. 0208sec Tm = J/Bt = 0. 7sec DC MotorTransfer function: I(s)/V(s) =[k1(1+sTm)]/ [(1+sT1)(1+sT2)]= [0. 032s+0. 045]/[0. 002s2+0. 4s+1] wm(s)/I(s)= Kb/Bt(1+sTm) =14. 5/(1+0. 75) Converter Transfer function Kr =1. 35V/Vcm =1. 35*230/10 =31. 05V/v Tr = 1/12*Fs = 1/12*50 =0. 00166sec T. F = kr/(1+sTr) =31. 05/(1+0. 00166s) Design of Current Controller Tc=T2=0. 0208sec K = T1/2Tr = 0. 1077/2*0. 00166 = 32. 43 Kc = KTc/k1HCKrTm =32. 43 *0. 0208/0. 0449*1*31. 05*0. 7 =0. 69 Transfer function Gc(s) = Kc(1+sTc)/sTc = 0. 69(1+0. 0208s)/0. 0208s = 0. 69 + 0. 0143s/0. 0208s Current Loop I(s)/I*(s) = Ki/(1+sTi) Ti = T3/1+ kfi Ki = kfi/Hc(1+ kfi) Kfi = KcKrKiTmHc/Tc Kfi = 0. 9*31. 05*0. 0449*0. 7*1/0. 0208 Kfi = 32. 44 Ki = Kfi/HC(1+ Kfi) Kfi = 32. 44/1*(1+32. 44) Kfi = 0. 97 Ti = T3/(1+ Kfi) = T1+Tr/(1+ Kfi) = 0. 1077+0. 00166/1+32. 44 = 0. 0032sec Speed controller Design T4 = Ti + Tw K2 = Ki Kb Hw /Bt Tm K2 = 0. 97*1. 26*1/0. 0869*0. 7 K2 = 20. 092 KS = 1/(2 Kt T4) KS = 1/2*20. 092*0. 0032 KS = 7. 77 Ts = 4T4 =4*0. 0032 Ts = 0. 0128 Transfer function T. F = KS (1+sTS)/sTS = 7. 77(1+0. 0128s)/0. 0128s = (7. 77 + 0. 0994)/0. 0128s ? Modeling using PSIM: Parameters Given: Source (Vdc) = 800V Transistor (npn): Saturation Voltage = 0 Initial Position = 0 Current Flag = 1 Gating Block (G): Frequency = 50Hz Number of Points = 2 Switching Points = [0 180] Diode (D): Diode Voltage Drop = 0 Initial Position = 0 Current Flag = 0 Inductor (L): Inductance = 0. 01 Initial Current = 0A Current Flag = 0 Capacitor (C): Capacitance = 0. 00005F Initial Capacitive Voltage = 0V Current Flag = 0 DC MOTOR (DCM): Ra = 0. 055 ohm La = 0. 01H Rf = 55 ohm Lf = 0. 02H MI = 0. 2 Vt = 440V Ia = 80A If = 4A n = 1500rpm Torque Flag = 0 Master/Slave Flag = 1 Field Source = 400V Speed Sensor (Ws): Gain = 1 Simulation Control: Time Step = 1e-005 Total Time = 0. 02 Print Time = 0 Print Step = 1 Load Flag = 0 Slave Flag = 0 INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS DC drives are highly versatile energy conversion devices. It can meet the demand of loads requiring high starting, accelerating and decelerating torques. At the same time dc drives are easily adaptable for wide range of speed control and quick reversal. So, in industrial application where accurate control of speed and / or torque is required chopper controlled dc drives are unrivalled. Therefore, chopper controlled dc motors are universally employed in steel and aluminum mills, power shovels, electric elevators, railway locomotives and large earth moving equipments. Uses o Various Chopper Controlled DC drives with reasons: | | | | |Types of DC drives |Applications |Advantages | | | |Accurate speed control can be done. |Separately Excited dc drives |Used in paper mills, steel rolling |Variation of speed from very high to low value can be| | |mills, diesel-electric propulsion of |done | | |ships, etc. | | | | |Starting torque is very high upto 500%. | | |Maximum momentary operating torque is upto 400%. | | | |Speed regulation is widely variable. It is very high | |Series dc drive |Used in hoists, cranes, conveyors, |at no load. | | |trolley-cars, electric locomotives, |Speed control by series field. | | |etc. | | |Used in lathes, centrifugal pumps, |Starting torque is medium, usually limited to 250% by| |Constant speed dc shunt drive |reciprocating pumps, fans, blo wers, |a starting resistance but may be increased. | | |conveyors, spinning and weaving |Maximum momentary operating torque is usually limited| | |machines, etc. to about 200% by commutation. | | | |Speed regulation is about 5-10 %. | | | |Speed increases about 200% by field control and | | | |decreases by armature voltage control. | | |Starting torque is medium, usually limited to 250% by| | | |a starting resistance but may be increased. | | | |Maximum momentary operating torque is usually limited| |Adjustable speed dc shunt drives |Used for application requiring |to about 200% by commutation. | |adjustable speed control, either | | | |constant torque or constant output. | | SCOPE OF MODIFICATIONS Chopper controlled dc drives are widely used in hoists, cranes, elevators, shears, crushers, conveyor, blending mills, punch presses, air compressors, ice making machines, tractions, etc. So these drives should be modified in the following ways to make them more efficient and accurate, 1. The chopper controlled dc motors should be made with large diameter armatures and large pole size of reduced height. 2. The yoke as well as the main and commutating poles should be well laminated to reduce the eddy current effect and to improve the commutation. 3. Large numbers of commutator bars should be used to reduce the voltage between the commutator segments and to improve the commutation. 4. The commutator should be made larger in order to provide extra insulation to withstand large and rapid voltage fluctuations. 5. Compensating windings should be used in large motors to reduce the armature reactions effects. 6. The current densities used for the armature and Interpol windings should be reduced as compared to the conventional dc motors of the same frame size and rating in order to reduce the effect of heating of armature and Interpol. 7. Low inertia armature should be employed for improving the response. 8. Split brushes of good commutating quality should be used for reducing the effect of transformer voltage in the coil undergoing commutations. 9. Better class of insulation should be used to allow higher temperature rise and dissipation of more losses from a given frame. 10. Now a days chopper controlled dc drives are widely used in the automobile industries. So, it should have high efficiency and accuracy, light weight, low maintenance cost. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Electric Drives – Ramakrishnan, Prentice Hall India. 2. Power Electronics – P. S. Bimbhra, Khanna Publishers. 3. Software: MATLAB 6. 5 and PSIM.

Angels Demons Chapter 106-108

106 It was 11:07 P.M. Langdon's car raced through the Roman night. Speeding down Lungotevere Tor Di Nona, parallel with the river, Langdon could now see his destination rising like a mountain to his right. Castel Sant' Angelo. Castle of the Angel. Without warning, the turnoff to the narrow Bridge of Angels – Ponte Sant' Angelo – appeared suddenly. Langdon slammed on his brakes and swerved. He turned in time, but the bridge was barricaded. He skidded ten feet and collided with a series of short cement pillars blocking his way. Langdon lurched forward as the vehicle stalled, wheezing and shuddering. He had forgotten the Bridge of Angels, in order to preserve it, was now zoned pedestrians only. Shaken, Langdon staggered from the crumpled car, wishing now he had chosen one of the other routes. He felt chilled, shivering from the fountain. He donned his Harris tweed over his damp shirt, grateful for Harris's trademark double lining. The Diagramma folio would remain dry. Before him, across the bridge, the stone fortress rose like a mountain. Aching and depleted, Langdon broke into a loping run. On both sides of him now, like a gauntlet of escorts, a procession of Bernini angels whipped past, funneling him toward his final destination. Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. The castle seemed to rise as he advanced, an unscalable peak, more intimidating to him even than St. Peter's. He sprinted toward the bastion, running on fumes, gazing upward at the citadel's circular core as it shot skyward to a gargantuan, sword-wielding angel. The castle appeared deserted. Langdon knew through the centuries the building had been used by the Vatican as a tomb, a fortress, a papal hideout, a prison for enemies of the church, and a museum. Apparently, the castle had other tenants as well – the Illuminati. Somehow it made eerie sense. Although the castle was property of the Vatican, it was used only sporadically, and Bernini had made numerous renovations to it over the years. The building was now rumored to be honeycombed with secret entries, passageways, and hidden chambers. Langdon had little doubt that the angel and surrounding pentagonal park were Bernini's doing as well. Arriving at the castle's elephantine double doors, Langdon shoved them hard. Not surprisingly, they were immovable. Two iron knockers hung at eye level. Langdon didn't bother. He stepped back, his eyes climbing the sheer outer wall. These ramparts had fended off armies of Berbers, heathens, and Moors. Somehow he sensed his chances of breaking in were slim. Vittoria, Langdon thought. Are you in there? Langdon hurried around the outer wall. There must be another entrance! Rounding the second bulwark to the west, Langdon arrived breathless in a small parking area off Lungotere Angelo. On this wall he found a second castle entrance, a drawbridge-type ingress, raised and sealed shut. Langdon gazed upward again. The only lights on the castle were exterior floods illuminating the fa;ade. All the tiny windows inside seemed black. Langdon's eyes climbed higher. At the very peak of the central tower, a hundred feet above, directly beneath the angel's sword, a single balcony protruded. The marble parapet seemed to shimmer slightly, as if the room beyond it were aglow with torchlight. Langdon paused, his soaked body shivering suddenly. A shadow? He waited, straining. Then he saw it again. His spine prickled. Someone is up there! â€Å"Vittoria!† he called out, unable to help himself, but his voice was swallowed by the raging Tiber behind him. He wheeled in circles, wondering where the hell the Swiss Guard were. Had they even heard his transmission? Across the lot a large media truck was parked. Langdon ran toward it. A paunchy man in headphones sat in the cabin adjusting levers. Langdon rapped on the side of the truck. The man jumped, saw Langdon's dripping clothes, and yanked off his headset. â€Å"What's the worry, mate?† His accent was Australian. â€Å"I need your phone.† Langdon was frenzied. The man shrugged. â€Å"No dial tone. Been trying all night. Circuits are packed.† Langdon swore aloud. â€Å"Have you seen anyone go in there?† He pointed to the drawbridge. â€Å"Actually, yeah. A black van's been going in and out all night.† Langdon felt a brick hit the bottom of his stomach. â€Å"Lucky bastard,† the Aussie said, gazing up at the tower, and then frowning at his obstructed view of the Vatican. â€Å"I bet the view from up there is perfect. I couldn't get through the traffic in St. Peter's, so I'm shooting from here.† Langdon wasn't listening. He was looking for options. â€Å"What do you say?† the Australian said. â€Å"This 11th Hour Samaritan for real?† Langdon turned. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"You didn't hear? The Captain of the Swiss Guard got a call from somebody who claims to have some primo info. The guy's flying in right now. All I know is if he saves the day†¦ there go the ratings!† The man laughed. Langdon was suddenly confused. A good Samaritan flying in to help? Did the person somehow know where the antimatter was? Then why didn't he just tell the Swiss Guard? Why was he coming in person? Something was odd, but Langdon didn't have time to figure out what. â€Å"Hey,† the Aussie said, studying Langdon more closely. â€Å"Ain't you that guy I saw on TV? Trying to save that cardinal in St. Peter's Square?† Langdon did not answer. His eyes had suddenly locked on a contraption attached to the top of the truck – a satellite dish on a collapsible appendage. Langdon looked at the castle again. The outer rampart was fifty feet tall. The inner fortress climbed farther still. A shelled defense. The top was impossibly high from here, but maybe if he could clear the first wall†¦ Langdon spun to the newsman and pointed to the satellite arm. â€Å"How high does that go?† â€Å"Huh?† The man looked confused. â€Å"Fifteen meters. Why?† â€Å"Move the truck. Park next to the wall. I need help.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† Langdon explained. The Aussie's eyes went wide. â€Å"Are you insane? That's a two- hundred-thousand-dollar telescoping extension. Not a ladder!† â€Å"You want ratings? I've got information that will make your day.† Langdon was desperate. â€Å"Information worth two hundred grand?† Langdon told him what he would reveal in exchange for the favor. Ninety seconds later, Robert Langdon was gripping the top of the satellite arm wavering in the breeze fifty feet off the ground. Leaning out, he grabbed the top of the first bulwark, dragged himself onto the wall, and dropped onto the castle's lower bastion. â€Å"Now keep your bargain!† the Aussie called up. â€Å"Where is he?† Langdon felt guilt-ridden for revealing this information, but a deal was a deal. Besides, the Hassassin would probably call the press anyway. â€Å"Piazza Navona,† Langdon shouted. â€Å"He's in the fountain.† The Aussie lowered his satellite dish and peeled out after the scoop of his career. In a stone chamber high above the city, the Hassassin removed his soaking boots and bandaged his wounded toe. There was pain, but not so much that he couldn't enjoy himself. He turned to his prize. She was in the corner of the room, on her back on a rudimentary divan, hands tied behind her, mouth gagged. The Hassassin moved toward her. She was awake now. This pleased him. Surprisingly, in her eyes, he saw fire instead of fear. The fear will come. 107 Robert Langdon dashed around the outer bulwark of the castle, grateful for the glow of the floodlights. As he circled the wall, the courtyard beneath him looked like a museum of ancient warfare – catapults, stacks of marble cannonballs, and an arsenal of fearful contraptions. Parts of the castle were open to tourists during the day, and the courtyard had been partially restored to its original state. Langdon's eyes crossed the courtyard to the central core of the fortress. The circular citadel shot skyward 107 feet to the bronze angel above. The balcony at the top still glowed from within. Langdon wanted to call out but knew better. He would have to find a way in. He checked his watch. 11:12 P.M. Dashing down the stone ramp that hugged the inside of the wall, Langdon descended to the courtyard. Back on ground level, he ran through shadows, clockwise around the fort. He passed three porticos, but all of them were permanently sealed. How did the Hassassin get in? Langdon pushed on. He passed two modern entrances, but they were padlocked from the outside. Not here. He kept running. Langdon had circled almost the entire building when he saw a gravel drive cutting across the courtyard in front of him. At one end, on the outer wall of the castle, he saw the back of the gated drawbridge leading back outside. At the other end, the drive disappeared into the fortress. The drive seemed to enter a kind of tunnel – a gaping entry in the central core. Il traforo! Langdon had read about this castle's traforo, a giant spiral ramp that circled up inside the fort, used by commanders on horseback to ride from top to bottom rapidly. The Hassassin drove up! The gate blocking the tunnel was raised, ushering Langdon in. He felt almost exuberant as he ran toward the tunnel. But as he reached the opening, his excitement disappeared. The tunnel spiraled down. The wrong way. This section of the traforo apparently descended to the dungeons, not to the top. Standing at the mouth of a dark bore that seemed to twist endlessly deeper into the earth, Langdon hesitated, looking up again at the balcony. He could swear he saw motion up there. Decide! With no other options, he dashed down into the tunnel. High overhead, the Hassassin stood over his prey. He ran a hand across her arm. Her skin was like cream. The anticipation of exploring her bodily treasures was inebriating. How many ways could he violate her? The Hassassin knew he deserved this woman. He had served Janus well. She was a spoil of war, and when he was finished with her, he would pull her from the divan and force her to her knees. She would service him again. The ultimate submission. Then, at the moment of his own climax, he would slit her throat. Ghayat assa'adah, they called it. The ultimate pleasure. Afterward, basking in his glory, he would stand on the balcony and savor the culmination of the Illuminati triumph†¦ a revenge desired by so many for so long. The tunnel grew darker. Langdon descended. After one complete turn into the earth, the light was all but gone. The tunnel leveled out, and Langdon slowed, sensing by the echo of his footfalls that he had just entered a larger chamber. Before him in the murkiness, he thought he saw glimmers of light†¦ fuzzy reflections in the ambient gleam. He moved forward, reaching out his hand. He found smooth surfaces. Chrome and glass. It was a vehicle. He groped the surface, found a door, and opened it. The vehicle's interior dome-light flashed on. He stepped back and recognized the black van immediately. Feeling a surge of loathing, he stared a moment, then he dove in, rooting around in hopes of finding a weapon to replace the one he'd lost in the fountain. He found none. He did, however, find Vittoria's cell phone. It was shattered and useless. The sight of it filled Langdon with fear. He prayed he was not too late. He reached up and turned on the van's headlights. The room around him blazed into existence, harsh shadows in a simple chamber. Langdon guessed the room was once used for horses and ammunition. It was also a dead end. No exit. I came the wrong way! At the end of his rope, Langdon jumped from the van and scanned the walls around him. No doorways. No gates. He thought of the angel over the tunnel entrance and wondered if it had been a coincidence. No! He thought of the killer's words at the fountain. She is in the Church of Illumination†¦ awaiting my return. Langdon had come too far to fail now. His heart was pounding. Frustration and hatred were starting to cripple his senses. When he saw the blood on the floor, Langdon's first thought was for Vittoria. But as his eyes followed the stains, he realized they were bloody footprints. The strides were long. The splotches of blood were only on the left foot. The Hassassin! Langdon followed the footprints toward the corner of the room, his sprawling shadow growing fainter. He felt more and more puzzled with every step. The bloody prints looked as though they walked directly into the corner of the room and then disappeared. When Langdon arrived in the corner, he could not believe his eyes. The granite block in the floor here was not a square like the others. He was looking at another signpost. The block was carved into a perfect pentagram, arranged with the tip pointing into the corner. Ingeniously concealed by overlapping walls, a narrow slit in the stone served as an exit. Langdon slid through. He was in a passage. In front of him were the remains of a wooden barrier that had once been blocking this tunnel. Beyond it there was light. Langdon was running now. He clambered over the wood and headed for the light. The passage quickly opened into another, larger chamber. Here a single torch flickered on the wall. Langdon was in a section of the castle that had no electricity†¦ a section no tourists would ever see. The room would have been frightful in daylight, but the torch made it even more gruesome. Il prigione. There were a dozen tiny jail cells, the iron bars on most eroded away. One of the larger cells, however, remained intact, and on the floor Langdon saw something that almost stopped his heart. Black robes and red sashes on the floor. This is where he held the cardinals! Near the cell was an iron doorway in the wall. The door was ajar and beyond it Langdon could see some sort of passage. He ran toward it. But Langdon stopped before he got there. The trail of blood did not enter the passage. When Langdon saw the words carved over the archway, he knew why. Il Passetto. He was stunned. He had heard of this tunnel many times, never knowing where exactly the entrance was. Il Passetto – The Little Passage – was a slender, three-quarter-mile tunnel built between Castle St. Angelo and the Vatican. It had been used by various Popes to escape to safety during sieges of the Vatican†¦ as well as by a few less pious Popes to secretly visit mistresses or oversee the torture of their enemies. Nowadays both ends of the tunnel were supposedly sealed with impenetrable locks whose keys were kept in some Vatican vault. Langdon suddenly feared he knew how the Illuminati had been moving in and out of the Vatican. He found himself wondering who on the inside had betrayed the church and coughed up the keys. Olivetti? One of the Swiss Guard? None of it mattered anymore. The blood on the floor led to the opposite end of the prison. Langdon followed. Here, a rusty gate hung draped with chains. The lock had been removed and the gate stood ajar. Beyond the gate was a steep ascension of spiral stairs. The floor here was also marked with a pentagramal block. Langdon stared at the block, trembling, wondering if Bernini himself had held the chisel that had shaped these chunks. Overhead, the archway was adorned with a tiny carved cherub. This was it. The trail of blood curved up the stairs. Before ascending, Langdon knew he needed a weapon, any weapon. He found a four-foot section of iron bar near one of the cells. It had a sharp, splintered end. Although absurdly heavy, it was the best he could do. He hoped the element of surprise, combined with the Hassassin's wound, would be enough to tip the scales in his advantage. Most of all, though, he hoped he was not too late. The staircase's spiral treads were worn and twisted steeply upward. Langdon ascended, listening for sounds. None. As he climbed, the light from the prison area faded away. He ascended into the total darkness, keeping one hand on the wall. Higher. In the blackness, Langdon sensed the ghost of Galileo, climbing these very stairs, eager to share his visions of heaven with other men of science and faith. Langdon was still in a state of shock over the location of the lair. The Illuminati meeting hall was in a building owned by the Vatican. No doubt while the Vatican guards were out searching basements and homes of well-known scientists, the Illuminati were meeting here†¦ right under the Vatican's nose. It suddenly seemed so perfect. Bernini, as head architect of renovations here, would have had unlimited access to this structure†¦ remodeling it to his own specifications with no questions asked. How many secret entries had Bernini added? How many subtle embellishments pointing the way? The Church of Illumination. Langdon knew he was close. As the stairs began narrowing, Langdon felt the passage closing around him. The shadows of history were whispering in the dark, but he moved on. When he saw the horizontal shaft of light before him, he realized he was standing a few steps beneath a landing, where the glow of torchlight spilled out beneath the threshold of a door in front of him. Silently he moved up. Langdon had no idea where in the castle he was right now, but he knew he had climbed far enough to be near the peak. He pictured the mammoth angel atop the castle and suspected it was directly overhead. Watch over me, angel, he thought, gripping the bar. Then, silently, he reached for the door. On the divan, Vittoria's arms ached. When she had first awoken to find them tied behind her back, she'd thought she might be able to relax and work her hands free. But time had run out. The beast had returned. Now he was standing over her, his chest bare and powerful, scarred from battles he had endured. His eyes looked like two black slits as he stared down at her body. Vittoria sensed he was imagining the deeds he was about to perform. Slowly, as if to taunt her, the Hassassin removed his soaking belt and dropped it on the floor. Vittoria felt a loathing horror. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the Hassassin had produced a switchblade knife. He snapped it open directly in front of her face. Vittoria saw her own terrified reflection in the steel. The Hassassin turned the blade over and ran the back of it across her belly. The icy metal gave her chills. With a contemptuous stare, he slipped the blade below the waistline of her shorts. She inhaled. He moved back and forth, slowly, dangerously†¦ lower. Then he leaned forward, his hot breath whispering in her ear. â€Å"This blade cut out your father's eye.† Vittoria knew in that instant that she was capable of killing. The Hassassin turned the blade again and began sawing upward through the fabric of her khaki shorts. Suddenly, he stopped, looking up. Someone was in the room. â€Å"Get away from her,† a deep voice growled from the doorway. Vittoria could not see who had spoken, but she recognized the voice. Robert! He's alive! The Hassassin looked as if he had seen a ghost. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, you must have a guardian angel.† 108 In the split second it took Langdon to take in his surroundings, he realized he was in a sacred place. The embellishments in the oblong room, though old and faded, were replete with familiar symbology. Pentagram tiles. Planet frescoes. Doves. Pyramids. The Church of Illumination. Simple and pure. He had arrived. Directly in front of him, framed in the opening of the balcony, stood the Hassassin. He was bare chested, standing over Vittoria, who lay bound but very much alive. Langdon felt a wave of relief to see her. For an instant, their eyes met, and a torrent of emotions flowed – gratitude, desperation, and regret. â€Å"So we meet yet again,† the Hassassin said. He looked at the bar in Langdon's hand and laughed out loud. â€Å"And this time you come for me with that?† â€Å"Untie her.† The Hassassin put the knife to Vittoria's throat. â€Å"I will kill her.† Langdon had no doubt the Hassassin was capable of such an act. He forced a calm into his voice. â€Å"I imagine she would welcome it†¦ considering the alternative.† The Hassassin smiled at the insult. â€Å"You're right. She has much to offer. It would be a waste.† Langdon stepped forward, grasping the rusted bar, and aimed the splintered end directly at the Hassassin. The cut on his hand bit sharply. â€Å"Let her go.† The Hassassin seemed for a moment to be considering it. Exhaling, he dropped his shoulders. It was a clear motion of surrender, and yet at that exact instant the Hassassin's arm seemed to accelerate unexpectedly. There was a blur of dark muscle, and a blade suddenly came tearing through the air toward Langdon's chest. Whether it was instinct or exhaustion that buckled Langdon's knees at that moment, he didn't know, but the knife sailed past his left ear and clattered to the floor behind him. The Hassassin seemed unfazed. He smiled at Langdon, who was kneeling now, holding the metal bar. The killer stepped away from Vittoria and moved toward Langdon like a stalking lion. As Langdon scrambled to his feet, lifting the bar again, his wet turtleneck and pants felt suddenly more restrictive. The Hassassin, half-clothed, seemed to move much faster, the wound on his foot apparently not slowing him at all. Langdon sensed this was a man accustomed to pain. For the first time in his life, Langdon wished he were holding a very big gun. The Hassassin circled slowly, as if enjoying himself, always just out of reach, moving toward the knife on the floor. Langdon cut him off. Then the killer moved back toward Vittoria. Again Langdon cut him off. â€Å"There's still time,† Langdon ventured. â€Å"Tell me where the canister is. The Vatican will pay more than the Illuminati ever could.† â€Å"You are naive.† Langdon jabbed with the bar. The Hassassin dodged. He navigated around a bench, holding the weapon in front of him, trying to corner the Hassassin in the oval room. This damn room has no corners! Oddly, the Hassassin did not seem interested in attacking or fleeing. He was simply playing Langdon's game. Coolly waiting. Waiting for what? The killer kept circling, a master at positioning himself. It was like an endless game of chess. The weapon in Langdon's hand was getting heavy, and he suddenly sensed he knew what the Hassassin was waiting for. He's tiring me out. It was working, too. Langdon was hit by a surge of weariness, the adrenaline alone no longer enough to keep him alert. He knew he had to make a move. The Hassassin seemed to read Langdon's mind, shifting again, as if intentionally leading Langdon toward a table in the middle of the room. Langdon could tell there was something on the table. Something glinted in the torchlight. A weapon? Langdon kept his eyes focused on the Hassassin and maneuvered himself closer to the table. When the Hassassin cast a long, guileless glance at the table, Langdon tried to fight the obvious bait. But instinct overruled. He stole a glance. The damage was done. It was not a weapon at all. The sight momentarily riveted him. On the table lay a rudimentary copper chest, crusted with ancient patina. The chest was a pentagon. The lid lay open. Arranged inside in five padded compartments were five brands. The brands were forged of iron – large embossing tools with stout handles of wood. Langdon had no doubt what they said. Illuminati, Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Langdon snapped his head back up, fearing the Hassassin would lunge. He did not. The killer was waiting, almost as if he were refreshed by the game. Langdon fought to recover his focus, locking eyes again with his quarry, thrusting with the pipe. But the image of the box hung in his mind. Although the brands themselves were mesmerizing – artifacts few Illuminati scholars even believed existed – Langdon suddenly realized there had been something else about the box that had ignited a wave of foreboding within. As the Hassassin maneuvered again, Langdon stole another glance downward. My God! In the chest, the five brands sat in compartments around the outer edge. But in the center, there was another compartment. This partition was empty, but it clearly was intended to hold another brand†¦ a brand much larger than the others, and perfectly square. The attack was a blur. The Hassassin swooped toward him like a bird of prey. Langdon, his concentration having been masterfully diverted, tried to counter, but the pipe felt like a tree trunk in his hands. His parry was too slow. The Hassassin dodged. As Langdon tried to retract the bar, the Hassassin's hands shot out and grabbed it. The man's grip was strong, his injured arm seeming no longer to affect him. Violently, the two men struggled. Langdon felt the bar ripped away, and a searing pain shot through his palm. An instant later, Langdon was staring into the splintered point of the weapon. The hunter had become the hunted. Langdon felt like he'd been hit by a cyclone. The Hassassin circled, smiling now, backing Langdon against the wall. â€Å"What is your American adagio?† he chided. â€Å"Something about curiosity and the cat?† Langdon could barely focus. He cursed his carelessness as the Hassassin moved in. Nothing was making sense. A sixth Illuminati brand? In frustration he blurted, â€Å"I've never read anything about a sixth Illuminati brand!† â€Å"I think you probably have.† The killer chuckled as he herded Langdon around the oval wall. Langdon was lost. He most certainly had not. There were five Illuminati brands. He backed up, searching the room for any weapon at all. â€Å"A perfect union of the ancient elements,† the Hassassin said. â€Å"The final brand is the most brilliant of all. I'm afraid you will never see it, though.† Langdon sensed he would not be seeing much of anything in a moment. He kept backing up, searching the room for an option. â€Å"And you've seen this final brand?† Langdon demanded, trying to buy time. â€Å"Someday perhaps they will honor me. As I prove myself.† He jabbed at Langdon, as if enjoying a game. Langdon slid backward again. He had the feeling the Hassassin was directing him around the wall toward some unseen destination. Where? Langdon could not afford to look behind him. â€Å"The brand?† he demanded. â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"Not here. Janus is apparently the only one who holds it.† â€Å"Janus?† Langdon did not recognize the name. â€Å"The Illuminati leader. He is arriving shortly.† â€Å"The Illuminati leader is coming here?† â€Å"To perform the final branding.† Langdon shot a frightened glance to Vittoria. She looked strangely calm, her eyes closed to the world around her, her lungs pulling slowly†¦ deeply. Was she the final victim? Was he? â€Å"Such conceit,† the Hassassin sneered, watching Langdon's eyes. â€Å"The two of you are nothing. You will die, of course, that is for certain. But the final victim of whom I speak is a truly dangerous enemy.† Langdon tried to make sense of the Hassassin's words. A dangerous enemy? The top cardinals were all dead. The Pope was dead. The Illuminati had wiped them all out. Langdon found the answer in the vacuum of the Hassassin's eyes. The camerlegno. Camerlegno Ventresca was the one man who had been a beacon of hope for the world through this entire tribulation. The camerlegno had done more to condemn the Illuminati tonight than decades of conspiracy theorists. Apparently he would pay the price. He was the Illuminati's final target. â€Å"You'll never get to him,† Langdon challenged. â€Å"Not I,† the Hassassin replied, forcing Langdon farther back around the wall. â€Å"That honor is reserved for Janus himself.† â€Å"The Illuminati leader himself intends to brand the camerlegno?† â€Å"Power has its privileges.† â€Å"But no one could possibly get into Vatican City right now!† The Hassassin looked smug. â€Å"Not unless he had an appointment.† Langdon was confused. The only person expected at the Vatican right now was the person the press was calling the 11th Hour Samaritan – the person Rocher said had information that could save – Langdon stopped short. Good God! The Hassassin smirked, clearly enjoying Langdon's sickening cognition. â€Å"I too wondered how Janus would gain entrance. Then in the van I heard the radio – a report about an 11th hour Samaritan.† He smiled. â€Å"The Vatican will welcome Janus with open arms.† Langdon almost stumbled backward. Janus is the Samaritan! It was an unthinkable deception. The Illuminati leader would get a royal escort directly to the camerlegno's chambers. But how did Janus fool Rocher? Or was Rocher somehow involved? Langdon felt a chill. Ever since he had almost suffocated in the secret archives, Langdon had not entirely trusted Rocher. The Hassassin jabbed suddenly, nicking Langdon in the side. Langdon jumped back, his temper flaring. â€Å"Janus will never get out alive!† The Hassassin shrugged. â€Å"Some causes are worth dying for.† Langdon sensed the killer was serious. Janus coming to Vatican City on a suicide mission? A question of honor? For an instant, Langdon's mind took in the entire terrifying cycle. The Illuminati plot had come full circle. The priest whom the Illuminati had inadvertently brought to power by killing the Pope had emerged as a worthy adversary. In a final act of defiance, the Illuminati leader would destroy him. Suddenly, Langdon felt the wall behind him disappear. There was a rush of cool air, and he staggered backward into the night. The balcony! He now realized what the Hassassin had in mind. Langdon immediately sensed the precipice behind him – a hundred-foot drop to the courtyard below. He had seen it on his way in. The Hassassin wasted no time. With a violent surge, he lunged. The spear sliced toward Langdon's midsection. Langdon skidded back, and the point came up short, catching only his shirt. Again the point came at him. Langdon slid farther back, feeling the banister right behind him. Certain the next jab would kill him, Langdon attempted the absurd. Spinning to one side, he reached out and grabbed the shaft, sending a jolt of pain through his palm. Langdon held on. The Hassassin seemed unfazed. They strained for a moment against one another, face to face, the Hassassin's breath fetid in Langdon's nostrils. The bar began to slip. The Hassassin was too strong. In a final act of desperation, Langdon stretched out his leg, dangerously off balance as he tried to ram his foot down on the Hassassin's injured toe. But the man was a professional and adjusted to protect his weakness. Langdon had just played his final card. And he knew he had lost the hand. The Hassassin's arms exploded upward, driving Langdon back against the railing. Langdon sensed nothing but empty space behind him as the railing hit just beneath his buttocks. The Hassassin held the bar crosswise and drove it into Langdon's chest. Langdon's back arched over the chasm. â€Å"Ma'assalamah,† the Hassassin sneered. â€Å"Good-bye.† With a merciless glare, the Hassassin gave a final shove. Langdon's center of gravity shifted, and his feet swung up off the floor. With only one hope of survival, Langdon grabbed on to the railing as he went over. His left hand slipped, but his right hand held on. He ended up hanging upside down by his legs and one hand†¦ straining to hold on. Looming over him, the Hassassin raised the bar overhead, preparing to bring it crashing down. As the bar began to accelerate, Langdon saw a vision. Perhaps it was the imminence of death or simply blind fear, but in that moment, he sensed a sudden aura surrounding the Hassassin. A glowing effulgence seemed to swell out of nothing behind him†¦ like an incoming fireball. Halfway through his swing, the Hassassin dropped the bar and screamed in agony. The iron bar clattered past Langdon out into the night. The Hassassin spun away from him, and Langdon saw a blistering torch burn on the killer's back. Langdon pulled himself up to see Vittoria, eyes flaring, now facing the Hassassin. Vittoria waved a torch in front of her, the vengeance in her face resplendent in the flames. How she had escaped, Langdon did not know or care. He began scrambling back up over the banister. The battle would be short. The Hassassin was a deadly match. Screaming with rage, the killer lunged for her. She tried to dodge, but the man was on her, holding the torch and about to wrestle it away. Langdon did not wait. Leaping off the banister, Langdon jabbed his clenched fist into the blistered burn on the Hassassin's back. The scream seemed to echo all the way to the Vatican. The Hassassin froze a moment, his back arched in anguish. He let go of the torch, and Vittoria thrust it hard into his face. There was a hiss of flesh as his left eye sizzled. He screamed again, raising his hands to his face. â€Å"Eye for an eye,† Vittoria hissed. This time she swung the torch like a bat, and when it connected, the Hassassin stumbled back against the railing. Langdon and Vittoria went for him at the same instant, both heaving and pushing. The Hassassin's body sailed backward over the banister into the night. There was no scream. The only sound was the crack of his spine as he landed spread-eagle on a pile of cannonballs far below. Langdon turned and stared at Vittoria in bewilderment. Slackened ropes hung off her midsection and shoulders. Her eyes blazed like an inferno. â€Å"Houdini knew yoga.†

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RFID and the safety concerns of consumers - Essay Example RFID systems are also faster and more secure than other Auto-ID technologies. Even though RFID tags were invented in 1969 and patented in 1973, the technology is now becoming technologically and commercially viable (Brito, 2005). Understanding the RFID devices and how they work is critical for analyzing privacy issues that surround this technology. The main components of an RFID system are a chip/tag, reader, and database. A reader scans the tag for data and sends the information to a database, which stores the data contained on the tag. The chip or the tag is usually made of silicon and it contains information about the item to which it is attached. A chip is used by retailers and manufacturers to identify consumer goods that may contain an Electronic Product Code (â€Å"EPC†). EPC chips are encrypted with a unique product code that identifies the individual product to which it is attached, and can be read using radio frequency. These codes contain the type of data that product manufacturers and retailers will use to track the authenticity and location of goods throughout the supply chain. RFID chip may also contain information other than an EPC, such as biometric data. The antenna attached to the chip is responsible for transmitting information to the reader, using radio waves. Generally, the bigger the antenna, the longer the read range. The chip and antenna together is referred to as a transponder or, more commonly, as a tag. The reader (or scanning device) also has its own antenna, which it uses to communicate with the tag. Readers vary in size, weight, and power, and may be mobile or stationary. Although anyone with access to the proper reader can scan an RFID tag, RFID systems can employ authentication and encryption to prevent unauthorized reading of data. A reader can scan a tag without physically â€Å"seeing† it. Further, RFID readers can process multiple items at one time, resulting in a

Global expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global expansion - Essay Example Political and social climate of foreign countries. Local taxes and regulatory systems. Currency risk and Foreign exchange management. Transfer pricing and supply chain management. Local workforce. Diversified cultures of international markets Cultural differences substantially impact the way companies do businesses. It is important to be aware of the disparities that will be at your disposal in the target market. When expanding into international market, the accustomed norms, values and behavior of the local citizens mustn’t be ignored. A bottle of American whisky can be an offense in middle-east countries. Political and social climate of foreign countries A stable political and social system can be beneficial for the company which intends to expand whereas; unrest and destabilized political system can create new issues for it. Local taxes and regulatory systems It is crucial to determine whether the tax regime for international businesses is friendly or competitive. Corporate tax rate with low headline is always appealing for the companies. Currency risk and foreign exchange management Companies must determine whether the local currency is stable or volatile. It should also stumble if currency hedging can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Transfer pricing and supply chain management Development of effective supply chain helps to generate the company’s cash flow more quickly. Brief information should also be gathered regarding the transfer pricing policies of the foreign countries. Local workforce Effective communication of the local workforce has the ability to make or break the progress of business. It is the foundation of success for every business. Right people at the right location that is, financers, staff, suppliers, regulators, quality of customers can provide a competitive edge to the business. 2. Explain what cultural barriers and diversity issues are commonly encountered by international/multinational (MNC) and global organizations.   Cultural Barriers and Diversity Issues MNCs usually promote consumerist culture by producing standard commodities for diversified cultures. Yet, culture often become barrier and creates distances. The following are the primary reason of diversified cultures all over the world. Communication and Language Barrier- Different languages are spoken in different countries which become a hindrance for MNCs. It is an essential means of communicating with customers, retailers, suppliers etc. therefore, language often becomes a barrier in diversified cultures. Religion- Religious backgrounds usually have substantial impact on the individuals. People do not psychologically and emotionally accept something which is not aligned with their religious values. This often becomes hindrance for MNCs while tapping into diversified nations and cultures. Accustomed/diversified Culture- Socio-cultural differences, norms, beliefs, values, attitudes, perceptions congregate to form a certain cultural backgro und of a country. These aspects vary from country to country and therefore construct a diversified nature of the world. 3. Why has diversity become such an important topic in the international arena? Importance of Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity plays a vital role for a company. The criteria diversifies customer groups on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, age, educational background, beliefs, lifestyles, language,

Dance Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dance Critique - Essay Example They exhibited a high degree of professionalism and this could clearly be seen in the techniques used by them. On the technical side, the design and lighting of stage was quite apt and set the right mood for the show. The costumes of the dancers complemented each other with the main duo wearing a color that contrasted well with the color worn by the rest of the group. The title of the piece is the introduction to the ‘Allegro Brillante’ which opens with a brief meeting of the two main dancers in a stylistic entry. The stage seemed a bit small and restricted but the dancers did not seem to show it. The rest of the dance was an interweaving of the whole group, alternating between the girls and the boys and finally ends with a flourish as they dance gracefully with their partners with nimble footwork. All the dancers exuded high energy as they flitted, jumped, twirled or tiptoed with nimble and graceful steps. The music too was very apt and effective as it had the same energy exhibited by the performers. The costumes suited the high energy on stage and were not only modest but lent itself to the flow of music and dance. The dancers were well trained and this could be clearly seen in the techniques used by them which looked graceful and appealing. The aesthetic ability of all the performers was brought out through their facial expressions that portrayed the emotions embedded in the piece. The background of the stage was a dull blue with a single dull spotlight that was flashed on the center of the backdrop. The stage area was well lit with soft white lights that accentuated the costumes and movements of the dancers. The second piece I choose to critique in the ‘Allegro Brillante’ is the solo performance by Maria Tallchief. The choreographing for this piece was highly technical with a lot of twists and twirls by the dancer whose body language was so graceful as it was ethereal. The dancer had enough space to move around with great flourish and was not

My Writing Improvements, Challenges, and Goals Essay - 1

My Writing Improvements, Challenges, and Goals - Essay Example I avoid repetition and redundancy. I avoid using high faluting words, but rather I use words that are simple and can easily be understood. I face several challenges in my writing. A challenge that I have to deal with is my failure to follow a specific format. I am quite confused with the APA, MLA and Harvard style. A specific problem which I encounter with regards to the different styles is the format of the in-text citations and the references. I also think that I should expand my vocabulary so as not to repeat words in a single article that I write. Another shortcoming that I have to tackle is my need to be more concise in my writing style and refrain from being overly wordy in my prose. I still find summarizing an article a challenge. I realize that I just end up copying most of the sentences in the piece that I have to summarize instead of paraphrasing them. I intend to improve my writing skills because I know that it is essential in communicating my thoughts, ideas and feelings. If I want to excel in my academic and professional life, I should try to enhance my writing prowess. I plan to read more prose and poetry, not to copy their style but to widen my knowledge on the various styles of writing. Doing so will also expand my vocabulary. Re-reading and editing my work more than twice will surely help me not to commit grammatical and spelling errors. Moreover, if I re-read my work, the sentence constructions will also be checked. I am determined to perfect my work by requesting other people to read it and asking their opinions on how I can further improve on it. One important step that I can do to improve my writing is to determine who will be the readers of my work. The profile of my readers will help me choose my paper’s tone, the words I will use and the ideas I am going to present. Furthermore, before I even start to write, I have to identify the idea I want to convey to my readers. Having a thesis statement will keep me focused on

Ensuring children and young people’s safety Essay Example for Free

Ensuring children and young people’s safety Essay Ensuring children and young people’s safety and welfare in the work setting is an essential part of safeguarding. While children are at school, practitioners act in ‘loco parentis’ while their parents are away. As part of their legal and professional obligations, practitioners hold positions of trust and a duty of care to the children in their school, and therefore should always act in their best interests and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). The Children Act 2004 came in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) guidelines and greatly impacted the way schools look at the care and welfare of pupils. Children and young people should be helped to learn and thrive and be given the opportunity to achieve the five basic outcomes: be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. Children are vulnerable and depending on their age and level of development, do not see danger or recognise risks. They do not know when or how to look after themselves and need adults to protect them and ensure their safety, whilst encouraging their independence in an age appropriate manner. All organisations that employ staff or volunteers to work with children need to use a safer recruitment practice. In March 2005, following the Soham murders and the subsequent Bichard Inquiry, the DCSF – Department for Children, Schools and Families (previously the DES and the DoH) proposed that Recommendation 19 of the Bichard Inquiry should be carried out: ‘new arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. The register would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with these clients.’ As a result, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 was passed, providing the legislative framework for the new Vetting and Barring scheme. This Act established the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to make decisions about who should be allowed to work with children, the elderly and other vulnerable adults and to maintain lists of those who are barred. Under the Act, it is an offence for an employer to employ a barred person in a role with children. It is also an offence for a barred person to apply for  such a role. Employers must also advise the ISA if an individual harms a child whilst working for them. The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 merged the ISA with the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) to form the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services). It also differentiated between supervised and unsupervised activities. Schools should have policies and procedures for safer recruitment practice, which should be applied at every stage in the recruitment process, from advertising, references and pre-interview checks, to the selection of candidates, interviewing process and the offer of appointment. As part of the process, every adult wanting to work with children or vulnerable adults must have a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services) check. There are three levels of DBS disclosure: -Basic disclosure: details relevant information about the individual, together with any convictions (spent or in force), cautions or warnings that the individual has received. -Enhanced disclosure: includes the same as the basic disclosure, plus any additional relevant information held by the police. -Enhanced disclosure with Barred List Check. Schools must also ensure that any adults (including cleaners and caretakers) or volunteers in the workplace do not have unsupervised access to children unless they have been DBS checked. Schools need to ensure that they provide children and young people with a happy safe environment to learn and develop, with trusted and supportive adults. Practitioners need to actively promote the well-being and welfare of every child. This includes providing a wide range of activities to promote development through play as well as formal learning. These activities should include age appropriate toys and games that meet the Toy (Safety) Regulations 1995 and are in a good state of repair. Practitioners should check for Kitemarks and CE markings. Kitemarks are symbols that show products have been tested and meet the British Standard Institute requirements. CE markings show that products meet European standards as set out by the European Community. Children also need to communicate and socialise with their peers, children from other age groups and other adults. They need to feel safe and secure in their environment so that they feel able to speak to adults about any concerns they may have, or to ask questions and seek help without fear of embarrassment. They need good role models who can help them extend their decision making skills and develop independence appropriate to their age and development level. Practitioners have a further responsibility to provide additional support to children who may have special educational needs. This may be through individual sessions within the school, liaison with external services such as educational psychologists or through the CAF (Common Assessment Framework) process. The CAF process was developed to gather and assess information in relation to a child’s needs in development, parenting and the family environment. It is a service that should be offered to children (and their families) whose additional needs are not being met through universal services within the school. Practitioners also need to protect any children who may be at risk of significant harm because of their home life and personal circumstances. There are a number of policies and procedures that should be in place in schools to ensure children and young people’s protection and safety: †¢Working in an open and transparent way – adults should make sure that another member of staff is always aware of where they are working, especially if they are alone in a room with a child, there should always be visual access or the door should remain open. †¢Duty of care – adults should always act in the best interests of the child and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). †¢Whistleblowing staff should understand their responsibilities to raise concerns of malpractice. Staff will be deemed to be failing in their duty to safeguard children if they do not act. †¢Listening to children adults relationships with children should always be professional, caring and respectful. Children need to feel valued and listened to. †¢Power and positions of trust adults working with children hold positions of trust due to their access to the children in their care, and relationships between pupils and staff will  always have an unequal balance of power – these positions should never be abused. †¢Behaviour teachers should behave in such a way as to safeguard children’s well-being and maintain public trust in the teaching profession. †¢Physical contact staff should ensure that any contact with children is entirely professionally appropriate. †¢Off-site visits staff must take particular care to ensure that clear boundaries are maintained and full risk assessments must be carried out prior to a visit. †¢Recording of images – there must be age-appropriate consent from the person or their parents or carers. †¢Intimate personal care all children have a right to safety, privacy and dignity when intimate care is required. †¢Sharing concerns and information highly confidential information about children and their families should only ever be shared on a need to know basis, and anonymously wherever possible. †¢Security – school premises should be made secure with fencing, gates and locking doors with secure access codes to prevent unwelcome visitors and to stop children from leaving the premises unaccompanied. There should be clear locking and unlocking procedures and stringent rules for visitor access to the buildings. Contractors should be LA approved or selected using safe selection procedures and should have carried out appropriate risk assessments in advance. They should be given information to enable them to follow the school’s safety procedures. The three main areas that address the protection of children from harm in the work setting are: child protection; health and safety, and risk assessments. †¢Child protection. It is the responsibility of all adults in the setting to actively safeguard children and young people and to prevent abuse or neglect. The setting should detail how the policies and procedures should work on a daily basis and outline current legislation in this area (see Task A). The policy should describe the responsibilities of the setting as well as those of individuals. It should include a summary of the possible signs of abuse or neglect for staff to refer to (see Task D1). Staff are required to respond to any concerns in an appropriate and timely manner. There should be clear guidelines on how staff should proceed when there are concerns, or  allegations have been made, including the role of the designated CPO (Child Protection Officer) (see Task D2). Staff should also be made aware of the procedures if the allegation concerns another member of staff or the head teacher (see Section 2 below). The policy should detail external services that may be required, including names and telephone numbers etc. There should be specific guidance about how to behave if a child or young person makes an allegation of abuse. The policy should detail other procedures and policies that support staff responsibilities in this area, such as the behaviour and anti-bullying policies (see Task E) and the whistleblowing policy (see Section 3 below). †¢Health and Safety. Schools are legally required to have a Health and Safety policy to ensure that there is a plan for how health and safety is managed in the setting and that all staff are aware of all their responsibilities. This policy should be read and implemented by all staff and it should form part of the induction process for new members of staff. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 were designed to protect everyone at work. The employer in a school must take reasonable steps to ensure that staff and pupils are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This applies to activities on or off school premises. The employer is required to carry out regular reviews of the school, its premises and activities. There should be a designated health and safety representative at every setting who is responsible for the reviews and any subsequent action. The reviews should involve regular walks around the school as well as safety checks on equipment. All electrical items should be checked annually by a qualified electrician. Fire extinguishers should also be checked annually. Staff should ensure that they use any safety equipment provided and store it safely. All materials and equipment used in schools should meet recognised safety standards. Practitioners should check for Kitemarks and CE markings. Kitemarks are symbols that show products have been tested and meet the British Standard Institute requirements. CE markings show that products meet European standards as set out by the European Community. The Workplace, (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 deal with physical conditions in the  workplace and require employers to meet minimum standards in relation to a wide range of issues, including: maintenance of buildings and equipment; lighting; provision of drinking water; temperature; ventilation; rest rooms; toilet facili ties; room dimensions and space; cleanliness; condition of floors and traffic routes. The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 apply to all maintained schools in England, and came into effect in October 2012. This legislation works in conjunction with the Workplace Regulations, but applies specifically to school standards, which are often more stringent i.e. the provision of a medical room for pupils, or a lower maximum temperature for hand washing in children’s toilet facilities. To protect children and young people from harm on the premises, the school should consider the following: †¢Safety of the indoor and outdoor play equipment, including water and sand play. †¢Safety in the school kitchen, including the storage, preparation and cooking of food. †¢Fire safety, including maintaining clearly marked exit routes and doors. †¢Appropriately sized furniture and equipment for the children. †¢Safe storage of hazardous materials under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002. †¢Appropriate adult-child ratios at all times. †¢First aid training for staff, with sufficient numbers of first aid trained staff on the premises at all times. †¢Safety in the dining hall, including hot food, spillages, choking risks etc. †¢Vigilance in challenging unidentified adults. †¢Procedures for cleaning up bodily fluids, vomit or faeces. †¢Internet safety. †¢Hand washing facilities and practices. †¢Adaptations where necessary for children with special needs or disabilities. †¢Safety of outdoor play areas, including access, space and floor surfacing. †¢Safe storage and supervision of medicines. †¢Implementation of procedures for children and staff with illnesses, i.e. remaining away from school for 48 hours after sickness or diarrhoea. †¢A  nominated person for asbestos and legionella competency. †¢Tidiness and safety of traffic routes around the premises. Off-site educational visits have additional issues that could affect children’s safety. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires full risk assessments to be carried out prior to a visit. Employers must assess the risks of activities, plan measures to control the risks and inform employees of the measures. Staff must follow school and Local Authority regulations, policies and guidance, which include: evidence of parental permission; emergency procedures; first aid kit and trained staff; appropriate clothing and equipment; qualified staff for activities; adult to children ratios; special educational or medical needs of the children; approval of volunteers (including DBS checks); age and competence of the pupils and transport arrangements. Health and Safety arrangements also require members of staff to keep colleagues/senior staff aware of their whereabouts and movements. †¢Risk assessments. It is a legal requirement for all employers to carry out risk assessments. Risk assessments are a formal examination of things that could cause harm to people. The Health and Safety Executive guidance sets out a simple Five Steps to Risk Assessment: Step 1: Look for the hazards and risks. A hazard is something that can cause harm. A risk is the likelihood of harm together with the consequences should it take place. Step 2: Decide who could be harmed and how. Step 3: It is necessary to differentiate between hazards and risks and then to prioritise them, dealing with the most serious risks first. Decide whether the existing precautions are sufficient. If not, decide what other precautions should be introduced and ensure that they are put in place. Step 4: Record your actions and findings. Step 5: Review the assessment at regular intervals, or if circumstances  change, and revise if necessary. Risk assessments should be used within the school setting e.g. for a new climbing frame or for outdoor water play, and also for off-site visits regardless of their duration. The head teacher is usually responsible for risk assessments and should sign and date them after they are completed. If existing precautions are not satisfactory, then activities may have to be restricted or stopped until changes are made. Changes may involve staff training or additional equipment. Risk assessments will also need to be carried out for individuals with special needs or disabilities and specialists may come to the school to carry them out. Other individuals may require a risk assessment in certain circumstances, i.e. a pupil on crutches or temporarily in a wheelchair. Ofsted inspectors would expect risk assessments to be available as part of their inspections. Risk assessments should form part of a school’s management processes and help to formalise working practices and arrangements. They are a valuable tool for identifying problems and potential problems, monitoring situations and ensuring precautions are taken to keep children and adults safe from harm.

Special Ed Essay Example for Free

Special Ed Essay People can have multiple definitions of disability, but this is the federal definition of a disability, â€Å"An individual with a disability means any person who: (i) has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity; (ii) has a record of such an impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment† (Durhiem). In order to receive or qualify for special needs or other learning disabilities you must have a record of proof from a doctor to provide to the school. It is then the schools job then to meet the credentials needed for the disabled student. Students with varying disabilities should be given the same chances as students without disabilities. Some disabilities can require students to have separate classrooms while others might be able to operate in classes where there are students without disabilities. Each disability varies in severity and in most cases it is a student-by-student bases. It is the parents and teachers responsibility to advocate for the student and make sure their needs are met within the classroom. In fact families have certain rights provided to them and their disabled child, these rights can be provided through the 504. In order for a student to qualify for 504 the students has to have a disability. â€Å"Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met† (Durhiem). Section 504 is a foundation for equality to people of special needs. Every student deserves the right to learn and the right to reach there full potential regardless of ability. One-way Parents and the community can be informed on their local schools progress and level of education is through the No Child Left Behind Act. No Child Left Behind or NCLB, goal is to improve the education of children with a low-income family, especially within the public school system. This act was established in 2001 and has improved education for all students dramatically. NCLB establishes goals and certain criteria to prevent failing schools, â€Å" NCLB requires that schools make steady progress toward the ultimate goal of all students performing at a proficient level in reading, math, and science by the year 2014. This progress is defined as adequate yearly progress, or AYP. Schools that fail to meet AYP goals for two consecutive years must be identified as in need of improvement. (Cortiella). If the school does not meet its goals within the given time span the school district notifies the parents that the school needs improvement. This is a great way to keep parents informed on the accomplishments and struggles of the school there child attends. For the children with disabilities NCLB provides the students with different options of schools that are not failing or â€Å"in need of improvement schools. † â€Å"Students with disabilities (covered under the IDEA or Section 504) must be offered the opportunity to attend a school that has not been identified as in need of improvement. Districts must ensure that such students are provided a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) consistent with the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, in their schools of choice† (Cortiella). IDEA: ADA: American’s with Disabilities Act.

Generation X vs. Y Communication

Generation X vs. Y Communication Areeba Shaikh Introduction Effective communication is an essential requirement for the fulfillment of organizational objectives or goals. Without communication, no group or organization can exist. Co-ordination during work is inconceivable and the organization is likely to collapse for absence of communication. Co-operation additionally gets to be unimaginable in light of the fact that individuals are unable to communicate their sentiments and needs to others. All acts of communication impacts the organization somehow. It is a string that holds the different associated parts of an organization in sync. When it comes to a stop, activities in an organization discontinue. An idea, no matter how extraordinary it is, is of no use until it is conveyed and understood by the rest. When there is effective communication, the tendency of greater and better performance, as well as job satisfaction is encouraged. Individuals comprehend their employments better and feel more involved. (Chand, 2014) However, many obstacles are to overcome in order for effective communication to take place. One of which, is the communication gap between generation X and generation Y. Generation X and Y Generation X consists of those individuals who are born in between 1965 – 1980. (Mikelson, 2009) These are the latch-key kids i.e. kids who did not have enough or little parental supervision, due to their parents mostly being at work. They grew up observing their parents implement new working environment, also, this is the first generation to grow with the computer technology. In terms of work, they are concerned more about productivity rather than the time they spend at work. (Mack, 2010) Moving on to generation Y, also known as Millennial, consists of individuals born in between 1981 – 2000. They are quite different in many ways from generation X. Individuals of this generation are highly firm with using technology as well as comprehend better the importance of maximizing and leveraging any new technology than any other generation. Moreover they are able to multi-task comfortably, however are easily bored. (Mack, 2010) In the following table are some workplace characteristics stated of both generation X and Y. (Hammil, 2005) Gen X Gen Y Work, ethics values Self-reliance Want structure direction Skeptical Multitasking Tenacity Tolerant Goal oriented Work is†¦ A contract Means to end fulfillment Dealing with money Save, save, save Earn to spend Communication media Cell phones; call me at work Internet; Emails Communication styles Direct immediate E-mail, voicemails, texts Feedback rewards Freedom is the best reward At the push of a button Work family Balance Balance The gap in the two generation is evident looking at the information in the table above. Bridging the gap Further is a short analysis done between the two generations considering U.S. Almost half of the U.S workforce will soon consist of generation Y/Millennial, therefore it is essential for employees to comprehend the importance of how to co-operate during work as well as maintain the age demographic. (McCarron, 2012) Every generation determines success separately, therefore when mentoring, coaching and handling employees of different generations it is required that employers alter their approach. For the first time in our history we have four generations in the workplace, soon to be five. (McCarron, 2012) Every group is fashioned by experiencing their own exclusive encounters they have had as they grew up, as well as matured their own thoughts and ideas regarding what is essential to them at work and their personal life. The contrasts between those groups are really the basis for how they interact, judge behaviors and performances; â€Å"Gen Y thinks Gen X is a bunch of whiners. Gen X sees Gen Y as arrogant and entitled†. (McCarron,2012) The major mistake in businesses is treating everyone as the same, â€Å"we keep trying to pound square pegs in round holes.† (McCarron, 2012) To bridge this communication gap are some ways listed, that are implied in the U.S today: Through effective training (United Nations, n.d) Gen X Gen Y Web-based training. Give them flexibility. Allow them to ask questions and challenge the concepts Allow them to multi-task. Offer multi-media learning opportunities. Enable social networking through internet (My Space, Friendster). Through motivational factor (United Nations,n.d) Gen X Gen Y Allow them to question experts as well as authorities. Give them challenges as they are fond of them. Give them freedom, as they prefer relying on their own power and resources. Provide them with slight flexibility with their ways of working. Specify what exactly is required from them in a task or project as it boosts their confidence. Allow them to multi-task. Firstly they are better at it than Gen Y and secondly it avoids them from getting bored easily. Individualizing approach This would help the organization evaluate individually what ways works with every employee instead of stereotyping. This is one of the most ideal approaches to communicate when it comes to generational gaps. (Forbes, 2014) Willingness to learn and teach Both generations, X as well as Y, should be willing to learn each other’s ways in order for better co-operation and co-ordination with each other during tasks or projects. It would help in breaking communication barriers as well as bring ease to the organization in achieving its goals. (Forbes, 2014) Conclusion It is through effective communication by which an executive is able to get work done by his/her employees, which is why an outstanding executive is expected to know the art of communication. By working on this report my communication skills have definitely been enhanced and would undoubtedly help me at my work place. Moreover, communication is a process which can be used in proper motivation of employees to deliver an organization’s plans enthusiastically. Every multinational expects its employees to contribute to its success as much as possible. The research I went through in the process of doing this report would help me communicate better with generation X and convey my ideas which would increase my level of contribution. Also this process can be made use of in terms of behavior modification, where change is in effect and goals are accomplished. (Chand, 2014) References Chand.S, 2014 What is the Importance of Effective Communication in an Organisations? [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-management/what-is-the-importance-of-effective-communication-in-an-organisations/2532/ [Accessed 11 December 2014]. Forbes, 2014, 10 tips to communicate across generations. [ONLINE] Available at URL: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmj45miil/navigating-the-new-workplace/ [Accessed 12 December 2014]. Hammi.G, 2005 Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm. [Accessed 15 December 2014]. Mack, 2010, 4 Generations in the workplace. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.clemson.edu/t3s/workshop/2010/TASC%20Pres/4%20Generations%20In%20Workplace%20TASC%202010.pdf [Accessed 12 December 2014]. McCarron Kathy, 2012, Millennials, Gen Y, Gen X — Cant we all get along? [ONLINE] Available URL: http://www.tirebusiness.com/article/20121130/NEWS/121139990/millennials-gen-y-gen-x-cant-we-all-get-along [Accessed 13 December 2014]. Mikelson, B. 2009, Supervision of Inter-generational dynamics. [ONLINE] Availaible at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~nrcfcp/training/documents/Participant Packet Intergen Dynamics.pdf [Accessed 12 December 2014]. United Nations, ND, Overcoming Generation Gap in workplace [ONLINE] Available URL: http://www.un.org/staffdevelopment/pdf/Designing%20Recruitment,%20Selection%20%20Talent%20Management%20Model%20tailored%20to%20meet%20UNJSPFs%20Business%20Development%20Needs.pdf [Accessed 15 December 2014].