Retinoblastoma essays

Retinoblastoma essays The retinoblastoma families of proteins are key cell cycle regulatory molecules important for the differentiation of various mammalian cell types. The retinoblastoma protein (RB) regulates transcription of a variety of genes either by blocking the activation domain of various activators or by active repression (finding of appropriate promoters). If the RB's function is lost, it will lead to a variety of cancers and defects in the development of certain cell types. Phosphorylation of RB by cyclin and cyclin-dependent kinases leads to dissociation of RB from E2F (protein receptor), allowing progression into the S-phase. RB has also been proven to have the ability to block cell cycle progression from G1- to the S-phase. (Chan et al, 2001) RB is also a general tumor suppressor, which is associated with a central N (A/B) and C-terminal (pocket domains, which are binding sites for RB) that were defined to have the ability to bind cellular and viral proteins that affect the cell division cycle. Mutations in the pocket domain region are often tumorigenic. These pocket domains are also present in homologues structures of RB that exhibit similar protein binding and functional characteristics pertaining to the cell division cycle. Even though these structures bind to other proteins and have conspicuous molecular and cellular characteristics, they both have the ability to restrain cell growth by inhibiting the pocket domain-binding E2F family of transcription factors. These factors are crucial for the expression of genes that are vital for the S-phase of the cell division cycle. (Singh et al, 2001) Nuclear receptors (NRs) represent a super family of structurally and functionally related ligand-inducible transcription factors that deal with different biological events such as development, differentiation, and homeostasis. Members of this family include receptors for thyroid hormones, steroids, and vitamin D. (Chan et al., 2001) ...

What You Need to Know About Changing Careers With Expert Norine Dagliano

What You Need to Know About Changing Careers With Expert Norine Dagliano If you’re looking for a job, you probably already know about Norine Dagliano. A coach and hiring expert who writes  on  ekm Inspirations, Norine shared with us some insight into how to find a job and use job boards to help. What are some common motivations you see among people changing careers?I’ve worked with thousands of career changers; some are motivated by ambition, others by circumstances.Divorce, death of a spouse, changes in health, company lay-offs, or other life circumstances â€Å"motivate† people to examine where they are and decide to pursue another path.On a more positive note, there are professionals who retire, but are not ready to quit working. They  want to step back from a high-power career to move into an area with fewer pressures or pursue an earlier dream that got pushed to the back-burner. Veterans leaving a career in the military find themselves asking, â€Å"Now what?†- many military occupations do not translate to the privat e sector, so clearly a career change is in order.Then there are those who are motivated by sheer ambition and a belief that anything is possible- these are the job seekers that embrace change and go after it with gusto. Some have decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in a new field. Others have never let go of their dreams to work for themselves and have the confidence and support- emotional and sometimes monetary- to proactively plan a change and chart a course to make it happen.What’s the future of the career? Will we stick to one job still, or is the future in multiple careers?The career ladder is no longer a reality, nor  is the notion that one will have one job and one employer until he or she retires. Careers no longer follow straight lines; instead, they zig and zag, stop and start, step back and then forward.Forecasters predict that the average 21-year-old entering the workforce will make three to five career changes before leaving the workforce. Factor i n the reality that dozens of new occupations are introduced each year, and it only stands to reason that what one is doing now may not even be around in a few years or may take on a whole new look. Employers who are not willing to embrace this new workforce and recognize that knowledge, skills, and abilities often outweigh experience will overlook valuable talent and, in turn, fail to thrive.

Henry Percy Bulmers Background Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Henry Percy Bulmers Background - Case Study Example As the discussion outlines, Percy and Edward Frederick (his elder brother), had engaged in making small amounts of Perry and cider through the use of their neighbor’s stone mill. Percy used this as the foundation for spurring his trade and therefore he started manufacturing larger quantities. In 1887, Percy manufactured 40 casks and as a result, he established a minor commercial premises at Maylord Street. Due to this, his brother decided to abandon his intended teaching career in King’s College situated in Cambridge so as to pool with Percy in running the cider making business. Percy then borrowed a loan of up to  £1,760 from their father thereby using it to relocate the premises to a one acre land spot at Ryelands Street, where they built a small hut with an underground room. During this period, Thomas Kennett was the only external staff and they used the mill wheel to produce cider since the business could not ye afford any steam powered machinery. This therefore m ade work quite hard and tiresome since they were using their hands to rotate the mill wheel. During the year 1889, Percy sent Fred to attend the Royal Agricultural Show which was hosted at the Windsor Great Park. However, during the show, their cider won the second award in every single class that it entered. As a result Percy then sought to travel all-round the country in order to try to sell much of their cider thereby anticipating to gain more customers. However, he realized that the salesmen were only willing to buy products that were being ordered or requested for by the consumers.

Resume Application Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Resume Application Letter - Assignment Example I possess good communication skills, necessary for financial reporting and making book keeping entries. I fully understand all the concepts involved in reconciling the general ledger accounts. I am also well versed in preparing and reconciling bank statements as well as filing and processing tax returns. I have proved my capability and efficiency in this area through acting as the assistant staff accountant during my internship, where I prepared all the necessary financial statements for the organization and filed all the returns. In reference to my resume, I am well equipped with strong computer skills, which are required in financial statements analysis. I have learnt the value of excellent customer service skills during my training and internship, which I will import to your organization. After reading the core values of your organization, I am pleased to understand that you value team work, which is the basic professional value that I

Male Character Essay Example for Free

Male Character Essay Masculine roles have effective power in recent movies. In the chapter, the author who is Kenneth Mackinnon talks about ‘masculinity in movies’ by variety ways. He not only considers about the different kinds of movie genres, individual movies and those male movie stars in general, but also introduces the hard body and soft body contrastively for audience. Moreover, Mackinnon mentions about the disadvantages of masculinity in the films and provides three recent illustrations in 2000 to answer the questions of masculinity clearly. The evidence which author selected is widespread but all come from the main idea of masculinity such as technological advances, the homoeroticism and heterosexuals, the feminism and masculinity and even the culture and history about masculinity in movies. At the beginning of the chapter, Mackinnon introduces the different genres about masculinity in movies by using lots of examples. There are variety of movie types such as action genres, bond movies, westerns, war films, slasher movies, sports movies and something else. One of the most important types is action movie. As Mackinnon said, action movie is †a version of heroism was promoted in these movies that depended on visual evidence of physical strength and might. †(P294) For this reason, the publishers pay much money to superstars in order to get the extraordinary effects in action films. For example, Sylvester Stallone in ‘make rampage’ movie. Similarly, bond movie, as an action series, depicted a new type of masculinity, which found in †Gentleman Chivalry† from 1962 to the present. The kind of movie continues to execute the heroism, which is popular among audience. For instance, the famous identities of 007 are James Bond and his ‘bond girl’. However, there is too much â€Å"technological excess† and special effects in recent years. That’s captured audience’s attention negatively. The author has also stated the westerns, which are â€Å"the supreme genre for the depiction of traditional, laconic, dominating masculinity. † (P297)The protagonists are usually cowboys in Hollywood film. The consequence of those boys usually be alone. Moreover, western movie allows violence, homosociality and â€Å"evasion of domestication†. The author’s opinion of masculinity in sports movies is that they provide a kind of lifestyle, which is a pure physical machismo for audience. In other words, it is â€Å"a highly stylized version of traditional masculinity†(P300) people have chance to watch a â€Å"natural† masculinity in sports movie. (i. e. Field of Dreams). Another genre has been mentioned is comedy. It’s a different side of masculinity. Comedy always shows audience the irony of traditional masculinity, especially in vulnerable side. They focused more on conflicts from fatherhood rather than motherhood. In order to understand the masculinity movie deeply, the author selected a few individual movies such as Born on the Fourth of July, Dead Ringers, The Crying Game and The Full Monty. The protagonist of Born on the Fourth of July is Don Kunz who acts as a â€Å"heroic masculine ideal† in the movie. He thinks winning is the most important thing. â€Å"to win, others must be losers†(p304)make him full of physical strength. He is a typical figure of masculine in movie. Male stars are also an important factor for masculinity movie, because female audience, even some of male audience will follow the movie stars. In the chapter, Mackinnon introduce male stars such as Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson.

Dreams in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Essay -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Dreams in Buffy the Vampire Slayer      Ã‚   The battle between Good and Evil. Nothing could be more timeless or universal. And each week, when presented as a contest between a teenage vampire slayer named Buffy and legions of vampires, demons, and assorted destructive forces on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, millions of modern American television viewers watch that conflict as represented in late-nineties popular culture. As any frequent TV viewer knows, Good wins, vanquishing Evil with some ratings-garnering kicks and punches, and the episode concludes, at least until next week. Right? Not quite. Although Buffy consistently protects the world from destruction, her supremacy as a force of good remains challenged and incomplete. In part, this is a television necessity; forces of evil must always remain to be battled in next week's episode. But within the text of the series itself, the character of Buffy's boyfriend Angel -- a two-hundred odd year old vampire with a soul -- further complicates this blur ring of the lines between good and evil. Angel, whose very nature embodies a coexistence of and struggle between good and evil, functions as a site within which the war between Good and Evil take place on a microcosmic level. In the episode "Amends," Angel's dreams and visions of his past destructive acts drive him to a suicide attempt. The episode's dual reading of the evil force responsible for Angel's dreams as an external demonic force and as an element of Angel's own psyche ultimately suggests the appropriate response to evil is not more destruction but rather comprehension of and vigilance against the complex and competing forces present within individuals.    On its most literal level, the episode "Am... ...itive constructive power even in the face of his darker nature. For Buffy and Angel, dreams are not solutions. Rather, dreams serve as insights into their situation, themselves, and their emotional connection. Though the revelations and lessons of self and of loved ones come from dreams, the solution and "fighting" against evil and weakness comes from the characters working together. Though it presents surprisingly complex view for a television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's exploration of the interactive forces of good and evil on two narrative levels ensures that while episodes like "Amends" entertain, they also touch at deeper issues of concern to audiences across time and place. Good, evil, and dream visions -- Tuesdays on the WB.    Works Cited Whedon, Joss, creator. "Amends." Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The WB Network. 15 December 1998.      

Economic control Essay

Traditionally the reasons of the rules and regulations were to control human relations in an effort to make the behaviors of other individuals known (Pennell, pp3). rules are also employed to provide other purposes, these includes punishing offenders, providing social economic control, banishing private retribution, deterring criminal acts and reflecting public opinions (Pennell, pp3). Conventionally prevention of crime was intended provide advice on defensive behaviors and security. On the other hand laws are supposed to be malleable and should serve as a tool of social engineering (Pennell, pp4). They are supposed to be transformed with arrival of new thoughts and societal changes. The human rights and needs of victims of crime are essential aspects of criminal justice systems, especially currently, as the issues of victims have emerged since 1970s. Since 1970s, legal and emotional reactions of the nation have changed dramatically and currently more attention is being paid on restorative justice. There are many activities that are involved in restorative justice (Pennell, pp6). In order to give an insight of the various forms that restorative justice is taking and the activities that are involved this paper will focus on practices, origin context and limitations of restorative justice (Pennell, pp6). Victims Rights The current legal codes in federal government evolved from the conventional codes and attempts to define and deal with criminal behaviors. The aim of the codes is to focus on the deviant behaviors of the criminals and they rarely focus on the victims and their needs. The primary focus of the law is to deter the criminal activities (Aldana-Pindell, pp45). Several decades ago within the federal government when reconciliation for victim offenders was being set restorative justice did not exist within the criminal justice system (Brown & Bunnell, pp87). Restorative justice has evolved currently within the criminal justice system in recent years following philosophical writings of van ness and others. Various debates which have been held have facilitated the emergence of processes within the restorative justice such as impact panels, conferences, sentencing circle etc (Aldana-Pindell, pp45). Since 1970s several practices and programs have assisted to develop the restorative justice moments. Early practices for restorative justice were focusing on the moderated meetings involving the offenders and the victims (Aldana-Pindell, pp46). As time went by the meetings were expanded and included friends and family members from the two parties. The meetings also included professionals and other individuals who had access of public resources. In recent years the system has paid much attention on the participation and involvement of members of the community (Normandeau, pp34). In 1970s some practitioners and scholars believed that offenders are victims of social neglect, poor societies and racial, ethnic and gender discrimination. As a result the advocates of restorative justice focused to change the conditions in the prison, reduce incarceration use and eliminate prison and jails as institutions (Normandeau, pp34). In this regard there are some individuals who were seeking to make a caring society instead of prisons and jails that would address the issues of victimizers and victims (Brown & Bunnell, pp92). The activists of caring communities brought the issue of interests of the victims in the criminal justice system in a progressive manner rather than focusing on the right of the victims (Meister, pp54). In 1970s and 1980s the population of people in the prisons in United States was becoming progressively overcrowded and contributed to the use and popularity of intermediary sanctions (Aldana-Pindell, pp47). However, during this time restorative justice and mediation of victim offenders were not common within the criminal justice systems as alternatives. The establishment of boards of societal justice and centers for neighborhood justice in the federal government reflected their wishing to achieve more justice and this was characterized by public participation and casualness (Aldana-Pindell, pp49). These were new forms of resolution of conflicts in the late 1970s and they showed a developing disenchantment which involved trial procedures of adjudication and finding facts in accordance to adherence to strict legal principles. On the other hand the systems in resolution of conflicts placed much importance on negotiation, agreements between the disputants and placed less importance on the role of legal professionals (Aldana-Pindell, pp49). In mid 1970s reconciliation programs in the United States were introduced for victim offenders. These programs were based on the principles of Mennonite that focuses on dialogue and exchange (Marshall, pp20). Reconciliation programs involved offenders and crime victims meetings after being sentenced and included impartial third party. Reconciliation programs for offenders and victims aimed at restoring good relationship that is supposed to exist between the parties. The proponents of these programs were focusing to establish a good working relationship and use of principles of religious institutions and also as an option to incarceration (Marshall, pp21). In the rate 1970s advocates and the victims increasingly focused on mediation rather than reconciliation programs for offenders and victims’ interactions. However, the model of the mediation program was similar to models of reconciliation program, although additional individuals affected by the differences would be involved in the meeting, especially when addressing serious crimes (Meister, pp57). Mediation programs for offenders and victims were developed in western part of Europe, Scandinavia and England in the end of 1970s and early 1980s, and were use primarily to handle justice cases for the youths. Since 1980s the programs have shown a significant growth in the United States and other nations (Marshall, pp22). Progressive voices and conservatives suggest that victims of crimes do not have the voice in the criminal justice system. In late 1970s and early 1980s activists of feminists and social scholars of legal doctrines paid more attention on making courts and law enforcement officers to be accountable to children and women who may be physically or sexually abused (Marshall, pp22). The groups that advocated for victims right focused on compensation for crime in the processes of courts, using formal voice and on safety of the society. In early 1980s Reagan organization released a report of task force on victims of crimes that facilitated the development of groups that advocated for the rights of the victims. Since 1990s there is a tremendous growth of alliances between groups that focuses on the reforms of criminal justice and victim support. This tremendous growth has been as a result of realizing the common interests among the offenders and victims based groups (Anwander, pp71). In 1980s New Zealand government started reassessing Waitangi treaty focusing on the implications of the relationship between the whites i. e. Pakeha and indigenous people the Maori. In 1986 a report that was prepared by ministers recommended for structural changes in the practices and policies of the government towards the indigenous people (Marshall, pp24). In 1989 the administration had great structural changes in the way matters regarding family welfare and justice for the youths was handled. Before introduction of these changes indigenous people were overrepresented in prisons and jails and decision making processes were dominated by the whites (Meister, pp58). These structural changes employed in youth justice can be used in various juvenile offenses, but mostly they are used in serious cases and minor cases solved trough diversions of police. Family welfare and youth justice programs are different from offenders and victim reconciliation and mediation programs since they involve more community members in the discussion of the offense, pay more attention on participation of the family and recognize more victimized individuals. Family welfare and youth justice programs also reduce the intervention of the state and changes the roles of professionals in problem solving (Marshall, pp26). Youth justice and family welfare programs were introduced first in Australia in late 1991 and formed part of law enforcement operations that focused on one jurisdiction. Conferences run by the police were also introduced in the capital city of Australia and later on the northern states (Meister, pp59). In late 1993 and early 1994, conferences for handling juvenile cases were introduced in the southern and western part of Australia and they were involving non professional police to run the conference. In Queensland and south wale conferences to handle juvenile cases, have been recently introduced and they are mostly employed in Queensland schools (Meister, pp59). Circles of sentencing were established in Canada in 1980s, and were the fist groups of the nation to respond to offenders (Marshall, pp26). The aim and objectives of circles of sentencing are resolution of conflicts, restoring harmony and order, and healing of offenders, victims and family (Anwander, pp73). Circles of sentencing involves processes of consensus and includes all the victims of crimes and families of the victims, their next of kin, and community members in order to respond to the behavior and formulate sanctions that addresses all the needs of those involved. Circles of sentencing are currently being used in United States and in Canada by non indigenous groups that include blacks in Minnesota. Since 1980s, there are other practices which have emerged and use the principles of restorative justice (Marshall, pp27). Compensation boards in Vermont involve the members of the community and design penalties for offenders of juvenile. These penalties involve service of the community and rarely involve offender and victim mediation. The meetings do not involve the victims (Anwander, pp76). Panels of victim impact have also been introduced by mothers and focuses on drunk driving. The panels give a room for the victims and the members of the family to give their suggestions about the impact of driving when drunkard to the offenders who have been ordered by the court to attend. However, these panels for victims are different from most of the processes of restorative justice, since they do not employ voluntary attendance (Marshall, pp29). On the other hand they have an important element of bringing contact of offenders and victims in the process, which lacks in traditional proceedings of criminal justice. These panels are employed extensively across the United States. On the other hand research and theories have contributed to the development of restorative justice. In 1970s scholars of social and legal doctrines developed several theories focusing on formal and informal justice. Theoretical and empirical studies of formal and indformal justice which have been conducted in industrialized countries and in less developed countries suggest that, it took less one decade to change optimism for pessimism. With emergence of theories and research disillusionment had already set in by 1990s (Marshall, pp30). In late 1970s and early 1980s there were arguments from the criminologists in Netherlands, Norway and from elsewhere to abolish prisons. During this time the activists paid more attention on decarceration and alternatives to jails and prisons. However, currently there are few individuals who would argue for complete abolition of prisons although few people argue for their minimal use (Marshall, pp31). In 1996 there was an international conference to address penal abolition held in New Zealand and supported resolutions and discussions to facilitate restorative justice. Scholars have also attempted to focus on the merits of informal methods that can be applied in social set ups to regulate order in the society (Marshall, pp31). This involves reintegrative shaming in response to a crime that may be integrative and not stigmatizing. These ideas have been employed in conferencing models such as in wagga, in Australia. Before the wagga conference these ideas were not included in youth justice and family welfare programs and they did not form part of many conference held across the globe. The united states are currently employing the wagga model, although there are some arguments on the issue of shame and whether it should be the central issue in processes of conferencing (Marshall, pp32).

Oil and Gas Problems in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges Kazakhstan is endowed with rich oil reserves, which provide an important source of revenues for stable economic growth and improvement of the country's living standard. This paper addresses the challenge the Republic of Kazakhstan faces in managing its oil supply chain. The country's capacity for refining crude oil is minimal and a substantial portion of that refining capacity is outside the Republic; added to that, most of the pipelines and refineries to export oil to international markets are jointly managed by the Republic and multinational corporations (MNCs).Thus there are political, technological and financial risks for the republic's oil supply chain. 14 Jay Nathan, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John's University As in other oil producing nations, Kazakhstan's oil industry revenues directly depend on the worldwide prices for oil and oil products, based on supply and demand; and revenues depend on the cost of pro duction and transporting the final product to customers (Rasizade, 1999). For Kazakhstan's oil supply chain, the physical distribution infrastructure connecting supplies of crude oil to refineries and to the world markets through pipelines, has been challenging and costly.Moreover, currently Kazakhstan is equipped with only a few ; refineries and therefore the major portion of Kazakhstan's crude oil is being refined in Russia. Recently, China has invested heavily in the construction of pipelines across the Republic of Kazakhstan to supply the increased demand for oil in China. Thus Kazakhstan has to manage political, technical and financial risks in the integration of her oil supply chain (Gaudenzi and Borghesi, 2006; Lockamy and McCormack, 2004). In the era of rapid technological development and globalization. It is imperative that every nation adapts to such an environment.Supply chain management has become an important means for sustaining competitive advantage for all successful industries and businesses (Magretta, 1998). The objective of every supply chain, including the global oil industry, is to maximize the overall value generated. The value a supply chain generates [to an organization, or to a nation] is the difference between what the final product is worth to the customer and the effort the Introduction Kazakhstan has considerable deposits of oil; however, the country faces a serious disadvantage of not having any direct access to the open sea, as the Caspian Sea is landlocked.While her oil industry's upstream cost, i. e. , the cost for exploration, development and production of crude oil, may be similar to that of most other oil producing nations, its downstream cost, i. e. , transportation of crude oil to the refinery, refining and transportation to markets in particular, is more costly (Sridharan, Canines and Patterson; 2005). For Kazakhstan to transport the oil to world markets, the industry has to depend on pipelines (Cavenagh, 1999) through ot her countries. Also, maintaining such an operation requires a large number of skilled workers, but Kazakhstan does not have enough of them.Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 15 supply chain expends in filling the customer's request. For most commercial supply chains, value will be strongly correlated with supply chain profitability, the difference between the revenue generated from the customer and the overall cost across the supply chain (Chopra and Meindl, 2003; Lee, 2002; Cavinato, 2002). The Republic of Kazakhstan will do well to monitor—especially to sustain growth — the overall value of her oil supply chain in the coming years. because of refinery gain {www. gravmag. com, 2006).It is important to note that greater economic rewards can be gained only with well-integrated global oil supply chain management. Oil Production Sharing Agreement and Risks in Kazakhstan The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Fuel an d Energy of Russia, periodically set quotas for Kazakhstan's oil flow through Russian territory. For example, on December 25, 2000 the quota for Kazakhstan was set at 17. 3 million tons. The memorandum between Kazakhstan and Russia of October 9, 2000 sets the principle of â€Å"a single route,† whose sole operator is the Kazakh Oil Company.Annual quotas depend mainly on the political relations between the two nations. Besides politics, there is also a technical risk factor, i. e. , the high degree of pipeline wear and deterioration, which may hamper the effectiveness and quality of services provided to exporting countries. In addition, the lack of proper maintenance of these oil pipelines does exist primarily due to the fact that a large number of well-trained local technicians and engineers who are required are not available to day (Doing Business with Kazakhstan, 2004).Kazakhstan's oil pipeline systems were built in the '70s {more than 60 percent of oil pipelines of the Wes tern branch, to be exact) and the rest in the '80s {75 percent of the Eastern branch). Thus, at the end of the year 2000, Oil producing countries and global supply chains Energy makes the wheels of global supply chains go round (Bud La Londe, 2006). A typical oil supply chain begins with the crude oil producer, next, the oil moves to the refiner, the transporter, the retailer and finally to the gas pump where a customer receives the product.The top world oil producers are Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States, Iran, Mexico, China, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Norway, Kuwait, Nigeria, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Iraq. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) controls major crude oil supplies to the world. OPEC influences the price of crude oil by setting production quotas. The values {revenue opportunities) are added by processing and chemically changing the crude oil, which is called â€Å"refining. A 42-gallon barrel of crude oil makes about 19 1/2 gal lons of gasoline, nine gallons of fuel oil, four gallons of jet fuel and 11 gallons of other products, including lubricants, kerosene, asphalt and petrochemical feed-stocks to make plastics. This adds up to more than 42 gallons Supply chain management has become an important means for sustaining competitive advantage for all successful industries and businesses. Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 16 55 percent ofthe pipelines were 10 to 20 years old and 12 percent had been used for more than 30 years.Only 1 percent has been used for less than 10 years. As time goes by, those pipelines are getting even older and that means not only the risk and cost of maintaining them would be larger, but also the situation presents serious technical problems as well for the Republic of Kazakhstan {Petroleumjournal. com, 2006). form of joint ventures, production sharing agreements and exploration/field agreements. Oil is recovered from 55 fields. The largest of these fields are: Ten giz (some one billion tons of predicted oil reserves); Karachaganak (340 million tons in oil reserves, more than 1. billion tons in gas condensates and more than 1. 3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas); Uzen (with over 1. 5 billion tons of geological hydrocarbon reserves, of which more than 200 million tons are extractable) and Kumkola (with 350 million tons of oil reserves, of which 80 million tons of oil and 75 billion cubic meters of natural gas are proven). The Caspian and Aral Sea shelf also contain significant reserves. Currently, there are only three major refineries in Kazakhstan: Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar (see Exhibit 2). Kazakhstan's Oil Fields and ProductionMangistau and Atyrau oblasts (provinces) are the main oil producing areas in Kazakhstan (see Exhibit 1). They account for more than 70 percent of the total oil extracted in the Republic. The other three extracting regions, Aktyubinsk, Kzylorda and Zapadno Kazakhstanskaya, account for the remainder. International oil projects have taken the Exhibit 1: Production (in thousand tons) by regions 1998 Crude oil, thousand tons Aktubinskaya Atyrauskaya Zapadno-Kazakhstanskaya Kyzylordinskaya Mangistauskaya 23,818. 7 2,640. 8 11,135. 1 3,007. 8 7,035. 0 1999 26,735. 8 2,326. 7 12,359. 3 3,928. 8,121. 7 2000 30,647. 9 2,701. 1 13,422. 0 13. 5 533. 8 9,173 2001 36,060. 0 3,405. 3 15,589. 5 49. 4 6,172. 8 10,843. 0 Source: National Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan, 2005 Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 17 Exhibit 2: Design and Delivery Capacities of Major Refineries Plant Design Capacity m In. tons Actual Deliveries min. tons Per month Design thousand tons Actual thousand tons Per day Design thousand tons Actual thousand tons Shymkent Oil Refinery PavlodarOil Refinery Atyrau Oil Refinery 6. 5 3. 6 2. 3 590 326. 8 189. 5 245. 4 19. 7 22. 6 14 10. 9 6. 3 7. 5 4. 677 418 2. 7 8. 2 Source: National Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan, 2005 †¢ Pavlodar (a foreign investor was given a man agement concession in 1997; the plant has been under government control since summer 1999) processes mainly light crude from Siberia and supplies the northern region of Kazakhstan; †¢ Atyrau belongs to Kazakhoil, processing heavy domestic oil and supplies the western region; †¢ Shymkent was mostly sold (95 per cent) to private investors in 1996. It processes dedicated crude from the region (Kumkol, Aktyubinsk, Turkmen fields) and supplies the south, particularly Almaty.Kazakhstan's Oil Production and Distribution Costs A multitude of different schemes exist for dividing oil revenues between the host country and the foreign partner. The usual target for distribution of revenue from production to market is about 85 percent to the host country and 15 percent to the oil company. This ratio can be construed in a variety of different ways with different types of contractual forms; it also depends on the host country's laws and preferences, but in general oil companies target thi s ratio.This number has varied over the years. For example, in Saudi Arabia the ratio is much higher in favor of the Saudis due to huge reserves and tower production costs. In the Caspian, the ratio is likely to be lower due to additional transport costs of getting the oil out of the region, i. e. , pipeline construction costs and transit fees and political risks in the area. Part of the problems with signing contracts with Caspian nations has been the nations' unwillingness to recognize the economic necessity of decreasing the ratio (Feiveson, 1998).The upstream breakdown of costs is about 10 percent for exploration to find an economical field (odds are about one in 10 holes drilled will hit a commercial-sized field), 80 percent (or higher) to develop the find and 10 percent in continued on pg. 20 The benefits an increased number of properly educated personnel would befar the proper management of the entire supply chain activities are enormous; it is a strategic necessity for the R epublic of Kazakhstan to leverage and sustain future oil revenues. Major Oil Pipelines and their Routes MapHere are the various Kazak pipelines and their routes: Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 18 Exhibit 3: Map of Major Pipelines Oil ptpalin «a Existing) prundw eonsiruClioR A Maior Ott nekl RBfinoty  » Planntd wunott †¢ †¢ confl ruction 0 Mil « 200 Km 400 Oil Pipelines Infrastructure in Central Asia Source: Adapted from Kazakhstan Oil and Gas International Conference Proceedings, 2002 The major pipelines are identified by the Kazakhstan Ministry of Power, Industry and Trade as the projected priority export routes for oil in the following order: 1.Atyrau-Samara pipeline: The possibilities for oil exports along the AtyrauSamara oil pipeline are restricted by its throughput capacity and by the quota set by Russia. This is a constraining factor for the growth of both crude oil production and export supplies. To increase the throughput capacity from 1 0 to 15 million tons per year, a series of technical measures in Kazakhstan and Russia are being taken at a cost of 22 million dollars; Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 2. Tengiz-Novorossisk oil pipeline: The Caspian Pipeline Consortium's (CPC) oil export pipeline project is a short-term priority westward.This project ensures an independent outlet for Kazakhstan's oil exports to the Black Sea and opens up opportunities for the attraction of foreign investments in the oil-and-gas sector. The necessary agreements for the project participants have already been signed and operations initiated; 3. Trans-Caspian pipeline: Planned to follow a route through the Black Sea to Turkey, the Trans-Caspian oil pipeline project is considered to be a priority. The oil pipeline will stretch from Western Kazakhstan to an outlet on the Mediterranean (the Turkish port of Ceyhan) via the Caspian Sea.The territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey creates risks for the project due to th e complicated mountainous terrain and water barriers and the need to cross confiict-prone zones; 4. Kazakhstan-China pipeline: Since 2004, in the Kazakhstan section of the Caspian Sea, the volume of the crude oil production has increased. The export oil pipeline of the CPC alone cannot meet the demand for oil transportation infrastructure. Preliminary engineering and economic calculations have shown that an oil pipeline eastward to China is a promising and economically favorable project.The Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline project can, simultaneously, meet Kazakhstan's national security interests and provide an outlet to meet China's growing demand for oil. The oil pipeline's route will pass over the territory of Kazakhstan and China will guarantee the project funding. The downside of the project is that the People's Republic of China can potentially control the price paid for the oil; 5. Persian Gulf-Iranian oil pipeline: The Persian Gulf-Iranian oil pipeline provides another possible oil pipeline route to the south.However, severe competition from OPEC countries can bring about a reduction in the price paid for oil from the Persian Gulf. Consequently, a reduced load on the oil pipeline may occur at some time in the future due to low profitability in that market. No terms for investment mobilization for this project have yet been defined; 6. Arabian Sea-Trans-Asi an oil pipeline: The Trans-Asian oil pipeline via Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan to an outlet in the Arabian Sea is politically highly risky, since it passes over the territory of Afghanistan.Currently, consideration is being given to the basic question of how the funding will be organized for the project. Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 20 Exhibit 4: Comparison of Transport Costs per barrel of Kazakh Oil Route Cost to Port $1. 42 $1. 42 $1. 42 Black Sea Tanker Second Pipeline Final Tanker Cost $1. 23 Total Tengiz Novorossiysk Samsun Ceyhan NovorossiyskBosporus Bypass T urkmenistan – Kharg Source: KazakhOil Report, 2005 $2. 65 $3. 46 $3. 17 $2. 50 $0. 40 $0. 40 $0. 88 $0. 59 $0. 76 $0. 76 $0. 93 $1. 57 operating costs to produce the oil.Exploration costs are cash expenditures, which include payments for exploration licenses to the host countries. Development costs are capital costs depreciated over time and operating costs pay for themselves with the sales of crude oil production. Downstream costs include transportation of crude to the refinery, refining, transportation of products to market and marketing. If one were to examine the cost breakdown of a gallon of gas {called petrol in some countries) averaged around the world, from ground to market, the distribution would be approximately: †¢ 2. percent for exploration †¢ 12. 5 percent {or more) for production and development †¢ 20 percent to the host government †¢ 2. 5 percent for transportation to a refinery †¢ 7. 5 percent for refining †¢ 2. 5 percent to trans port to market †¢ 2. S percent for marketing †¢ 50 percent in taxes to the consumer at the pump For example, the costs per barrel for export of Tengiz oil are: lifting costs (the costs to get crude oil extracted from below surface and bringing it to the ground level) $2, pipeline costs $1. 2, transit fee $3, shipping by oil tanker {including other means) $1. 23. The total comes to $7. 65. Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges In Kazakhstan the preferred contract form is a joint venture between a foreign firm and a state enterprise, generally KazakhOil, which is the state oil company. In a joint venture both the state enterprise and the foreign venture invest stated amounts of capital, which can take various forms, including physical assets and rights to land. Risk is shared in proportion to capita! nvested. The amount of control the foreign firm has is usually limited and in some cases joint ventures are little more than contracts for procurement. The usual t arget for distribution of revenue from production to market is about 85 percent to the host country and 15 percent to the oil company. Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 21 Kazakhstan has two separate pipeline networks: a crude oil pipeline from Western Siberia supplies Pavlodar and Shymkent, while Atyrau runs solely domestic crude from northwest Kazakhstan.The current pipeline system is fragmented and does not link the east and the west of the country, nor does it move petroleum from oil producing fields in the west of the country to the Pavlodar or Shymkent refineries located in the north and the east. The domestic pipelines capacity will not cope with the anticipated significant volume increases the Republic hopes to be producing in the years to come. At present some of Kazakhstan's production is exported by means of barges to Baku, Azerbaijan, where it is fed into the Azerbaijan pipeline network system and sent to world markets (Rasizade, 1999).The existing pipe line networks will require large investments, if Kazakhstan is to develop its crude oil and gas potential to the fullest. Kazakhstan's major oil ports are: Atyrau and Aktau ; major oil export pipelines are: Tengiz-Novorossiisk (Russia); Uzen-AtyrauSamara (Russia); the Kenkyak-Orsk (Russia) line that transports oil from the Aktyubinsk fields to the Orsk refinery; and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) that transports oil from Western Kazakhstan to the Black Sea at Novorossiysk (Baker and McKenzie, 2002).Even though the Republic has upgraded its overall educational system, especially the post-secondary curricula, degree offerings and the academic rigor modeling after the Western-type system, there is still a paucity of engineers and technicians to maintain and to sustain the growth of the oil industry. The benefits an increased number of properly educated personnel would be for the proper management of the entire supply chain activities are enormous; it is a strategic necessity for the Republic of Kazakhstan to leverage and sustain future oil revenues. Current Issues in Global Energy MarketIn recent years, demand for energy has surged. This unrelenting increase has helped fuel global economic growth, but placed considerable pressure on suppliers augmented by geopolitics and other disruptive factors. On the demand side, increased energy security and environmental concerns may lead to changes in consuming countries' energy policies. These uncertainties have been reflected in the market through volatility and high prices (Birol, 2006). Daniel Yergin of Cambridge Energy Research Associates Inc. (CERA) during a symposium on â€Å"The Economics and Geopolitics of Russian Energy† at Georgetown University in Washington D. C. n October 29, 2007, forecasted that oil prices are becoming increasingly decoupled from the fundamentals of supply and demand (Yergin, 2007). Policy Implications for the leadership in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is not a major player in geopolit ics. OPEC member states and Russia have political clout in the global energy market. Russia, Kazakhstan's northern neighbor, not only has huge oil reserves on her own, but also Energy makes the wheels of global supply chains go round. Kazakhstan's Oil Supply Chain Management Challenges 22 controls the refining capacities, as well as some of the flows of refined oil from Kazakhstan to world markets.However, for the young republic, the rich deposit of oil is a blessing; at the same time, it can easily be squandered by mismanagement and bad public policy. Fortunately, in today's global world — armed with first-class business know-how and with lessons learned from other oil producing nations — it is possible for the leadership of Kazakhstan to take a long-term view of proven crude oil deposits in the Caspian Sea and within the sovereign republic of Kazakhstan. 7. Feiveson, H. (1998). â€Å"The Problem of Caspian Energy. † Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. 8. Gaudenzi, B. and A. Borghesi. (2006). Managing Risks in the Supply Chain Using Ahp Method. † International journal of Logistics Management, vol. 17, pp. 114-136. www. gravmag. com 9. Lee, Hau L. (2002). â€Å"Aligning Supply Chain Strategies with Product Differentiation. † California Management Review, pp. 105-119. 10. Lockamy, A. and Kevin McCormack. (2004). Linking SCOR planning practices to supply chain performance. International journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 24, pp. 1192-1218. 11. National Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan, 2005. www. petroleumjournal. kz References 1. Birol, F. (2006). â€Å"World Energy Prospects and Challenges. The Australian Economic Review, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 190-195. 2. Bud La Londe. (2006). â€Å"Energy Problem Cries for Decisive Action. † Supply Chain Management Review, Vol. 10, Issue 6, pp. 6. 3. Cavenagh, A. (1999, February 24). â€Å"Caspian Oil Project Has a Slov^ Road to Syndication. † Project Fin ance International, pp. 50-51. 4. Cavinato, J. (2002, May June). â€Å"What's Your Supply Chain Type? † Supply Chain Management Review, pp. 60-66. 5. Chopra, S. and Meindl, P. (2004). SupplyChain Management (Second Edition). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 6. Doing Business with Kazakhstan. (2004). Edited by Marat Terterov.London, England: Kogan Page Publishers. 12. Rasizade, A. (1999). â€Å"Azerbaijan, the U. S. and Oil Prospects On The Caspian Sea. † Journal of Third World Studies, vol. XVI, No. 1, pp. 29-48. 13. Report of Baker and McKenzie. (2002, November). CIS Energy Notes. 14. Report of KazakhOil (2005). 15. Sridharan, U. , Caines, R. and C. Patterson. | (2005). â€Å"Implementation Of Supply Chain Management and its Impact on the Value Of Firms. † Supply Chain Management, Vol. 10, pp. 313-318. 16. Yergin, D. (2007). â€Å"Oil Market Fever as Prices Near $100. † Pipeline & Gas Journal, Issue II, pp. 97-97.

Oedipus Essays - Oedipus, Creon, Antigone, Jocasta, Operas, Ismene

Oedipus Essays - Oedipus, Creon, Antigone, Jocasta, Operas, Ismene Oedipus Oedipus and Antigone are blood relatives; and as in many relatives, they have both striking similarities and minor differences. Oedipus was the son of King Laus and Queen Jocasta. Oedipus was a very strong king during his reign until the city of Thebes was struck by a plague sent by the gods. Oedipus was a strong leader and the people of Thebes were happy during his time of leadership. Oedipus had a very short temper. When Creon brought the blind profit to speak with Oedipus and the profit told Oedipus that it was he who murdered the king, Oedipus flew into a rage and blamed Creon for the crime. Another example of Oedipuss enormous temper was when the three highways met and Oedipus wanted to go ahead of an old man and his workers. Oedipus had a tantrum and killed all but one man. This is now known as modern day road rage. Antigone was the daughter/sister of the former king of Thebes, Oedipus. Antigone was a very strong woman. She stuck up for what she believed even if the consequences were harsh, such as death. Antigone was a very stubborn woman. She always fought to get her way. An example of this is when there was a direct order from the king not to bury her brother because he was fighting against the city of Thebes. Creon the king stated, Anyone that buries that person will be sent to death by stoning. She does not care about this threat and buries her brother anyway. Antigone had a lot in common with her father/brother, Oedipus. Both Oedipus and Antigone had strong personalities. Antigone showed her mental strength when going to risk her life for the burial of her brother. Oedipus showed his mental strength when he was asked a riddle from the sphinx. He also showed it when he was a prosperous king. Antigone was more even-tempered than Oedipus but they were both very stubborn people. Judging by the actions and personalities of Antigone and Oedipus, one can see that relatives have numerous similarities and few diffe

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Inventory management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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