RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY - Assignment Example Each of these professionals worked with children in their homes. Each child had been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delays or Autism. The materials used during the study were written pamphlets and any manipulative materials such as flash cards, toys and treats necessary for the Discrete Trial Teaching instruction. The independent variable was the discrete trial teaching instruction delivered to each of the paraprofessionals. The dependant variable was the percentage of accuracy each paraprofessional displayed in correctly implementing the discrete trial instruction in a home setting. The procedure for this study involved training the paraprofessionals in a classroom setting until they were 100% accurate in delivering correct discrete trial teaching. They were then monitored over the space of several months to see how accurately they could generalize the skills to the children they worked with in their homes. Multiple observers were used as a part of this procedure, as was typ ical, non-specific supervision by agency supervisors. After arriving at 100% accuracy in the classroom setting, all three paraprofessionals showed very low accuracy scores at the beginning of the home sessions. Initially, they scored at 50%, 54% and 63% accuracy. After typical supervisory interventions over the next 1-3 weeks, all of the participants were operating above 95% accuracy. All participants were approaching 100% accuracy by the end of the study. The results suggest that training paraprofessionals in discrete trial teaching is an effective way to instruct children with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Delays in the home setting. The high percentages suggest that the paraprofessionals were able to generalize the classroom instruction to the home base instruction they are expected to deliver to their clients. This ability to generalize is important because paraprofessionals typically work with multiple clients in multiple settings throughout the

Tennessee and Progressivism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tennessee and Progressivism - Research Paper Example Although the idea received a lot of opposition and led to ridicule of Tennessee women, some of the women including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Antony persistently fought for the rights of women to vote. They used crusades for women’s rights to advocate for their voting rights. Elizabeth Meriwether and her sister-in-law Lide Meriwether led the suffrage movement in Memphis. Elizabeth published her own journal to promote women rights while Lide led the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and fought for Women rights for about seventeen years (Kathleen 1984). With a lot of challenges including unpopularity and splitting of the suffrage group, the movement struggled to survive and maintain its ideas of reforms. The fight for women’s right to vote took place throughout the progressive era from late nineteenth century to early twentieth century (Kathleen 1984). The movement bore fruits in 1920 when the Tennessee National Assembly approved the Nineteenth Amendment which allowed millions of women to vote; hence placing the government on the hands of the people – democratizing the American

Depression and Criminal Behavior

Depression and Criminal Behavior Depression is a wide-reaching condition that affects millions of Americans who experience it in a few different archetypes, but each can be crippling. Bipolar disorder, a severe type of depression, has been connected to criminal behavior when one considers prison-population statistics and the percentage of manic depressives who commit crimes. Factors such as substance abuse, environment, and gender unpack the criminal side of depression and lead to the ultimate question of whether depression lends itself to crime or vice versa. Depression and Criminal Behavior What is depression? Depression is described as an illness that affects every aspect of a human being. The way a person eats, sleeps, and feels about life is typical of depression. One can also characterize depression by what it is not. For example, depression is not simply a blue feeling that comes and goes. We all experience sadness from time to time, but depression is a very deep feeling of sadness that does not go away by wish or will. One does not get over or shake off depression. It is also not a sign of weak or flawed character. How does one characterize this deep feeling of sadness? A more correct term used when describing depression is illness. The term illness insinuates that, without treatment, symptoms can last for a significant length of time. The longevity of symptoms differentiates occasional sadness from clinical depression. Strock, (1994). Depression (NIH publication no. 00-3561). This point is addressed by the VA, For many, a depressed mood is a normal reaction to the death of someone they love or the loss of the ability to perform routine activities. But, when a depressed mood persists for a long period of time with no signs of lifting, a person will benefit most from talking to their primary care provider to determine if clinical depression is the cause. (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2002) There is, however, treatment available that can help individuals regardless of the degree of symptoms. Types of Depression The three main types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. There are many other types of depression besides the three listed, however, the variances are more of degree than nature. For all practical purposes, the three main types of depression encompass the entire spectrum. The first type, major depression, virtually disables a person in every aspect of his or her life. Menial tasks such as eating or sleeping are just as affected by major depression as harder tasks, such as social interaction and cognitive functioning. In addition, people suffering from major depression do not enjoy activities that were once pleasurable. This disabling of function in every aspect of life typifies major depression. Strock, (1994). Depression (NIH publication no. 00-3561). The second main type of depression is dysthymia. This type of depression is less severe than major depression in that it does not disable. The hallmark of dysthymia is that it keeps a person from having a feeling of wholeness or good. People who have dysthymia, however, are not completely safe from the effects of major depression, as it is common to suffer from major depression at some point in ones life. Strock, (1994). Depression (NIH publication no. 00-3561). Bipolar Disorder, also labeled manic depression, is the third type of depression that is the least common and most severe form of the illness. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). The shift between these two moods is often gradual, but can also happen abruptly with no notice. The depressed aspect of Bipolar Disorder is virtually the same as major depression. The person loses interest in activities, whether routine or pleasurable and feels a deep sense of sadness. The mania aspect of this illness is what differentiates it from the other forms of depression. When a manic depressed person has fits of mania, he or she has a heightened energy level that is well above normal. The person may talk more than usual or react in a way that is inappropriate to the situation. While in a state of mania, a manic depressed person may do things that are a cause for shame or embarrassment later, but in the moment, they may seem perfectly right. If left untreated, manic depression may lead to a psychotic state. Strock, (1994). Depression (NIH publication no. 00-3561). This is the type of depression that can lead to criminal behavior. Link to Criminal Behavior Of the three types of depression, bipolar disorder is most commonly linked to criminal behavior, especially violence. In a study that considered a cross section of 261 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was found that when compared to criminal records, manic-depressives were more often convicted of crimes (Englander, 2003). However, those who were unipolar (only depressive, not manic) were found not to be more prone to criminal behavior. This leads one to focus on the manic aspect of depression in connecting the dots to an increased propensity to commit crimes. A study of 50 juvenile boys corroborated this notion by noting that manic depression not only increased criminal behavior, but also was linked to antisocial tendencies. Though a high level of aggression was identified, only 14% were ever incarcerated for aggressive acts (Englander, 2003). Prevalence of Mania in Prisons A look at criminal behavior within the construct of mania leads to an obvious question of whether individuals within the prison system are more likely or less likely to exhibit manic tendencies. A study completed in the mid-1980s evaluated over 1,000 prisoners in the HMP Brixton in London, England and found that prisoners were seven times more likely to suffer from manic depression when compared to the general population (Blumenthal and Lavendar, 2000). Other mental illnesses were found less frequently. Schizophrenia was discovered to exist only three times higher in the prison sample than in the general populace. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Risk Factors Alcohol and drug abuse are key indicators in determining whether someone is prone to criminal acts. It is helpful, once again, to compare bipolar disorder to schizophrenia, this time in terms of sufferer usage. There is a high rate of substance abuse among mentally ill persons across the spectrum of mental illness. In fact, mental illness doubles the risk of substance abuse. Schizophrenics abuse drugs and alcohol at a rate of 47%, while manic depressives abuse at a much higher rate of 61% (Blumenthal and Lavendar, 2000). General substance abuse frequency among manics coupled with the notion that a majority of violent crimes such as rape, assault, and murder are committed after high drug or alcohol use shows that those who suffer from bipolar disorder are more likely to commit violent crime (Blumenthal and Lavendar, 2000). Thus, substance abuse is a predictor of violence and manic depressives are prone to substance abuse. Gender Considerations It is interesting to look at gender differences as it relates to bipolar disorder. Women generally suffer from depression more often than men, and this is also true in the bipolar aspect of depression. Along with frequency, women suffer from more intense forms of depression than men, meaning mania could be potentially more severe and lead to violence or other forms of criminal behavior. This, however, is outweighed by the significantly higher prevalence of male arrests within the context of a manic state. In the U.S., men commit more crimes per capita, up to six times more than women. Even though women are less likely to commit crimes than men, those who suffer from bipolar disorder offend at a higher rate than women who are not diagnosed with mental illness (Friedman, 2005). Causal Relationship Question Though there is a relationship found between depression and crime, some argument exists as to the extent of the connection. Two possibilities must be considered, whether the crime was committed because the individual was depressed or did the person become depressed as a result of committing a crime. One of the more closely linked facets of depression and violent crime are found when a depressed person becomes so hopeless that, before committing suicide, they kill friends or loved ones. In a study of 78 murder cases, a link was made between depression and violent crime only when environmental factors, such as a negative life event, spurred on the criminal behavior (Hollin, 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, depression is a vast subject of which much is known. Types of depression have ranges of degree from relatively mild to very severe forms of the disorder. In terms of criminal behavior, bipolar disorder is most closely linked, particularly the manic aspect of the mental illness. A relationship is seen when one considers the higher prevalence of bipolar criminals in the prison system compared to the general populace and the propensity for manic depressives to abuse alcohol and drugs, a key indicator of criminal behavior. Though the causation of criminal behavior is akin to the chicken and egg argument, questioning which one causes the other, it is proven that depression is a factor in the context of criminal behavior.

The Return :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Return by Sonia Levitin is a novel showing how difficult life is for Ethiopian Jews traveling to Israel. They face many hardships on their way, and there are many obstacles in their path. Many themes are depicted in this novel. Three meaningful topics that can be discussed are maturing and finding one’s own identity, prejudice and its effect, and cultural/family pressures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the themes that The Return illustrates is maturing and finding one’s own identity. An example of this theme is in the beginning of the novel when Desta does not want to depart for Jerusalem and wants to stay with her family. However, soldiers come to recruit from her village and Desta has to leave immediately. Desta does not complain about this situation. This shows maturity because Desta knows that her family wants her to leave for Jerusalem and that it is the best for her. A further example of maturing and finding one’s own identity is one Joas dies. Desta always relies on Joas in the beginning of the novel, but she then takes control by taking care of Almaz and herself. She trades with foreigners and struggles to survive with her sister. She also continues to travel even though there is a risk of death. This shows courage and maturity because it is very hard to take care of a nine-year-old child with very little food at hand. Another way De sta shows maturity is how she uses skills she learns to her advantage. An example of this is when Desta takes her holiday shamma and wraps Joas in it for a burial. This shows maturity because she follows what her culture expects of her. One last example of maturity illustrated in The Return is how Desta tells Dan, with no fears, that she does not want to marry him yet. She expects than Dan will be angry, but Desta tells him anyway. This shows maturity because she stands up for what she believes is right for herself and shows independence. As one can see, Desta matures in many ways throughout the novel performing bravely, independently, and lovingly in acts towards herself and others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another theme that The Return shows is prejudice and its effect. One example this novel shows is that enemies of the Ethiopian Jews are killing and forcing them to be soldiers. This shows prejudice because the enemies only think about themselves and treat other people like animals.

Christian and Jewish holy days Essay

The holy day of the Christian church is Sunday. Sunday replaces the Jewish â€Å"Sabbath† which takes place on Saturday. Jews chose Saturday as their day of rest because of the creation, God rested on the Seventh day (Saturday). God said that you must keep one day special for him and since he rested on this day, it would be logical for his people to also. Resting in its self reminded them that they were a free people. Christians chose Sunday to be their day of rest instead of Saturday because Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday. Easter Sunday is the Christians biggest feast of the year because Jesus is believed to have risen on this day. Christians also chose Sunday to sever the last tie with the Jewish religion. The Christian Mass takes place in two parts, these are: * The Liturgy of The Word * The Liturgy of The Eucharist The Liturgy of The Word includes readings from the bible, the priest may give a sermon, and ordinary Christians say the bidding prayers. During the Liturgy of The Eucharist the Holy Communion takes place. The mass is a sacrifice as Jesus is Sacrificed on the Altar at every mass, it is a meal because we are being fed with the Holy Spirit The Salvation Army is a group of Protestant Christians who do not have a Eucharist. William Booth, a Methodist minister, founded the army in 1878. They decided to make their mass informal to make new people feel at ease. They only do the Liturgy of The Word and they take part in singing and music. Christians believe that worshiping together as a community is very important, they feel that meeting as the family or people of God is a Key part of worship. They believe that God wants them to be with others and to celebrate their common beliefs. They also worship together because they sometimes need the support of the rest of the community. The word â€Å"communion† means to be one with others and to be one with God. They share special moments and celebrate feasts as God’s family Some Christians think that worshiping alone can take place of Sunday worship. When they are alone they can, read the bible, pray, they can sing or they can just be quiet and spend time with God. Some people think that this is not as good as worshipping with others because you don’t get the support of others, and you can’t celebrate with the rest of God’s family. A02 The next thing I am going to look at is the relationship of Christian belief and worship to the attitude, behaviour and actions of a lay Christian or a Christian community. At the end of a mass the priest tells the people to â€Å"go in peace to love and serve the lord†, they can achieve this in many ways. They can help their fellow man by donating to charity. This money will go to house the homeless and feed the hungry or to help the sick. Lay Christians challenge themselves to help others help others through their parishes and youth groups they can try to live by the gospel and attempt to love and serve the lord. Catholic parish’s communities contribute to the lives of others in many ways, for example: parent and toddler groups are set up to support young or single parents. It is not a crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½che but a group for mothers so that they can meet up and get advice from each other. There are groups set up to help the homeless, the unemployed and the disabled. Groups like St Vincent de Paul try to help those in need locally in a very private way. People can donate old items that they no longer need and the group will take them away and deliver them to those who need it. Lay Christians run all of these groups on a voluntary basis. They depend on financial support from parishes and donations from people. A03 Some people think that Non-essential activities should not take place on a Sunday. A small majority of the British population are Christians who actively worship on a regular basis and it would not be logical to let this minority dictate Sunday. For many people Saturday and Sunday are their only time off work and it would be unfair to make them work on these days. If companies were forced to stop working on a Sunday then they would lose lots of money and jobs would be lost however if everyone would be forced to work on this day then many people would not see their families. Sunday has been the day of rest of the Christian faith for 2000 years and is therefore a very important day.

Rob Dyrdek

Rob Dyrdek is a guy who has had some tough times but has always had a great outlook on life and a great personality! I look up to this guy and wish to someday be like him! Dyrdek is an inspiring person do to his outlook on charities and how much he truly gives! â€Å"Change within a community comes when vision meets hard work and persistence† (Claudine Heizer. ) When he does something he is very determined to get it done, he won't leave business unfinished! Rob Dyrdek is a very charitable man!He enjoys donating to charities and builds skate parks for kids out there who don't have one in their community! What I love the most is that he will go out and give big black trash bags full of stuff he really just doesn't need that includes: Clothes, Shoes, and other pieces of clothing or accessories that he has laying around! Also he will go up to a random homeless person and offer to take him out for food or give him money and I don't mean the average dollar or two I mean about a hund red dollars, more or less, which is really kind!What the homeless person does with it is their problem but the point is Rob isn't afraid to â€Å"throw his money around† as many people view it as! I see it as him being a very giving person! Dyrdek has a positive, care-free outlook on life which is quite inspiring. Rob has the endurance and potential to accomplish victory no matter what triumphs he has to conquer. Dyrdek can really accomplish great things! When he starts something he'll do it until he is finished! He gives to children; he honestly is a great guy!Rob Dyrdek would get bags of his old clothes and he would pack it up in those big black trash bags and go up to some homeless guy and just give it to them! Also he wanted to learn how to fly one of those electric helicopters and saw that there was family owned business and bought all of the helicopters so he would learn! He helps families in need even if it is for immature projects like that family owned business! To o ffer and accept encouragement are significant responsibilities for Rob. He enjoys encouraging others and he is only human he needs people to encourage him!His personality plays a huge role on his life as well as his outlook! He is a sweet, caring guy who likes to encourage and be encouraged! There are some people out there that actually need that extra â€Å"You look great today! † or that â€Å"I love your shirt! † It makes them feel as if people actually pay attention or really do care! The things some people do may astonish you for a while! Especially what Dyrdek does and how he looks at things! I hope there are more people out there who see the world like he does or would take a glance at what he sees through his eyes!

Siddhartha

Siddhartha had one single goal in life. His goal is to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow - to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought - that was his goal. When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self - the great secret Siddhartha, according to his actions, was constantly in search for knowledge, regardless of what kind, or what he had to do to obtain it. In the book titled Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, this is shown to us by Siddhartha's leaving home to join the Samanas, and all the actions leading to his residence alongside the river. Leaving his family and home everyone loved him, showed that Siddhartha not only knew what he wanted in life, but will do anything to attain it. Siddhartha did not leave his father's chambers until he had gotten his way, until his father had submitted to Siddhartha's wishes and agreed to let him leave home to join the Samanas. This stubbornness, this patience with people and situations is also a large part of Siddhartha's character. It enables him to out wait anyone or anything, which teaches him how to do without and also helps him through his time with the Samanas. "Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas he learned many ways of losing the Self". Despite the new knowledge he acquired, Siddhartha realized that it was only " . . . a temporary palliative against the pain and folly of life". His next decision was to leave the Samanas and go in search of the Buddha in order to learn perhaps something he did not already know. Through this learned that Siddhartha, having !all tha t is possible in one place, moves to another in search for more wisdom in search for the secret of how to obtain inner peace, how to find the Self. This action also shows his change by showing ...

Abolitionist Movement essays

Abolitionist Movement essays During the thirty years that preceded the Civil War, abolitionism was a major factor in electoral politics. Abolitionism refers to antislavery activism between the early 1830s, when William Lloyd Garrison began publishing The Liberator, and the Civil War. By the year 1834, there existed a weak framework of abolitionists, many who were determined free blacks from the north who had a common goal, the emancipation of slavery. These abolitionists took great courage and leadership, for slavery was either against their moral beliefs and gave the anti-slavery movement the growing popularity that it needed. I believe that the abolitionists (only anti-slavery persons), who wanted an immediate end to slavery, radicalized the anti-slavery movement by demanding an, immediate end to slavery and recognition of equality by the year 1836. By the year 1607, Americans realized that the Chesapeake was immensely hospitable to tobacco cultivation. However growing tobacco meant more labor, but where was the labor source to be from? The Colonies found their answer in indentured servant, servants who voluntarily mortgaged the sweat of their bodies for several years to Chesapeake masters. In exchange they revived transatlantic passage and eventual freedom dues. However, due to various reasons, indentured servants no longer poured in to America as they had previously done. Thus, the importation of slaves from Africa began. Many rich plantowners, etc did not think of the moral obligations that one has toward God and were greedy. They exploited these poor, innocent, capable, Blacks and changed the World forever. The New Years Day in the year 1831, The Liberator (doc. D), had the following passage, Assenting to the self evident truth maintained in the American Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights... ...

An Homage Of Pina Bausch

ï » ¿ Review: Pina This homage of Pina Bausch was a truly enticing spectacle. Wim Wenders assembled a cohesive tribute to the life and work of this spectacular choreographer, showcasing several astounding performances. Pina exemplified how dance is considered a great performance art, and her legacy is well represented in this documentary. While watching the performances, one of the most influential aspects of the production was the convergence of music and movement. It contributed to the overall mood and played a tremendous role in shaping the audience’s conception of the overall piece. I particularly enjoyed the ensemble of dancers and music in The Rite of Spring. In this dance, the music reinforced the drab, overworked, and distraught individuals. Each group, composed of males and females, moved to its own beat until the groups would converge and move as one. This dance displayed Pina’s pure creativity and genius. The most challenging aspect of the piece for me, had to be the intention and meaning behind the city dances. The dance was beautiful in the light of the background of mundane metropolis, but the dancer evoked a feeling of self-deprecating discontent. Her garments, emotions, and physicality screamed of utter misery. The only way I believe I could describe the dance would be to call the performance, an urban catastrophe. Not to contend that the performance was chaotic, but to suggest the oddity of the juxtaposition of the background and subject. Specifically, the dance on the train car did not make a bit of sense; cardboard ears, shrouded faces, and mechanical screeches became far too complex and downright confusing. I think that these performances offer a statement about the beauty of choreography and movement that can be experienced in any type of setting, yet it was difficult to follow. If I had the pleasure of interviewing the choreographer, I would ask about the inner motivations for her work. Much of what she has created had never been seen before i n the world of dance, so her ideas must stem from some diverse background. As I watched Contact Place, I was struck by the exhibition of beauty. This piece was much more vibrant than its predecessors, incorporating color to the set and costumes. The dancers modeled their hair, teeth, nails, hips, and outfits to display their conventionalized beauty. I wish to know where the ideas for this performance originated. I was very glad to be exposed to the collected works of Pina. Her contributions to the world of performance art are insurmountable, and her legacy will endure for many years to come. My hope is that her ideas displayed in the dances of this documentary will spark new motivations in choreographers worldwide to keep creativity at the heart of talented performance.

Article Critique Regarding Cognitive Effects of Risperidone Assignment

Article Critique Regarding Cognitive Effects of Risperidone - Assignment Example The assignment "Article Critique Regarding Cognitive Effects of Risperidone" talks about the study regarding the cognitive effects of risperidone in children with autism and irritable behavior. By doing the research, the authors sought to answer particular questions. The questions included the possible effects of the drugs on children suffering from autism and those exhibiting irritable behaviors. Additionally, the authors asked the nature and extent of the drug. From the systematic questions, the objective of the study was, therefore, was to explore the effects that the drugs have on the cognitive processes of the children with autism and irritable behavior patterns. The authors test the hypothesis that risperidone has particular effects on the cognitive processes of children with autism and irritable behavior. In analyzing the variables, the authors employ ANOVA, a statistical test that enables the authors to analyze the means of several groups. ANOVA test is appropriate in this context since the authors anticipate varied effects on the various groups of the research subjects. The article employed appropriate statistical analysis techniques including the ANOVA test. The authors selected thirty-eight children and assigned them to the drugs randomly. They developed an effective placebo-controlled parallel group to control the findings. They tested various aspects of the cognitive processes in the children including verbal learning, sustained attention and hand-eye coordination.

The Princeton Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Princeton Review - Research Paper Example This method is so far the most effective method of inviting students to take part in the survey. For a student’s opinion to be included in the surveys data, it must be submitted through the prescribed medium like online. In addition, only one survey for each student per academic year per institution qualifies to be included in the sample data. In addition, the student must complete all sections of the survey, which include about yourself, the school academics, student and life at school. The results collected from the survey data may not be scientific. This is because the survey is conducted on a continuous basis and the results are used in subsequent rankings. This can affect the results because there can be differing answers due to the change in situations in the learning institutions. However, the main reason why the results can be said to be far from scientific is due to the process, which the data is collected. First, scientific data gathering is based on hypothesis and data driven science. In scientific survey, a hypothesis is formed, and the data collected to prove or disapprove the hypothesis. In addition, scientific surveys are data driven, and the data used to show patterns. They also involve observations such as field studies rather than surveys, which are used by Princeton review. In addition, in scientific surveys, there is use of calculations that are supported by physical laws in their fields but this cannot be relevant in surveys used by Princeton re view. Lastly, collection of results does not use non-random samples of the populations. For example, specific people are used to conduct such surveys, and this affects the findings relating to the entire population. This undermines objective surveys in the learning institutions and does not reflect the views of the whole population hence not being scientific. Selection bias occurs when the interviewer

Report for security mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report for security mangment - Essay Example This 40-year old company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 which dominated the local market of the United States, and began to trade stocks on the New York Stock Exchange. Along with the company’s growth in revenue is the growth of its expenses in information technology (IT). According to Wal-Mart IT executives, the company is adopting expensive technologies; that is why its investment in IT is considered to be their single largest capital expenses with approximately $500 million dollars over one five year period (Beard, 1996, p.78). The company demonstrated its preparedness to invest heavily on these technologies because it strongly believes that IT is a powerful tool in achieving efficiency goals and in creating economic value for stakeholders. In order for Wal-Mart to know how these technologies will support the business in obtaining implicit and explicit objectives, it must develop IT governance strategies (Schwalbe, 2009, p.136). To provide competitive advantage, these st rategies must be integrated and aligned with the company’s strategic and operational plans, this is to make the process more comprehensive (Papp, 2004, p.27). The main focus of this paper is to identify the IT services of Wal-Mart and whether these services are aligned to the needs of the business and the customers. In the process of assessing strategic alignment, this paper will be using the conceptual levels of strategic alignment maturity model developed by Dr. Luftman and some measures in order to improve the strategic business-IT alignment of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart IT Services: Aligned to the Needs of the Business and Needs of the Customers Linda Dillman, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Wal-Mart noted that, â€Å"We do not want to be known by our technology, but we do want to be known by what our technology has done for the business† (cited in Luftman, 2004, p.275). She also added that the business is performing favourably in terms of improved revenue and marke t share, cost and time reduction, customer satisfaction, and many more because of business-IT alignment maturity through metrics performance. â€Å"Wal-Mart was one of the first companies to introduce computers to track store sales and inventory and was the first to develop a computerized network to share this information with suppliers† (Fottler & Malvey, 2007, p.267). However, because IT changes daily and becomes outmoded, the company needs to continuously seek for upgraded technologies (Eisenberg et al., 2004, p.265). The information technology/system of Wal-Mart is classified as strategic and focused on how to meet customers’ needs wherein it relies on most current information to sustain the minimum cutting of cost in retail. In order for Wal-Mart to lower their costs, maximize return on capital, and streamline their operations, the company is using the operational excellence strategy. For several decades, IT is considered to be an essential part not just of Wal-Ma rt but to some large suppliers in the world particularly in dealing with customers. Recently, Wal-Mart is using the standard transaction formats and protocols called the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities in order to standardized operations in the sharing

Emergency Preparedness and Response Research Paper - 1

Emergency Preparedness and Response - Research Paper Example It requires development of effective management strategies to en sure that harmful agents are not released into food items. This paper evaluates US disaster preparedness and response capacity with food security being the focal point. Food security and safety is a critical element that advances nations productivity and performance capacities. It is imperative for various establishments to adopt proper strategies with an aim of advancing food security and safety. It is the prerogative duty of governments to develop food reserve units including food safety maintenance to ensure that meals that are consumed are not harmful to human development (Fong & Alibek, 2009). Federal government including various authorities should protect citizens from consumption of contaminated food through initiation of standardization assurance system. The program ensures that quality assurance and certification of food is undertaken to ascertain food safety before release for consumption as a preventive measure. This is to avert possible disaster occurrences that may claim many lives since food items are consumed vastly. In US, vital policies have been crafted to enhance food safety and availability. The policies seek to provide requisite measures to avert possible deficiencies and traumatic events that may occur due to food contamination (Fong & Alibek, 2009). The government ensures through its quality assurance department ensures that, food items for example maize is free from toxin content that is poisonous. According to Novick & Marr (2003), bioterrorism events occur due to deliberate contamination of food items by toxic elements that cause death or traumatic complications. During such events, victims require initial medical services to restore conciseness. Nations should ensure adequate preparations to mitigate the effects of food contamination by instituting health centers at a measurable radius to facilitate quicker access to medical

Yimou Zhang Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Yimou Zhang Films - Essay Example The new generation, which Yimou Zhang currently works in, has upheld the color symbols of the old generation and even introduced some new ones as well. The color red is the most outstanding and is symbolic of revolution: little red books, red flags, red guards and not forgetting the red sun, which is symbolic of Chairman Mao. It is along this culture that Yimou Zhang also uses the color red as symbolic. Literature review on the subject reveals contradictory and far ranging interpretations to Yimou Zhang’s red. There are those that construe the red setting identified at the end of Red Sorghum to the red spot in the Japanese national flag. There are those who interpret red lanterns seen in Raise the Red Lantern symbolic of the sexual control of the patriarchal despot. Moreover, the setting sun may also serve to elegize the demised heroine and the red lanterns may also symbolize the accomplishment of the concubine’s desire. The red color as used by Yimou Zhang, similar to other symbols employed by the director, transcends narrow interpretation since it emanates from and also acts as rebellion against tradition. The color red now takes up a myriad of symbols and not merely as a symbol of celebration in traditional china; or the symbol of revolution according to modern china, or a symbol of malice. The color red can also be symbolic of mood. This is according to Yimou Zhang who stated that the Chinese people are often too reserved and too moderate†¦ the limitless fields of red sorghum elicit sensory excitement and encourage an unrestrained lust and zest for life. Another common theme that can be evidenced in films directed by Chinese film director Yimou Zhang is politics. The color red by Zhang contains to a significant extent contains political messages and inferences. Being brought up in the era of Chairman Mao, the Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the Peoples Republic of China, Zhang

Report for security mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report for security mangment - Essay Example This 40-year old company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 which dominated the local market of the United States, and began to trade stocks on the New York Stock Exchange. Along with the company’s growth in revenue is the growth of its expenses in information technology (IT). According to Wal-Mart IT executives, the company is adopting expensive technologies; that is why its investment in IT is considered to be their single largest capital expenses with approximately $500 million dollars over one five year period (Beard, 1996, p.78). The company demonstrated its preparedness to invest heavily on these technologies because it strongly believes that IT is a powerful tool in achieving efficiency goals and in creating economic value for stakeholders. In order for Wal-Mart to know how these technologies will support the business in obtaining implicit and explicit objectives, it must develop IT governance strategies (Schwalbe, 2009, p.136). To provide competitive advantage, these st rategies must be integrated and aligned with the company’s strategic and operational plans, this is to make the process more comprehensive (Papp, 2004, p.27). The main focus of this paper is to identify the IT services of Wal-Mart and whether these services are aligned to the needs of the business and the customers. In the process of assessing strategic alignment, this paper will be using the conceptual levels of strategic alignment maturity model developed by Dr. Luftman and some measures in order to improve the strategic business-IT alignment of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart IT Services: Aligned to the Needs of the Business and Needs of the Customers Linda Dillman, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Wal-Mart noted that, â€Å"We do not want to be known by our technology, but we do want to be known by what our technology has done for the business† (cited in Luftman, 2004, p.275). She also added that the business is performing favourably in terms of improved revenue and marke t share, cost and time reduction, customer satisfaction, and many more because of business-IT alignment maturity through metrics performance. â€Å"Wal-Mart was one of the first companies to introduce computers to track store sales and inventory and was the first to develop a computerized network to share this information with suppliers† (Fottler & Malvey, 2007, p.267). However, because IT changes daily and becomes outmoded, the company needs to continuously seek for upgraded technologies (Eisenberg et al., 2004, p.265). The information technology/system of Wal-Mart is classified as strategic and focused on how to meet customers’ needs wherein it relies on most current information to sustain the minimum cutting of cost in retail. In order for Wal-Mart to lower their costs, maximize return on capital, and streamline their operations, the company is using the operational excellence strategy. For several decades, IT is considered to be an essential part not just of Wal-Ma rt but to some large suppliers in the world particularly in dealing with customers. Recently, Wal-Mart is using the standard transaction formats and protocols called the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities in order to standardized operations in the sharing

Yimou Zhang Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Yimou Zhang Films - Essay Example The new generation, which Yimou Zhang currently works in, has upheld the color symbols of the old generation and even introduced some new ones as well. The color red is the most outstanding and is symbolic of revolution: little red books, red flags, red guards and not forgetting the red sun, which is symbolic of Chairman Mao. It is along this culture that Yimou Zhang also uses the color red as symbolic. Literature review on the subject reveals contradictory and far ranging interpretations to Yimou Zhang’s red. There are those that construe the red setting identified at the end of Red Sorghum to the red spot in the Japanese national flag. There are those who interpret red lanterns seen in Raise the Red Lantern symbolic of the sexual control of the patriarchal despot. Moreover, the setting sun may also serve to elegize the demised heroine and the red lanterns may also symbolize the accomplishment of the concubine’s desire. The red color as used by Yimou Zhang, similar to other symbols employed by the director, transcends narrow interpretation since it emanates from and also acts as rebellion against tradition. The color red now takes up a myriad of symbols and not merely as a symbol of celebration in traditional china; or the symbol of revolution according to modern china, or a symbol of malice. The color red can also be symbolic of mood. This is according to Yimou Zhang who stated that the Chinese people are often too reserved and too moderate†¦ the limitless fields of red sorghum elicit sensory excitement and encourage an unrestrained lust and zest for life. Another common theme that can be evidenced in films directed by Chinese film director Yimou Zhang is politics. The color red by Zhang contains to a significant extent contains political messages and inferences. Being brought up in the era of Chairman Mao, the Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the Peoples Republic of China, Zhang

Philip II Of Spain Essay Example for Free

Philip II Of Spain Essay King Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) has cast a lengthy shadow over Spanish and European history for centuries. Though this might seem fitting, given that he was the first man to rule a truly global empire on which the sun never set, it is not entirely appropriate, for Philips enduring fame stems not so much from his achievements, as it does from misconceptions about his character and legacy. Within Spain itself, Philip can still be remembered to this day as a brooding, reclusive workaholic, who, despite his best intentions, poised his nation and empire on the brink of a precipitous and inevitable decline. Beyond Spains borders, Philips shadow has long been perceived as exceedingly dark and menacing. After all, how many other monarchs can claim the unhappy role of top villain in one of Schillers tragedies, or in a major opera, such as Verdis Don Carlo, which set the gloomy myth to music? In the English-speaking world Philip reigned supreme for nearly three centuries as the ultimate embodiment of the Black Legend: a sinister figure, cruel and devious beyond measure, a religious fanatic who could only be viewed through the smoke of the Armadas cannons and of the Inquisitions pyres. Philip II was present in Brussels when his father resigned to him the government of the Netherlands (October 1555) as well as of Spain itself (January 1556). International matters, mainly his marriage to Queen Mary of England and the war against France, kept him in northern Europe. In August 1557 the Spanish forces in Flanders, directed by the duke of Savoy and the count of Egmont, crossed the frontier into France and caused a crushing defeat on the French at St Quentin. Philip arrived in time to congratulate his army, however failed to follow up the advantage; negotiations started and were interrupted by the death of Mary in November 1558. Finally peace was agreed at Cateau-Cambresis in April 1559, one of the circumstances being the marriage of Philip to the daughter of Henry II of France, Elizabeth of Valois. The king sailed from the Netherlands in August 1559 and landed at Laredo in September. He never left the peninsula again. Domestic politics lapse into relative quietness during the reign, in order that events seem to depend more than usual on the personality of the king. Philip, though, was no less devoted to the problems of internal government than to the weighty matters of foreign policy. (R. Trevor Davies, 1957) Aged 28th at his accession, he was already an experienced ruler, having been regent for his father sporadically since 1543. His fair hair and blue eyes betrayed his Habsburg origin; however no ruler could have been more Spanish. Brought up in Castile and trained by brilliant tutors, he preferred Spaniards as advisers and spoke merely Castilian fluently, though he had a working knowledge of Latin. Pensive by disposition, and always unwilling to rush into decisionshence the tag of prudent kinghe had a deep sense of duty which governed both his personal and public life. His stern side as headed at the top by the council of State, shorn since 1559 of its non-Castilian members. The councils chief secretary until his death in 1566 was Gonzalo Perez, a cleric of converso origin; thereafter the post was divided between Gonzalos son Antonio as secretary for the south and Gabriel de Zayas for the north. True to his fathers policy of allowing differing views to develop, Philip tolerated a conflict of opinions, not always with fruitful consequences. The chief rivals in the council of State were the kings long-standing friend the Portuguese Ruy Gomez de Silva, and the duke of Alba. Ruy Gomez, created prince of Eboli and duke of Pastrana, married into the powerful Mendoza family, headed by the duke of Infantado, and thereby became linked with a clan of nobles from the highest grandee families, the Zuniga, Velasco and Guzman. Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, third duke of Alba and Philips most distinguished general, was head of the house of Toledo and had similar powerful connexions. The division in the council between these two a normal rivalry between clans, of the sort common both at government and at local levelalso extended to the secretaries, Antonio Perez being allied to Eboli and Zayas to Alba. Differences between the groups, as with all political factions, arose primarily out of a struggle for power. Given the complex problems that faced the Spanish monarchy, there were occasionally issues on which some took a hard line: Alba, as Charles V had warned Philip, was inclined to be authoritarian. It is however not convincing to categorise one groupAlbasas the war party, and its opponents as the peace party; even less, as we shall see, is it possible to distinguish any real difference of approach to constitutional problems. The problem over which the factions took most issue was the revolt of the Netherlands, which precipitated the famous affair of Antonio Perez. Immediately after Philips return to Spain in 1559 he began a massive effort to put the country into an adequate state of defence: Turkish expansion in the 1560s inevitably made foreign policy the first concern of government. At the same time difficulties in the Netherlands were brought to him in person when the count of Egmont arrived in Madrid in February 1565. From this period Spain was burdened by a dual commitment to northern Europe and to the Mediterranean, and the numerous mistakes made by Philip in his dealings with the Netherlanders can in part be blamed on priority given to affairs in the south. Aware, none the less, of his obligations, the king made preparations to visit Flanders in 1567. He was dissuaded from this by Alba, and in 1568 two personal crisesthe death of Don Carlos in July and then of Elizabeth of Valois in Octoberforced him to remain in the peninsula, where on Christmas Eve a major uprising of the Granada Moriscos began. The death of Ruy Gomez in 1573 made Antonio Perez effective head of the Eboli faction at court. A contemporary noted that Perez climbed so high that His Majesty would not do anything save what the said Antonio Perez marked out for him. Philip depended heavily for advice and policy on this brilliant and sinister young man whose fortunes were linked with those of Ana de Mendoza, princess of Eboli, the beautiful one-eyed widow of Ruy Gomez. Perezs arm stretched as far as Flanders, where the kings half brother, the famous Don Juan of Austria, was acting as governor. Don Juans personal secretary, Juan de Escobedo, had been a protege of Perez, who expected to be kept reliably informed of the plans and ambitions of the governor of the Netherlands. Don Juans proposals for policy in the north, however, were at variance with government intentions in Madrid, and Perez and Escobedo soon found themselves opposed to each other on a number of issues. Philip in turn was wary of the ambitions of his half-brother, the victor of Lepanto. Suspicious of the way his plans for Flanders were being blocked by Madrid, Don Juan sent Escobedo to Spain in 1577 to make enquiries. On arriving at the court it appeared to Escobedo that Perez had been duping Don Juan and presenting his case in an unfavourable light to the king. He apparently issued threats against Perez, accusing him rightly or wrongly of a liaison with the princess of Eboli, and of betraying state secrets. But Perez had already managed to convince Philip that Escobedo was the malign influence in the affairs of Flanders and in the end he persuaded the king that the only solution was to eliminate Don Juans secretary. In March 1578 hired assassins murdered Escobedo in a street in Madrid. (Townsend Miller, 1963) Popular rumour instantly pointed to Perez as the assassin, and Escobedos family, aided by Perezs rival the kings private secretary (from 1573) Mateo Vazquez, demanded justice for the murdered man. No action was taken, clearly because the king himself was implicated and had acted on reliable advice. In the spring of 1579, however, Philip was sent the private papers of Don Juan, who had died the previous October. On reading them Philip discovered that Perez had deceived him and that his brother and Escobedo were guiltless of the imputations against them. He encouraged Vazquez to make a secret enquiry into Perezs actions in office, and determined to make a clean sweep of his minister. Since his return from the Netherlands in 1573 the duke of Alba had been active in the councils at Madrid, but in 1579 was placed under house arrest for letting his son make an unauthorised marriage: he was called out only to undertake the invasion of Portugal. His disgrace was followed by Philips decision to place the direction of affairs in the hands of the Burgundian Antoine Perrenot, cardinal Granvelle, who had been withdrawn from the Netherlands in 1564 but had since served the crown with distinction in Italy. On 28 July 1579, the very day that Granvelle reached Madrid, Perez and the princess of Eboli were arrested.

Determination of Vitamin C Content in Foods

Determination of Vitamin C Content in Foods Zheng Xiao Introduction Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is an essential component of our diets. It is a good antioxidant, a key component that helps to prevent damage to proteins and deoxyribonucleic acids. In the food industry, vitamin C is added to increase the nutritional content of food products and also for preservative purposes. As the human body is unable to synthesise vitamin C, it would have to be consumed as part of our diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables for instance are common sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a labile compound and is easily degraded by enzymes and atmospheric oxygen. Its oxidation can be accelerated by excessive heat, light, and heavy metal cations (Pisoschi, Danet, Kalinowski, 2008). During the manufacturing process, some vitamin C would be lost. Thus, in fruit juice products, vitamin C level is commonly used as a gauge for quality. This prompts manufacturers to fortify their products with high levels of vitamin C to ensure that sufficient vitamin C is present in the product throughout the storage process. Due to the wide use of ascorbic acid in both food products and in the pharmaceutical industry, many analytical methods exist for the determination of ascorbic acid, including titrimetric, spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods, each with their advantages and disadvantages. An example of a titrant used is 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP), which will oxidise the ascorbic acid that is present in the sample. While titrimetric methods are simple to use, they are also known to overestimate the amount of ascorbic acid present due to the presence of oxidisable species other than ascorbic acid (Hernà ¡ndez, Lobo, Gonzà ¡lez, 2006). In addition, many interferences often occur with coloured samples (Arya, Mahajan, Jain, 2000). An example would be the masking of colour change at the end point of titration by highly coloured extracts from fruits and vegetables (Eitenmiller, Landen, Ye, 2007). Spectrophotometric methods work by determining the absorbance of vitamin C which is compared against standard concentrations. However, such methods are susceptible to possible interference due to absorbance exhibited by other components that is present in the sample matrix. Lastly, chromatographic methods are commonly used because of their simplicity, short analysis time and sensitivity (de Quirà ³s, Fernà ¡ndez-Arias, Là ³pez-Hernà ¡ndez, 2009). The sample is separated into its components based on their relative affinity with the mobile and stationary phase. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for instance is a very efficient method that is used in ascorbic acid analysis of fruits, vegetables and beverages. Ascorbic acid is relatively hydrophilic due to the presence of several hydroxyl groups. Thus, it has a higher affinity to the polar mobile phase than the non-polar stationary phase, allowing it to be separated from the other components in a sample. The retention time gives a qualitative analysis of the sample while the area under the peak allows for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid content present. However, a major disadvantage of this method is its high cost compared to other conventional methods. The objective of this experiment is to determine the ascorbic acid content in commercial guava juice by RP-HPLC. Materials and Methods The product analysed was commercial guava juice. The experimental procedure was as stated in the laboratory manual, with the slight amendments as follows. The filtrate (2mL) from the centrifuged sample was diluted (1 part sample: 4 part acetic acid) with 2% acetic acid. Five sets of standard ascorbic acid solutions were prepared (40ppm, 80ppm, 120ppm, 160ppm and 200ppm for each set) using a stock solution (1000ppm ascorbic acid) and 2% acetic acid for dilution. The standard solutions were filtered using the 0.45 micron cellulose acetate syringe filter, beginning with the lowest concentration. The column used was a Phenomenex Ultrasphere 5u C18 column (1504.6mm) and the wavelength used was 254nm. Results and Discussion A calibration graph was plotted (Figure 1) using average peak area (Table A1 in appendix) for standard solutions versus their respective concentrations. For each standard solution, four duplicates were prepared. This was done to increase the accuracy of the calibration curve. The r2 value obtained (0.9984) was close to the ideal value 1, indicating a good linear correlation between the area under peak of interest and ascorbic acid concentration. This allows good estimates of ascorbic acid content to be made given the area under peak of interest for each sample. Table 1. Ascorbic acid concentration in samples prepared by Groups 10 to 18 Sample calculation for Group 11: Ascorbic acid concentration in diluted sample = = 116ppm Ascorbic acid concentration in original sample = 116ppm 5 = 581ppm = 58.1 mg / 100mL of juice Average ascorbic acid concentration in original sample = =58.0 mg / 100mL of juice The average retention time of the samples prepared by different groups was 2.557min (Table A3 in Appendix), which is highly similar to that of the ascorbic acid standard solutions was 2.559min (Table A2 in Appendix). This verifies that ascorbic acid was the component analysed. The average ascorbic acid concentration in the guava juice product determined experimentally was 58.0mg/100mL of juice. This was approximately 3.9 times higher than the amount indicated on the packaging (15mg/100mL). As mentioned earlier, As the expiration date is approached, ascorbic acid would be lost to different extents depending on the storage conditions (Kabasakalis, Siopidou, Moshatou, 2000). Manufacturers are known to add ascorbic acid to their products to improve their nutritional value and also to account for the ascorbic acid lost during the manufacturing and storage process (Ottaway, 2008). Since the experiment was conducted before the expiration date of the product (March 14, 2014), a higher ascorbic acid content would be expected. The original ascorbic acid concentration for group 14 was excluded from the calculation as it was almost double of other results and thus likely to be an outlier. A possible reason might be an error in dilution during the preparation of the sample. The other results were found to be precise with a low standard deviation (1.4) and a low coefficient of variation (2.5%). Conclusion The ascorbic acid content of commercial guava juice determined using RP-HPLC was 58.0mg/100mL of juice. References Arya, S. P., Mahajan, M., Jain, P. (2000). Non-spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Vitamin C. Analytica Chimica Acta, 417(1), 1-14. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)00909-0 de Quirà ³s, A. R.-B., Fernà ¡ndez-Arias, M., Là ³pez-Hernà ¡ndez, J. (2009). A screening method for the determination of ascorbic acid in fruit juices and soft drinks. Food Chemistry, 116(2), 509-512. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.03.013 Eitenmiller, R. R., Landen, W. O., Ye, L. (2007). Vitamin Analysis for the Health and Food Sciences, Second Edition: Taylor Francis. Hernà ¡ndez, Y., Lobo, M. G., Gonzà ¡lez, M. (2006). Determination of vitamin C in tropical fruits: A comparative evaluation of methods. Food Chemistry, 96(4), 654-664. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.04.012 Kabasakalis, V., Siopidou, D., Moshatou, E. (2000). Ascorbic acid content of commercial fruit juices and its rate of loss upon storage. Food Chemistry, 70(3), 325-328. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(00)00093-5 Ottaway, P. B. (2008). Food Fortification and Supplementation: Technological, Safety and Regulatory Aspects: Elsevier Science. Pisoschi, A. M., Danet, A. F., Kalinowski, S. (2008). Ascorbic Acid Determination in Commercial Fruit Juice Samples by Cyclic Voltammetry. Journal of Automated Methods and Management in Chemistry, 2008. doi: 10.1155/2008/937651 Appendix Table A1. Area under peak of interest for standard solutions Average area under peak for 40ppm = = 2197282 Table A2. Retention Times for standard solutions Table A3. Retention Times for samples prepared by Groups 10 to 18

Americans Motivation to Work Essay -- Labor Supply Economics

American's Motivation to Work The majority of Americans get up each morning and go to work in order to earn money. But what are the true motivators for working and where do they come from? How do wage rates and other forms of compensation affect the quantity of labor supplied to the market? This essay will discuss how labor effects the economy. Each person working plays a role in society and production output. These are areas that need to be addressed when the supply of labor is being discussed. The motivation to work arises from a variety of social, psychological and economic forces. People need income to pay their bills, feel that they have a role in society and also feel a sense of acheivement. Although there is always a choice, that is not working and not getting paid. People choose between labor and leisure according to the percieved rewards of each. The marginal utility of labor reflects the satisifaction to be gained from added income, as well as any direct pleasure a job may provide. A worker compares these satisfactions with those of leisure and chooses the one that yeilds the greatest utility for available time and wage rates. As it may seem obvisous to some, the more a worker gets paid, the more encouragement that worker has to work more hours and produce more output. Thus, higher wages may increase the marginal utility of an hour's labor, this being a substitiute for labor. But it can also have the opposite effect. This being that if a wor...

Comparing Hegel and Kants Views on Reason Essay -- Philosophy

Comparing Hegel and Kant's Views on Reason That "the idea pays the ransom of existence and transience—not out of its own pocket, but with the passions of individuals" is an idea with categorizes what Hegel calls "the Cunning of Reason" (35). It is in this way that Hegel describes universal Reason, a force which ensures the end of history in its own self-consciousness. Like Kant, Hegel develops a teleological history which moves toward a specific end, and similar to Kant, this end involves the actualization of Reason within human events. However, the path that history takes, according to the two, differs greatly. While both men envision a dichotomous struggle, Kant finds the struggle within mankind while Hegel sees it everyone, even within Reason itself. The Kantian struggle between man's sensuous and rational sides seems almost pacific compared to the divided kingdom of Hegel's. The "cunning of reason" is simply the representation of one of those dichotomies—between human intention and human outcome. "[Me n] fulfill their own interests, but something further is thereby bro... Comparing Hegel and Kant's Views on Reason Essay -- Philosophy Comparing Hegel and Kant's Views on Reason That "the idea pays the ransom of existence and transience—not out of its own pocket, but with the passions of individuals" is an idea with categorizes what Hegel calls "the Cunning of Reason" (35). It is in this way that Hegel describes universal Reason, a force which ensures the end of history in its own self-consciousness. Like Kant, Hegel develops a teleological history which moves toward a specific end, and similar to Kant, this end involves the actualization of Reason within human events. However, the path that history takes, according to the two, differs greatly. While both men envision a dichotomous struggle, Kant finds the struggle within mankind while Hegel sees it everyone, even within Reason itself. The Kantian struggle between man's sensuous and rational sides seems almost pacific compared to the divided kingdom of Hegel's. The "cunning of reason" is simply the representation of one of those dichotomies—between human intention and human outcome. "[Me n] fulfill their own interests, but something further is thereby bro...

Are Leaders Born or Made Essay

People have debated whether leaders are born or made for centuries. However, I am absolutely convinced that good leaders are made than born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. â€Å"Good leaders can develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training and experience† (Jago, 1982). To inspire workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things a leader must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels. Definition of Leadership Before we get started, let’s define and understand about leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. In the field of organizational learning, leadership entered the discussion as a proxy for the organization. Initial concepts of leadership in organizational learning were based on the notion of the dominant coalition. Organizational learning theorists had suggested that the senior management team, or dominant coalition, was in fact the organization level of organizational learning. Moreover, leadership has been described as the â€Å"process of social influence in which one person enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. According to Ken â€Å"SKC† Ogbonnia, â€Å"effective leadership is the ability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources within the internal and external environment for the attainment of organizational or society goal. Charismatic Leaders are made but not born. However, there are many well-educated and motivated people who lack of the knowledge to lead others. So they don’t assume leadership positions, or if they do, they don’t do very well in them. Thus, to become a made leader, we need to know about the characteristic of a leader for us to learn and explore from there. Having charisma is an important quality to any successful leader, that’s all highly successful people must develop to maximize their success in leadership roles, as well as use it to gain a great advantage over their competition. Charisma can be explained as an indefinable personal magnetism that helps draw people to you, and makes them want to cooperate and work with you to accomplish your dreams. To increase your own level of charisma, you must first be confidence in your own vision. If you have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish, then you need to focus on setting goal for yourself, and make plan to achieve them without delay. The clearer you are about your purpose, and how you are planning to achieve it, will naturally to attract others to help and support you in any way they can. However, some say charismatic is born but not made. Yes, it’s. But without the born charisma, you can also increase the level of you charisma by talking and interaction with other, certain interactions and rewards increase starting relationships, such as a Celebrity using a Charming Introduction will instantly have a new friend. Charisma skill-building requires friends and relationships to progress. Personality and Physical Build Besides, the personality is also an important element to become a made leader, great leaders must have the ability to project themselves, to communicate with subordinates in order to accomplish a task by teamwork. The dictionary definition of personality is the collection of emotional and behavioural traits that characterize a person. That is, your personality is how you present yourself to the world. It is how others see you. Is that important for leadership effectiveness? I think so. Your public persona is the catalyst for enrolling followers. For example, you might be typically dominant, or perhaps you’re always a friendly person, or even someone who takes very few risks. These examples are personality traits. You may also simply improve your personality by your appearance such as dress up and make up well as the appearance oneself always the first impression they given to other. Aside of personality, physical build is also a trait of characteristic for being a leader, this can be made and improved by one self. For example, the children now are mostly taller and stronger than their parents because of the better knowledegement care. Talent, skills and knowledge Beyond the personal traits of a leader, leadership talent, skills and knowledge someone must master if they want to be a leader. Leadership talent is those innate traits that a person is born with but which they need to work on to develop their potentiality, Leadership skills are learned behaviours that a person practices and hones over time. And leadership knowledge is acquired learning about the methods, strategies, successes and failures of other leaders in business and in different walks of life. The traits include intelligence, creativity, diplomacy, persuasiveness, and organizational ability. The difference of the three is an intrinsic character of the leader and the latter two are learned. And an effective leader combines all three: harnessing mixture of their natural characteristic, their learned replicable behaviors, and their mental data and learning into their own unique way to expressing themselves as a leader. Knowing well of the managerial function Besides, knowing well of the managerial function is also a must for a made leader. From day-to-day operating, they should be able to learn about planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling in order to lead their subordinates in an effective way. Planning refers to anticipate the opportunity, problems and conditions and choosing from among the alternative of future courses or actions. That includes forecasting, programming, scheduling and etc. The organization functions consist of developing the organization, delegating authority and establishing relations. Staffing is about planning the organization with suitable personnel constitutes the staffing function. Direction function involves managing people and work through the means of motivation, proper leadership, effective communication and coordination. Controlling function enables management to ensure the achievement is in accordance with the established plans. Communication skill Moreover, to be a made leader, we should train ourselves to make effective communication thru experience. The communication skill can definitely be improved if you have the desire to do it, a smart leader must always the â€Å"30 seconds message† which transmitting the most important message within the shortest time. Effective communication is more than just being able to speak and write. A leader’s communication must move people to work toward the goal the leader has chosen. Besides that, a leader has to be able to motivate everyone to contribute. Each of us have different â€Å"button†, a great leader should knows how to push to right button on everyone to make them really want to do their best to achieve the leader’s goal. This is definitely not born because leader could press the right buttons on everyone through understanding their personality. Honesty and Integrity, Forward looking, Independence and Innovation. In addition, the characteristic of a leader is also consisted by honesty and integrity, forward looking, independence and innovation. Once should not even be considered to become a leader without having demonstrated the honesty, integrity and trustworthiness to have and maintain a position of public trust. At all levels, individuals with integrity and honesty show moral courage by doing the right thing even when it is not popular or by expressing dissent when actions or pending decisions would violate organizational and/or constitutional values, laws, and regulations. In addition, they confront unethical behavior in others. Furthermore, the honestly and integrity is about following rules and regulation, this is made as we have no choice but have to follow the rules and regulation of the organization. As a great leader, we always need to be forward-looking toward any issue or problem. When people do not consider their leader forward-looking, that leader is usually suffering from one of two possible problems which are the leader doesn’t have a forward-looking vision and the leader is unwilling or scared to share the vision with others. The forward-looking attitude can be influenced by those people who are surrounding us with positive-minded, this can be made but not born. Last but not least, a great leader is also an innovator. Innovation is about making new tools, products and process, bring forth something â€Å"new† which allows human being to accomplish something they were not able to accomplish previously. We can be innovation through study, research, discuss and deliberated from past experience. Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving. Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving. Leader is made because a person becomes a leader through life and work experiences, through mentors and personal reflection. Leader takes time to develop and they were made just like anything else, through hard work. If you are given a chance, you practice, you can also be a leader.

How Fed Uses Open Market Operations Essay

Open market operations, which consist of purchases and sales of government securities, is the Federal Reserve’s conventional device for exercising monetary policy. Based on the Fed, the term monetary policy refers to the actions taken by a central bank to influence the availability and cost of money and credit and to help promote national economic goals (FederalReserve.gov). These securities transactions help dictate the federal funds rate (rate at which banks lend excess reserves to one another). The fed funds rate is significant to our economy because it somewhat controls the overall financial situation, affecting employment, output, and the overall level of prices. FOMC In 1913, the Federal Reserve Act was passed, giving the Fed authority for setting monetary policy. In 1935, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) was created. They are the board in charge of setting monetary policy for the Fed. THE FOMC implements the policies and also discloses them to the public. The board consists of 12 members that serve one-year terms on a â€Å"rotating basis†. They hold 8 scheduled meetings a year, and discuss economic and financial conditions, proper stances of monetary policy, and risk-assessments of things like price stability and sustainable economic growth (FederalReserve.gov). GOALS of MONETARY POLICY The two primary goals of monetary policy are to promote sustainable output and employment to the highest capacity and to promote price stability. Although monetary policy cannot affect these two things in the long run, it certainly can help influence them in the short-term. An example of this is interest rates. The Fed can lower interest rates to help raise demand and thus help to momentarily stimulate the economy. The problem with this, though, can be inflation. In the long run, attempting to fuel an economy beyond its capabilities will not help unemployment rates or output, but rather, just create more inflation, hurting economic growth. OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS: TOOL of MONETARY POLICY Open market operations are very useful in exercising monetary policy due to their relation with the total supply of balances at the Federal Reserve and the federal funds rate (Edwards, pg. 859). At the federal funds market, using the fed funds rate, depository institutions lend Federal Reserves balances to one another. The total amount of Federal Reserve balances that are available to these institutions is assessed via open market operations. These operations are aimed at either achieving a desired quantity of balances, or a desired price. The problem is that it is difficult to attain both, considering they negatively converse one another. According to Cheryl L. Edwards, of the Boards Division of Monetary Affairs: â€Å"The greater the emphasis on a quantity objective,   the more short-run changes in the demand for balances will influence the federal funds rate; conversely, the greater the emphasis on a funds-rate objective, the more shifts in demand will influence the quantity of Federal Reserve balances.† Throughout the years, the Fed has used both methods for open market operations. ADVANTAGES There are numerous reasons as to why the Fed uses open market operations to control monetary policy. First, the Fed has complete control over the type of open market operation and its size. Second, open market operations can be implemented quite hastily and without delays. They are also flexible, so the Fed can quickly reverse any mistakes. Lastly, the funds rate lets the FED adjust reserve balances when things past the Fed’s control cause reserves to rise and fall (Akhtar,1997). DISADVANTAGES With everything, there are advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages of open market operations relate to specific, isolated situations. For example, if the money market is not developed, the central bank can’t exert full control over the bank reserves(blurit.com). Also, if commercial banks have excess reserves but still use an easy lending policy, the sale of government securities will not have the intended effect of lowering cash reserves of the commercial banks. And if there is a return of notes from circulation, the securities sale might not be able to â€Å"reduce the cash reserves of member banks†. HOW FED USES OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS The Federal Reserve operates open market operations with primary dealers (government securities dealers that have a strong trading relationship with the Fed (newyorkfed.org). These dealers hold accounts at depository institutions, so when the Fed does funds transactions with the dealer at it’s bank, the transaction either adds to or takes away from the reserves in the banking system. Because of this, open market operations indirectly influence the fed funds rate. Changes to the fed funds rate ultimately have a powerful effect on other short-term rates. CONCLUSION In conclusion, open market operations have always been the most prominent of the three tools used in affecting monetary policy. In today’s technological and highly competitive financial environment, monetary policy can sometimes be difficult, but the Fed still accepts open market operations as the most essential way to control our policies. As Michael Akbar Akhtar, vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, explains: â€Å"Among the policy instruments used by the Federal Reserve, none is more important for adjusting bank reserves than open market operations, which add or drain reserves through purchases or sales of securities in the open market. Indeed, open market operations are, by far, the most powerful and flexible tool of monetary policy† BIBLIOGRAPHY – http://research.stlouisfed.org/aggreg/meeks.pdf. Understanding Open Market Operations, M.A. Akhtar. Federal Reserve Bank of NY, 1997. – http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/default.htm -http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/fedpoint/fed32.html -http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/1997/199711lead.PDF. Open Market Operations in the 1990’s, Cheryl L. Edwards. -http://www.blurtit.com/q696680.html

A Review of Satirism in Screen Guild Awards, a Video at Saturday Night Live

A Review of Satirism in Screen Guild Awards, a Video at Saturday Night Live There is a video that Saturday Night Live made called the â€Å"Screen Guild Awards† and in this video they had created a satire theme. The main purpose of this video was the irony of how there were five nominees for the best actor award and ironically enough all of them were white, but theres another catch to it. In all the films that these men acted in, they were all about African Americans but ironically, the white guys were the ones to get nominated for the award. Also, again, the result for who won the award was that all the white men were all tied for first. When the men were being shown for the award nomination, Saturday Night Live happen to sneak in the nominated man trying to get a high five from the African American actor also in the film. When he went for the high five the man refused to give him a high five which is an example of satire that SNL uses. The point of SNL doing this was because at the Oscar awards, it was the second year in a row that a African America n didnt get nominated for a major character. SNL used this to their advantage and took advantage of the opportunity to use satire to get the purpose across. The satire helped the purpose of this skit because it was an aim toward the Oscars which made the skit more laughable. In the beginning of the skit it starts of with a lady that says â€Å"we wish we could have nominated more†, then moves on to introducing all of the actors. The first character that was introduced was a male African American actor that was a main character in a boxing movie. Then, the actor has a white male beside him tell him that he can do whatever he believes in. The satire involved in this was how the background character white male got the nominee and not the main actor. Next comes a main actor that again, is African American and is trying to motivate some people, then the person that got nominated was the really small part of the white character that had only two lines. After, another satire is when the main actor is trying to motivate himself and says â€Å"I will work all night night to beat out these white folks† then the person that got nominated was the white librarian that tells him there’s only five minutes to closing and forces him out. Lastly, there is a male African American that was in the forest trying to motivate all of his friends when a white cameraman comes into the background and says absolutely nothing and still get nominated for the best actor award. Saturday Night Live used many satires in a skit that was particularly short in only three minutes long. Concluding, SNL used satires of white males getting major awards in the Oscars, main characters motivating others, and how all the nominees all were tied for first.

Information Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Technology - Assignment Example This mode of operation allows nodes on the wireless network to communicate directly to each other. Infrastructure mode in better compared to the alternative ad-hoc wireless networks because it offers scalability, security management at a central point and improves the reach. While AP devices are seem as the only shortcoming of this infrastructure mode of operation. Question 2 The node does not need to be mobile because the internet through the access point has only one IP address. The node becomes mobile if the IP address and the name changes and this happens in new locations. If the laptop user accesses the internet through the same AP then he/she is still within the same location. Dynamic Host Configuration (DHCP) could be used to solve the mobility of a node where new IP address is acquired in new location. Question 3 a. X(t) will continue to come in order to fill the client buffer, the received TCP buffer will be drained at a rate of d by the client application after the client b uffer has been filled by the incoming buffer from the server buffer. The client will therefore store the received data without playing it back immediately as it receives it this provides a playout delay. The data is played from the buffer allowing the received data to fill the back up of the buffer. The playout delay is increase by accumulating more data in the buffer before playing it. Unusual delay of the playout results to data in the buffer dipping more than usual than the refilled data. Therefore the client buffer evolves with the buffering and playout delays in addition to delays by the network. When considering switching from TCP to UDP sound quality should be a factor because TCP gives better sound quality than UDP. Question 4 a. When a high priority packet arrives during the transmission of a low priority packet, preemptive scheduling occurs. There is an interruption of lower priority packet while higher priority packet is transmitted in full. Preemptive scheduling does not make sense in networks since it wastes a lot of bandwidth given that the lower packet is partially received which does not make sense. In the figure assume that packets 1, 3, and 4 are of higher priority while 2 and 5 are of lower priority the transmission of packets will be interrupted if the higher priority packets arrive before the completion of lower priority packets. In a preemptive priority queuing the packets of higher-priority will be send first before the transmission of lower priority packets hence packets 1,3,4,2 then 5 sequence will be followed. b. Delay play-out is used to compensate delays in the network and the jitters delay in the transmission of the packets. References Alvarez-Cuevas F, Bertran M, Oller F, Selga JM (1993) Voice synchronization in packet switching networks. IEEE Networks Mag 7(5):20–25 Yajnik M, Kurose J, Towsley D: Packet loss correlation in the Mbone multicast network. In: Proceedings of IEEE Global Internet Mini-Conference, Part of GLOBECO M ’96, London, England, pp 94–99 E. Shim and R. Gitlin, â€Å"NeighborCasting: A fast handoff mechanism in wireless IP using neighboring foreign agent information,† presented at the New York Metro Area Networking Workshop, New York,

Reasearch Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Reasearch - Research Paper Example Diffusion can lead to changes in cultural practices, which will eventually influence spatial distribution. Cultural is the accepted way of life within a particular group of people. It includes food, clothing, practices and beliefs. Currently, the world is full of many different cultures. However, the dominant cultures trace their origins in cultural hearths. Seven locations have been identified as the point of origin for the dominant cultures in the world (Blij et al, 2011). These locations include the Nile River Valley, Indus River valley, Wei-Huang Valley, Ganges River Valley, Andean, Mesopotamia, and West Africa. It is the cradle of Chinese civilization. The valley is where the earliest Chinese irrigation works started. The capital of Chinese major dynasties like Qin, Zhou, Tang and Han were found along this valley. Trade in the valley began in the form of barter trade, which eventually developed as innovation gained ground. It is believed that the Wei River is the ancient Jiang River, which is associated with the early development of agriculture (Pitzl, 2004). The Nile is a critical component of both ancient and modern Egypt. The Nile River is the longest river in the world; it flows from the mountains to the Mediterranean. The river has been responsible for supporting many lives for thousands of years. It has shaped many cultures in the region. The earliest forms of civilization in Egypt are associated with the Nile. The river made agriculture possible, which is the reason ancient Egypt was able to make strides in civilization. The Nile River valley is where the Egyptian culture flourished. It is responsible for the development of Kingdoms of West Africa. Agricultural breakthroughs were made by these kingdoms. The development in this area was influenced by the breakthroughs experienced by the people Southeast Asia and the Nile valley. It had agricultural communities its northern part by

Eminem is Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eminem is Right - Essay Example The analysis presented by the author strikes a chord and there is no denying the fact that music is becoming more and more oriented towards violence and disdain for authority. While the music of previous generations’ signalled rebellion from parental and other forms of overbearing authority, the music of the current generation signals rebellion from absentee parenthood and its consequences. Not only are more and more children finding themselves caught in the middle due to parental differences but more and more children are turning to drugs and juvenile crime as a means of satisfying their selves. The growth of drug abuse is substantiated by statistics on death specially suicide by young adults. Similarly juvenile delinquency is claiming an increasing number of children and young adults with crime rates increasing across the nation. The once conceived notions of crime in the ghettos and less privileged section of town and suburbs is giving way to increasing crime in the well to do and affluent neighbourhoods. The devolution of the family system in urban America following decades of technological progress and the rise of materialistic ideology is partly to blame for these changes. As more and more families are breaking up by parents who cannot tolerate each other, the real victims are the children. When a family breaks up the adults are often in a position to handle the emotional trauma inflicted by such a change. However the children are often not in a position to handle the emotional trauma of parental breakup. This phenomenon is often exacerbated with both parents disowning the child as a responsibility. In case that the child is adopted by either parent, there are still large chances for uneven childhood to result. The child is often taken care of by the mothers who are forced to find jobs to manage their fiscal expenses. An estimate puts the number of single parent mothers under the poverty line at 40% of the total population beneath the poverty line in America. This forces single mothers to look for two or more jobs to facilitate the financial position. Moreover such mothers also try to look for support in other men such as boyfriends who often take advantage of such women’s situations and abandon them when they desire. The child is still prone to a damaged childhood as a result of these experiences and the resulting despair is often made up by music that reflects these themes. The large numbers of albums and tracks with similar themes being sold in ever increasing numbers indicates that there is a large swath of the population to support such purchases. These segments of the population are often disadvantaged and disenchanted teenagers and young adults who are looking for solace in music. Most of the tracks by such musicians cover the themes of broken homes and the resulting emotional trauma to a very large extent. Moreover most musicians provide a way out for most of these kids by ending their songs with lyrics of enco uragement or success. The underlying hope created by these lyrics compels most teenagers to listen to such music and as such there seems little harm in listening to messages of hope and success. However what most musicians do to make their â€Å"popular appeal† ever greater is to include anti social behaviour and deviant trends such as drug use,

Mobile Internet Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mobile Internet Protocol - Essay Example However, the higher-level protocols require IP address of a host to be fixed for identifying connections'. IP protocol is therefore a necessary element of the network activities. In this context, many companies that activate in the area of IT technology and especially those which provide network - related services offer to their customers the chance to use Internet even when they are far from their home or office, i.e. when there is a physical distance from the area where the Internet connected device is placed and operate. The particular technology that offers such an advantage is called Mobile IP and it is available by several IT companies including CISCO, IBM, NOKIA and so on, which have included the above technology in their products offering at the same time to the interest customers all the necessary support. According to a general definition of Mobile IP used by CISCO (2006) 'Mobile IP provides users the freedom to roam beyond their home subnet while consistently maintaining their home IP address; This enables transparent routing of IP data grams to mobile users during their movement, so that data sessions can be initiated to them while they roam; it also enables sessions to be maintained in spite of physical movement between points of attachment to the Internet or other networks'. In the same context, it has been stated that Mobile IP is 'a standard that allows users with mobile devices whose IP addresses are associated with one network to stay connected when moving to a network with a different IP address; When a user leaves the network with which his device is associated (home network) and enters the domain of a foreign network, the foreign network uses the Mobile IP protocol to inform the home network of a care-of address to which all packets for the user's device should be sent. Image 1 - Description of a Mobile IP system (Ghosh, 2006) In a similar definition presented by Chen (2006) 'Mobile IP is an internet protocol designed to support host mobility; Its goal is to provide the ability of a host to stay connected to the internet regardless of their location; Mobile IP is able to track a mobile host without needing to change the mobile host's long-term IP address'. It should be noticed that in accordance with Ollikainen (1999) 'when IP routing was originally defined, mobility of hosts was not considered to be an issue because routing methods were built for static networks, where the hosts were unlikely to move from one subnet to another. Thus, the IP address encodes the computer's physical location, and - by default - the location is fixed'. The main element of Mobile IP is therefore the IP protocol which enables the users to access the Internet even when they are far from the device which is connected with the Internet - the use of a mobile node towards the achievement of such an effort is crucial. It should also be noticed that Mobile IP tends to present a different level of performance in accordance with the system in which it is implemented (i.e. capabilities of the specific system) as well as with the type of protocol using for its formulation and configuration. More

Drug Use in Sports Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug Use in Sports - Research Paper Example Performance-enhancing drugs may come in the form of dietary supplements, prescripted medication, or illegal drugs (Gomez, 2005). Among the common ergogenic drugs use for to enhance athletic performances includes anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) a.k.a. â€Å"Dianabol† – commonly used to improve the physical structure of athletes’ body, steroid precursors like the androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone, creatine, ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids a.k.a â€Å"ma huang†, erythropoietin, and growth hormones among others (Wiefferink et al., 2008; Calfee & Fadale, 2006; Dhar et al., 2005; Gomez, 2005; McDevitt, 2003). These drugs are available in the market in oral or injectable form. Since a lot of our young athletes desire to improve their physical appearance and athletic abilities within the shortest possible time, a lot of them ends up being tempted to experiment with the use of ergogenic drugs (Wiefferink et al., 2008; Elliot et al., 2007; Calfee & Fadale , 2006; Gomez, 2005).The presence of ergogenic drugs can be traced through the athletes’ blood samples. Although there are medical ways that can be used in determining whether or not each of the sports athletes is taking ergogenic drugs, several authors explained that some athletes are aware on how they can receive a negative drug testing test after taking these drugs (Calfee & Fadale, 2006; Gomez, 2005). In line with this, Calfee & Fadale (2006) explained that it is difficult to detect the presence of steroids substances days before the Olympic game in case the athletes have taken the steroids during the off-season.

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Essay Example for Free

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Essay Lab 2.1 Exercise 2.1.1 All these elements are necessary because each allows the other to function and do its job. Without Media the signal cannot transmit. Without Interface the computer cannot access the Media. Without the signal the electricity or copper wires cannot transmit information. Without Pattern there would be no established format for the signals. And timing lets the devices know when the pattern starts and ends. Exercise 2.1.2 Almost all networks in use today are based in some fashion on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) standard. The core of this standard is the OSI Reference Model, a set of seven layers that define the different stages that data must go through to travel from one device to another over a network. But the OSI is just a guideline. Exercise 2.1.3 The other networking services are: RIP Listener Simple TCP/IP Services UPnP User Interface Exercise 2.1.4 Wi-Fi wireless networks support ad hoc connections between devices. Ad hoc Wi-Fi networks are pure peer to peer compared to those utilizing wireless routers as an intermediate device. Exercise 2.1.5 Lab 2.1 Review 1) A peripheral device is an internal or external device that connects directly to a computer but does not contribute to the computers primary function. It helps access and use the functionalities of a computer. (ex. Mouse, flash drive, printer) Network devices are components used to connect computers or other electronic devices together so that they can share files or resources. (ex. Router, dsl filter, Ethernet cable) 2) The fewer amount of connections the fast the connection speed with the current connections. 3) A peer-to-peer (P2P) network is created when two or more PCs are connected and share resources without going through a separate server computer. Benefits: 1) It is easy to install and so is the configuration of computers on this network. 2) All the resources and contents are shared by all the peers, unlike server-client architecture where Server shares all the contents and resources. 3) P2P is more reliable as central dependency is eliminated. Failure of one peer doesn’t affect the functioning of other peers. In case of Client –Server network, if server goes down whole network gets affected. 4) There is no need for full-time System Administrator. Every user is the administrator of his machine. User can control their shared resources.