Monday, December 23, 2019

Evolution Of The Human Genome Project - 1273 Words

While many diseases and viruses are caused by outside sources, some diseases occur from within the human body. Regular ailments can be cured with medicine, or fought off overtime by getting a vaccine, but certain diseases and anomalies cannot be directly treated. This is because they are genetically inherited by certain parts of one’s DNA. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and is inherited from the parents of a person. These strands, found within the nucleus of all cells, determine the appearance and genetic structure of a person. Through one’s DNA, there may be diseases inherited from the parents, such as sickle cell anemia, Gaucher’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In order to heal and fix patients, doctors needed to learn more about the Human Genome. In 1990 work began on the Human Genome Project, which would map the entirety of the genes in the human species. However, the participants would not have been able to work without the discoveries made by those before them. In order for The Human Genome Project to exist, the background of genetics must be known, for the discoveries made in the field would be what eventually led the project itself. Genetics in itself is a fairly new concept, which officially began in 1865 in central Europe. A monk named Gregor Mendel learned about heredity and inheritance through breeding pea plants. After retiring from his teaching and scientific life, he became the abbot of his church. Unfortunately, the importance of his discovery wasShow MoreRelatedWhat Is The Human Genome Project?1619 Words   |  6 PagesThe Human Genome Project? Imagine a world where most diseases and cancers have either been cured or have treatments to help people with them. Where there is no longer a regular doctors check up and now they would now take a look at what’s inside you. Where doctors will now look at the genes in your genome and find the problem in there. After they find the spot where there is something wrong, they would easily know what it is and give you a diagnosis and a treatment. Due to the Human Genome ProjectRead MoreThe Human Genome Project : An American Geneticist1244 Words   |  5 Pages THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT â€Æ' The human genome project has its origins in the mid-1980s, but its intellectual roots stretch back further. Alfred Sturtevant an American geneticist created the first Drosophila gene map in 1911. In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the double helical structure of the DNA molecule. This discovery was the first crucial step in molecular genome analysis, and in much of the molecular biological research of the last half-century. In the mid-1970s, FrederickRead MoreThe Human Genome Project1460 Words   |  6 PagesGene Essay Assignment: The Human Genome Project A genome is the complete DNA set of an organism. These DNA molecules are made up of two strands. Every strand is composed of four nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Complementary strands are paired in certain ways. Cytosine always pairs with guanine and adenine always pairs with thymine. The human genome holds about 3 billion base pairs, found in the chromosomes. Each of the 46 chromosomes are composed of thousands of genesRead MoreAdvancements in the Field of Genomics961 Words   |  4 Pagesthe structure, and consequently, the function, of entire genomes, using the resulting genetic information from different specimens in fine-scale genetic mapping. Advancements in other fields such as human biomedicine may also be dependent on progress made in genomics, especially unresolved problems focused on changes in genes triggered or disrupted in development, susceptibility to infectious disease, mechanisms of DNA recombination and genome plasticity which cannot be adequately interpreted withoutRead MoreA Research Study On Dna1322 Words   |  6 PagesBackground Research The researcher’s experiment is almost entirely based on DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the relatively recently discovered molecule that â€Å"forms the molecular basis for heredity†. In specific, the project to be undertaken focuses on genes, specific sections of DNA, that are responsible for communicating to an organism â€Å"instructions for synthesizing every protein† an organism would require. In the middle of the nineteenth century, a large amount of scientists were involved in theRead MoreEssay about Human Genome1485 Words   |  6 Pages GENOME PROJECT Adam and Eve were doomed for trying to be like god, this is the same damnation mankind is headed to. Everyone’s dream is to have absolute power and control of everything. The genome project and DNA engineering gives man the ability to create life and cu omize life to his specific needs of likes. So how good is too good? Man’s ability to make life or create perfect human beings so they can be in a state of Utopia will disturb the balance of nature. Every individual, every childRead MoreNext Generation Sequencing Is The Method Of Determining The Order Of Nucleotides1362 Words   |  6 Pagesgenetic regions (clusters of genes), full chromosomes or entire genomes. Sequencing gives the order of individual nucleotides which is present in molecules of DNA or RNA isolated from plants, animals, bacteria, or any other source of genetic information. This information is useful in various fields of biology and other sciences like medicine, forensics, etc. Molecular biology- Sequencing is used in molecular biology to study genomes and the proteins they encode. Information which is obtained usingRead MoreGenomic Structural Variants840 Words   |  4 Pagessequences, account for at least five times more variable base pairs than single nucleotide variants among human genomes. However, traditional genome-wide scans for adaptive evolution and disease association tend to ignore thousands of complex structural variants because these scans rely heavily on intact linkage disequilibrium blocks. This is because a majority of deletion polymorphisms in the human genome is not in linkage with single nucleotide variants around it due to frequent gene conversion eventsRead MoreThe Human Genome Project Is A Scientific Program1357 Words   |  6 PagesThe Human Genome Project was a scientific program aimed at getting to know all of the complementary sequence of base pairs that make up the human genome, containing approximately 30 thousand genes. The p roject began in 1990 and was originally planned to last 15 years, but rapid technology advances accelerated the completion date to 2003. (WJEC A2 Biology, 2012) says main aims of the project were to: †¢ Identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA. †¢ Determine the sequences of theRead MoreThe Disease Of Common Diseases1244 Words   |  5 Pagesputative sequence variants at the functional parts of candidate genes. To discover disease-associated genetic variants across whole genome instead of at functional regions, â€Å"indirect† approaches, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), were built. In GWAS, a set of sequence variants are used as genetic markers to discover disease associated regions across the human genome, and subsequently to detect causative variants within these regions. As relying on the assumption that the disease risk variants

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Automatic Speech Recognition Systems Free Essays

In addition, the author will evaluate his level of inform in speaking the contents of term paper as opposed to typing one. And lastly, the level of organization required to use speech recognition as opposed to typing. The first automated speech recognition system the author will analyze is produced by a company called Application Technology, or Pupate. We will write a custom essay sample on Automatic Speech Recognition Systems or any similar topic only for you Order Now Pupate is located in McLean, Virginia, and has been in the Human Language Technology field for over 20 years. Appetites CARS product is called Plainspoken, and is used for speech dictation, broadcast and telephony. This program can do anything from a simple chain of numbers to vocabularies of up to 100,000 words. Plainspoken recognizes continuous speech, offers gender-independent speech recognition, as well as speaker dependent and speaker Independent modes. Opalescence also offers a scalable vocabulary as well as a scalable number of recognized languages. At this time however, the author of this paper was unable to locate a price for this product on the manufacturers also known as Dragon Naturally Speaking. Nuance offers several different versions from the basic to a more advanced version for legal professionals. Nuance offers several different accent features from Spanish to Southern as well as several vocabulary options. Nuance allows for custom creation of text-to-graphics commands. This software works with PC’s as well as multiple types of mobile devices, and is compatible with a multitude of applications. The price range of this product varies from $99 to $1199. (nuance. Com, 2009) The final company and product the author will review is Namespace. Namespace was established in 1996, when Andrew Taylor realized that the Macintosh platform was losing ground in the speech recognition software arena. Like the product from Nuance, Namespace offers several different versions. Their versions vary from a standard dictation version up to a legal reflections version. What is unique about Namespace is that it offers an International version, which supports English, French, German and Italian. The price range is from $195 to $595 for the Namespace program. The drawback here is that this program is primarily written for the Mac computer. (namespace. Com, 2009) Unfortunately, the author was unable to find as much information as he would have liked about the companies and products. If the author had to use this type of product to produce a term paper, I would feel very uncomfortable. I feel I would have lost some aspect of control if I were to use an CARS to produce a term paper. In addition, it would be difficult to Judge the effectiveness and accuracy of an CARS. How to cite Automatic Speech Recognition Systems, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

The Strategic Communication Plan for an Investment Bank in UAE

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Communication Plan for an Investment Bank in UAE. Answer: Strategic communication plan for an Investment Bank in UAE Aim of marketing campaign: To create brand awareness within the financial community To position the firm in the local and regional market of UAE Target group of people: Energy investment banks and other financial organizations in financial market The business partners in the field of investment banking Regional and local market challenges and opportunities: Challenges: Understanding customers wants and demands across various segments: The marketing campaign should address the demand of the consumers and thus, understanding the perspective of the target group of people might be challenging (Mahoney 2013). Shortened feedback between the local and the global: At times gaining instant feedback becomes challenging. Without proper feedback, the success or the failure of the campaign is not ascertained. Internal coordination of marketing activities: For successful marketing campaign, internal communication is indeed important. However, it times, it happens that due to diversity in the internal environment, the communication does not take place properly. Opportunities: Global-Local alignment: In the recent era of globalization, the opportunity of coming up with various marketing ideas is high. Local people can also align with global ideas. Streamline content access: The impact and relevance of social media is high in the recent perspective. Thus, using these media to reach out the target group is easier (Austin and Pinkleton 2015). Adoption of global systems: Local people are adapting global systems and are becoming used to the global system. Thus, any innovative and new approaches towards marketing can be easily accepted. Recommended communication strategy: Digital marketing: Marketing by the means of content marketing; focusing on search engine optimizer (SEO). Email newsletter: It is expected that the business partners and the target group of people shall be communicated directly by sending emails to them (Barwick et al. 2014). Mobile friendly website: Mobile phones have become friendly device for all and thus, it is recommended that the website of the company shall be made user friendly that can be used by all. Recommended vehicles and tactical mix: Marketing communication vehicles: Direct mail program Publicity events like marathons, calendar shoot, thanks giving parade and such other events Written materials like annual reports, brochures, business cards, catalogs, flyers, letterhead stationery and other (Smith 2013). Promotional give-away items like T-shirts, memo pads, mouse pads, mugs and other such items. Tactical mix of the campaign: Facebook advertisement: Local events sponsorship: Email marketing Recommended key media: Digital media like the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter Mass media platforms like business magazines, newspaper advertisements, hoardings References: Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015.Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Barwick, M., Phipps, D., Myers, G., Johnny, M. and Coriandoli, R., 2014. Knowledge translation and strategic communications: Unpacking differences and similarities for scholarly and research communications.Scholarly and Research Communication,5(3). Mahoney, J.S., 2013.Strategic communication: Principles and practice. Oxford University Press. Smith, R.D., 2013.Strategic planning for public relations. Routledge.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Women as Change Agents

Most business leaders and employers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of workplace flexibility with the increasing number of jobseekers who would prefer to work on a flexible schedule rather than work in a highly paying job with a tight schedule. Therefore, more and more employers are seeking options and programs to implement workplace flexibility in their organizations.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Women as Change Agents specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, there is a notable gap in workplace flexibility between men and women. In fact, some business leaders such as Kathleen Christensen believe that flexibility for women in the workplace is a social and structural issue. This is a fact considering that the traditional workplace was designed to fit the male workers because they could afford to work full-time without taking breaks to attend to other social imperatives such as care-givin g responsibilities (Richard Heffiner’s Open Mind, 2005, para. 3). Furthermore, most career paths were designed in such a way that people got employed in their early twenties, advanced through ranks, and retired in their sixties. This type of career path does not fit the needs of parents especially women who are currently contributing to almost half of the workforce. In the long run, people end up working for 80 hours and over while neglecting important social responsibilities such as child rearing, cooking, and cleaning. Therefore, it is obvious that this workplace structure does not fit the working parents, and hence, it is important to allow more flexibility in jobs in order to enable parents attend to other equally important matters (Richard Heffner’s Open Mind, 2005, para. 2-6). On the other hand, various factors underlie the historical trends in women’s flexibility in the workplace. According to Domenico and Jones (2006, p. 1), women have been subjects of c riticism throughout history with some critics viewing working women as immoral, unfeminine, objects of pity, and negligent mothers. Therefore, for a woman, having a career was a challenge considering their responsibilities and duties as mothers and wives, which could compromise their professional responsibilities. Because of these simultaneous work-family demands, it was difficult for most women to put their career aspirations first, and thus, their careers were significantly affected (Domenico Jones, 2006, p. 1).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, despite most women joining the workforce in large numbers over the years, their success in achieving career goals and objectives have been dwarfed by different factors including working in low-paying and less flexible jobs such as sales, nursing, social work, and teaching; or remaining in some conventional careers that could only afford them inflexible job opportunities. These factors are also closely related to stereotypical occupational roles designated to the male and female genders, which subsequently cause discrepancies in income, opportunities for growth, and career advancements between the two genders (Domenico Jones, 2006, pp. 2-7). Accordingly, two schools of thought have arose in an attempt to highlight the factors affecting women’s pay (gender wage gap) in the workforce while taking note that women are likely to earn about two-thirds of what is paid to males with comparable qualifications and experience (Domenico Jones, 2006, p. 1). According to the human capital explanation, women are bound to earn less because their labor and hence productivity are divided between the family and work in comparison to men. Thus, the family responsibilities influence the working woman’s decisions when it comes to investing in education and devoting time to professional work. For exa mple, since women are expected to remain in the workforce for fewer years compared to men, it is obvious that they will invest less in obtaining work-related skills. Overall, less investment in work-related skills, lower productivity, discontinuous work history, and skill depreciation among most working women are the main factors driving the discrepancies in wages between women and men (Levine, 2003, p. 9). On the other hand, the discrimination school of thought holds that the work-related variables and sex segregation determine the gender wage gap. For example, men and women are bound to be clustered into different occupational groups whose pay grades are different. Hence, since most women are excluded from well-paying jobs through occupational segregation, their pay is also low compared to men (Levine, 2003, p. 11). The underlying factors affecting women’s workplace flexibility and income notwithstanding, the number of working women is projected to increase in the next 10 y ears considering that most women are venturing into the once male-dominated careers such as finance, construction, and engineering. The same trend can also be noted from the rising number of women-owned firms and businesses most of which are non-farm businesses.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Women as Change Agents specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These businesses have been contributing a significant percentage of revenues generated from non-farm businesses in America while employing more than 7 million workers. Therefore, it is hereby hypothesized that as more and more employers fail to meet the flexibility requirements of most working women, more and more career women will turn to women-owned businesses, which have shown a solid growth according to statistics taken in 1997-2002. Therefore, most employer firms are challenged to embrace workplace flexibility in their organizations if at all they are to rec ruit and retain talented and experienced workers especially the career women in the contemporary society (Levine, 2003, pp. 13-19). References Domenico, D.M., Jones, K.H. (2006). Career aspirations of women in the 20th Century. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 22(2), 1-7. Levine, L. (2003). The gender wage gap and pay equity: Is comparable worth the next step? USA: The Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Richard Heffner’s Open Mind. (2005). Women as change agents in America, Part I. The Thirteen Editorial Services. Web. This case study on Women as Change Agents was written and submitted by user Frederick Marquez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Teachers Basic Guide to Making a Referral

A Teachers Basic Guide to Making a Referral A referral is a process or steps a teacher takes to get extra assistance for a student that they work directly with on a regular basis. In most schools, there are three distinct types of referrals. Those include referrals for disciplinary issues, referrals for special education evaluations, and referrals to receive counseling services.   A referral is completed when a teacher believes that a student needs some intervention to help them overcome obstacles that may be preventing them from being successful. All referral situations are dictated by the behavior and/or actions of the student. Teachers need professional development and training to recognize specific signs that would indicate when a student may have an issue that requires a referral. Prevention training is more appropriate for discipline referrals, but recognition training would be beneficial for referrals associated with special education or counseling.   Each type of referral has distinct steps that a teacher must follow according to school policy. With the exception of a counseling referral, a teacher must establish that they have attempted to improve the issue before making a referral. Teachers should document any steps that they have taken to help a student improve. Documentation helps establish a pattern which ultimately justifies the need for a referral. It may also help those involved with the referral process in establishing a plan to help the student grow. This process can take a lot of time and extra effort on the teachers part. Ultimately, the teacher must prove that they have exhausted all of their individual resources in most cases before making a referral. Referral for Discipline Purposes A discipline referral is a form a teacher or other school personnel writes up when they want the principal or school disciplinarian to deal with a student issue. A referral typically means that the issue is a serious issue, or it is an issue in which the teacher has tried to handle on without any success. Key Questions to Ask Before Making a Disciplinary Referral Is this a serious issue (i.e. fight, drugs, alcohol) or potential threat to other students that requires immediate attention by an administrator?If this is a minor issue, what steps have I taken to handle the issue myself?Have I contacted the students parents and involved them in this process?Have I documented the steps that I have taken in an attempt to correct this issue? Referral for a Special Education Evaluation A special education referral is a request for a student to be evaluated to determine whether the student is eligible to receive special education services that may include areas such as speech language services, learning assistance, and occupational therapy.  The referral is typically a written request by either the students parent or their teacher. If the teacher is completing the referral, he or she will also attach evidence and samples of work to show why they believe the student needs to be evaluated. Key Questions to Ask Before Making a Special Education Referral What are the exact issues that the student has that lead me to believe that special education services are appropriate?What evidence or artifacts can I produce that supports my belief?What documented steps of intervention have I taken to try to help the student improve before making a referral?Have I discussed my concerns with the childs parents also gaining insight into the childs history? Referral for Counseling Services A counseling referral can be made for a student for any number of legitimate concerns. Some common reasons include: A student is going through a traumatic family issue (i.e. divorce, death in the family).A student exhibits signs of depression and/or withdrawal.A students grades suddenly drop or there is a drastic change in behavior.  A student cries often, gets sick daily, or expresses anger/frustration regularly.A student who has difficulty functioning in the classroom (i.e. behavior issues, will not do work, skips school often, extreme aggressiveness).

Friday, November 22, 2019

Case Study Of Tom Shareholder Of The ABC Ltd †Free Samples

In the given case study, Tom was a minor shareholder of the ABC Ltd. The directors of the company had sold the assets of the company to purchase an island resort in their own names. Therefore, the directors are said to be the controlling shareholders of the company and hence, they will have more rights on the property compared to a minority shareholder[1]. Tom was made aware of these activities at a general meeting and soon after he wanted to take an action against the directors of the company. As per the Company Law , the directors will be held liable if they take such actions by not disclosing it to the existing shareholders of the company. Being a minor shareholder, Tom can claim for his amount of shares that he had invested in the ABC Ltd. As per the guiding rules on Principle 2, individual directors has direct control and right over the company of ABC Ltd[2]. but it is also their responsibility to inform every shareholder of the company about the activities. Therefore, Tom can initiate an action against the directors. As seen in this case study, Flywell Ltd was the owner of an Australian airline. The Flywell Ltd. wished to persuade each investor to invest $10,000 with the company. The company had focused to raise the funds between $9 million and $11 million in new funds. Therefore, a company can raise its fund with the help of five primary methods that are generally used by the corporations[3]. It can issue bonds, put a sale on the common stock, can issue preferred stock, borrow from finance inventories and can put the profits on use. Proportional granting of ownership in the firm is given to the investors in exchange of money. Corporations raise money by this popular method. Therefore, the Flywell Ltd can fund raise the obligations by these primary methods under the Corporations Act. The Board of Directors of Flywell Ltd can purchase extra plains by raising the funds since the company does not have sufficient capital fund[4]. The advice, which the Flywell Ltd. should be given, is that it should u tilize the primary sources for raising the funds. Bà ®gioi, Adrian Doru, and Cristina Elena Dumitru. "The rights of shareholders–basic principle of corporate governance by means of case-specific jurisprudence."  Audit Financiar  14.136 (2016): 401-412. Kshetri, Nir. "Success of crowd-based online technology in fundraising: An institutional perspective."  Journal of International Management  21.2 (2015): 100-116. Matsusaka, John G., and Oguzhan Ozbas. "A theory of shareholder approval and proposal rights."  The Journal of Law , Economics, and Organization  33.2 (2017): 377-411. Womack, James P., and Daniel T. Jones.  Lean solutions: how companies and customers can create value and wealth together. Simon and Schuster, 2015.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Developing the Charter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Developing the Charter - Essay Example The managing director of the PROVISION Healthcare Technologies manufactures has authority to spend up to $90000 for this project. The managing director has established a committee that consists of project manager, financial manager and feasibility analysts. This committee is responsible for the budget estimation and authority to take the decision for the budget finalization. Here in this project we have the tasks divided in such ways that each team has independent but connective roles and responsibilities. In this section I will present the roles and responsibilities of each project team and their roles regarding the successful completion of the project. The team of the Product Development the Analysts is responsible for analyzing the main market demands and needed up-gradations. The Designs will design the products and finally the Testes will test the resultant product. The role of the Product Manufacturing; In the process of WANDS production the Designers will analysis the main up-gradation those are presently needed for the company business. Develops will develop the product. The team of the Product Distribution will responsible for the effective delivery of the product. The main functionality of the testers is the installation of the product effectively. Sales & Marketing roles: The Sales & Marketing team will be responsible for the effective promotion of the new product features and functionalities. This team have a very huge responsibility for the better promotion and advertisement of the product in the online as well as on the others mediums. 2. Crosby, Benjamin L. March (1992). Stakeholder Analysis: A Vital Tool for Strategic Managers; Technical Notes, no. 2. Washington, DC: Implementing Policy Change Project for the US Agency for International Development

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Slavery a Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Slavery a Comparative Analysis - Essay Example Stanley Elkin was born in the 1930s in New York, and later became a Jewish American writer and a short tale novelist. Stanley Elkin is the writer of Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life (1959), describing the narration of slavery in Americas work was described as the most controversial and faced a lot of criticism. His writings motivated mostly by Tannenbaum’s study of slavery in North America and Brazil, â€Å"Slave and Citizen (1948)†, compared his study with the modern world to establish why the American slavery was exclusive. He died in May 31, 1995 after suffering multiple sclerosis since 1960. James McPherson was born in October 11, 1936 in valley city, North Dakota. He is an American civil war historian and is the George Henry '86 Professor Emeritus of United States olden times at Princeton University where he has taught since1962. He placed an added fifty years into learning American Civil war, in 1982; he wrote the ordeal by fire d escribing the American civil war. ... rson’s ordeal by fire describes the societal, economic, political and ideological differences that led to a disastrous and intermediary event in American history. Modernization theme is carried out all through the book. McPherson explores the origin of war; slavery associated with war and at the start of war itself and later describes the consequences of the war. He disputes that the war and rebuilding were part of the stages in America’s modernization and that the Republican Party was the motivating force behind the idea of modernization. He proceeds to associate modernization with religion whereby Protestants were its main supporters while Catholics and southerners were against the idea of modernization, thus the vast difference between North and South America in terms of development. Stanley Elkin’s slavery book emphasized that there is a coercive nature in slavery and used the Nazi resemblance to make comparisons. Elkins focused on the effects because of slav ery and the effects the camps had on the slaves too, which made them become more resistant, hence the harsh treatment by the slaveholders. He compared the slavery in the south to Nazism and in many ways, the slaves in the North were far much better than those in the south (Elkins, 1959). The shared mechanism that he believed emerged in both institutions was â€Å"infantilizing trend of complete authority†. They were referred to as property of their slaveholders. Elkin suggested that a major part of North American slavery lacked traditional checks of religion and law on the power of slave owners. Elkin combined knowledge of the history of the holocaust and slavery, he compared the outcome of the holocaust with American slavery something the earlier historians had left untouched. The religious society also

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Horror Story Example Essay Example for Free

Horror Story Example Essay The girl stumbled and rolled down the grassy hill, pulling her fiance with her. For a few minutes they fell, rolling on top of each other before landing in a heap on the soft sand below. The woman looked at the man below her, affection filling her eyes as she smiled subconsciously. â€Å"What are you smiling at? † He inquired flipping her over so he was on top of her. â€Å"Just wondering if why on earth I’m marrying someone as ugly as you; do you think it’s too late to pull out? † The girl answered giggling. â€Å"Oh really!† Her fiance answered standing up, grabbing the girl’s waist and spinning her around. â€Å"And yes, it is too late to pull out. The wedding is in two days whether you like it or not. † He added defiantly, placing the dizzy woman on the ground. She hiccupped, trying to gain her balance. Her fiance let out a thunderous laugh, she glared at him. â€Å"Don’t laugh at me! It’s your fault! † She groaned, folding her arms across her chest. â€Å"The alcohol’s got to your head then? Oh well, more fun for me! † He said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes and ran in the direction of the sea. â€Å"Race you to the water! † She called over her shoulder childishly. She heard her fiance chuckle from behind her as she reached the water. She started walking further out to sea; her heart skipped a beat as her fiance tackled her to the ground. She yelped, a sudden spark of pain running through her foot. â€Å"Ow! Adam, you’ve made me cut my foot! Thanks! † The woman complained, playfully slapping Adam’s chest. He looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. â€Å"Oh, I’m sorry Nicky. Should I kiss it better?† Her fiance asked, grabbing her leg with tender hands. â€Å"No you should not! Help me up and let’s swim! † Nicky said excitedly. Adam lifted her out of the shallow water and carried her the rest of the way out, before very carefully dropping her back into the water. Together they swam around in the salty, inky black sea. Nicky felt a strong force knock her left foot from below her. â€Å"Adam, did you just knock my foot? † She asked him, worried something was under her. â€Å"Nope wasn’t me! I wouldn’t worry about it my love. Nothing out here can hurt you.† He swam over to her, grabbing her hand in his. All thoughts and worries disappeared from thought as they kissed passionately in the moonlight. â€Å"I love you Nicky foster. † Her fiance stated truthfully, gazing into her eyes. â€Å"I lo-â€Å"Suddenly they were pulled under water. Nicky let go of Adams hand and swam to the surface, looking around her frantically for her fiance. She quickly regained her breath before going back under water but he couldn’t see a thing in the murky, dark depths of the sea. Nicky resurfaced. Panic clouding her mind. Unexpectedly a hand rose out of the water, she let out a gasp of shock as she pulled at the hand and screamed, pure horror now coursing through her veins. The object in her hands belonged on her Adam’s arm. The bone was exposed, muscle and flesh was ragged and torn, fresh warm blood was dripping onto Nicky’s hand. Salty tears ran down her face, mixing with the gentle current. She threw the hand into the sea and tried to swim for shore, but her left leg was searing with pain. A wave of nausea passed over her as Nicky, teary eyed and heartbroken felt down her leg. To her utter terror, her leg had been ripped to shreds, blood pulsing from the stub. She panicked, thrashing around in the cold water. Swiftly a great force pulled her under. She could feel her bones being crunched, her organs being squished. The sea around her turned red with her blood. She screamed, only small bubbles of precious oxygen escaping her bloodless lips. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Adam, the sweet loving man she was going to marry. Instead all she could think of was images of his ripped, lifeless body. These images haunted her to her death.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism Essays -- Religion Fait

Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism I. Islam The Muslims’ main sacred text is the Koran, which they believe Gabriel gave to Mohammad from God. Muslims believe that the Koran is the final revelation from God, as the Bible has been â€Å"corrupted† upon translation. My passage is Isaiah 53 where it talks about a suffering servant for Israel. While Christians believe this is a prophecy of Jesus, Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet. They believe Jesus was never crucified, and Allah made someone look like Jesus instead. (Koran 4:157) Interestingly enough, when our Muslim consultant, Dr. Akhter, was asked about Jesus’ teachings according to the Koran and how it may relate to this passage, he said that he does not know of His teachings. Thus, the suffering servant, according to Islamic teachings, is the man who Allah made to appear identical to Jesus. Regarding Islam, the only area that caught me off guard was when Dr. Akhter stated that Jesus will come back to die and break the cross. The Jihad is another issue that surprised me, because it hardly corresponds to what Allah instructed Mohammad to do in the Koran in countless verses. Dr. Akhter said that a Muslim must fight injustice as a part of the Jihad. Dr. Akhter also surprised me with another statement when I asked him about a hierarchy of prophets in Islam. He said there is a passage in the Koran that states you should not compare a prophet to another. He also talked about the pilgrimage to Mecca and explained how it atones for sins. Once a Muslim experiences the pilgrimage, they have a â€Å"clean slate†. It is a very sensitive issue, because non-Muslims are forbidden to go to the Kaaba. The worship practices of Muslims are somewhat ... ..., anyone that decides to pursue Him as their Savior is a Christian. It is through Jesus Christ that a person is born again spiritually and made alive through Him. WORKS CITED Akhter, Dr. Waseem. Personal interview. February 17, 2005. Allah – the Moon God. The Archaeology of the Middle East. 1997. http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm Buraga, Pastor Dan. Personal interview. March 3, 2005. The Glorious Qur’an. 2nd ed. Elmhurst, New York. 2003. Harris, Stephen. Understanding the Bible. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. The Interactive Bible. Islam: Meteorite Worship of the Black Stone. http://www.bible.ca/bible.htm Juda, Rabbi Allen. Personal interview. February 24, 2005. NIV Study Bible. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Roman Catholicism. ROMAN CATHOLICSM. 2005. http://www.carm.org/catholic.htm

Monday, November 11, 2019

How structural and linguistic devices are used to target specific audiences in printed media texts Essay

Different audiences expect and react to different ideas, presentational devices, linguistic devices and so on. For example teenagers may expect bright, vibrant colours and exciting design, whereas older people may look for softer, neutral colours and a more formal design. Of course, these are stereotypical views but the designers of the media texts must make them with a stereotypical view of their audience in mind. In this essay I will look at three different media texts aimed at different groups and explain how they attempt to appeal to these audiences. Firstly I will compare the ideas put forward in the three texts. In the Club 18-30 leaflet the focus is mainly on going out and having fun, in clubs, pubs and on beaches. The Superfamily piece talks about the activities that a family can participate in, such as pool games, quizzes, tennis courts, squash courts and fantasy golf. It also tells the audience about the things done to make a family holiday easier, such as baby care, children’s clubs and so on. The Forever Young brochure focuses on the older generation ands talks about the activities and facilities that they might enjoy, such as tennis, aerobics and golf, cathedrals to visit and conveniences like laundry services, money exchange, spacious bar and sun terraces. Now I will look at the presentational and structural devices in the three texts. In the Club 18-30 text bright, vibrant colours are used such as pink, blue, yellow and red. The title states the target audience straight away making it very obviously eye-catching to the right people. The pictures used are those of people dancing in a club and having fun as this is what most people going on this holiday want to do. This is not a full page advertisement as there is only a very small amount of information wanted; about the clubs, bars, beaches etc. This is all given in a fun, jaunty font with not too much reading needed. The Superfamily brochure is done in red, white and pale yellow. These are soft, welcoming, almost primary colours. This emphasises that this is a family advertisement. There are pictures a families by the pool as well as kids playing and having fun. All the borders are wavy and curved making this feel like a safe place for children and the font is plain. The Forever Young brochure has soft, autumn colours as well as natural blues and greens. Also, the pictures are serene. This is because the average older person wants a calm relaxing holiday. There is a full page layout with plain, simple borders. There are pictures of a cathedral and an empty pool. This helps add to the feeling of calm and relaxing on the holiday. I will next look at the language used in each of the pieces. In the Club 18-30 piece the language used is ‘cool’ and ‘slang’ with misspelled words such as ‘in yer face’. This is to target the younger audience. It is humorous yet with some facts, such as bars, clubs and beaches to visit. There are some opinions such as ‘home to some of Europe’s premier DJs’. It states what the younger audience may worry about when it says that ‘you’ll need a fair bit of wedge’. It also states that there are many things to do ‘on your doorstep’ suggesting great ease, an important factor to youth. The Superfamily brochure uses informal yet informative language, like ‘for the sporty among you’. It is persuasive and serious, giving the reader a lot of reasons why the holiday is right for them. However in doing this it keeps a very friendly and approachable attitude as it wants to appeal to families. It states the many things that they will do to make family life easier, such as baby care and children’s clubs. Forever Young uses formal language as this is what appeals to a lot of the older generation. It is serious and informative, stating plainly what things there are to do and makes them seem calm for example ‘it has a traditional, relaxed feel about it’. This is important as most older people want a relaxing holiday. It is persuasive as it uses opinions about things like ‘prettiest’ and ‘traditional’. Overall I believe it is very important for advertisers to use all means at their disposal to attract the target audience. They must choose the right presentational devices, the right language and the right style in order to convince the target audience to buy their product.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Health Care Provider: Awareness and Diversity of Faiths Essay

Abstract Within the health care system of today, many health care providers are introduced to various religious beliefs and practices through caring for those patients and families from different cultures. In order for competent medical treatment to be performed, the health care providers must take into account the religious beliefs of those in our care to deliver good and effective quality of care. This paper will examine this student’s point of view on Christianity and compare it with Native American Spirituality, Hinduism, and Buddhistic religious views and faiths regarding healing in today’s health care society. Patient’s cultural and spirituality must be incorporated, and considerations addressed as essential key elements to the overall health of the patient. This will provide the best possible outcomes for the patient. An analysis and comparison of Native American Spirituality, Hinduism and Buddhistic religious views on healing and mortality and will be paralleled, explored and discussed against the Christian faith view of the aforementioned within this paper. Introduction Providing health care to those of different spiritual backgrounds, it is essential to recognize the religious practices and beliefs of the patient and their families. It is of utmost importance to determine the specific needs that correspond with their practices and beliefs. Comprehending these beliefs will permit health care providers to set forth a plan that promotes the best possible outcomes for the patient in the end. The United States of America welcomes people of different nationalities and faiths. With such a  diversity of cultures and religions, health care providers are tasked with educating themselves concerning a multitude of faiths and corroborating the information learned with those particular religious beliefs. This allows the patient and families to receive spiritual care as well as the physical care they need. Hospitals nationwide have now recognized the cultural diversity of those that are living in the United States and have implemented a program to the training of its employees in cultural diversity. Christian perspective on restorative health Christian perspective on restorative health is based on the teachings from the Bible. Those who practice this faith believe that no matter the circumstances, God can restore health. While Jesus was alive and walked upon earth, it was proved that He was indeed the Son of God by the ability He had to heal those around Him. He restored health in many different ways. Matthew 14:14 (King James Version), the writer of this first Gospel tells its audience Jesus saw a abundant crowd and He had commiseration the crowd and restored health to the infirmed and debilitated. His touch restored health to the people and healed them (Matthew 9:29-30, King James Version). Through spoken words they were restored to health (Matthew 8:8, King James Version), and He made sound and whole multiple infirmities and afflictions amongst the population (Matthew 9:35, King James Version). People of Christian faiths believe that God can work through gifted individuals for assistance in healing. As declared in the King James Version Bible â€Å"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a particular people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light† (1 Peter 2:9, King James Version). Prayer is powerful and Christians are taught that healing can occur, but do not know exactly when this may occur. Christians do have strong faith in His power which comforts us in knowing that He has ultimate control. Christian families and the Church prayer and support, the process of healing begins and ends in this context (James 5:16, King James Version). Christians believe in following Gods word by faith and goodwill and generosity will be granted throughout their lives (Psalms 23:1-6, King James Version). Impression on restoration of health This student’s impression on restorative health from illness is one of the foundations of faith about the God of the Bible. Many stories declared in different parts of the Bible narrative restored health required nothing but faith. This student believes in the authority of supplication, individualized, and collectively within the congregate (a collective consciousness) and with supplication, healing has happened. Christianity and Native American Spirituality Compared The majority of Native American’s do believe that the Great Spirit (some Native American’s call this Great Spirit â€Å"Grandfather† and â€Å"Old Man†), which is part of all creation, from the heavens to the ground with all beings put here on earth. Conception is believed to be a blessing from God by Christians. Native American Spirituality believes that a person’s health is brought about through actions and interactions they have with the spirit world and wholeness is derived from the balance between the universe and the spirit world. Sickness derives from the imbalance with the spirit world and is causation of disharmony within the individual (â€Å"Guidelines for Native American Indians,† 2004). Christians have faith that God watches over the individual and prevents sickness from occurring. Native American Spiritual care is important through healing rituals which are performed at ceremonies and attended by family, tribe, along with a medical healer, either man or woman (Robinson, 2008). Christians have faith and pray to God that He heals those affected with sickness and diseases. If hospitalized, those of Native American Spirituality rely upon items which are considered sacred and powered by the Great Spirit which are in possession of the patient around the clock for healing (â€Å"Guidelines for Native American Indians,† 2004). As stated above, a Christians’ faith and belief that prayer is sacred and He answers prayers for good health and healing. When death happens, those of Native American Spirituality have a firm conviction in reincarnation and return in a multitude of forms other than human (â€Å"Guidelines for Native American Indians,† 2004). Whereas, those of Christian faith believes that once a person expires, the soul rises to heaven, but the persons’ body stays on earth. Christianity and Hinduism Compared Oldest of the world known religions is Hinduism. Hinduism is a way of life.  Hindu’s worship multiple deities, but Christians’ only believe in a single God, who created the ethereal and temporal worlds. Hindu’s adorn themselves ornamental clothing that have a specific religious meaning and some Christians wear special trinkets of faith, according to different denominations. Hindu’s are noted to pray three times a day and depending on the denomination, Christians will attend church several times a week to only once a week. Hindu’s believe in reincarnation once death has transpired (Sharma, 2002), while Christians believe upon death, the soul ascends to heaven and the body stays on earth. Christianity and Buddhism Compared There was a man named Buddha, who after many years of witnessing anguish which was related to old age, sickness, and death, fore sake his family. Setting out alone, his intent was to find life’s meaning. Buddhism (Hinduism also shares this belief), believes in karma. Karma is the belief that the force produced from the actions of a person is held to perpetuate transmigration and its ethical consequences determine the nature of the person’s next existence, a continuum of rebirth life cycles. A strong belief in karma exist, where every action has a reaction and that everything happens for a reason (â€Å"Guidelines for Buddhism†, 2003) and a Christians’ faith is that God heals all those who are ill. Christians believe that everyone has one life, one soul, while reincarnation is the belief among the Buddhist. The emphasis of the spiritual well-being of the Buddhist spiritual well-being is the translucence of the mind by prayer along with meditation during sickness. Christians’ depend up His mercy to restore their health after sickness. But if they are not healed, then they are to accept His will. The Buddhist and the Christian believe health restoration is foundationally grounded in spirituality. Supplication and mediation is practiced by both faiths, but those who are of the Buddhist faith perform chanting (Numrich, 2001). As death nears, both have varying kinfolk, pastoral, ministerial and clergyperson’s will be summoned to the bedside. Post obitum, posthumous care is critical to the practicing Buddhist. Practitioners of Buddhism believe the incorporeal part of the individual can take up to three days, per say, to evacuate the body (Numrich, 2001). The Christian believes the nonphysical, incorporeal soul ascends to heaven while the physical, corporal body remains. Summation The similarities between the Native American Spirituality, Hindu, and Buddhist devotions include prayer, family, and clergyman or women utilized during sickness and healing. The major difference between the Christian faith and the latter three is that once life ends the belief in reincarnated is paramount and the individual returns to the known world. Christians believe after death has occurred, the soul, the most sacred part, ascends into heaven where God acts as arbiter and judges the individuals faith and deeds while on physically in the world, but the physical vessel, the body will remain behind in the physical world. The utmost importance for the spiritual health of the patient is to combine their beliefs into the plan of care. This can be accomplished with health care providers allowing the individual and kinfolk to partake in specific rituals, which will support the spiritual well-being of the individual. References Guidelines for health care providers interacting with American Indian patients and their families. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.advocatehealth.com/documents/faith/CG-Native_American.pdf Guidelines for health care providers interacting with patients of the Buddhist religion and their families. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.advocatehealth.com/documents/faith/CGBuddhist.pdf Numrich, P. D. (2001). The buddhist tradition: religious beliefs and healthcare decisions. Retrieved from http://www.advocatehealth.com/documents/faith/Buddhist-Tradition.pdf Robinson, B. A. (2008). Native American Spirituality: beliefs of Native Americans, from the Arctic to the Southwest. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir3.htm Sharma, A. (2002). The Hindu Tradition: religious beliefs and healthcare decisions. Retrieved from http://www.advocatehealth.com/documents/faith/Hindufinal.pdf

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Narcoterrorism - Definition and Examples

Narcoterrorism s Definition: The term â€Å"narcoterrorism† is often attributed to Peru’s president Belaunde Terry in 1983, to describe attacks by cocaine traffickers against the police, who suspected that the Maoist rebel group, Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) , had found common ground with cocaine traffickers. It has been used to mean violence waged by drug producers to extract political concessions from the government. The most famous example of this was the battle waged in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar, head of the Medellin drug cartel, against the Colombian government by way of assassinations, hijackings and bombings. Escobar wanted Colombia to revise its extradition treaty, which it eventually did. Narcoterrorism has also been used to refer to groups understood to have political intentions that engage in or support drug trafficking to fund their activities. Groups such as the Colombian FARC and the Taliban in Afghanistan, among others, fall into this category. On paper, references to narcoterrorism of this sort suggest that trafficking merely funds a distinct political agenda. In fact, the drug trafficking and armed violence by group members can become an autonomous activity to which politics is secondary. In this case, the only distinction between narcoterrorists and criminal gangs is the label.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Historical Relationship of the Chinese and Tibetan People (The Chinese Essay

Historical Relationship of the Chinese and Tibetan People (The Chinese Invasion and Agreement 1949-51) - Essay Example The new economical and political order was created during the Soviet Union; thus China experienced comparatively immovability since the commencement of the Opium War. In 1950s, the 1People’s Republic of China (PRC) undertook a massive relative stability and social reconstruction that was desperately welcomed by the mass that early were waiting for political and economic stability. The Chinese troops invaded Tibet; thereby contributing to sudden and violent issues. The exclusive brand on Buddhism created the core of Tibetan culture and society; hence this was a drastic contrast to the anti-region principles of the Chinese communists; therefore, Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader fled into exile in India during the dawn of Chinese invasion. The remarkable culture and inhabitants of Tibet have been drastically persecuted; thus China’s anger in Tibet was seen as more brutal and inhuman than any other communist regime across the globe. Chinese invasion in Tibet The Chinese invasion of Tibet was one of the historical issues that have been focused by historians. However, despite the Chinese invasion and varied policies that were implemented and designed to assimilate Tibetans, as well as, destroy their separate national, religious and cultural identities, Tibetans people have always been determined in preserving their freedom and heritage; the 2newly created communist government in China sent troops to attack Tibet in 1949 to 1950. The agreement was forced on the government of Tibet granting sovereignty over Tibet but recognizing the Tibetan government’s independence with respect to the internal affairs of Tibet; the Tibet dishonored the agreement imposed by the Chinese and this opened confrontation to their rule, which increased; thus contributing to the state Uprising in 1959. The issue of China invasion made the international community to react with shock towards the Tibet shocking events. Many international communities such as the Un ited Nations organized the general assembly where they discussed the Tibet events on several occasions. They passed three decrees during the general congregation where they condemned China for violating the rights of human beings in Tibet; thus, the United Nation called the nation of China to value the human rights of Tibetans. The obliteration of ethnicity and heritage, as well as, coercion of Tibet people was vicious during the year 1951. The increased oppression and violation of human right of Tibetans contribute to national uprising where many Tibetans died as a result of Chinese policies. Many properties, temples, historical buildings and many other places were destroyed due to China inversion issues. The Communist Party general secretary was alarmed to the extent of destruction in Tibet after the period of his visit to Tibet; thus he called for serious and drastic political reforms. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was portrayed as atrocious and cruel leader of the Chinese administratio n than any other communist system. However, political and policy reform led to significant changes that came very slowly after 1979. Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet The Chinese invasion in Tibet led to varied changes and policy reforms; thus the 17 point Agreement for

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Control System Project for A Car Wash System Assignment

Control System Project for A Car Wash System - Assignment Example Self-generating sensors convert energy for a particular domain to another. The output signal, in this case, turns out to be zero since the signal itself is the only energy applied. For this reason, the sensor is referred to the as self-generating transducer. Self-generating transducers have no output and hence there is no offset as depicted in figure 1 below (Langereis, 1999). This aspect the reason for choosing the thermocouple sensors. Only the slope needs to be known. Â  This group of sensors refers to transducers consisting of devices into which energy could be applied by a specific source. The energy is then modulated using a chemical or physical parameter. Typical examples include the Pt-100 thermo-resistive temperature sensors and pH sensing ISFET. In the case of these sensors, it is possible to eliminate the offset through measuring of the output based on another element that is hardly sensitive to this measured parameter (Kissinger, Hart, & Adams, 1973). In this regard, a zero output would imply that all the conditions in the measuring device equal the conditions at the other device (Langereis, 1999). The choice of these sensors is thus based on the possibility to eliminate undesired signals such as unstable references. The Wheatstone bridge shown below is the most applicable differential set-up in case. Â  The sensor-actuator system is one of the commonest causes of integrated systems and may involve a smart use of data obtained using several sensors. While a typical integration may involve the joining of various structures, it can also involve the integration in data interpretation.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - Article Example Jonathan Swift begins with the vivid imagery of the plight of poor children and is able to evoke sympathy.  An important aspect is that this is so sincerely done that the most skeptical person would want to read on. Then he moves with calculated precision and creates a logical assessment of the condition of the poor. He also professes to have â€Å"maturely weighed† his calculations and proposal giving confidence to the reader to reach further down the narrative. Swift then smoothly places a dramatic twist by immediately following his preamble with the first shocking suggestion of â€Å"eating† all the penniless children in this manner: â€Å"a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.†. After this point, Swift begins to target the moneyed class of that period. He not only enrages the reader by the cold irony of his suggestions but also forces him to think by using startling imagery and saddening but stark realities of life. In a formal and methodical manner, he gives solutions to visible problems of poverty by calculating the worth of children’s flesh offered as food to â€Å"persons of quality and fortune† and other rich members of the society of that time. With striking prose filled with sarcasm, he challenges human emotions by recommending â€Å"buying the children alive and dressing them hot from the knife† as is done in roasting piglets. The subject of his criticism, the moneyed class, is woven in with a detached and mathematical precision by drawing parallel examples of their lavish spending and the worth of the poor considered as meat. In his cynicism, Swift does not spare any member of the society of that time that has contributed to or closed eyes from the causes and reasons of poverty. These include the pseudo-patriots, the clergy as well as royalty.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Research in Urban education Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

In Urban education - Research Paper Example In most cases, gender differences have been noticed when it comes to selection of particular subjects of study and overall college performance as well. In this paper, I would like to achieve an understanding of both sociological and psychological effects that single sex schools have on a student’s preference of certain major over others and also the impact that it may have on one’s personal development and ability to perform well in college and subsequently perform well in life. In the past few decades the interest in single sex education in both private and government schools has risen drastically. In fact the trend is the same in most countries including U.S, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. This has been attributed to underachievement of students and the practice of taking up gender-stereotypes subjects for study (Smyth, 2010). An individuals’ life choices is often based on his schooling and school attainment. This is simply because the quality of education at the school level plays a pivotal role in shaping a persons’ cognitive and behavioural aspects. Schooling and schooling atmosphere has broader implications on a student’s future choices and ability to perform in a much demanding college environment. Our education system regards single sex schools or sex segregated classes as an antidote to the inequality present among the genders. Single sex schools have been looked upon as an attempt to influence school attainment (Lee and Marks, 1992). From a more personal perspective I believe that the existence of the debate about the affect that single schools may have on education and career choice is very much vindicated. There exists both pros and cons when it comes to single sex schooling and co-educational schooling. In fact, the effect of such schooling is known to have more impacts on female students than on their male counterparts. Therefore, we one may say that the schooling system potentially impacts a female student’s life and

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Reinforced Concrete Walls Engineering Overview

Reinforced Concrete Walls Engineering Overview Reinforced Concrete (RC) walls are often used as coupled systems in construction of multi-story buildings because of their advantages in comparison with individual walls such as higher lateral stiffness, lower bending moments on each individual wall, and higher energy dissipation because of the inelastic deformations of coupling beams (El Tawil et al., 2010). These elements have been extensively utilized in medium-rise and high-rise building structures within the past decades. Nowadays, RC coupled shear walls are popular lateral force resisting systems, especially in high-risk seismic zones (Farhidzadeh et al., 2013). The reason behind this trend is that RC coupled walls are significantly capable of controlling the inter story drift ratio, which has been frequently used as a performance indicator in design of structures (Carrillo and Alcocer, 2012). Similarly, these structural systems are quite efficient in reducing the associated implication of non-structural elements damage. The expected energy dissipation mechanism of a ductile RC wall system under lateral deformations is flexural yielding (i.e. plastic hinges) at the base of both the cantilever and coupled wall systems, and at both ends of each coupling beam in a coupled wall system (Boivin and Paultre, 2012). Series of design provisions are specified in the current codes to confine the inelastic response at the wall base. These are aimed at ensure enough strength against undesirable modes of failure like brittle shear failure(Ghorbanirenani et al., 2012). Many researchers have conducted both experimental and analytical investigations to identify the behavior of coupled walls, and to improve the performance of these systems. The C-shaped coupled wall system (i.e. core wall) is one of the simplest and is a popular arrangement used in practice. Despite their popularity, however, there have been relatively few studies on the seismic behavior of these RC structures (Beyer et al. 2008), necessitating research on the seismic performance of C-shaped cores. One of the most important characteristics of these nonplanar wall systems is their response when the structure is subjected to torsional efforts due to the eccentricity of lateral forces. This will be more significant when the structural system is asymmetric in plan regarding the lateral stiffness and strength distribution. Such a configuration in plan of a building is prone to have large torsional response during a severe earthquake. Reports and field observations after the past earthquake s showed severe structural damages because of torsional effects (Hart, 1975; Esteva, 1987). A recent investigation by Dizhur et al. (2011) reported significant structural damages, which was apparently caused by a torsionallysensitive response, after the Christchurch earthquake in 2011. Most of the researches carried out in the past focused on the behavior of planar RC walls, including various proposed approaches for predicting their nonlinear flexure-shear interaction behavior (Colotti, 1993; Elwood, 2002; Massone et al., 2006 and 2009; Mullapudi and Ayoub, 2009; Zhang and Xu, 2009; Jiang and Kurama, 2010; Beyer et al., 2011; Panagiotou and Restrepo, 2011; Fischinger et al., 2012). These approaches were mostly based on fiber-section elements such as multiple-vertical-line-elements (MVLE) proposed by Vulcano et al. (1988). Biaxial behavior of concrete material (e.g. modified compression field theory; Vecchio and Collins, 1986) were also considered in some of these approaches. On the contrary, experimental researches on the performance of non-planar (e.g. C-shaped) RC walls subjected to lateral loads are very limited. In one of the first attempts, Ile and Reynouard (2005) examined three full scale U-shaped RC walls under thecyclic lateral loading. The purpose of the study wasto study the behavior of U-shaped walls against uniaxial and biaxial bending and shear, and to compare the design provisions required by two versions of Eurocode 8. A shell model was also developed for simulation of non-planar RC walls. Beyer et al. (2008-a) investigated the bi-directional quasi-static cyclic response of ductile U-shaped RC walls by conducting experimental tests on two half-scale specimens with different thicknesses. The tests mainly focused on the flexural behavior of walls, considering different directions of loading (two orthogonal as well as diagonal). Results showed the diagonal direction as the most critical direction, in which the maximum moment resisted by the wall was less than the corresponding value calculated by the plastic hinge analysis. Moreover, the displacement capacity of the wall in diagonal direction was found to be smaller than the other two orthogonal directions. A simplified numerical model was also developed by Beyer et al. (2008-b), and a practical approach was proposed for implementation and analysis of of U-shaped walls. The numerical approach was based on wide-column analogy, and has been shown to produce reasonable estimation of the inelastic displacement response for slender walls. Constantin and Beyer (2012) used a 3D multilayered shell element model for U-shaped walls to capture their local as well as the global behavior under diagonal loading. The model was developed using the software VecTor4 developed at the University of Toronto (Wong and Vecchio, 2003), and was found to be accurate in terms of loading capacity of the wall, but not for its displacement ductility. Lowes et al. (2013) examined three 1/3 scale C-shaped wall specimens, representing a part of a coupled RC core system, under biaxial loading protocols. Results of cyclic tests showed that bidirectional loading significantly affected the response for displacement cycles in excess of the yield displacement. At these displacement levels, bidirectional loading resulted in a significant reduction in the stiffness of the wall in the direction parallel to the web of the wall (loading activating strongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ axis bending). Recently, Lu and Panagiotou (2014) presented a three-dimensional (3D) cyclic model for non-planar RC walls, based on beam-truss analogy. The model was able to predict the effects of flexure-shear interaction, considering biaxial behavior of concrete material, and account for mesh-size effects. Although the proposed model has been revised several times and they validated the model for three reinforced concrete T-shaped, C-shaped, and I-shaped section wall specimens, the modeling approach was found to be complicated in terms of calibration of truss members and material properties (Kolozvari, 2013). The results were also sensitive for precisely tracking the displacement responses of walls in a wide-amplitude. In design of RC shear walls, the fundamental design equations are mainly based on the plane sections remain plane assumption, which is unable to capture the shear lag effects related to flexure and warping torsion. Such effects can be substantial in non-planar (C-, I- or T-shaped) wall configurations, and might affect the response of structural system in seismic excitations. A study Boivin and Paultre (2010) was shown that the seismic provisions proposed by NBCC 2005 and the CSA standard A23.3-04 (2014) for design of ductile RC shear walls buildings could considerably underestimate the shear demand, especially at the base of the shear wall system. This issue would be due to the fact that the amplification effects from the higher modes of vibration cannot be efficiently taken into account by the current capacity design methods. In seismic design of a multi-story ductile RC wall, this can produce design strength envelopes that largely underestimate the seismic force demand. Hence, more studies need to be conducted on the seismic performance of these structural systems and effectiveness of available retrofitting methods, both of which were investigated in the current study. A recent research (Pelletier, 2015) showed that the dynamic shear amplification factor newly introduced in CSA A23.3-14 (2014) allows a more realistic seismic shear force demand to be obtained for RC shear walls. This factor should be applied to prevent brittle shear failure and to account for the inelastic effects of higher modes. However, RC shear wall systems that are designed based on the CSA A23-04 need to be controlled for shear demands. Moreover, CSA A23.3-14 excludes the coupled and partially coupled walls from the clause specified for accounting for inelastic effects of higher modes. Furthermore, NBCC 2015 provides a higher mode factor Mv which is equal to 1.0 for coupled shear walls except in very occasional cases, Ta=2.0 seconds and S0.2/S5=65, in which the Mv is equal to 1.03. On th e contrary, it was found by Boivin and Paultre (2010) that the shear envelope calculated based on the capacity design method is significantly unconservative in either the cantilever or coupled wall directions. Therefore, more accurate evaluations for the future designs and retrofit options for existing building are essential.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia :: Biology Biological Colony Essays

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia Abstract The colonization of each continent by modern human populations remains an important question in our history as a species. Studies of variations in mitochondrial genomes, Y-chromosomes, satellite DNA, and other genetic markers can be used to estimate the time of divergence of one population from another. Recent advancements in technology have advanced our capabilities in genetic analysis. In particular, PCR can be used to amplify, study, and sequence DNA from long-deceased specimens. Ingman and Gyllensten studied 101 complete mitochondrial genomes from contemporary populations in Australia and many other regions. The mitochondrial genetic diversity of Aboriginals is remarkably high, similar to that found in Asia. Ingman and Gyllesten estimated colonization of Australia at 40,000-70,000 years ago and supported multiple waves of migration. Another study by Adcock and others indicates that anatomically modern humans were present in Australia before complete fixation of the mtDNA lineage, but does not establish a colonization date. A study of Y-chromosome variation by Vandenburg and others in 1999 revealed two haplotypes unique to Australian Aboriginals. Most (78%) of Aboriginal haplotypes fell into two clusters, possibly indicating two original, separate lineages of founding Aboriginal Australians. As recently as the 1960’s, anthropologists predicted the colonization of Australia at less than 10,000 years ago. Advancments in thermoluminescence dating pushed back the estimated colonization time to 50,000-60,000 years ago in the early 1990’s. Improvements in thermoluminescence and carbon dating techniques adjusted previous colonization dates of 50,000-60,000 years to approximately 45,000 years. The results of morphological dating best-support the multiregional evolution hypothesis of modern humans, and further complicate the possible ancestry of modern Australian Aboriginals. Mitochondrial DNA analysis, recent thermoluminescence dates, and the history of ocean levels coincide roughly to indicate a colonization of Australia at approximately 50,000 years ago. Introduction Throughout recorded history, humans have been defined by a desire to know ourselves: Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where are we going? Many questions are directed towards our appearance as a species and subsequent populating of the earth, -- piece by piece. One particularly large piece of the earth is Australia: a continent, a country, and a mystery in human history. Though the major events in Australian natural history have been revealed, for the most part, human history remains a great topic of debate.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Clinical Trial and Nucleon Assignment Notes

Nucleon Assignment Notes Porter’s 5 Forces Industry Analysis †¢Competition: Intense †¢Buyer Power: Moderate to High oBig pharma companies likely have a lot of power, although as a small firm, your power increases once you clear phases of drug trials. †¢Supplier Power: Unsure, Moderate? oThe case makes it sound like there’s not many manufacturers out there for contracting purposes. Not sure what power suppliers of raw materials have. †¢Threat of Substitutes: Moderate to High oLots of firms racing to create the next blockbuster drug or treatment for big money illnesses.However, most drugs fail, so the likelihood of a substitute is probably only moderate. †¢Threat of New Entrants: Moderate oRelatively easy to start a new small drug research firm. Just need some smart scientists. Funding is currently difficult to come by, however. Nucleon †¢Competition: Moderate to Low oThe case mentioned they were in a pretty niche area of biotech. †¢Buye r Power: Moderate to High oBig pharma companies likely have a lot of power. But if Nucleon clears phase II their power increases substantially. †¢Supplier Power: Unsure, Moderate? The case makes it sound like there’s not many manufacturers out there for contracting purposes. Not sure what power suppliers of raw materials have. †¢Threat of Substitutes: Moderate to Low oI don’t think there’s much out there in the way of burn treatments (need to check on that). †¢Threat of New Entrants: Moderate to Low oThe drug research process is slow, so any new entrant in this specific area is going to be significantly behind with little to no way to catch up. Resource Based View VRIO Value:There’s definitely value in a successful drug for burn treatment; it also presents itself as a possible cure for other ailments as well (i. . kidney failure) Rarity:Not many alternatives for burn victim treatment (assumption based on the case’s voice); large mole cule research is still new and rare, tough to get into. Imitability: Not very imitable, especially if Nucleon can gain strong patent protection. Also, the slow development time means that even if another firm could mimic a similar drug, it would take time. Organization:Nucleon is currently not organized to begin trials and manufacturing of this drug. They also don’t have a significant amount of financial backing at this point.Transaction Based Economics Hold-ups †¢Contract manufacturer could hold up Nucleon for more money if drug passes phases and becomes more likely to be successful. †¢Contract manufacturer could increase manufacturing costs, slow production, or create problems in quality in order to hold up Nucleon. Options Going Forward Option 1: Build Pilot Plant Pros †¢Nucleon keeps tighter control of IP †¢Can retain ownership of product rights through phase I and II †¢More flexibility †¢Can begin to develop staff for in-house manufacturing, making scaling later easier Cons Expensive (likely need more financial backing/don’t have enough as is) †¢Risky oDrug could fail in clinical trials (which statistically is likely) oProcess uncertainty; bacterial vs. mammalian cells †¢Distracts Nucleon’s financial and human capital away from their core, the drug R&D Option 2: Contract Manufacturing Pros †¢No major upfront capital investment †¢Access to experienced manufacturing facilities and staff immediately †¢Retain ownership of product rights through phase I and II Cons †¢Still not cheap; doesn’t save Nucleon much money over Option 1 †¢Risk of IP issues Contract specifics are very difficult to hash out due to the nature of biotech †¢No faster than building their own plant due to slow process of negotiating, knowledge transfer, then scale-up Option 3: Licensing Pros †¢No capital investment †¢Little to no risk †¢Simple; allows Nucleon to focus on the R&D à ¢â‚¬ ¢Immediate cash flow †¢Keep rights for CRP-1 for other uses (other than for burn treatment) Cons †¢Much less share in the profits if drug is successful (mortgage the company’s success) †¢Would likely lower employee morale, which could in turn decrease likelihood of success of drug †¢Risk of IP issues Clinical Trial and Nucleon Assignment Notes Nucleon Assignment Notes Porter’s 5 Forces Industry Analysis †¢Competition: Intense †¢Buyer Power: Moderate to High oBig pharma companies likely have a lot of power, although as a small firm, your power increases once you clear phases of drug trials. †¢Supplier Power: Unsure, Moderate? oThe case makes it sound like there’s not many manufacturers out there for contracting purposes. Not sure what power suppliers of raw materials have. †¢Threat of Substitutes: Moderate to High oLots of firms racing to create the next blockbuster drug or treatment for big money illnesses.However, most drugs fail, so the likelihood of a substitute is probably only moderate. †¢Threat of New Entrants: Moderate oRelatively easy to start a new small drug research firm. Just need some smart scientists. Funding is currently difficult to come by, however. Nucleon †¢Competition: Moderate to Low oThe case mentioned they were in a pretty niche area of biotech. †¢Buye r Power: Moderate to High oBig pharma companies likely have a lot of power. But if Nucleon clears phase II their power increases substantially. †¢Supplier Power: Unsure, Moderate? The case makes it sound like there’s not many manufacturers out there for contracting purposes. Not sure what power suppliers of raw materials have. †¢Threat of Substitutes: Moderate to Low oI don’t think there’s much out there in the way of burn treatments (need to check on that). †¢Threat of New Entrants: Moderate to Low oThe drug research process is slow, so any new entrant in this specific area is going to be significantly behind with little to no way to catch up. Resource Based View VRIO Value:There’s definitely value in a successful drug for burn treatment; it also presents itself as a possible cure for other ailments as well (i. . kidney failure) Rarity:Not many alternatives for burn victim treatment (assumption based on the case’s voice); large mole cule research is still new and rare, tough to get into. Imitability: Not very imitable, especially if Nucleon can gain strong patent protection. Also, the slow development time means that even if another firm could mimic a similar drug, it would take time. Organization:Nucleon is currently not organized to begin trials and manufacturing of this drug. They also don’t have a significant amount of financial backing at this point.Transaction Based Economics Hold-ups †¢Contract manufacturer could hold up Nucleon for more money if drug passes phases and becomes more likely to be successful. †¢Contract manufacturer could increase manufacturing costs, slow production, or create problems in quality in order to hold up Nucleon. Options Going Forward Option 1: Build Pilot Plant Pros †¢Nucleon keeps tighter control of IP †¢Can retain ownership of product rights through phase I and II †¢More flexibility †¢Can begin to develop staff for in-house manufacturing, making scaling later easier Cons Expensive (likely need more financial backing/don’t have enough as is) †¢Risky oDrug could fail in clinical trials (which statistically is likely) oProcess uncertainty; bacterial vs. mammalian cells †¢Distracts Nucleon’s financial and human capital away from their core, the drug R&D Option 2: Contract Manufacturing Pros †¢No major upfront capital investment †¢Access to experienced manufacturing facilities and staff immediately †¢Retain ownership of product rights through phase I and II Cons †¢Still not cheap; doesn’t save Nucleon much money over Option 1 †¢Risk of IP issues Contract specifics are very difficult to hash out due to the nature of biotech †¢No faster than building their own plant due to slow process of negotiating, knowledge transfer, then scale-up Option 3: Licensing Pros †¢No capital investment †¢Little to no risk †¢Simple; allows Nucleon to focus on the R&D à ¢â‚¬ ¢Immediate cash flow †¢Keep rights for CRP-1 for other uses (other than for burn treatment) Cons †¢Much less share in the profits if drug is successful (mortgage the company’s success) †¢Would likely lower employee morale, which could in turn decrease likelihood of success of drug †¢Risk of IP issues

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

No Child Left Behind Essay

The education policy that I chose is on education today and the influence of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. The NCBL is a United States Act of Congress, which includes Title 1 (program for disadvantaged students offered by the government). This Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. Each state is required to give these assessments to all students to receive federal school funding. This Act does not set the standards nationwide; each individual state sets the standards. Diane Ravitch, an education philosopher was a supporter of this Act when it was being passed. She believed that every child had the right to a proper education. As the years passed she acquired more experience and knowledge on the Act, and is now completely opposed to the NCLB Act. Ravitch believes that the states dumb down the standards in light of the NCLB. The question now is: is the No Child Left Behind Act se eking to repair the problem, or is it the cause? Under NCLB, the accountability of a child’s education is examined by the Federal government and turned into the hands of the state. This was the first time an American president has set a goal of universal proficiency in reading and mathematics for all children. The federal emphasis on literacy, reading, and mathematics emphasizes teacher and school accountability, with negative consequences when schools do not meet established improvement goals (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Under NCLB the state must have accountability provisions that include how they will close the achievement gap. According to the Department of Education the achievement gap is defined as such; The difference between how well low-income and minority children perform on standardized tests as compared with their peers. For many years, low-income and minority children have fallen behind their white peers in terms of academic achievement (Department of Education, 2002). States must also monitor that every student not excluding the disadvantaged achieve academic proficiency. Yearly assessments must be produced to inform parents of the progress of both the state and the  community. Schools that do not meet the academic proficiency standards must offer supplemental services and take corrective action. If within five years the school is still not making yearly progress, than dramatic changes in the school’s academic direction must be made. Dramatic changes according to the Department of Education are defined as follows; â€Å"†¦additional changes to ensure improvement.† The definition raises the question of whether there is a plan for failure at all. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, in its â€Å"National Report Card† shows that these goals may be falling short. Students in fourth grade show temporary improvement in math right after No Child Left Behind became a law, but returned to pre-reform growth rate. The NAEP estimates that by 2014 less than 25% of financially challenged and African American students will achieve NAEP proficiency in reading. Using the same time frame less than half the financially challenged and African American students will obtain proficiency in math. With so much pressure on the states to perform well, a trend is becoming apparent that they are inflating proficiency levels of students. This causes discrepancies between the NAEP and state assessments especially among the financially challenged, African American, and Hispanic students. With no sufficient evidence shown on that NCLB is working, the question is as follows; is the federal government capable of running our school systems? There are undoubtedly dangers in the public school system teaching a federally mandated curriculum. When one controls people’s perception of history, one controls the present. There is, of course, a point to be made that if the nations’ children are kept in watered down public schools, positions of power will be opened to the children of the aristocracy, who without fail, are being sent to private schools. So many of those Politicians who stand in the way of allowing poor children to escape failing schools, send their own children to private schools (sic). In New York City, where I have spent most of my professional life, both the current and the past chancellor of schools sent their children to private schools. Six of the seven members of the now-defunct Board of Education had  also sent their children to private schools at one time or another. One might add to the list other notables in New York-the governor, the mayor, the leaders of both houses of the legislature, and the junior U.S. senator (and former first lady). In fact, I cannot remember a mayor of the city who sent his children to public school (Viteritti, 2003). The reports of success of NCLB are encouraging to those who support the project. There have been schools in Sterling, Virginia and New York City that have received No Child Left Behind blue ribbons for their success in closing the achievement gap. Other schools have earned national praise for instituting such curriculum as â€Å"Fit for the Future,† a standards-based health and fitness curriculum for grades 1-10; and an anti-bullying intervention program in York, Pennsylvania (Department of Education, 2005). These programs are used to show the benefits of NCLB but are they academic necessities? The curriculum in a kindergarten class in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin included a lesson entitled â€Å"The Little Convincer.† In which a state trooper came into the classroom with a mechanism designed to simulate a car accident. In a discussion about car seat laws, a topic critics of the curriculum call too heady for kindergarteners, the students, ages five to six years old, were asked repeatedly which one of them were actively using car seats, and whether their parents wore seat belts as well. One child who innocently told the officer that his daddy did not wear his seatbelt was told by the trooper that his daddy could go through the windshield and the glass would cut his face and arms like ribbons, and once he hit the road, the car would roll on top of him. The dramatic lesson ended with each of the students taking a turn in the mechanism that simulated the car crash. The officer would speak softly to the child asking them questions about their class or the clothes that they were wearing and when the child began to speak would jerk them forward violently to teach them that an accident could happen at anytime. The question is, are these academic lessons that parents assume that their children are attending school for? Is placing the curriculum in the hands of legislators going to further our children’s grasp of the three R’s as most parents hope, or are they going to be taught how to become complacent law abiding citizens? The problem in purposing that the public school system is flawed beyond repair is offering an alternative that people are comfortable with. When a conversation about privatizing the school system begins many questions must be answered to abate the fears of the public. Would privatizing schools be affordable to all families? Many debates have waged on the validity of a voucher program, allowing families to choose any school they desire whether it is parochial, private, public, or chartered. Without public schools, there are no taxes necessary to support the program, and that money can be returned to the families of school aged children, creating extra funds for private education. In a system of free market education the individual and specialized institutions of learning would have to compete for students, because the money would be linked to the students themselves. Never in the history of the free market have advances been made without competition. When the monopoly on our children’s future ends, a true marketplace of ideas will be born. In an interview with US News, Ravitch was asked â€Å"What needs to happen to make the law more effective for school?† she responded â€Å"I think the main thing to change is . . . to get rid of the remedies and the sanctions because the remedies don’t work and the sanctions don’t work. What No Child Left Behind has given the United States is an atmosphere of punitiveness. The word accountability has come to be a synonym for punish. If students don’t learn, it’s the teachers’ fault. Fire the teachers. Close the schools. We’re now on a wrecking mission to destroy American public education.† Ravitch has completely rejected this Act, and believes we should do something to make our education system stronger. I questioned? Is the No Child Left Behind Act seeking to repair the problem, or is it the cause? I now have the answer. The NCLB Act sounded very tempting as it was passed by congress, and many like Diane Ravitch had hopes in such a great project for our education system, but everything is not perfect. The NCBL offers great support to schools, although standardized testing is not the correct way of determining the amount of financial support each school deserves or requires. After long hours of research I believe that the No Child Left Behind Act has taken a part in the cause of our problem in our education system today. Schools will not improve if the value is set only on what is tested. â€Å"The tests we have now provide useful information about students’ progress in reading and mathematics, but they cannot measure what matters most in education.† (Ravitch. The Death and Life of The Great American School System, pg. 226) In order to improve our public school system we must start by focusing on our schools, offering them an authentic and sincere education that encourages our students to learn.