What evidence is there for dual route model in adult reading Essay

What evidence is there for dual route model in adult reading - Essay Example on the other hand, which is the route used by the brain to be able to read new words or words that the reader has no previous experience with, or non-words, that is a string of letters which are not actually words, the brain uses phonology or the sound system of a language based on the letters being read. The lexical route is necessary for the pronunciation of irregular words, such as the word colonel, which would be wrongly pronounced using the non-lexical route. For a non-word such as spint, the non-lexical route would be used to produce a pronunciation. This paper presents evidences of the dual route model in adult reading through a review of previous researches conducted involving the dual route model. These evidences lead the author to conclude that adult reading is accomplished primarily using this model, and variations and alternatives to the model warrant further study. In an article by Gurd and Marshall (1993), mention was included regarding brain lesions sustained by previously literate adults that could result in impairments of reading and writing in patients who were otherwise cognitively intact. It goes on to mention that the paper by Castles and Coltheart (1993) should lay to rest a number of controversies regarding developmental dyslexia. They have firmly established that the functional architecture of the normal adult reading system includes two routes for assigning sound and meaning to sequences of letters. The non-lexical procedure associates each letter or letter-cluster in a string with its regular sound-value, as in traditional phonics. This letter string may be a known word or a non-word. On the other hand, the lexical procedure uses the orthography of the known word, with its known meaning and pronunciation. It was also shown that the two routes can be independently impaired in previously literate adults who have suffered brain damag e. Damage to the lexical route allowed the reader to read aloud regular and non-words well but not so

Memory Management Essay Example for Free

Memory Management Essay The difference between Windows and Linux memory management starts with understanding the requirements of memory management in today’s multiprogramming systems. Memory management requirements are relocation, protection, sharing, local organization, and physical organization. These requirements play a vital role in the processing speed response when using the computer. Windows and Linux have several similarities in regards to memory management but also differ especially with Windows being a sophisticate system and Linux being open sourced. â€Å"Linux shares UNIX characteristics but has its own features and is very complex† (Stallings, 2012, p. 384). Linux virtual memory uses a three- level page structure. The first part is the page structure which is an active process having the size of one page. The entry goes to the page directory and the page directory must be in the main memory to be active. Next is the page middle directory which can span multiple pages. Each entry will point to one page of the table. Last is the page table and refers to one virtual page of the process. A virtual address is used consisting of four fields which are the index into the page directory, index into the page middle directory, index into the page table, and the offset in the selected page of memory. The table structure was designed for 64-bit Alpha processor and is independent. Linux uses the buddy system for efficiency of reading in and writing out pages to and from memory. The buddy system splits and merges pages which are allocated and deallocated in the main memory. The page replacement algorithm in Linux deals with a simple clock which gives each page an age variable. The more times the page is accessed, the age variable is increased. A page that is old would be replaced since it has not been accessed in quite a long time. Linux kernel memory allocation manages the main memory page frames which allocates and deallocates frames for the virtual memory management. When the minimum amount of allocation is less than a page, Linux uses a slab allocation for these smaller chunks making the system more efficient. Windows memory manager is designed to use 4 to 64 Kbytes page sizes and controls how memory is allocated. On 32-bit systems, the Windows process  shows a 32-bit address which allows 4 Gbytes of virtual memory for each process which half is for the operating system and half is for the virtual address space when running in kernel-mode. With the introduction of 64-bit, systems can run more efficiently with larger memory intensive programs. Windows paging can make use of the entire space which can then be brought into the main memory. The operating system manages the address in three regions; available references the address not currently used, reserved for setting aside the process through the virtual memory manager, and committed address for processes to access virtual memory page. When virtual memory is high, the processes increase, and when they are low, older pages are swapped out. In conclusion, Windows and Linux have a few similarities. Both swaps out older pages that are no longer needed to improve the processes Window memory management is more secure and performance orientated, but is more complex. Linux is simpler and easier to maintain but is not secured due to being open sourced and need improvement. Linux was originated in a hacker’s environment while Windows is in a commercial environment. Windows has more effort through design and Linus was favored for simplicity. Each one has their own positives and negatives and the final decision is what system is he and she more comfortable with. References Stallings, W. (2012). Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Nuclear Weapons are a Threat To World Peace :: Atomic Bombs

It is a well-known fact that the dropping of the two atomic bombs near the end of World War II in 1945 ushered in the dawn of the Atomic Age. For the first time in human history, the world was introduced to the awesome power of nuclear weapons. Since that time, there have been several different nuclear threats to the world, and one of those threats can be found along the Pacific Rim, in the country of North Korea. Like the dropping of the atomic bombs, it is also known that the North Korean government has admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, and in doing so, it stands as a silent, potential nuclear danger to the rest of the world. To understand this situation more fully, one must be given some background, starting in the early 1950s. Due to the harsh differences between the peoples of Korea, and especially due to the onset of Communism, the Korean War erupted and the nation split in half, with the Communist-supported Democratic People’s Republic in the north and those who favored democracy in the Korean Republic of the south (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000). The two separate countries of North Korea and South Korea went their opposite ways, and each has experienced different fortunes in the past half-century. The South Koreans managed to recover from the turmoil of the 1950s and 1960s to become an economic power and a democracy supporter. On the other hand, North Korea can be viewed as a retro country, based first on a Communist ideology, laid down by leader Kim Il Sung and inherited by his son, the current dictator Kim Jong Il, then evolving into a totalitarian state (Pacific Rim: East Asia at the Dawn of a New Century). Today North Korea holds the distinction of being one of the very few remaining countries to be truly cut off from the rest of the world. Author Helie Lee describes this in her novel In the Absence of Sun: â€Å"An eerie fear crawled through my flesh as I stood on the Chinese side of the Yalu River, gazing across the murky water into one of the most closed-off and isolated countries in the world.† (1)

Applying the Background and Methodology of the Research Process

Jonathan HoffsuemmerA serious problem seen by nurse practitioners that work in rural areas is teen pregnancy. A peer-reviewed research paper published by The Journal for Nurse Practitioners entitled â€Å"Who Will Listen? Rural Teen Pregnancy Reflections.† There are both medical and social concerns that occur with teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy statistic shows that teen mothers give birth to premature babies with low birth weight. The social aspect is teen mothers do not complete high school and lives in poverty. These situations rank high in abuse and neglect with teen parents.Definition of the ProblemRural areas show the highest rate of teen pregnancy compared to state rates, which produces a problem that researchers are questioning why this rate is higher in the rural areas. The Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making (TASDM) is the basis this research was conducted to resolve. This theory has two main objectives that include the risk-promoting environments teens experi ence and exposure to risky situation that create the situations teens use to justify sexual behavior (Weiss, 2012).The problem with teen pregnancy produces premature birth and low birth weight in the babies. A medical problem with teen pregnancy is the medical expenses incurred with both teenager and infant. These statistics indicate that teen pregnancy result from family with no insurance and no means to pay the medical expenses teen pregnancy incurs. The social problem teen pregnancy presents are that teen mothers tend not finish high school. Teen pregnancy results in low income rates, the need for higher public assistance, poor educational, behavioral, and health problem in children.Study PurposeThe purpose of the study is to understand the decision-making of teens and why teen pregnancy is higher in the rural areas of the country. The TASDM theory indicates that environment promotes the situation of peer influences, substance use, and media influences (Weiss, 2012). The study wi ll focus on the thought process of teens as to why teens make the choice become sexually activity and risk the consequence of becoming pregnant.Research QuestionThe researchers are studying the question of why teen pregnancy is higher in rural areas. Teen pregnancy occurs because of the lack of prevention that teens do not use and why teens make these types of decisions. The essay directions were for students to indicating if the teens thought there was a teen pregnancy problem in the community (Weiss, 2012). The researchers’ directions were only one question to determine the thought processes of both male and female teens regarding teen pregnancy.HypothesisThe study does not state a hypothesis, but strives to understand why there is a higher rate of teen pregnancies in rural areas. The study will evaluate the difference between boys and girls views about teen pregnancy. The study only has one main focus, but the study derives different variables of the hypothesis. The study reviews the thoughts as to how teens perceive sex as good, bad, or ambivalent.Study VariablesThe two variables in the study are independent and dependent variables. The independent variables in the study are the essays that the students wrote defining their views about teen pregnancy in rural areas. The dependent variables are the reasons teen pregnancies occur, which include the idea of  whether sexual activity is good or bad. The study reviews the conception teens have of sexual activities, which studies the prevalence regarding beliefs, consequences to actions, and consequences to others (Weiss, 2012).Conceptual Model or Theoretical FrameworkThis study uses the theoretical framework for the study. The theoretical perspective of study analyzes the answers obtained from participates against the Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making theories. These theories measure the decision-making teens use in determining the risk of teen pregnancy. The theoretical framework weights the consequences associated with the risks and how teenage boys and girls perceive teen pregnancy. These perceptions that teens are reporting in the study are weighted against the two ground theories of risk-promoting environments and risky sexual behavior. â€Å"Using constant comparative methods, the data were analyzed using the MAX Qualitative Data Analysis © software† (Weiss, 2012, p. 805).Review of LiteratureThe literature review of the article addresses the issues of low parental guidance as a significant factor to teen making risky behavior decisions. The fact that rural areas indicate that teens view there is nothing much to do is a contributing factor to teen pregnancy. The education regarding sexual behavior and prevention methods were noted to be lacking in the rural areas. This factor indicates that financial support to provide for after school programs contributes to the notation that there is nothing to do for teens. This is a contributing factor to the higher rat e of teen pregnancy in rural communities.Study DesignThe study design was conducted in Florida involving 125 10th grade students. These students consisted of both male and female from age 15 to 17. The students were from an English class and were asked to write an essay on if they thought teen pregnancy was a problem in their community. The teens  wrote the essay during an English class in high school. This study was conducted with the approval of the institutional review board, teacher, and administrator.

Extended Family Vs Nuclear Families Essay

I remember having a carefree and joyful childhood among several uncles, aunts, grand parents and parents. I remember the playful times that lasted for days at a stretch with my cousins. There was always one of the several older cousins ready to help me with my studies and the homework. Dinner time was a noisy and delightful occasion where a big group of us would enjoy anything being served. Bed time meant wonderful stories told by grandfather or grandmother ! Having been born in an extended family in Vietnam, I had a very pleasant childhood. But of course there were some not so good times too†¦ for instance when a big box of chocolates still meant only one each . Our parents would not buy anything and everything that we asked for, as it meant that the other children would be dissatisfied. A new set of clothes , however strongly desired, would be purchased only for a special occasion or a festival. Getting a toy meant having to share it too! From such an extended family, we had to move out of the country as my father’s job required it to be so. We had to literally break away from the family bonds and set up a nuclear ( broken part of the ) family in a far away country. Initially we found ourselves lost. We had no elders to whom we could turn to for our guidance. The wisdom and experience of the family elders which was so easily and freely available earlier was not to be found. Parents were busy trying to make decisions and make us more comfortable. Every small issue seemed to a big hurdle to tide over. Slowly we got used to this life style and started enjoying its advantages. A requests to parents for a new toy or a box of chocolates or a new dress would be met almost immediately. Sharing of chocolates and goodies was on a much lower key ! We started gloating in the undue attention of our parents. But as we grew up we found that the bonding in the extended family was not there and we had to constantly make an effort to keep the family together. We became less adjusting and more independent. Tolerance was conspicuous by its absence! Both my parents and we the children, were becoming less patient and living in a big group slowly started becoming very difficult. Our individualistic thinking gave us some predominance in the society and our personal achievements remained so . We had freedom from the traditions which were strictly followed in the joint family. But it also meant that festivities were listless days with lots of good food and clothes and nothing to celebrate. The gaiety was missing on such occasions. We got our individual identities †¦ but lost a part of ourselves back home. So as a person who has seen both sides of the grass, I strongly am inclined to the advantages of a joint family. It nurtures a person into a wholesome and one who is capable of caring and sharing. The love and respect shown towards all the other members of the family seemed to be too vague to imagine. The nuclear family was a bonding only between the parents and their children. Despite some distinct disadvantages the extended family would be my choice any day and in any place.

Management and Organizational Structure Issues Essays

Management and Organizational Structure Issues Essays Management and Organizational Structure Issues Paper Management and Organizational Structure Issues Paper This document presents responses to the discussion questions posed in chapter 8 (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). The chapter discusses about organization structure, teamwork, and communication. Organization structure is the form of an organization that is evident in the way divisions, departments, functions, and people link together and interact. Organization structure reveals vertical operational responsibilities, and horizontal linkages, and may be represented by an organization chart. The complexity of an organization’s structure is often proportional to its size and its geographic dispersal. Business Situation Regarding Spectrum Brand The sections below pretend reference to the above business situation. How To Organize Spectrum Brands Using A Matrix Structure The matrix structure groups employees by both function and product. This structure is based on multiple employee reporting structures. It emphasizes both vertical organizational hierarchy and horizontal relationships. In other words, any employee within a matrix organization reports upwards to functional managers and, based on geographic requirements, may also report sideways to project managers. In this arrangement, employees are responsible to two managers- functional and project managers (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). Employees can be in one department and report to functional manager, but these same employees may be assigned to different projects and report to a project manager while working on that project. Therefore, each employee may have to work under several managers to get their job done. How To Organize Spectrum Brands Using Multidivisional Structure The multidivisional structure of Spectrum Brands can be broken down into three areas: product, market, and geographic. These are summarized as follows: Product structure: Each product division contains the functions necessary to that specific good. Product structure groups’ employee together based upon specific products produced by the company. Spectrum Brands, for example, can operate with its products such as pet food, pet supplies, grooming product, toys, novelty items, vitamins and veterinary supplies. The company can have a separate division for each product. Market structure: Market structure groups employees together based upon specific market in which the company sells. The company can sell its products to individual consumers and business consumer. So the sales and consumer customer service worked together, and corporate sales and corporate customer service worked together. Geographic structure: This structure groups each organizational function into divisions based on geographical basis. Each division within a divisional structure can contain all the necessary resources and functions within it. Divisions can be categorized from different points of view. Especially if the company is facing problem of controlling its activities on a national or international level is likely to use a geographic structure and group functions into regional divisions to service customers in different locations. Each geographic division can access to a full set of the functions it needs to provide its products. The Most Effective Structure For Spectrum Brands A multidivisional structure can allow Spectrum Brands to coordinate intergroup relationships more effectively than does a matrix structure. Since the company supplies pet products in 48 states and has more than 750 stores, departments can be formed on the basis of geography, customer, product, or a combination of these. This structure can also allow regional managers and employees to be close to their customers and, may develop more relationships that may give managers and employees extra incentive to perform well. Employees’ close identification with their division can increase their commitment, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Potential Communication Problems In Matrix And Multidivisional Structure Information sharing is important in companies like Spectrum Brands because several people may be required for the same piece of work. Because a matrix organization chart is working with more complex communication structure and hierarchy, it needs to be structured properly. One that isn’t properly thought out and executed can be dysfunctional in that it creates confusion rather that clarity. Confusing communication is always a detriment to the organization or a team. Matrix structure increase role conflict and role ambiguity. Reporting relationship in this structure makes employee vulnerable to role ambiguity. Two bosses making conflicting demands on two-boss employee relationships. This conflict and ambiguity can increase feelings of stress. Employees have difficulty in demonstrating their personal contributions to team performance because they move so often from one team to another. And there are limited opportunities for promotion, because most movement is lateral, from team to team, not vertical to upper management positions. Divisional structures normally have more managers and more levels of management than matrix structures have, communications problems can arise as various levels in various divisions attempt to coordinate their activities. As the companies grow and diversify, traditional line structures become difficult to coordinate, making communication difficult and decision making slow (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). Divisions may start to complete for organizational resources and may start to pursue divisional goals and objectives at the expense of organizational ones. Most Effective Level Of Centralization In Matrix And Multidivisional Structure Multidivisional structures permit delegation of decision-making authority, allowing divisional and department managers to specialize. They allow those closest to the action to make the decisions that will affect them. Delegation of authority and divisionalized work also mean that better decision faster, and they tend to be more innovative (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). A multidivisional structure makes it relatively easy for organizations to evaluate and reward the performance of individual divisions and their managers and to assign rewards in a way that is closely linked to their performance. Corporate managers can also evaluate one regional operation against another and thus shared ideas between regions and find ways to improve performance. Matrix structures provide flexibility, enhanced cooperation, and creativity, and they enable the company to respond quickly to changes in the environment by giving special attention to specific projects or problems. However, they are generally expensive and quite complex, and employees may be confused as to whose authority has priority (the project manager’s or the functional manager’s) Conclusions The information presented above leads to the following conclusions: 1. The matrix structure groups employees by both function and product. This structure is based on multiple employee reporting structures. It emphasizes both vertical organizational hierarchy and horizontal relationships. 2. In multidivisional structure, divisions (departments) can be formed on the basis of product, market, and geographic structure. 3. In multidivisional structures communications problems can arise as various levels in various divisions attempt to coordinate their activities. Matrix Structure increase role conflict and role ambiguity on two-boss employee relationships. 4. Multidivisional structures permit delegation of decision-making authority, allowing divisional and department managers to specialize. In matrix employees may be confused as to whose authority has priority (the project manager’s or the functional manager’s). Reference Ferrell, O. C. , Hirt, G. , Ferrell, L. (2009). Business: A changing world: 2009 custom edition (7th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Overpopulation essays

Overpopulation essays The twentieth century has drawn to a close and humanity faces the problem of being able to support its population without inducing catastrophic and irreversible destruction on Earths life-support systems. Throughout time, humankind has been living as though there are no consequences to its actions. But now, as people of the future, we see what is happening to the world that we live in. Despite all we know, these easily seen problems are still being ignored. Our actions in the past determine the present, and our actions now determine the future. In other words, we caused the overpopulation problems we are facing today, so we must also be the ones to solve them. Every day we share the Earth with 250,000 more people than the day before according to Zero Population Growth, a national non-profit organization working to slow population growth and achieve a sustainable balance of people, resources, and the environment. ZPG is the reason I have become an advocate and they have supplied most of my statistical information. Todays children are likely to see a tripling of the global population within their lifetimes. These children our are next generation of parents, voters, consumers, and leaders. The choices they make are critical to stabilizing the population and protecting the environment. Educating the youth of the future will help them to understand the problems the earth faces and how they can help by influencing and being the political leaders who can adopt responsible population policies. One problem the earth and its inhabitants face today is our lack of resources due to of the increasing number of people. Tropical forests cover only 7 percent of the earths surface, but it holds over half of all plant and animal species in the world. The rate of destruction of these resources is now so far in excess of their renewable rates that they have effectively been turned into useless land. Although 3/ ...

SAT Scoring - Find Out What Your Score Means

SAT Scoring - Find Out What Your Score Means An SAT score is the score awarded to students who have completed the SAT, a standardized test administered by the College Board. The SAT is an admissions test commonly used by colleges and universities in the United States.   How Colleges Use SAT Scores The SAT tests  critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills. Students who take the test are given a score for each section. Colleges look at the scores to determine your skill level and readiness for college. The higher your score is, the better it looks to admission committees who are trying to determine which students should be accepted to their school and which students should be rejected.   Although SAT scores are important, they are not the only thing that schools look at during the admissions process. College admissions committees also consider essays, interviews, recommendations, community involvement, your high school GPA, and much more.   SAT Sections The SAT is split into several different test sections: Reading Test  - This portion of the exam includes command of evidence, words in context, and data analysis questions.   Writing and Language Test  - The questions on the SAT Writing and Language test your ability to analyze writing and correct writing errors. Questions focus on word choice, organization, impact, evidence, and standard English conventions. Math Test  - This section of the SAT asks questions related to algebra, data analysis, and advanced math (complex equations, geometry, trigonometry).    Essay (Optional)  - Students can take the SAT or the SAT with Essay. In other words, the essay is optional. Before you decide not to do the essay, though, you should know that some colleges and universities require SAT essay scores as part of the admissions process. SAT Scoring Range SAT scoring can be very hard to understand, so we are going to take a closer look at how each section is scored so that you can make sense of all of the numbers. The first thing that you need to know is that the scoring range for the SAT is 400-1600 points. Every test taker receives a score in that range. A 1600 is the best score you can get on the SAT. This is what is known as a perfect score. Although there are some students that get a perfect score every year, it is not a very common occurrence.   The two main scores that you need to worry about are: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score: The EBRW score combines your scores from the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test. Your EBRW score will range from 200-800 points.   Math Score: The math score ranges from 200-800 points.   If you decide to take the SAT with Essay, you will be given a score for your essay as well. This score ranges from 2-8 points, with 8 being the highest possible score.

Risk Management (article Critique) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Management (article Critique) - Case Study Example CITS worked towards two different options of achieving the MIS system - procuring a ready to deploy software and in-house development of the MIS software from scratch. After assessment of pros & cons and the cost benefit analysis CITS decided to develop the MIS system in-house. However, this decision caused trouble times due to attrition of key people and lack of specialists. The project was finally completed with the help of final year students and an internal mentor who took the responsibility as part time assignment. The article finally claims that the MIS system was deployed successfully. The fundamental problem in this case study was lack of appropriate Risk Management. The analysis of the two modes of MIS deployment presented on pages 45 & 46 (Rodrigues. and Govinda. 2003. 45-46) is not promising because it doesn't take into account any risk analysis. The decision of developing in-house was taken purely on financial benefits which again may not have considered the enormous hidden costs in the in-house development process. Field & Keller (1998: 117) presented that after the risks are assessed and identified, the actions that can be taken are risk avoidance, risk reduction, risk transference, contingency planning and risk acceptance. The project plan of CITS largely ignored these aspects of risk mitigation and hence faced serious obstructions to the project due to attrition of key people and reluctance of end users in the data entry process. The documentation by CITS doesn't even include the project risk management part of the overall planning (Rodrigues. and Govinda. 2003. 46). Hence, the CITS was greeted with multiple surprises especially due to the people specific issues. The attrition of the system analyst at a time when the decision of developing the MIS in-house was taken recently must have left the CITS with only the high level design documents. At this stage a lecturer was engaged to take the project further who later on utilized his final year students to carry out the coding. The author hereb y argues that it is very unlikely that the low level designs and coding standards were established effectively for the project and hence the students might have used ready to compile codes that are available on the Internet. From the author's perspective, a project managed in this mode might have lived with high risks related to bugs, quality, data security, etc. (although not mentioned specifically in the case study). Hence, the Project Manager might have taken the route of risk acceptance given that he was able to develop & execute a contingency plan that largely worked for him. Comparing with the IS checklist by Cadle & Yeates (2004: 257-261), it appears that many aspects of the checklist were not planned by CITS. For example, the acceptance criteria, developer's skills, architecture aspects, testing methodologies, staffing requirements, etc, were not analyzed effectively in the MIS strategic plan documented by CITS. The entire plan

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, as a nurse in this situation, I would resolve the case by refusing to let the mother hold her child, explaining to her that until the child’s condition stabilized, she would pose a threat to her own infant in this case. The individual must make ethical choices regarding how to behave. This behavior can be broken down into two categories: the choice as it effects the society around the person making the decision, and the decision as it effects the self of the individual making the choice. In other words, a person can make a decision that benefits them personally, or they can make an ethical decision that benefits others and reduces the total amount of harm to society. By refusing to let this substance abusing mother see her critically injured infant and hold the infant, I would be reducing the level of harm in society and protecting the infant. Additionally, the mother has admitted inducing labor by using crack cocaine. discussed by looking at the philosophy of utilitarianism, which states that it is fine to overthrow ideas of what should be when faced with the realities of what is working in the present. I may have had a stereotype of the mother being able to hold her infant in this case, but the reality of the case subverts this. Utilitarianism is also about achieving the maximum amount of happiness for the most people. Since its impetus, utilitarianism has been interpreted and used in many ways by many societies, from political interpretations to interpretations that have affected educational systems. In short, in the case, keeping the mother away from her infant can be justified by utilitarian reasoning that shows that it represents a pervasive and effective protection of the infant, designed to maximize its health and happiness. There are many elements of the ANA code of ethics that can be seen in this case. For example, issues of responsibility for decision making and planning comes up in the

Techniques lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Techniques - Lab Report Example Calculations performed on the changes in mass revealed that the experimental mass of the NaCl was 1.464 g. The -1.942% error between the two results was attributed to experimental errors arising from the improper use of the pipets during the transfer of the solution to the evaporating dish for heating. The results obtained showed that the difference in the masses between the expected and experimental results to be small (-0.029 g), resulting in a relatively small % error of -1.942%. The % error was caused by systematic errors resulting from improper use of the pipet during the transfer on the 25 mL NaCl solution to the evaporating dish. Minute air bubbles might have been sucked together with the NaCl solution, resulting in a reduced amount of NaCl being heated at the end, thus lowering the final mass. The pipet used in the experiment has a precision of uncertainty of  ±0.01 mL; therefore the 25 mL taken from the volumetric flask was between 24.99 mL – 25.01 mL. This uncertainty is relatively low, making the pipet’s readings relatively precise, thus reducing the chances of random errors resulting from observational mistakes during the filling up of the pipet. a. Filling the 100 mL volumetric flask beyond the mark would lead to a lower actual (experimental) molarity. This is because adding more water will make the solution more dilute, thus lowering the molarity. b. The density of the solution would decrease if the volumetric flask was topped beyond the mark because the density if governed by the formula Density = Mass / Volume1. Therefore, increasing the volume would lead to a subsequent decrease in the density. a. Having the liquid level in the pipet being below the line would lead to a reduction of the mass of the NaCl obtained after the subsequent heating because the amount of NaCl pipet is less than the required amount. c. Using the pipet to deliver the NaCl solution to

Observational Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Observational Research - Essay Example On the other hand, in non-participant observation, the role of the observer is limited to that of a spectator (DocShare, 2009). The components of observational research are a collaboration of several skills. These include listening skills, non-verbal behavior, conflict management, relationship management, creativity, critical thinking, communication and analysis skills. These components are needed so that the researcher can embark on a successful observation research project. The observational research process includes nine steps (DocShare, 2009). First, is to determine the research objectives, what the researcher wants to observe and his purpose. Second is the selection of the research subjects, i.e. the people to be observed. The third step is for the researcher to decide what field role he is going to adopt, whether a participant or non-participant. Gaining entry to the research field or going where the participants spend time is the fourth step. The fifth step is building rapport with the subjects to develop a reciprocal relationship and mutual trust. The next step is observing the phenomena of interest and recording the findings. The seventh step is exiting from the field of study.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of India and Chinas Politics and Research Paper

Comparison of the Effectiveness of India and Chinas Politics and Economics in the last decades - Research Paper Example This paper is one of the best examples of comparison of the effectiveness of Chinese and Indian economic policies during the last decades. The reasons behind better economic performance of China are considered. During the analyzed period, The Chinese demonstrated a remarkable ability to execute on its social and economic agenda with the concerted planning of the socialist government and leveraging the competencies and entrepreneurial capabilities of the Chinese masses. In India`s case the observation is that even as the middle classes have swelled, the large parts of India remain agricultural, and that there are issues surrounding the rise of cities versus the continued reliance in agriculture of a large majority of the Indian population. This in turn has implications for the ability of India to do well financially and to lift its masses out of poverty, as well as care for its social well-being China achieved better results than India, because of some fundamental differences in the defectiveness of their executions relative to their reform strategies, some differences in governmental structures and existing constraints, and differences in underlying cultural contexts and political contexts for pushing growth. There have been profound differences in investments in fundamental social services like education, with China being better able to educate its masses than India, resulting in long-term disparities in the ability of the nations to lift its masses out of poverty and improve their economic lot.

Observational Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Observational Research - Essay Example On the other hand, in non-participant observation, the role of the observer is limited to that of a spectator (DocShare, 2009). The components of observational research are a collaboration of several skills. These include listening skills, non-verbal behavior, conflict management, relationship management, creativity, critical thinking, communication and analysis skills. These components are needed so that the researcher can embark on a successful observation research project. The observational research process includes nine steps (DocShare, 2009). First, is to determine the research objectives, what the researcher wants to observe and his purpose. Second is the selection of the research subjects, i.e. the people to be observed. The third step is for the researcher to decide what field role he is going to adopt, whether a participant or non-participant. Gaining entry to the research field or going where the participants spend time is the fourth step. The fifth step is building rapport with the subjects to develop a reciprocal relationship and mutual trust. The next step is observing the phenomena of interest and recording the findings. The seventh step is exiting from the field of study.

Technology is impacting daily lives in many ways, especially children Essay

Technology is impacting daily lives in many ways, especially children. Examine the bad effects of technology on the health, education and social life of children in - Essay Example With the advance of technology more and more children are no longer favoring playing beyond the walls of their homes instead their play times have been replaced with long hours of sitting in front of the TV, play station Xbox or on the internet posting videos on you tube, or on twitter and face book if not gaming online. According to Jones, R. (2005) Children need a minimum of 1hr of play per day to ensure they maintain their social life. This poses the danger of mis-information on the children who unlike adults can tell a hoax from the real thing. This ends only confusing children and setting them up for long-term mental failure. According to Graeme, P. (2012) of the Telegraph however points at an even more serious problem â€Å"a generation of children risks growing up with obsessive personalities, poor self-control, short attention spans and little empathy because of an addiction to social networking websites such as Twitter.†(para 4) Furthering this Graeme, P. (2012) of The Telegraph states, â€Å"Young people’s brains were failing to develop properly after being overexposed to the cyber world at an early age† (para 5) according to Chelsea C. and James P. S. (2012) CNN article children were on average doing more than 3000 texts a month. The report notes that unlike the earlier days children are spending more and more time in the media more than with their teachers or parents leaving the paren ting and educating to the cyberspace. The bad effect equally applies to the learning process with the internet largely filled with unverifiable health information. Apart from academic sites linked to universities, colleges and reliable libraries, many websites are full with unverifiable information. Baumeister, R. & Bushman, B. (2011) note that it is important to note that, the minds of children are like sheets of a blank books waiting to be filled. With the current

Why Interracial Dating is still not accepted Essay Example for Free

Why Interracial Dating is still not accepted Essay The representatives of different races have always been founding shelter and new home for them on the U. S territory, but in the last hundred years the quantity of immigrants has increased. Thus, it is no wonder that nowadays dating and marriages between the representatives of different races have also become more often. The main racial groups that live on the U. S territory, White Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans nowadays enter mixed marriages much more often than forty or thirty years ago, as nowadays the impact of social norms that disapprove of interracial relationship has become much weaker. Thus, the Black vice White, and Asian vice White couples with kids can be seen in every American city. Nevertheless, while racial discrimination has diminished its influence in the marital aspect, new problems have appeared for the interracial couples, and new societal attitudes developed, which complicate the life of those, who decided to tie the knot with the representative of the race different than his or hers. The number of people who strongly disapprove of interracial dating has declined since the middle of the 20th century, but still there are citizens, who insist that marriages between the representatives of different races should be banned. They explain their viewpoint by the fear for the future of children born in these kinds of marriages, and by the imbalance in the social and cultural levels of people of different races. Nevertheless, it is not the main reason for the negative attitude towards interracial dating that still exists in the American society. The main cause of disturbance about interracial dating and marriages nowadays is statistical. The history of this phenomenon shows that with the outspread of this kind of marital relationships, the married/single ratios for the representatives of most races that live on the U. S territory has changed dramatically. The roots of this change lie in the lop-sided distribution of people in the interracial marriages. Statistics says that if we talk about marriages between the representatives of different races, than White vice Black and White vice Asian marriages are the most widespread. The problem is that in most White vice Black marriages black men marry white women, and in White vice Asian couples those are white men who have Asian wives. In the 1990 Census, 72 per cent of black-white couples consisted of a black husband and a white wife. In contrast, white-Asian pairs showed the reverse: 72 per cent consisted of a white husband and an Asian wife (Sailer, 1997). The 1992 Sex in America study of 3,432 people found that ten times more single white women than single white men reported that their most recent sex partner was black. In 1990, 1. 46 million Asian women were married, compared to only 1. 26 million Asian men. It is obvious that this distribution creates severe problems among African-American women and Asian males, who feel the scarcity of partners within their own race, and have little possibility to find them outside of it. The reason is that marriages between white man and African-American women, as well as between Asian males and white women are rare. African-American vice Asian marriages are even harder to found. Thus, every year the U. S society gets a considerable quantity of African-American women, and Asian-American men who are unable to find a partner. No wonder that African-American and Asian American communities arent silent about this problem. Numerous talk shows, books, and movies acquainted the American society with the problems African-American women have. The Afro-American activists created a feeling in most of the female representatives of this race that white women steal black man from Afro-American women. This attitude provokes hostility towards white women among the Afro-American ones, and also worsens the attitude towards interracial marriages in the whole society. Asian-American males are also downtrodden by the existing situation. They, in their turn, develop negative attitudes towards white men, who deprive them of the possibility to create families with Asian women. Some researchers propose that to solve this problem white males should be encouraged to marry Afro-American women, and white women be keener on having relationships with Asian males, but the other prove it would be ineffective for purely biological reasons. The thing is that, as the researchers proved, those are mostly hormonal reasons for which black males and Asian females are seen as the most attractive partners. The scientists found out that black men are on average more masculine than the white and Asian ones, while Asian females are the most feminine. In the same time, most men see Afro-American women as less feminine than white females, and Asian males, due to their build, are considered to be less masculine. In addition to the biological reasoning, these images are supported and promoted by the media stereotypes, where Afro-American males are depicted as hyper masculine, and Asian women – hyper feminine. Nature and society dictates that a person should choose a heterosexual partner with the most prominent features of the representative of the opposite gender, thus the Afro-American women and Asian males have problems finding partners, which, in its turn, creates strained attitudes towards interracial dating and marriage in the whole U. S society. The attitudes towards interracial dating and marriages have become much more tolerant in the past forty years, but the strain concerning this question still exists in the society. It is mostly caused by the fact that due to social and biological reasons Afro-American females, and Asian males experience problems trying to find a partner, as the considerable part of males and females who belong to their races prefer to have white partners. Works Cited 1. Sailer, S. Is love colorblind? public opinion about interracial marriage. National Review, 1997

Pollution Associated With Oil And Gas Production Environmental Sciences Essay

Pollution Associated With Oil And Gas Production Environmental Sciences Essay 1.1.1 Oil and gas production generally generates massive wealth for countries and contributes to the socio-economic development in the areas of foreign exchange earnings, provision of job opportunities, improved infrastructure, water supply, sewerage and waste treatment, health care and education, among others. Despite these economic and social benefits associated with the oil and gas industry, the exploitation of oil and gas reserves has not always been without some ecological side effects. Oil spills, damaged land, accidents and fires, and incidents of air and water pollution have all been recorded at various times and places. 1.1.2 The discussions that follow will seek to highlight the pollution associated with the various stages of the oil and gas production; and will discuss the wide range of approaches used by governments across the globe to regulate the attendant impact and pollution to the ecosystem. The discussion will also suggest an appropriate strategy to be adopted by the industry in order to achieve its overall goal of finding the right mix of regulatory, co-regulatory, incentives and voluntary mechanisms to meet the challenge of world energy demands, whilst minimising adverse impact on the environment by conforming to current good practice. The environmental impacts of the activities of the oil and gas industry exploration and exploitation, refining and products marketing have been of concern to government regulatory agencies, oil companies operators as well as the host communities. The potential for extensive and irreversible environmental and social damage from oil development projects is particularly acute in developing countries with inadequate regulatory frameworks or weak environmental and social legislation. The impacts of oil and gas operations generally occur in the form of human, socio-economic and cultural impacts, atmospheric impacts, aquatic and terrestrial impacts. Human, socio-economic and cultural impacts may include changes in land-use patterns, such as agriculture, fishing and hunting as direct consequence (for example, land-take and exclusion) or as a secondary consequence in the form of new access routes, leading to unplanned settlement and exploitation of natural resources. The impact could also result in changes in aesthetics because of unsightly or noisy facilities. It has been reported that in some places where oil is discovered, the economy develops rapidly, but it is an economy of misery.    Poorly built oil camps are carved out of the landscape and bring with them many social problems, such as forced displacement, alcoholism, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDs. Oil companies and governments regularly wash their hands of the communities mostly damaged by the oil development. In most instances, these communities are left on their own to try to determine how much and what kinds of harm the oil and gas industry has caused, and to search for ways to restore their communitys health. Protests by communities, often confrontational in nature, are the most eloquent testimonies of the resistance to the general pollution of the environment by the activities of oil companies. For example, in 1995, proposals by Shell to dispose of the Brent Spar oil storage facility provoked an extensive campaign of protests by activists from Greenpeace aimed at stopping Shell from dumping the Brent Spar in the North Sea. Spontaneous protests in support of Greenpeace and against Shell broke out across Europe, and eventually resulted in Shells eventual abandonment of plans to dump it deep in the Atlantic., Atmospheric pollution results from flaring, venting, and purging gases, fugitive gases from loading operations and tankage and losses from process equipment, combustion processes such as diesel engines and gas turbines. The main emission gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, volatile organic carbons and nitrogen oxides. Gas flaring exposes workers, communities, and wildlife to pollution with various health effects. The flares pollute the clouds, causing a black rain that poisons water sources. The Niger Delta in Nigeria is a typical example of a region adversely affected by the impact of oil and gas exploration and production. Pervasive gas flaring is one of the key factors that have worsened the environment of the Niger Delta, attracting concern from the international community. It has been reported that Nigeria has the Worlds highest level of gas flaring and flares about 16 per cent of the worlds associated gas. Aquatic pollution result from production water, spills and leakages, cooling water, process, wash and drainage water, drilling fluids, and chemicals used for well treatment. Oil is often spilled during transport through pipelines, trucks, and ships. When oil spills, it pollutes groundwater and waterways, harms plants and animals, and causes damage that may last for years to resources for hunting, fishing, and farming. Even once the oil appears to have dissipated, it can still lurk beneath the surface of beaches and the sea bed, severely affecting marine organisms that burrow, such as crabs, for literally decades. These burrowing creatures are also food for other animals, so the cycle of poisoning continues for many years. In addition to the impact on marine life, oil spills have a direct impact on humans too long after the initial media frenzy has died down. For example, some Alaskan communities were affected by the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 as important commercial fishing and hunting grounds were contaminated for an extended period. Tourism was also affected. Oil and gas operations also have potential impacts on vegetation and soils resulting from deforestation, disturbance due to construction activities, indirect impact due to social change and contamination resulting from spillage and leakage or solid waste disposal. During the course of exploration oil, forests are cut down and homes are destroyed. Roads are built, and streams and rivers are blocked up. Seismic testing damages homes, wildlife, and the land.    Oil drilling can cause fires, explosions, and other accidents that endanger workers and the community. For example, in 1988, the offshore platform Piper Alpha, which was located in the British sector of the North Sea oil field and operated by Occidental Petroleum, was engulfed in a catastrophic fire and resulted in the loss of 167 lives, costing billions of dollars in property damage, and the shutting down of approximately 10% of total UK gas production. The dumping of toxic water is also a major cause of pollution. Laws about drilling in wealthy countries require the toxic water to be put back into the ground rather than dumped on the surface.   Oil companies often do nothing more than dig a hole and dump in crude oil, drilling wastes, toxic water, and other wastes leading to the contamination of groundwater and land. Pollution at the refining stage results from refineries releasing toxic waste into water, soil, and air and this leads to various health risks. This pollution also adds to global warming. The decommissioning phase of oil and gas production, if unchecked, can also present environmental problems by the disposal of oil platforms into deep waters. The end result could be hundreds of rusting platforms, obsolete subsea infrastructure and disused pipelines running all the way to land. It is important to point out here that the impact on the environment of oil and gas exploration and production operations depends on the stage of the process, the size and complexity of the project, the nature and sensitivity of the surrounding environment, the effectiveness of the planning, pollution prevention, and mitigation control techniques. While some of these impacts can be said to be the result of unpredictable acts of God, the occurrence of some of these potentially devastating impacts often result from accumulation of errors and questionable decisions, most of which are rooted in the organization, its structure, procedures, and culture. These organizational factors include flaws in the design guidelines and design practices, misguided priorities in the management of the trade-off between productivity and safety, mistakes in the management of the personnel on board, and errors of judgment in the process by which financial pressures are applied on the production sector resulting in deficiencies in inspection and maintenance operations. The Piper Alpha accident of 1988 is one of the cases that can hardly be attributed to an act of God: gross human error greatly contributed to this accident. Notwithstanding the fact that the coincidence of the final events that triggered the catastrophe was not in itself controllable, the failure resulted essentially from an accumulation of management errors. In November 1990, Lord Cullens report into the disaster severely criticised safety procedures on the rig owned by Occidental Oil. The immediate cause of the disaster was a failure in the permit to work system which caused a breakdown in communications between the day shift and the night shift. This led to the use of machinery which was undergoing maintenance and caused the escape of gas from an insecurely fastened temporary flange. Thereafter, there appeared to be a series of failures and errors of judgment which contributed to the overall scale of the disaster. In the case of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1998, the US National Transportation Safety Board ruled that drinking by the ships captain, a fatigued and overworked crew and inadequate traffic control by the Coast Guard all contributed to the enormous oil spill by the Exxon Valdez off the Alaskan coast in 1989. In another instance, the final Report by the Commission set up by US President Barack Obama to investigate the cause of the recent BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on 20 April 2010 in which 11 workers were killed and led to an estimated four million barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico (the National Oil Spill Commission) concluded, among others, that the explosive loss of the Macondo well could have been prevented ; and that the immediate causes of the Macondo well blowout can be traced to a series of identifiable mistakes made by BP, Halliburton, and Transocean that reveal such systematic failures in risk management that they place in doubt the safety culture of the entire industry.

Temptation in Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been? Essay -- Where

The Theme of Temptation in â€Å"Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates In â€Å"Where are You Going, Where Have you Been?† Joyce Carol Oates uses an allegorical figure of evil to illustrate the theme of temptation. Oates alludes to hell through the character Arnold Friend, as the devil, and his victim Connie, who invites him in by committing the sin of vanity. The narrator implies that Arnold Friend is Satan by giving certain clues that the reader can easily deduce. The name that Oates gives to the character is one hint to the reader: â€Å"Connie looked away from Friend's smile to the car, which was painted so bright it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. She looked at the name, Arnold Friend. She looked at it for a while as if the words meant something to her that she did not yet know† (583). The name â€Å"friend† was commonly used by the Protestants to refer to evil or the devil. Moreover, Arnold Friend's appearance also hints that he is Satan: â€Å"There were two boys in the car and now she recognizes the driver: he had shaggy, shabby black hair that looked as a crazy wig†(583). The narrator emphasizes the â€Å"wig† to make the reader think that he is wearing it for a purpose, which is hide his devil’s horns. Also, the fact that Arnold Friend's eyes are covered is another stragedy use by Oates to c onfirm the assumption of the diabolic presence: â€Å" He took off the sunglasses and she saw how pale the skin around his eyes was it, like holes that were not in shadow but in...

Product Red Case Study Essay

Over the years, businesses have evolved to incorporate consumer views in their practices. As a result, consumer power has become an influential force that directs organizational strategies towards ethical practices. Based on the previously mentioned view, an evaluation of Product red’s strategy provides insight on its strengths, weaknesses, and improvements. Product Red Harvard Business School (2009) argues that numerous challenges face various nations. As a result, business organizations should utilize models that contribute to projects that reduce the scourge. Illustratively, the product red strategy inspired business organizations participate in the production and marketing of RED products with an aim of raising funds for AIDS in Africa. This innovative approach of engaging public and private entities in raising funds has enabled the global fund to fight diseases in Africa. Some of the diseases that the global fund targets include AIDs, tuberculosis, and malaria. According to Harvard Business School (2009), RED partners have managed to attract higher revenues since consumers associate the brands with ethical practices. Strategy Analysis Product red business has made significant gains in inspiring organizations to produce commodities whose revenues can be contributed to ethical activities. As a result, an evaluation of the model’s strengths and weaknesses reveals some improvements that should be made to enhance the model’s efficiency. Strengths of the RED Strategy Harrison (2005) argues that Product RED strategy increases the awareness of consumers and shareholders on the application of ethical practices in their organizations. As a result, consumers and shareholders utilize their influences to demand for social, political, and environmental  responsibility. Given the inadequacies in government policy and challenges in the allocation of funds, multinational organizations may place their emphasis on capitalistic goals thus introducing negative aspects to society. Illustratively, the Red strategy has the strength of inspiring partner organizations to protect and facilitate consumer rights. The above-mentioned strength has advanced the course of ethical consumerism thus enhancing social responsibility among entities. In contrast to the traditional charity model, the RED strategy portrays the company as an equal partner with its associates. The above-mentioned strength is confirmed by the increase in profit in organizations that have participated in RED’s activities (In Healey,2013).The innovative approach has encouraged partner organizations to devote their resources in the development of RED’s products, promote the concept of ethical practice in business and generating additional benefits that simultaneously benefit the needy in society. Additionally, the RED strategy enables organizations to produce ethical products at prices that match their non-ethical equivalents. The RED strategy has facilitated the production of cheap products thus reducing economic pressures on consumers. According to Harrison (2005), high prices associated with ethical commodities have been a hindrance to the adoption of ethical goods. Subsequently, the introduction of ethical commodities with prices equiva lent to that of non-ethical goods has enabled the RED strategy to attract the drifter and conventional groups of consumers In Healey (2013) contends that effective public relations are crucial in the adoption of ethical consumerism within a society. Subsequently, the RED strategy employs concepts of the public relations excellence-theory to develop a suitable communication loop between organizations and consumers. As a result, RED strategy develops a strength that is associated with enhanced co-orientation of messages between environmental, consumer and organizational systems. The above-mentioned strength enhances availability of information among consumers thus promoting ethical consumerism. Weaknesses of the RED Strategy The RED strategy has several strengths that have enhanced it adoption in several organizations. However, the strategy has weaknesses that limit its effectiveness hence an evaluation of each weak spot facilitates the development of suitable recommendations. Foremost, the RED strategy has the  weakness of not regulating organizations based on a set of sustainability standards and social wellness. As a result, RED company certifies organizations that participate in un-ethical practices. For instance, Red’s partner Foxconn received certification despite violating labor standards in its companies. These weaknesses have enabled unethical organizations to paint images of socially responsible entities thus covering their misdeeds. According to In Healey (2013), inadequate certification processes have led to â€Å"red washing† of entities. Secondly, lack of transparency in RED’s activities is a weakness that attracts numerous criticisms to the model. The aforementioned view is supported by market research findings that revealed mismatches between advertising investments and amounts raised for charity activities. Illustratively, market research reveals that RED company invested one hundred dollars in marketing and advertisement but generated eighteen million dollars for charity(In Healey, 2013).The lack of transparency attracts criticism on RED’s efficiency and credibility. This weakness may reduce RED’s influence in the long-run since its opponents hold the view that donating directly to the needy is more effective. Thirdly, the RED strategy has a sustainability related weakness due to the randomness and one-time purchase of RED products. Subsequently, the market based approach is af fected by lack of loyalty among consumers hence its ability to cater for ARV needs in Africa may be jeopardized. Improvements on the RED Strategy Several improvements can be made on product RED’s strategy to enhance its effectiveness. In the first case, Product Red should enhance its screening capabilities to ensure that its partners with organizations with good corporate-social responsibility histories. The aforementioned improvement will enable Product RED to enhance consumer trust thus enhancing sustainability it the company’s activities (Harvard Business School, 2009). In the second case, Product RED should enhance its access to financial reports from partner companies. Improved access to financial data will enhance transparency in associate companies since the right percentage is remitted to the global fund. In addition, Product RED should introduce channels that allow direct donations from individuals to affected individuals in Africa. This will increase revenues raised and reduce overhead costs associated with the transfer of funds (Harrison, 2005). In  the third instance, Product RED should collaborate companies that offer exceptional services on a daily basis. This will enable the entity to enhance consumer loyalty thus improving the sustainability RED projects. Additionally, Product RED should certify competitive and innovative partners to attract and retain consumers. This will promote sustainability the generation of funds. Conclusion Ethical consumerism has led to the introduction of innovative concepts in business organizations. One of the innovative models that was introduced by Product Red with an aim of supplementing government activities in the fight against AIDS is the MBS. The market-based system portrays strengths and weaknesses that determine the adoption of the model among business entities. Some of the weaknesses and strengths include reduction of the prices of ethical goods, increased corporate responsibility among entities, lack of transparency and inadequate screening of partner organizations. Conclusively, an evaluation of Product red’s strategy provides insight on its strengths, weaknesses, and improvements. Reference Harrison, R. (2005). The ethical consumer. London [u.a.: Sage. Harvard Business School. 2009. Product (Red) (A). HBS Case No. 9-509-013. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing In Healey, J. (2013). Ethical consumerism.

Aviation Essay

I am an individual wanting much more than just the usual learning that is taken from lower-level of education. My wanting for excellence has made it possible for me to want something more from myself. Undeniably, the different assessments that I have made upon myself as an individual has made me more interested in the progress that I could still make e a much better individual in the field that I am involved with a present. As a professional involved in the industry of aviation, I aim for better instructions that could assist me in becoming a better manager of the staff in my chosen field. Aviation, compared to other types of transportation is a serious industry that involves much more systematic approach in management and organization. For this reason, I know that simply meaning to know what management is is not enough for this section of the learning. Being in the industry of aviation is a serious task to consider. This is the reason why further learning has been my option which I know would equip me with the needed knowledge that I ought to use in my profession later on. Through the said learning that I am expecting to receive from the institution, I do expect to have a larger scope and possibilities of employment later on. I do believe that with better knowledge on the field that I am specializing at, I am sure to receive more competent skills that would help me in acquiring the right level of employment that I deserve. The ways by which I would be applying what I learn is the primary key in increasing the possibilities of employment that I am to face in the future.

A forecasting method Essay

1. Which of the following barometric indicators would be the most helpful for forecasting future sales for an industry? 2. The use of quarterly data to develop the forecasting model Yt = a +bYt−1 is an example of which forecasting technique? 3. Consumer expenditure plans is an example of a forecasting method. Which of the general categories best described this example? 4. The type of economic indicator that can best be used for business forecasting is the: 5. An example of a time series data set is one for which the: 6. If two alternative economic models are offered, other things equal, we would 7. European Union labor costs exceed U.S. and British labor costs primarily because 8. If Ben Bernanke, Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, begins to tighten monetary policy by raising US interest rates next year, what is the likely impact on the value of the dollar? 9. If the British pound (â‚ ¤) appreciates by 10% against the dollar 10. An appreciation of the U.S. dollar has what impact on Harley-Davidson (HD), a U.S. manufacturer of motorcycles? 11. Companies that reduce their margins on export products in the face of appreciation of their home currency may be motivated by a desire to 12. In an open economy with few capital restrictions and substantial  import-export trade, a rise in interest rates and a decline in the producer price index of inflation will 13. Trading partners should specialize in producing goods in accordance with comparative advantage, then trade and diversify in consumption because 14. Marginal revenue product is defined as the amount that an additional unit of the variable input adds to ____. 15. The marginal product is defined as: 16. Which of the following is never negative? 17. The combinations of inputs costing a constant C dollars is called: 18. The marginal rate of technical substitution may be defined as all of the following except: 19. Marginal factor cost is defined as the amount that an additional unit of the variable input adds to ____. 20. If TC = 321 + 55Q – 5Q2, then average total cost at Q = 10 is: 21. The cost function is: 22. What method of inventory valuation should be used for economic decision-making problems? 23. For a short-run cost function which of the following statements is (are) not true? 24. According to the theory of cost, specialization in the use of variable resources in the short-run results initially in: 25. ____ are defined as costs which are incurred regardless of the alternative action chosen in a decision-making problem.

Air Conditioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Air Conditioning - Essay Example res and unendurable steaminess thousands of people may turn on possibly one of the biggest inventions and developments of all time, which is the air conditioners (Varrasi, 2011). The air conditioner is basically a machine that is used to control the temperature and humidity level of a space. The air conditioner generally serves to distribute conditioned air in places that are occupied, especially by humans, thereby making it more comfortable for habitation. Although there are risks in using air conditioners, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks. This paper will discuss the air conditioner. First, the paper will discuss the history of air conditioning. Secondly, the benefits and the advantages of air conditioning will be discussed. This will be followed by the risks and disadvantages of air conditioners. The paper will close with a summary and conclusion. Throughout human history, several attempts have been made to avoid the discomfort that comes with a lot of heat. To this effect, humans have made several attempts to keep cool during hot summer months. Humans took refuge in shades and found comfort in the protection that they offered against the sun and hot grounds during prehistoric times, much as they do the same today as noted by Kreider (2008). With time humans started relying on architectural designs to achieve the same goal. To-date many buildings and constructions are simply designed to take advantage of natural ventilation. While this is the case, the fundamental idea behind air conditioning found application in ancient Egypt as noted by Kreider (2008). In ancient Egypt, people commonly hung reeds moistened with trickling water in windows. The water that evaporated from the reeds cooled the air that blew through the window into the house. As this happened, the air also got more humid. Ancient Romans on their part circulated water drawn from aqueducts through building walls to keep the buildings cool. While this was the case in ancient

Super size me ( the movie ) written aurgument Essay

Super size me ( the movie ) written aurgument - Essay Example And if he is asked to super size the meal, he has to say yes. Spurlock’s reason for his position is to prove that eating products which are modified such as refined carbohydrates and sugars, products that have preservatives and products which have high calories are harmful to our health and it would complicate our heart, liver, blood and other parts of our body. And most of these products are found in fast food restaurants. He uses this experiment as his means to support his reasons. During Spurlock’s first week of McDonald’s diet he gained 8.5 pounds, which is from 185.5 pounds (Spurlock’s weight before McDonald’s diet) to 194 pounds. During the first week Spurlock was consuming 5000 calories per day which is way above the amount of calories he needs per day which is only 2500 calories. During the second weigh in, Spurlock gained 9 pounds, which is from 194 pounds – 203 pounds. During his third weigh in he lost 1 pound, which is from 203 pou nds – 202 pounds. But his cholesterol levels went up from 165 – 225, his SGOT levels went from 21 – 130 and his SGPT levels went up from 20 - 290. The rapid growth of his cholesterol levels and liver enzymes levels (SGOT/SGPT) made the doctor advice Spurlock to stop his high fat diet before it gets worse. The people who would disagree with Spurlock are the people who are behind the fast food company. The fast food company claims that they are part of the obesity problem but they also claimed that people have the freedom to choose where and what to eat. Fast food restaurants don’t force people to eat their products, but billions are spent on advertising these products. It is on paper, radio, television and internet. Plus they have this must-have-toys and playgrounds which is very inviting to the kids. Spurlock responds to this by letting people have more healthy options. Spurlock visited numerous

The Relationship between history, theory, and doctrine in the Essay

The Relationship between history, theory, and doctrine in the evolution of military tactics - Essay Example Military Tactic and Strategy Military tactics are the means and art of which an organization of army employs techniques and weaponry to defeat the enemy during battle (Clausewitz, 1832). It is the lowest level of military planning, followed by operational, and encompassed by the highest level which is military strategy. Military strategy has evolved to mean more than war time but now encompass even peace time and the strategies involved to prevent war itself (Lider, 1981). Previously, Clausewitz (1832) defined military strategy as â€Å"the deployment of the battles as the means toward the attainment of the object of war,† (12). Hart (1980) also re-joined with his description as â€Å"the art of distributing and applying military means to fulfil the ends of policy,† (page) both of which imply armed violence. However, it is also notable that strategy meant more that the use of armed violence but covered policy, political, economic, ideological and techno-scientific means of nations in pursuit of victory (Lider, 1981). Earle (1944) included in military strategy even activities of peacetime to encompass non-military factors of economic, psychological, moral, political, and technological aspects to become an art of controlling all the resources of a nations and its allies to secure vital interests against enemies, perceived or otherwise. It integrates all military efforts and policies as a â€Å"grand strategy† for peace and war time. War is the object of which should be prevented or prepared for in peacetime. Osgood (1962) also defined military strategy as â€Å"nothing less than the overall plan for utilizing the capacity for armed coercion – in conjunction with the economic, diplomatic, and psychological instruments of power – to support foreign policy most effectively by over, covert and tacit means,† (5). Third definition of military strategy included both the means and the ends so that it uses the entire state power o r its aggregate potentials to attain the whole or majority of its political goals (Lider, 1981). Holloway (1979) added in the grand strategy all elements of a society’s power to support its security objectives with the main one being the prevention of â€Å"the loss of our way of life† (19). Principles of Military Tactics There are a variety of military tactics employed in battlefield. One of them is the United States’ Army’s version which trains soldiers of the following: Simplicity in a tactical plan maintains simple concept and execution where failure points are avoided. Direct tactics can make other people understand fully their actions and the part of others. This will aid them in contributing to the success of a maneuver. Surprise will keep the enemy wondering and can be employed using subtle appearance in urban self-defense, stealth and deception in battlefield, or any daring action which is least expected by the enemy camp. Speed is doing as fast as possible whatever is needed and be ready for the next long before the enemy has time to react on the first. Security considers safety at all times with its rear and flanks to keep the enemy from doing what the combatant wants to do to them. Violence of action will destroy the will of the enemy to fight (Curahee, 2008) The principle of military tactics also cover the main objective, which is a particular aim such as disengagement from an advancing enemy or maintaining movement through protection of advancing troops. Principles also employ various practical tactics that include

Activity Based Costing vs.Traditional Approach (Sober Plc) Essay

Activity Based Costing vs.Traditional Approach (Sober Plc) - Essay Example Financial information forms the basis for much of the decision-making for organizations, and the need for more accurate information continues to grow. Ignorance of the manufacturing realities may put an organization at risk of losing its competitive edge, which inevitably results in loss of profitability and crippling losses. Traditional volume based costing techniques present numerous challenges to organizations, especially in the modern manufacturing environments, where the overhead costs continue to rise. In addition, introduction of new technological advancements in the production processes invalidates traditional cost allocation mechanisms and articulates the need for organizations to switch to new and more market aware costing systems. This paper discusses traditional versus activity based costing with regard to a case on a global motorcycle company currently in a managerial stalemate over the most appropriate costing method. Introduction Traditional costing techniques can be h ighly misleading in their estimation costs of particular products, markets, or organization activities. Traditional approach to allocation of overheads is blind to the factors that drive costs, which are known as cost centres in activity based costing (Luehfing, 2005). ... Background to the Case The senior management staff at Sober Limited engages in a heated ideological standoff because of different viewpoints regarding the appropriate accounting policy for the company. The finance manager proposes adoption of a new costing system, which is activity based costing (ABC), and highlights the fact that the method can prove that the production of one of the company’s primary products, Fireball motorcycle, is no longer profitable, and in fact eats into the company’s profits from other segments. The chairman, critical of activity based costing and favourably predisposed towards traditional costing methodology, expresses his confidence in existing costing methodology, which shows that the production of Fireball is still a viable and profitable option. In addition, the chair claims that the use of activity based costing will only result in unnecessary cost overruns for the company. Analysis of labour hours and ABC in the context of Sober Public L imited Company Sober uses traditional volume based absorption costing to allocate overheads. The company allocates overheads according to the number of labour hours, although sweeping technological changes have put serious credibility as to the relevance of the use of labour hours to allocate costs. The company has had to reduce the size of the workforce due to the introduction of new manufacturing technology. New and more fitting cost drivers than labour hours are now available, and they include deliveries to retailers, set-up costs, and purchase orders. The company seriously considering and questioning the appropriateness of traditional cost allocation methods for overheads in the fundamentally altered manufacturing and market environments. The company sells the motorcycles globally, and the

Predictiveness and the Level of Processing Research Paper - 1

Predictiveness and the Level of Processing - Research Paper Example M, 27 September 2008). Memory does a very important job which is to remember and the same has some vital subdivisions such as attention, encoding, rehearsal and retrieval. It is believed that the durability of the memory depends on the functions of the depth of processing. Going by this statement it is believed that the deeper the functions of various processes which go on in human mind, sharper the memory. "Older adults typically experience two main types of difficulty with their memory; the first is memory for names, and the second is memory for details of occurrences. The difficulty with names sometimes generalizes to infrequently used words and to names of objects, but is most evident in names of people. The second difficulty shows itself in forgetting where a possession was left, in the source of newly acquired information, and in ''telling the same tale (at least!) twice'' (Koriat, Ben-Zur, &Sheffer, 1988). It is extremely important to know about the process of remembering because it is closely related to Predictiveness. In this regards the above information is very handy. "While information-processing models of human memory have been concerned largely with structural aspects of the system, there is a growing tendency for theorists to focus, rather, on the processes involved in learning and remembering." (Craik, Fergus I. M, 27 September 2008). So there is importance given to the process involved in learning and remembering these days, Predictiveness and the process of remembering go hand in hand, the rest of the paper will explain the same with the help of apt examples. Method An experiment will clear all the doubts related to this topic and the result of the experiment will provide an in-depth analysis on how Predictiveness effects the level of Processing. There are 132 students who are participating in an experiment to determine how Predictiveness affects the level of Processing. Of these 132 students no of female students are 82 with the mean age of 19.8, so the mean age goes to show that the experiment is conducted on young students to get the exact results. The experiment showed a Power-point presentation to the students, the presentation consisted of 40 sentences of which 20 were composed of Predictive sentences and the other 20 were Non- predictive sentences. These 40 sentences shown to the students did not have the last word, in other words the last word each sentence was intentionally left blank. The organizers of the experiment probed the students to think of the missing word. After sometime all the forty sentences were shown with the last word f or 2 seconds each. After the experiment the students were asked to take a recognition test and the test consisted of 80 different items. Of these 80 items 20 were Predictive were and 20 were Non- predictive words, the rest 40 were fillers, these fillers were included to get to know the result better. The result of this experiment is on the next page and the ambiguities regarding this topic will be settled after looking at the results. Results The

Reasons for Abolishing the Trade Embargo with Cuba Essay Example for Free

Reasons for Abolishing the Trade Embargo with Cuba Essay Cuban and U.S. relations have been on the rocks for the last 50 odd years. What follows is some background information on what has caused the rift between the two countries. It is a brief history of the American backed Batista that allowed U.S. interests to flourish in Cuba, juxtaposed against the rebel leader Castro that came afterward and the lasting effects that that has had with the relationship between Cuba and the United States and the resulting embargo that sprung from the wake. After the brief history, there is a dissection of the problems and consequences that this embargo has had on the U.S. and policy suggestion to help mitigate and repair relations. Background Cuba became an independent state in 1902. From that time until 1956, with the communist revolution, Cuba has seen countless vies for power through revolution and seen other conflicts as well. For the purposes of this paper, however, focus will remain on Fulgencio Batista, his ties with the U.S.A., and Fidel Castro after that fact. Fulgencio Batista’s rule in Cuba is a sordid one. He was first elected as President of Cuba in 1933. During this period he can be seen in a generally good light, having an efficient government that instituted such legislation as the 1940 Constitution of Cuba. He left to the United States after retiring in 1944, and from that time until 1 952 Cuba descended into corruption. He returned to power from 1952-1959, which was a bloodless coup d’à ©tat, deposing the current President in what was seen as a welcome change. This time around he would be seen as a dictator himself, revoking the Constitution and embezzling large sums of money . The United States backed Batista’s rule, and recognized him as the leader. With regards to the U.S.’s economic interests in Cuba at the time, Kennedy said this: â€Å"In a manner certain to antagonize the Cuban people, we used the influence of our Government to advance the interests of and increase the profits of the private American companies, which dominated the islands economy. At the beginning of 1959 United States companies owned about 40 percent of the Cuban sugar lands almost all the cattle ranches 90 percent of the mines and mineral concessions 80 percent of the utilities and practically all the oil industry and supplied two-thirds of Cubas imports.† This shows how heavily invested in the economy of Cuba the United States were at the time. The sheer amount of American ownership, coupled with the disparity in income between classes in Cuba, goes to show where the feelings of corruption came from, which set the stage for Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959. Since the American backed former Cuban government had been overthrown with Fidel now in charge, it would stand to reason that the United States didn’t back the new Cuban regime, and with Fidel pushing most of the blame of Cuban problems on United State’s shoulders, he wasn’t too fond of the United States government. He nationalized all of Cuba’s industries, and started implementing a Communist regime in place of the former corrupt Capitalist system. Russia ever looking for an edge on American, during the Cold War, swooped in with aid and support, and in return asked for their allegiance, and to place Russian missile bases on Cuban soil. America not wishing to see Russian military a mere 90 miles away, stepped in to blockade Cuba, resulting in the well known â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis†. The missile crisis resulted in a trade embargo against the Cuban nation, and more importantly against the Castro administration. This didn’t affect Cuba much at the time, as they were receiving aid from the Soviets, but after the Soviet Union fell in the 1990’s that aid stopped coming. The American embargo stayed, however, resulting in a hole, where goods normally would be, but no longer were coming. Cubans called this period in time â€Å"perà ­odo econà ³mico especial† or the special economic period . As of late, the U.S.A. has loosened the embargo a bit, allowing travel there for people with Cuban family, but Cuba remains the only country that the American government forbids its citizens to visit. Statement of Problem The embargo on Cuba is a relic of the Cold War and it’s time to put it behind us. It’s unpopular among American citizens, and detrimental to Cuban citizens. There’s a huge untapped market for American goods there that could be a nice injection into the American economy. The resulting influx money might seek to raise Cuba’s middle class, and in turn undermine Castro. The lack of a democracy and human rights violations are a valid concern, but it is hypocritical to do business with some communist regimes, and human rights violators, and not others. Russia, China, and Venezuela are all important partners in trade for the United States of America; they are also violating many human rights. We imported $34.6 billion worth of goods from Russia, $310.9 billion from China, and $28.9 billion from Venezuela all in 2011 alone . To name one instance that happened in Russia: â€Å"in June 2011 Baskhanov helped organize a small, peaceful, anti-torture rally in Grozny, the Chechen capital. Police dispersed the demonstration, detained Baskhanov and his colleague, and threatened them with reprisals if they persevered in efforts to hold police accountable.† This represents a blatant disregard of freedom to assemble, which is in the U.S.’s first amendment. China represses the internet for its people, not to mention the atrocities done to the Tibetans. It is arguably the worst modern state in regards to human rights. Venezuela is perhaps the best comparison to the situation in Cuba, however. Hugo Chavez, leader of Venezuela, is a critic of the capitalist system, and an advocate of communism. He nationalized industry similar to Castro. He puts down sedition the same way, and their violations of human rights are much the same, but yet we trade with Venezuela. The only substantive difference is that Hugo Chavez had the fortune of taking power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Since we have already set a precedence of trading with non-democratic governments, we can look to the benefit of opening up trade with Cuba. The United States is in the throes of a recession and should be constantly on the lookout for new markets for their products. A 2009 study found that doing away with all restrictions dealing with the export of agricultural goods would have resulted in a gain of $26-$74 million in dairy products alone . Plus the irony of a capitalist country selling goods to a communist country has to be worth something. Losing the embargo because you trade with other communist nations, and because you can earn lots of money might appeal to the realists out there, but it would look abhorrent to any idealists. Undercutting human rights to make a quick buck can seem pretty sleazy. For those people it is worth noting that the U.N. has voted on ending the embargo for 21 straight years , with the United States and Israel the only naysayers. Policy Recommendation In order to foster trade with Cuba it would be important to repeal all past policies that inhibit the ability for U.S. trade, which would in effect eliminate the embargo all together. To protect American interests in the area, and back at home, we would need to implement new policy that focuses on the protection of U.S. companies seeking trade with Cuba, and a repair of our relations over there. There will need to be mediation from outside sources, perhaps the U.N. could step in, that way both parties would be getting the best of possible outcome. The policies that would need to be repealed, for example, would be the Cuban Democracy Act and the Helms-Burton Act. The Cuban Democracy Act reinforced sanctions brought up from the original embargo, stating that the U.S. would continue the embargo as a way to force the adoption of democratic principles onto Cuba. This obviously hasn’t been working, as Fidel and Raul Castro have been in power since 1959. It comes off as an excuse to retain the embargo on ideological levels in light of almost no support on the global level. Both these acts reinforce the embargo and were signed in the 1990’s. They come off as a power play, in that for trade to resume between the two countries, Cuba would have to concede its current government in favor of a democratically elected one, which is pretty unrealistic as long Castro is alive. To concede the decision to the U.N. would put good faith in global politics, and would influence other countries to do the same with interstate conflicts. It would help mend the negative light that other countries look at us in, and we might be able to leverage putting such a decision in their hands for good faith in other dealings. Especially with such underwhelming support from the global community for the embargo over the past 20 years it would help us appear humble and avoid the warmongering persona many countries see us to have. To continue with the economic discussion, when Cuba nationalized all of its industry throughout the 60’s American business men that had been operating in the area lost all of the capital that they held on the island. These holdings are estimated at a worth of over $6 billion . These holdings are in the hands of American citizens, not necessarily the U.S. government. It would be wise to recoup as much of that as possible, and if the Cuban government has an interest in trading with Americans it is somewhat feasible that a recoupment would be possible, if not for that amount, at least a portion of it. If the Cubans refused that payment pressure from the U.N. could help persuade them to do so. If the U.N. deemed the acquisition of those funds superfluous, it would then be in our best interest to agree. There’s definitely an argument against them owing us that money as we owned the majority of their economy in a corrupt system, also it having happened over 50 years ago (1/5 of the time the U.S.A. has been a country, for a frame of reference). It’s obvious you can’t just change policy like this overnight, as there are some issues that need to be ironed out at levels that aren’t just about economics and trade. We retain four Cuban nationals under charges of spying, and Cuba is holding American Alan Gross. With America’s â€Å"don’t negotiate with terrorists† attitude it’s not surprising we haven’t allowed the trading of prisoners with a country that we have sanctions against but it would be in both countries interest to allow the trade. It comes off as petty to not allow Alan Gross back into the country in exchange for some Cuban nationals. By allowing the exchange of prisoners it would be a show of good faith by both countries. Conclusion Looking at the problem objectively, it can be seen that the embargo has sprung up from the United States worry at a communist regime so close to its own borders, which was justified at the time in the throes of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although Cuba hasn’t been much a friend in the past, the embargo is an overall detriment for everyone involved and doesn’t even succeed at what it, in theory, sets out to do. It has no support on the national level, and even less support on the global scale. Furthermore it doesn’t make fiscal sense to exclude potential markets whilst in the middle of a recession. A policy that helps foster peace and economic gain for so little loss could easily be implemented benefitting all involved. It’s an anachronism from a time long past, and a hegemonic power such as the U.S. should never foster animosity between countries that are so close to their borders, that is what is the most prevalent danger: having such an enemy not 90 miles away from American coastlines. Works Cited Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. Fulgencio Batista . http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/56027/Fulgencio-Batista (accessed December 05, 2012). Human Rights Watch. World Report 2011. 2011. http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2011/ (accessed December 5, 2012). Kennedy, John. Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy at Democratic Dinner, Cincinnati, Ohio (October 6, 1960). Poblete, Jason. U.S. Claims Against Cuba, Buyer Beware. August 4, 2008. http://jasonpoblete.com/2008/08/04/us-claims-against-cuba-buyer-beware/ (accessed December 6, 2012). United Nations General Assembly. November 13, 2012. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/ga11311.doc.htm (accessed December 05, 2012). United States Census. U.S. Trade in Goods by Country. 2011. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/ (accessed December 05, 2012). Wood, Roberta. Senators confident on votes to lift Cuba travel ban. July 14, 2010. http://www.peoplesworld.org/senators-confident-on-votes-to-lift-cuba-travel-ban/ (accessed December 05, 2012).