Thursday, October 31, 2019

Dualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dualism - Essay Example It must be noted that dualist principles attribute almost equal powers to the opposing forces, whose balance is critical for the existence of the world. Even man, when considered as a microcosm can be considered under the principles of Dualism. Often philosophers have propounded theories that have maintained that man is a unique self, who is governed by a higher self. Descartes also proposed the concept of dualism in his philosophy. He has explained his concept of dualism in detail so that it makes sense to his readers who may be inclined to approach philosophy with a critical and analytical mind. Descartes acknowledges the existence of a spiritual reality, which he calls God, that exists beyond the plane of the human mind and intelligence. He also stresses that the mind, body, and intelligence and entities that are distinct from the supreme reality, which is the cause of the universe. Hence, he says that God and the human mind are different entities and that the entity called God is the causative reason for the mind, which is again controlled by the entity called God. Descartes developed his idea of dualism in similar lines to how Aristotle developed his views on philosophy. Descartes questioned his very senses and existence and tried to derive solutions from the doubts that arose in his mind. This sequence of questioning and answering helped him to derive his philosophy, which was developed on the basis of sequential negation and analysis. Descartes proceeds in this manner to derive the logic that his mind and body are two different substances. He finds that it is possible for him to doubt the existence of his body, without doubting his own existence. Hence, he must be a mind distinct from a body. Expanding on the existence of the body and the substances that make it up, he argues that each substance is similar to his body. They extend into space, are divisible, and obey

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Evaluate the success of European monetary union to date Essay

Evaluate the success of European monetary union to date - Essay Example In the years that it has been in existence, the euro has widely grown to be recognized as an international currency, and thus, it has enjoyed benefits of the world’s stable market and endured the times of instability. The first idea that gave birth to embryo of the European Monetary Union can be traced back to R. Mundell’s theory of optimum currency areas of 1961 and that of R. McKinnon of 1963. However, it was until 1978 that an idea on the European Monetary System was proposed (Overturf, 1997 p. 14). The proposed European Monetary System (EMS) had various components that included; financial support mechanism (FSM), European Monetary Cooperation Fund (EMCF), exchange rate mechanism (ERM), and the European currency union (UCU). From the inception, the implementation of the European monetary Union in itself was a major triumph. As the ambitious program began to be operational, the countries that were under the union realized many benefits and costs, and in some instances, experienced serious flaws. In a real sense, unification of the currency helped to enhance the condition of the single market since it permitted all transactions to be conducted in one single currency. In that case, application of a single currency helped to improve competition among the member countries and also made the entire European economy to be more compatible with the global market. Because competition among the member states was enhanced, the consumers benefitted immensely because they had a wider range of choice, better quality, and reduced prices. The use of a single currency also helped to attract foreign investment, particularly in areas that were least developed. The use of a single currency within the European countries has ensured stability and positive inflation in most of the years that it has been under operation. The concept of money, as a means of measurement, can assist in

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Leadership Skills in Public Health

Leadership Skills in Public Health Public Health Competence By carrying out preventive medicine and communicable disease control, occupational health, food safety, and disaster response programs a good public health leader exercises a sense of responsibility. This is a good attribute of a public health leader who is able to relate well to the ground in respect to the above issues. By carrying out all the assigned duties and disseminating to the relevant staff within a public officer fulfill all the doubtful acts that responsibility is not being undertaken. A pubic health leader’s work ranges from diverse areas and in order to fulfill the required fields he or she had to assign various duties to his colleges. Without a good sense of responsibility, effective work performance will not be put in place which might end up putting the public at risk since poor service deliver y will be delivered .therefore a good public health leader should be one who is able to exercise effective responsibility in a senses that they are able to be judged ac cording to how dissemination of what has been assigned to the m has occurred. A good public health leader should be able to establishes and maintain contact with medical treatment facility and local public health agencies to ensure an integrated public health program flows between all the sectors. The medical sector .without a continuous flow of events service delivery will be impossible which requires that a public health officer should resolve to having good communication skill that enable effective passage of information from one section to another. Courageous As a public health leader, one must emulate courage in order to be decisive person. A good public health leader ought not to be afraid of failure since without this, he or she will not be able to function as a leader. One should have the courage to maintain their convictions or go with a gut instinct. A good public health leader should always admit that a mistake has been committed without hesitation showing how brave one is in the tackling of the environment. Skillful This attribute will be able to ensure that a public health leader lays down corrective mechanism that are able to ascertain aspect which show that he or she is capable of undertaken the task in hand. This will involve showing of skill knowledge and the aptitude by the leader. A skillful public health leader carries out al the necessary task making his or her colleges follow due to extra ordinary character that he or she will display in managing a given scenario. Health issues art the most complex task that t a leader might handle since this are real life situation that unless taken seriously into consideration, loss of life might occur. Therefore a public healthy leader should be able to tackle the hardest thing that surrounds the immediate environment since he or she has the necessary skill available. The skills can range from practical, mental and technical skills. A good public health leader should emulate good advisory skill which bears in mind on how advises will be given out on military public health issues, manning, and training. This is a fundamental aspect that requires great attention. Advising on critical issues requires that one has good counseling skill that enable him or her put into practice what is needed. Influential in the sense that even when carrying out various developments he or she will be able to initiates, nonstop and conduct preventive medicine and communicable disease control programs .being influential requires that one will be able to disseminate all that is required to all the colleges therefore boosting the morale of what is being done. Patience gives clear characteristics of a public health officer who will, be able to clarify all that is needed before acting upon them. For example when the employees are unable to clearly clarify or understand what is being talked about, the public health leader ought to verify it in details and make sure that all the tasks assigned to the are done according to the intended purposes. A good public health leader should embrace loyalty in that he or she should be able to perform mutually to the colleges what seems desirable by all since unless this is emulated ,the same will be fall him making progression in this sector top reduce by a large margin. Flexible Having such attributes a public health leader will be able to change from one aspect to the other successfully ensuring that effective measures are put in place to minimize lost efforts. With these qualities a public health leader will be able to adapt to the immediate environment when fluctuations arise .this in reality entails a leader who has the intellectual capabilities of focusing on the prediction of what is to occur. Take an example where an outbreak of a specific epidemic occurs, flexibility of this situation will be determined by the leader. Being resilient will enable the leader to ensure that failure is an opportunity to expand to the real life scenario without fearing what might succumb to them but tackling it with ease with resilience, public health leaders should consider every failure as a step closer to the realization of their dreams. A leader has to lay down good examples to others, taking a role model position .All servant’s employees and staff would like to emulate what they see that is positive and that doing this is the person in charge of their affairs. Public health officers should bear this quality such that what is perceived by them to be a right perspective still remains to be so by the other team players. By being a role model the public health officer embraces a sense of confidence which also is gained by the other team players and with this service delivery in highly enhanced. Tackling some issue in the public health sector requires great confidence in the interest of the public sefty.For example when some gaseous poisonous substances have spilled in the air, the public health sector has to make appropriate action in the determination of the root cause of this phenomena. To an ordinary person without skills, training and confidence, doing this task will be a great risk to life, however if one i s trained, the confidence usually inspired by the trainer who in this case is the leader of the public health sector keeps them going. Conclusion A good public health leader should instigate buoyancy in others and be persistent in a crisis. Though this sector is a tough one to tackle leaders her should embrace one another and come together to solve the relevant problems that exist within the locality. Good listening skill should be developed since communication is a two way traffic, therefore leaders should try as much as possible to be good listeners. Through the devising of new ways and means of communicating a smooth flow of events will prevail therefore saving on other irrelevant costs that might occur. Management and leadership should go hand in hand in that though leaders are people are followed by other people through their own choice and managers have to be obeyed; these two disparities have to be merged in order to come up with a formidable action plane that will be able to facilitate smooth flow of events The public health leader has to have the capacity of embracing new talent and nature it. Sincerity and reliabilit y are particularly significant for any good leader embracing realistic goals. By setting goals a good public health leader will be setting avenues that lead to the attainment of the goals. This targets when attained should be credible to the participants who took part in the achieving of results unlike praising the leader. The public health sector being the toughest areas to tackle should be reformed such that there is always the division of labor. This will enhance inventions and innovations which will give out the definition of development through the total commitment and support from the whole team.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Siddhartha’s Influences :: Siddhartha Herman Hesse

Siddhartha’s Influences In the novel Siddhartha, Herman Hesse used other characters to let Siddhartha grow both intellectually and spiritually. During the course of his journey, Siddhartha encountered many people and experienced different ways of living and thinking about life. Each person taught him something about himself and the world around him. Siddhartha’s childhood friend, Govinda, educated him about the importance of choosing a path in his own life. Govinda had always been a step behind Siddhartha, following every decision he made. The one time he stepped out on his own, to accept the Buddha, he was merely following the path of thousands of others. Siddhartha saw this and he learned that he had to listen to himself even if he wound up making a wrong decision. Meeting with Govinda at the end of the novel reinforced his thought that one had to have experience in order to attain Nirvana -- not someone else’s knowledge. After following Gotama for years Govinda still hadn’t reached peace although Siddhartha had. Siddhartha had done things many would consider wrong and immoral and yet he reached something that many others wanted so desperately because he had experience. The beautiful courtesan, Kamala, taught Siddhartha the importance of love along with the pleasures of it. While in the town of Samsara, he was introduced to a life of luxuries by her. She taught him how to please a woman and how to keep her satisfied. He also learned how to gamble and the art of running a business from her friends. Although Siddhartha felt moments of joy, nothing fulfilled the longing in his soul. Over the years, one of the more important lessons he gained from Kamala was that he could have this life of pleasurable things and yet still yearn for a deeper meaning in his heart. Vasudeva, the ferryboat captain, was the most important person in Siddhartha’s life. If he hadn’t allowed Siddhartha to live with him and share the beauty of the river, Siddhartha may have never reached Nirvana. Sitting with his pupil by the water and forcing him to listen and look into the depths led Siddhartha to his place of peacefulness.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Covering Letter for Acca Course

August 21, 9999 XYZ University International Admissions Office XYZ Street, London, UK Dear Sir/Madam: I am a senior consultant at Alpha Beta Pvt Ltd. , and would like to pursue ACCA course at XYZ University. I am very much interested to make a career in the field of Accounting and Finance which has always intrigued me on the magic of numbers and their impact on business and society at large. And I found that my interest lies in Accounting/Assurance, where I can best use my numeracy and analytical skills.I would like to pursue my further education in Accounting with a global qualification as ACCA which would provide me an excellent start in core accountancy skills there by helping me build a successful career in finance. Also the work experience, I gained in Human Resources in management level would put me in a superior position to better comprehend some of the management level papers of ACCA course. After all my research on where to study for ACCA, I found XYZ University to be the be st place to study and prepare for an ACCA global qualification.I am excited about XYZ’s world class teaching commitment towards accounting for which it has been known for many years and I am keenly looking forward to be a part of XYZ. At 10+2 level, my concentration was in Maths, Physics and Chemistry, which has strengthened my analytic skills. And my work experience all these years in Operations and Human Resources has broadened my understanding of the economics of business growth and development. And my work experience with Alpha Beta and Sigma Omega over the last four years gave me the experience and confidence to work in a dynamic, fast-paced organization where learning uickly and attention to details are instrumental to success. As a member of the recruitment operations, I had chance to interact with senior management from global firms like Invesco Ltd, Franklin Templeton, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Capgemini which has further aided my business understanding. And acquiring global financial qualification like ACCA would surely help in enhancing my finance and business understanding along with my analytical skills using which I can make a mark for myself with the support and guidance from XYZ.In order to gain hands on basics in Accounting before I start ACCA course with BPP, I have registered myself with The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) which is the awarding body for Chartered Accountants in India, with which I am studying Fundamentals of Accounting along with General Economics, Mercantile Law and Quantitative Aptitude. Thank you for your consideration. I very much look forward to the opportunity to get trained for my ACCA qualification by XYZ. Sincerely, ABC GYC

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse PREFACE

To my husband, Pancho, for your patience, love, friendship, humor, and willingness to eat out. And also to my children, Gabe, Seth, and Eli, for letting me experience the kind of love that people freely die for. Fire and Ice Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. Robert Frost PREFACE ALL OUR ATTEMPTS AT SUBTERFUGE HAD BEEN IN VAIN. With ice in my heart, I watched him prepare to defend me. His intense concentration betrayed no hint of doubt, though he was outnumbered. I knew that we could expect no help – at this moment, his family was fighting for their lives just as surely as he was for ours. Would I ever learn the outcome of that other fight? Find out who the winners and the losers were? Would I live long enough for that? The odds of that didn't look so great. Black eyes, wild with their fierce craving for my death, watched for the moment when my protector's attention would be diverted. The moment when I would surely die. Somewhere, far, far away in the cold forest, a wolf howled.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Amazing and Practical Uses of Hagfish Slime

The Amazing and Practical Uses of Hagfish Slime Hagfish slime is a gelatinous, protein-based substance secreted by hagfish in response to a threat. This gooey material has a surprising number of uses, and its unique properties may influence the future design of everything from clothing to missile defense. Key Takeaways: Hagfish Slime Hagfish slime is a protein-based, jelly-like substance emitted by hagfish as protection against predators.The slime is made up of strands that are stronger than nylon, thinner than human hair, and very flexible.  Because of these unusual properties, hagfish slime is used to produce durable, environmentally-friendly fabric. The slime has many other potential uses, which are being researched. Meet the Hagfish The hagfish is a slime-producing marine fish known for its lack of eyes and eel-like appearance. However, despite being nicknamed slime eels, these unique creatures arent eels at all. Rather, the hagfish is  jawless fish that possesses a skull, but no vertebral column. Its body is made up entirely of cartilage, like human ears and noses or the body of a shark. Because hagfish do not have skeletal systems, they can tie their bodies into knots. They often perform this feat while eating to increase the strength of their bite, and emitting slime to prevent the substance from choking them. Hagfish don’t have jaws, but they  do have two rows of â€Å"teeth† made of keratin, the same fibrous protein that  makes up the hair, hooves, and horns of other animals. They are scavengers that feed  on marine invertebrates and the carcasses  of marine life found on the seafloor. They dont have to rely on their teeth, either – theyre capable of absorbing nutrients through their bodies, and they can survive for months without eating. Hagfish are an important part of the marine ecosystem, and the slimy sea-dwellers are considered a delicacy in Korea. There is even a National Hagfish Day (the third Wednesday in October)  to celebrate the contributions of this unusual scavenger. The Characteristics of Hagfish Slime When a hagfish feels threatened, it releases  hagfish slime, a  protein-based, jelly-like substance  from  slime pores that run the length of its body. The slime is a thick glycoprotein excretion called mucin, which is the primary substance in mucus, commonly referred to as snot or phlegm. Unlike other types of mucus, however, hagfish slime doesn’t dry out.   The mucin is made up of  long, thread-like fibers, similar to  spider silk. These strands, which are arranged in bundles called skeins, are thinner than human hair, stronger than nylon, and extremely flexible.  When the skeins come into contact with seawater, the glue holding them together dissolves, allowing the slime to expand rapidly. It is said that one hagfish can fill a five-gallon bucket with slime in only a few minutes.  The slime  fills  the mouth and gills of  the hagfish’s  attacker, allowing  the hagfish  to escape. If a hagfish gets trapped in its own slime, it removes the gooey mess by tying its body into a knot. It then works the knot down the length of its body, pushing the slime off the end.   The Uses of Hagfish Slime Because of the strength, flexibility, and rapid expansion of hagfish slime, scientists are very interested in its potential uses. Researchers are experimenting with methods of creating man-made slime, since extracting the substance directly from hagfish is expensive and  stressful for  the animal. There are many possible  applications for hagfish slime. Hagfish are already used for making products such as â€Å"eel-skin† bags. The  strong, flexible fabrics made from hagfish slime could replace petroleum-based materials like nylon; the resulting fabric would be more durable and environmentally-friendly. Hagfish slime could be used in protective gear such as safety helmets and Kevlar vests. In the auto industry, hagfish slime could be used in airbags or to add lightweight strength and flexibility to car parts. Scientists think they may be able to use hagfish slime to create hydrogels that could be used in disposable diapers and farm irrigation systems. The U.S. Navy is currently working with hagfish slime in hopes of creating a substance that can protect divers from underwater attacks, fight fires, and even  stop missiles. Other  applications for hagfish slime include  tissue engineering and  replacing damaged tendons. Sources Bernards,  Mark A. et al. Spontaneous Unraveling Of Hagfish Slime Thread Skeins Is Mediated By A Seawater-Soluble Protein Adhesive.  Journal Of Experimental Biology, vol 217, no. 8, 2014, pp. 1263-1268.  The Company Of Biologists, doi:10.1242/jeb.096909.Mapp, Katherine. US Navy Synthetically Recreates Biomaterial To Assist Military Personnel.  Navy.Mil, 2017, navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id98521.Pacific Hagfish. Aquarium of the Pacific. aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/pacific_hagfish.Winegard, Timothy et al. Coiling And Maturation Of A High-Performance Fibre In Hagfish Slime Gland Thread Cells.  Nature Communications, vol 5, 2014.  Springer Nature, doi:10.1038/ncomms4534.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Bringing Tobacco Into Canada

Bringing Tobacco Into Canada If youre a Canadian traveling abroad and discover a new kind of pipe tobacco you know your grandfather would like, can you bring it home with you and get it through customs?   There are some specific rules about how much and who can bring tobacco into Canada. Its wise to be familiar with these rules before you get to the customs line; otherwise, your wish of bringing tobacco products home with you could go up in smoke. Returning Canadians, visitors to Canada, and people moving to settle in Canada are allowed to bring a limited amount of tobacco into Canada with certain restrictions. You must be over the age of 18 for any of these rules to apply, however, and you can only bring tobacco products for your own personal use. A special duty applies to cigarettes, tobacco sticks or loose tobacco unless they are marked with an excise tax stamp reading DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ (droite  acquittà © is French for duty paid).  Canadian-made products sold at duty-free shops are marked this way. Here are the specific limits and kinds of tobacco products that a Canadian can bring through customs under his or her personal exemption (the personal exemption allows Canadians to bring goods of a certain value into the country duty- and tax-free). 200 cigarettes50 cigars200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco200 tobacco sticks These limits apply to tobacco products as long as they accompany the person bringing them into Canada (in other words, you cant ship or import the tobacco separately like you can with some other goods). If you bring in more than allowed under your personal exemption, youll pay any applicable duty on the excess amount. How to Report Tobacco Products at Customs The amount you claim for your personal exemption must be reported in  Canadian dollars. If you arent sure of their value, you can use a foreign currency exchange converter, and enter the amount you paid for the items (keep those receipts) and the currency used.   And an important note for Canadian citizens and temporary residents: the length of time youve been out of the country determines what youre allowed to claim as your personal exemption. If its been less than 48 hours, your tobacco products will be subject to the usual duties and taxes. Try to have any tobacco products readily available when you arrive at the country border. Digging through your luggage to find those cigars or cigarettes will only make the process take longer. Try not to forget the emergency pack of cigarettes you have stashed in your pocket; you have to declare all tobacco products, even open packages.   Taking Tobacco to Other Countries Canadians traveling to other countries should become familiar with the rules about bringing Canadian tobacco products with them before they depart. The rules can vary considerably from one country to the next (even for Canadas neighbors to the south).

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Professional Resume Writer Wants to See Clients Land Their Dream Jobs

Professional Resume Writer Wants to See Clients Land Their Dream Jobs This past Sunday, thanks to the hard work of my publicist Scott Becher, I was featured in the â€Å"Executive QA† section of the Wisconsin State Journal. I invite you to take a look and find out more about how I got to where I am today. Some teasers on what you will discover: Why transitioning from a lawyer in NYC to a resume writing business owner in Madison, WI was not as huge a leap as it might seem Why I made that leap and why I’m glad I did What the story is with certified resume writers What makes Madison, WI an ideal place to live and to start a business Why job seekers will benefit from hiring a professional resume writer How I helped an executive land a job as a sorority house mother What success means to me What’s coming next for The Essay Expert (stay tuned for my New Year’s Ressaylutions for more on that topic)! Please enjoy the read, and share with anyone in your life, especially those at an executive career level, who would benefit from an expertly written resume and LinkedIn profile. This is college admissions season as well, and deadlines are approaching, so if you know someone who is struggling with an application essay, send them my way! As the holidays approach, I also recommend you check out an article I wrote last year on how to increase your happiness by giving gifts. Have a wonderful start to your holiday season! Save Save Save Save

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Modernism - Essay Example The researcher states that modernism was a rebellion against realism. It is argued that modernism is the rejection of tradition and its inequities. In another dimension, modernism encompasses of actions of those that felt that the traditional forms of art, literature, social organization and real life were becoming obsolete and that they were not going in line with new social economic and political situations of an emerging industrialized world. The assertion by Henry James that ‘the whole of anything is never told’ could be both true and false. The novel is about dreams that do not come true. This can be argued to be intercession on wishes, hopes, success and failure on what life would do to a strong and imaginative woman of the nineteenth century who supposedly has almost everything and almost every person to presume that all her wishes and hopes would be realized. In other words, the whole story is about hopes and disappointments in life. In fact, the novel is an outl ine of the big cosmopolitan world of European culture and history which is composed of big ambitions, riches, class and above all, what such a life would do to people of such a culture. One thing that interested James is the idea of imagination as an instrument of thought. According to James, it is through the working of his characters’ imagination or lack of it that he was able to define their destinies. However, the meaning of imagination according to James is a very large subject which is evident by the way the word has been used and scattered all over his work. However, according to James, the definition of imagination could be narrowed to mean among other things, what turns observed experience into understanding (James and Luckhurst 2009). Given that James is a realist, imagination should be a product of other primary factors such as real knowledge and real experience which in the case of the novel, lacks from the woman character. Nonetheless, the imagination according t o James is much more applicable in real life and should be intense and active normally accompanied by knowledge (Matthiessen and Kenneth, Murdock 1947). The woman character in the story is seen to lack knowledge and instead mistakes beauty for truth. Due to lack of knowledge, she fails to see the real picture of the man she falls in love with (James and Luckhurst 2009). Amazingly, the man she falls in love displays his disregard for money, something she takes as evidence that the man has no greed for money while in the real sense, the man’s disregard for money is actually nothing but greed. In fact, according to the woman character in the story, human wishes without knowledge acts as a barrier towards getting the real picture of the situation (James and Luckhurst 2009). The wishes act as a shadow as they make individuals create a picture of wishes towards other individuals and situations as a quench of justifying their wishes to be true. It is very real that even when wishes covers the truth in real life situations, especially when people ironically present the art of living in a different perspective, people are unable to discover the masking of such individuals even when something warns them. In the case of the woman in the story, the man she falls in love with presents himself with ironic elegant about the art of living though he has such a look of plentitude and fulfillment, something the woman is enchanted about though in her enchantment, something warns her but she goes unheeded (James and Luckhu

Friday, October 18, 2019

Discussion Questions Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussion Questions Week 5 - Essay Example They select fruit juice. Passing the grocery shelves to explore options, the consumer sees fruit juice on the Sunshine label and picks up the bottle only to realize in the post-purchase situation that the product did not fulfill their needs. The ethical problem in this situation is one of being misled and the company should reconsider new positioning tactics which are low cost and easy to incorporate. Instead of focusing on the product’s attributes, a new positioning tactic should be decided which focuses less on the product and more on quality. Rather than calling Sunshine a fruit juice, it could be marketed as a quality fruit juice substitute to undo any negative public relations damage done by the consumer and government groups. In this situation it was probably not an intentional deception, however the company does maintain the responsibility to be as truthful as possible to avoid losing customers and reputation. Technology impacts marketing in a variety of ways, including how quickly the marketing message can be received by the consumer as well as how many consumers can be reached. For example, in a form of mass advertising, e-mail and mobile handset devices can target willing buyers who have already shown an interest in the product by signing up for auto promotional alerts. Those consumers who might have visited the company’s website can receive exclusive coupons, as another positioning strategy, to build loyalty in a way that the bricks-and-mortar sales environment could not. Technology also impacts methods and activities of distribution, as new software programs designed to enhance internal warehousing functions can minimize labor costs associated in the supply chain or any other number of cost reductions. More efficient external partners can minimize the risks and costs of marketing. This is an important improvement when marketing budget is on the line. From a business to business view, technology such as the VoIP, or voice

INformational interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INformational interview - Essay Example She didn’t advise immediate specialization unless I want to pursue a very focused career, such as school counseling or psychometry. A broad based education which also includes courses from counseling, reading specialization, learning disabilities, educational leadership, and teaching English as a second language is very important. The courses in these areas help to prepare an applicant with a theoretical understanding of many areas within education. The value of a college education is that it exposes a person to the underlying foundation of a discipline of practice, making the individual broad based and flexible in more ways than a technical education. All the classes taken in the course of a university degree aren’t so much individually important as the global effects of having taken them. A college education reminds employers that one is able to comprehend specific and complex information, understand the self-discipline required to see the job through, and remind them that the employee knows the value of and how to do research to find what is needed to present information intelligently; it shows ability to problem-solve, perform critical and analytical thinking, and apply it to innovative approaches. The application of classroom theories helps a person to be able to fulfill many different roles within an organization, making a valuable contribution to the company. This, in turn, translates to job security. If starting over, the interviewee said she would diversify her education as much as possible to focus on many aspects within the general discipline. She would have included more practicums and opportunities for hands-on training while under a preceptor’s guidance. She would have included more leadership and learning disabilities courses as well. In today’s world, employers need a jack of all trades and a master of some of those trades. In teaching young children, it is not enough to just understand something education and its del ivery systems, one must have a passion for helping young people start their lives; a willingness to be a positive role model and mentor. Her area of preference is teaching English as a second language to elementary school children, this is where the interviewee feels the most fulfilled. She enjoys showing students as well as their parents how reading and communication skills in another language are very important to success in this culture. In addition to her duties school, she was often required to attend as well as workshops to the community at large, create educational booths at public events, and conduct after hours’ parent meetings and consultations. It was a challenge she seemed to enjoy. She said that’s what made her day job doable. The biggest challenge this interviewee faced in performing her position was finding funding for outreach programs to help indigent children get the reading and communication skills they need. There is such a need for information in t he communities at an approachable level. Many times indigent parents simply don’t trust the public education system in general so she had to find innovative ways to reach these families to provide services, while at the same time also finding funding for the project. The most important characteristics a person in teaching can develop are the ones associated with

Industry - Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industry - Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example Industry-Strategic Analysis This industry comprises of a number of establishments known as ‘Home Centers’ that are primarily engaged in retailing of products relevant to the repair and maintenance of homes. Such goods include lumbers, plumbing, electrical goods, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden supplies. Home centers also provide building materials and other consumer goods relevant with the repair and maintenance (census.gov). These goods are either purchased from domestic or international manufacturers of suppliers. Operators then retail these goods to the ultimate consumers through their stores (IBISWorld, 2006). Industry’s Dominant Economic Features This industry has a vast market size which is the dominant economic factor of the industry. Other economic factors are significantly affected by the market size in the industry. The annual sales of the industry are estimated at $135.4 billion. As the products offered by home centers are utilized by consumers in all the segments of the market, therefore the market size is extended to all the levels of the market. The business conducted in the industry is comparatively easy to operate therefore the industry is growing at a very fast pace. This scenario has initiated a stiff competition within the industry and major home centers are increasing at an unprecedented rate at the expense of smaller entities in the industry (Sinderman, 1997). The number of rivals within the industry is high. Since the goods produced by the industry are not dependent upon technology therefore the abrupt technological changes do not affect the operations of the industry to a significant extent. This allows the industry sufficient time to acclimatize with the changing trends. The products in the industry are mostly of a generic nature therefore there is not much differentiation between the products. The segments within the industry include specialized home stores that retail specialized goods only such as stores speci alized for plumbing, electronic goods etc. Such stores do not retail any other goods other than the specialized goods. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces analysis is conducted to determine whether an industry is attractive for entrepreneurs (Hitt, 2009). In order to analyze the home centers industry, the analysis is being conducted on Home Depot. Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement products. Home Depot is the largest retailer of home repair and maintenance products in the US therefore it is one of the most important constituents of the industry (Form 10-K, 2010). Following is the Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Home Depot. Threat of Substitute Products Threat of substitute products outside the industry is low because there are no or less substitutes for the home repair and maintenance products. It was determined by the following facts. In case of plumbing, there is not other industry that produces such goods. Similarly, in case of good s like carpets, home decor goods, and other electronic goods for home maintenance, there are no substitute goods produced by any other industry. Therefore home depot has a low threat of substitute products. The main products produced by the company are tools, shelves, indoor and outdoor

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Reflection-Middle East News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection-Middle East News - Essay Example The author rightly identifies the existence of the jihadist threat as a reason for continued despair. Furthermore, the presence of religious and political extremist in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran among others remain a huge impediment to realization of peace. The most important aspect ahead of the full stretch of the current year is the unlikelihood to end war in the Middle East. True to this concern, the war in the region has extensively exploded with Syria getting at the edge of collapse. Serious secession of the Muslim extremist group and youth unrest continue to cause tension. The psychology of â€Å"we versus them† has increasingly divert the essence of international intervention.Moreover, the author explicitly projected that it is through foreign intervention, military and diplomatic efforts that would quench the war. Subsequently, this has been strategy since the explosion of the war. Certainly, these raft of measures that been put in place continue to yield frustratin gly failing. Notably, these old strategies have in place since the U.S interventions in early 1990s. As rightly expressed by the author the pressure from the western powers would continue to raise temperatures in already boiling region.In a rare but unlikely situation, these international interventions would yield fruits. However, the author just like any other objective reflection concur that this may not be coming any soon. What has been seen in the ground in increasing tension and efforts to avenge fight.

Ancient Magical Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ancient Magical Practices - Essay Example In ancient times, there was no such division. Magical practices encompassed both the passive and aggressive forms of magic with no real dividing line between the two. Early scrolls containing instructions for spell casting would combine both sides of magic on their pages with little regard to whether one was aggressive and one was not. The early practitioners used their spells and amulets in much the same way Christians used their prayers and various symbols. Each incorporated the names of various important figures in their religion into their spells and charms. In fact, the Christian incantations were phrased much like the hexes of those who practice magic. There are many similarities in the way each set phrased their spells or incantations, such as the way each asks for assistance from a deity, whether for themselves or someone else. The magical texts used more key words, words believed by ancient peoples to contain more power than a normal word. Often these parts of the hex or spe ll were written in a different language or alphabet, which would possibly have enhanced their power in the spell. The Christian incantations used some of these words, gradually less and less as they were replaced with biblical quotes. This practice can even be linked to modern prayer rituals where certain words or segments of biblical text are repeated to enhance the experience and are expected to yield greater results on behalf of the deity. Both forms of religion are enlisting the aid of their respective incantations and amulets in an effort to gain what they desire, whether is the destruction of an enemy, the protection of a loved one, or their own renewed health. For the magical practitioner, the path laid out to follow to that goal may be vastly different depending upon what is sought. For example, if one is seeking vengeance against someone else, enlisting the aid of a deity, in magic there will more than likely be a complicated ritual involving herbs or some other form of offering to be placed in a certain area while the incantation is read to invoke the favor of the deity. In Christianity, there would be a short incantation to request favor from God to request what the person wishes. However, other spells or rituals could be very similar, such as the request for protection. In both instances, the request is generally very simple and may be followed by the wearing of an amulet believed to protect the wearer against harm (Various). Where the magical practitioner has assigned different tasks to different deities, Christians have also assigned different tasks or areas of responsibility to saints, lower deities, from the Holy Trinity. Christian saints are often people of great faith in their religion who have passed away. This practice is similar to magical practices in that each creates amulets for different deities or saints who protect the wearer against different ailments or other problems in life. To aid against a specific problem, the amulet may be placed on different parts of the body, or placed in different areas throughout the home to increase effectiveness. There is often some sort of short incantation that accompanies these amulets, usually printed on the back or around the edge, whether the amulet is Christian or magical. The only difference between the two types of amulets aesthetically is what is depicted or inscribed on them. Christianity and ancient magic truly have more in common in their practices than modern followers of either might like to believe. They were and still remain each a type of religion, encompassing the same basic belief that there are deities who will assist human beings in their day to day lives. They

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Reflection-Middle East News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection-Middle East News - Essay Example The author rightly identifies the existence of the jihadist threat as a reason for continued despair. Furthermore, the presence of religious and political extremist in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran among others remain a huge impediment to realization of peace. The most important aspect ahead of the full stretch of the current year is the unlikelihood to end war in the Middle East. True to this concern, the war in the region has extensively exploded with Syria getting at the edge of collapse. Serious secession of the Muslim extremist group and youth unrest continue to cause tension. The psychology of â€Å"we versus them† has increasingly divert the essence of international intervention.Moreover, the author explicitly projected that it is through foreign intervention, military and diplomatic efforts that would quench the war. Subsequently, this has been strategy since the explosion of the war. Certainly, these raft of measures that been put in place continue to yield frustratin gly failing. Notably, these old strategies have in place since the U.S interventions in early 1990s. As rightly expressed by the author the pressure from the western powers would continue to raise temperatures in already boiling region.In a rare but unlikely situation, these international interventions would yield fruits. However, the author just like any other objective reflection concur that this may not be coming any soon. What has been seen in the ground in increasing tension and efforts to avenge fight.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Outline the Ways in Which Factors Essay Example for Free

Outline the Ways in Which Factors Essay There are many ways in which factors in children’s home background which may lead to differences in achievement between ethnic groups. The first way is from cultural deprivation, with the socialisation experience of children, values, expectations and norms transmitted at home. Driver and Ballard 1979 argued that high achievement in some Asian groups might be linked to the presence of close knit extended families. However with some ethnic groups many tend to have low income, which may explain why black pupils tend to underachieve as many children from low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. Some cultural deprivation theorists argue that many children from low-income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. Evidence suggests that those ethnic groups who tend to underachieve also tend have low incomes. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2007 estimated that 70% of Bangladeshi and over 50% of Pakistani children grow up in poverty, compared to 20% of the white population and 30% of Indians. Unemployment is 3 xs higher in African and Bangladeshi/Pakistani people than for whites and Pakistanis are 2x more likely to be in unskilled/semi skilled jobs compared to whites which can lead to material deprivation. Moynihan 1965 said that many black families are headed by lone mothers and may experience poor care due to the lack of money. Some may have material deprivation because they cannot afford to pay for books and other materials that the child needs to do their work, and many may not have the room to do their work if they live in a cramped home meaning they may not be able to concentrate. This becomes a vicious cycle as if the child receives inadequate socialisation which equals in them failing at school meaning they may become an inadequate parent, which will repeat. Also some theorists say that some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils a fatalistic ‘live for toady’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success. There are other factors which effect different group’s educational achievement, with there being ways in which the education system may encourage separation between children of different ethnic backgrounds, such as labelling and teacher racism, many teachers label their students and sociologists found out that many teachers labelled black children as disruptive and they didn’t want them in their class. Troyna and Williams describe the curriculum in British schools as ethnocentric because it gives priority to white culture and the English language which causes separation between white pupils and other ethnic pupils.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Usefulness of structural approaches in understanding society

Usefulness of structural approaches in understanding society In this essay, we shall be discussing the 3 main structural approaches in society; Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism, and how useful they are in todays understanding of society. We shall look at the similarities and differences between each approach and critically assess them, by looking at the strengths and weaknesses for each. The key terms and concepts will be mentioned, as well as the key sociologists associated with each approach. The term sociology is defined in the dictionary as the study and classification of human societies. Overall, this is the study of people in different social groups, the way they behave, and how different parts of society influence peoples ideas and social behaviour. Belonging to a social group can affect how we see ourselves and how other people see us. Both of these factors can affect how our life works out. The main groups we tend to belong to are gender, class, ethnicity and age. The first approach we will be looking into is functionalism. This approach is a balanced, social equilibrium. A system in which there is a dynamic working balance among its interdependent parts. The ruling class benefits in every way from the operation of society, they believe in meritoctracy which basically means that they believe that they deserve to have the most powerful positions. The workers get far less than they deserve, but they do not question this due to the way they have been socialised. People are the product of social influences on them. Functionlism is closely associated with Talcott Parsons who was a key sociologist in the 1940s. This approach still provides us with a useful framework for the study of sociology today. Parsons came up with the idea that society is like a human body. Each part of the body has a function to keep it alive and healthy, just like each part of society work together and depend on each other. People are socialised into key values of society such as respect for authority and importance of family life, the result of this is value consensus. Functionalism provides good links between social institutions, it is a simple and clear approach to understand, however it completely ignors the freedom of choice. People have different values and attitudes, as well as the unequal distribution of wealth and power in a capitalist society. A Marxism view on the otherhand views conflict and division as normal features of society. Marxism is based on social class dominant ideology, just like functionalism it is a macro structure which means it is based on a larger scale. Karl Marx was around in the 19th century, he believed that a capitalist society is divided into two groups. All of societys dominant ideologies worked to favour the first group the bourgeoisie (Those with power, the owners of production) against the second group the proletariat (The workers, those without power). Marx also thought the ideologies worked to keep the power balance constant and he called this societys status quo. The relationship between the bourgeoisie and proletariat is however unequal and as such based on conflict. The majority of the population accept the inequalities of the system because of the way that dominant institutions such as religion and educstion justify the economic and social situation. Marx describes them as suffering from false class consciousness due to the fact they are not aware of their real identity, they are exploited by the bourgeoisie. Marxism is a approach which suggests that we are brainwashed by ideology; you must respect authority, if you w ork hard you will do well, you must respect the rule of law. Lois Althusser (1971) was another marxism sociologist. He believed in ideological state apparatus which is basically another term for the agencies transmitting ruling class ideology such as schools and family. A good reason for the marxism approach is that it can account for large scale change, however there are many critisms such as it emphasised too much on conflict. People choose what to do and think and are not brainwashed by ideology. It could also be argued that capitalism has now improved peoples standards of living. The fact woman are now seen as being equal to men in the work place is one result of this. Marxist feminists argued that the ratio of woman to men was directly linked to their position within a capitalist society. Thus bringing us onto discuss our final approach, feminism. Feminism is a conflict between the sexes. It also takes a macro approach to studying society. Feminist sociologists argue that women do not have equal rights to men. There are four main tendencies within feminism; liberal, radical, marxist and black. Liberal feminists look for equilibrium with men and woman, they believe people should be treated fairly and given better paid jobs etc in accordance with theyre skills and effort and not due to what sex they are. Radical feminists believe that we live in a patriarchy society, which means woman are over powered by men. They believe that we no longer need men to procreate due to new technology available. Marxist feminists also believe in patriarchy, in a capatilist society, woman are neglected certain legal rights and therefore excluded from certain areas of work compared to men. Black feminism argue that white feminists ignore the position of a black woman as they have a double disadvantage due to racism and patriarchy. Famous feminism sociologists include Ann Oakley who in 1969 registered for a PHD on womens attitudes to housework, this subject pizzled the academic establishment at the time. She is best known for her work on sex and gender, housework, childbirth and feminist social science. Ann first became interested in feminism when she herself became a subject in the 1960s becoming a mother of two and realising herself how deeply undervalued and isolating womans work in the home can be. Ann believes that we still have ongoing sex equalilty issues today, woman still earn less and have less political power and do most of the worlds menial (but important) domestic work. She also has strong beliefs that gender issues in violence and crime cause huge social problems in todays society. Suggesting that most crimes of violence are committed by men.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Free Will in Oedipus the King Essay -- Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essays

Free Will in Oedipus the King Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the story of a man who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story continues in the tradition of classic Greek plays, which were based upon the Greeks’ beliefs at the time. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods decided what would ultimately happen to each and every person. Since those gods destined Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus’ life was definitely fated. However, the gods only decided where Oedipus’ life would eventually lead; they never planned the route he would take to get there. All the decisions that Oedipus made in order to fulfill his destiny, and the decisions he made after the fact, were of his own free will, and were largely shaped by his mien. Probably the most relevant examples of the exercise of free will are in the events which lead up to the play and which fulfill Oedipus’ prophecy. When Laius and Jocasta hear of their newborn son’s fate, their first instinct is to kill Baby Oedipus. But they cannot do the deed outright; they instead make the choice to pin his feet together and leave him on a mountainside. This turns out not to be the best choice for them, but at least it was a choice. Perhaps the most barefaced example of free will is in the murder of Laius and his men—not so much the murders themselves but the circumstances surrounding the murders. This is how Oedipus describes the incident to Jocasta: Making my way toward this triple crossroad I began to see a herald, then a brace of colts drawing a wagon, and mounted on the bench†¦a man, just as you’ve described him, coming face-to-face, and the one in the lead and the old man himself were about to thrust me off the road—brute force— a... ...is eyes out and Jocasta would hang herself. The people involved were completely responsible for their actions. Technically, everything that happened in the play was outside the realm of the prophecy since the prophecy was fulfilled before the story even started, so therefore, there is no fate in Oedipus the King! Free will is abound in Oedipus the King; any character who makes a decision of their own accord is a testament to that. Even Oedipus, whose life was fated from the start, made many decisions, ranging from how to fulfill his destiny to how to punish himself after finding out he had indeed murdered his father and married his mother, and most of which were shaped largely by his personality. WORKS CITED Sophocles. â€Å"Oedipus the King.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 1289-1331.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Hamlet †Spiritual or Non-spiritual? :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet – Spiritual or Non-spiritual?      Ã‚  Ã‚   The spiritual dimension or side of the Shakespearean drama Hamlet is nearly quite as interesting as the non-spiritual aspect. This essay will explore the spirituality in its various dimensions.    R.A. Foakes in â€Å"The Play’s Courtly Setting† explains the spiritual setback Hamlet experienced following the ghost’s revelation and request for revenge:    Perhaps the most terrible feature of his recognition of corruption everywhere is his recognition of it in himself too; where others deceive he must deceive too, where others act he must put on an antic disposition, where the inmost desires and passions of others must be revealed, so must his own passions be roused. And where there is no legal punishment for his father’s death, he must stoop, driven by the universal wrong, and â€Å"being thus be-netted round with villainies†, to revenge. He must share the corruption of others in spite of his nobility, and recognize in himself the common features, "we are arrant knaves all." (53)    In his essay â€Å"Hamlet: His Own Falstaff,† Harold Goddard sees that Hamlet was made for â€Å"religion† and several other purposes:    He [Hamlet] was made, that is, for religion and philosophy, for love and art, for liberty to â€Å"grow unto himself† – five forces that are the elemental enemies of Force. And this man is called upon to kill. It is almost as if Jesus had been asked to play the role of Napoleon (as the temptation in the wilderness suggests that in some sense he was). If Jesus had been, ought he to have accepted it? The absurdity of the question prompts the recording of the strangest of all the strange facts in the history of Hamlet: the fact, namely, that nearly all readers, commentators, and critics are agreed in thinking that it was Hamlet’s duty to kill, that he ought indeed to have killed much sooner than he did. (12)    Goddard’s highlighting of the main question underlying the narrative of the play – a moral question involving justifiable killing – indicates the spiritual nature of   Hamlet. Not all critics appreciate the spirituality in Hamlet. A.C. Bradley’s Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth presents a different interpretation regarding the presence of spirituality within the play:    For although this or that dramatis persona may speak of gods or of God, of evil spirits or of Satan, of heaven and of hell, and although the poet may show us ghosts from another world, these ideas do not materially influence his representation of life, nor are they used to throw light on the mystery of its tragedy.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Major Pollutant: Ammonia Essay

Ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the United States. In pure form, it is known as anhydrous ammonia. Ammonia has the formula NH3 which is a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen. Ammonia is also produced in the human body and is commonly found in nature. It is essential in the body as a building block for making proteins and other complex molecules. In nature, ammonia occurs in soil from bacterial processes. It is also produced when plants, animals and animal wastes decay. The properties of ammonia includes the following information. Ammonia is a colorless highly irritating gas with a sharp suffocating odor. It dissolves easily in water to form ammonium hydroxide solution which can cause irritation and burns. Ammonia gas is easily compressed and forms a clear, colorless liquid under pressure. It is usually shipped as a compressed liquid in steel cylinders. Ammonia is not highly flammable, but containers of ammonia may explode when exposed to high heat. Ammonia is lighter than air, its density being 0.589 times that of air and is miscible with water. Ammonia’s molecular mass is 17.03 g/mol and is a gas at room temperature. Its melting point is at -77.7 degrees celsius while its boiling point is at -33.35 degrees celsius. Its flash point is at 11 degrees celsius while its decomposition point is at 500 degrees celsius. Ammonia as a gas has a density of 0.7710 g/L whereas when in liquid form has the density of 0.6818 g/L. Ammonia is a weak base and has a very high affinity for water. When it comes into contact with anything containing water, it becomes very caustic and this can be very dangerous as it can attack moist parts of the body if it comes into contact with them. Despite the high affinity for water, ammonia has limited reactivity with water. Most people are exposed to ammonia from breathing its gas or vapors. Since ammonia exists naturally and is also present in cleaning products, exposure may occur from these sources. The widespread use of ammonia on farms and in industrial and commercial locations means that exposure can also occur from an accidental release or from a deliberate terrorist attack. Ammonia gas is lighter than air and will rise, so that generally it does not settle in low-lying areas. However, in the presence of moisture, ammonia can form vapors that are heavier than air. These vapors can spread along the ground or other low-lying areas. When ammonia enters the body as a result of breathing, swallowing or skin contact, it reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide. This chemical is very corrosive and damages cells in the body on contact. Ammonia is corrosive. The severity of health effects depends on the route of exposure, the dose and the duration of exposure. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation. Swallowing ammonia can cause burns to the mouth, throat and stomach. Skin or eye contact with concentrated ammonia can also cause irritation and burns. If you have been exposed to a large release of ammonia such as from a tanker truck rollover or from a leaking tanker rail car, you must quickly move away from the area where you think you were exposed. If the release was indoors, go outside. If you are near a release of ammonia, emergency coordinators may tell you to either evacuate the area or to â€Å"shelter in place.† To â€Å"shelter in place† means to remain indoors to avoid being exposed to the chemical. While indoors, shut and lock all doors and windows; turn off air conditioners, fans and heaters; and close fireplace dampers. If exposed to ammonia, you must also quickly remove any clothing that may have ammonia on it. If possible, clothing that is normally removed over the head (like t-shirts and sweaters) should be cut off the body to prevent additional contact with the agent. Follow these steps for the removal of clothings that have ammonia on it. First place your clothing inside a plastic bag and seal the bag tightly. Do not handle the plastic bag, and wait for instructions on proper disposal. Disposing of your clothing in a sealed bag helps protect you and other people from any additional exposure. Then store the bagged clothing in a secure location away from people, especially children. As soon as you finish performing these steps, quickly wash any ammonia from your skin with large amounts of soap and water, and flush your eyes with large amounts of water by following these steps. First you must remove and dispose of any contact lenses then wash eyeglasses with soap and water before wearing. Do not use bleach to remove ammonia from your skin. If serious problems occur and the previous steps did not ease the situation, it is important to seek medical attention right away.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Dream Team †Media Analysis Essay

George and Lennie’s dream is the most commonly mentioned in the novel, they want to live the American dream and have their own land and home. Although Crooks tells them he â€Å"never seen a guy really do it† their determination is beyond that of normal men. They crave the freedom from ordered working life and less responsibility. George desires the relief from the burden of supervising Lennie, on the ranch he constantly has to watch him to ensure he is no danger to himself or others. He talks of how he could â€Å"live so easy† without Lennie and it seems to be a private dream of his to marry and raise a family without the childish weight of Lennie upon him. He has cared for Lennie for a large part of his life and wants happiness for both of them without the strain of rules and the risk of characters such as Curley. Lennie’s only dream at first glance seems to be having his rabbits, however at a closer look the rabbits are his way of relating to their entire dream, he connects all other aspects of free life with them such as growing crops to feed them. He loves hearing the story of â€Å"how its gonna be†, his own dreams are based on what George tells him is good and bad. Candy is desperate to join in with Lennie and George and their dreams have become his. Since his dog died he has nothing left on the ranch to encourage dreams and he seems to have given up, the chance to be part of a reasonably realistic project motivates him again and he is willing to give everything to be part of it, â€Å"I’d make a will an’ leave everything to you guys case I kick off. † All of Candy’s dreams seem to have be worn away by life on the ranch, the loss of his hand also seems to symbolise a large loss mentally for without his hand he cannot realistically dream of working his own land and living alone. For Candy life on the ranch seems to be a reminder of lost dreams rather than hopeful ones and this could explain his eagerness to be part of Lennie and George’s. He is also aware that he is old and becoming closer to the end of his job and possibly his life. â€Å"They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county. † He dreams of ending his life in happiness and not in poverty and discomfort surrounded by bad memories. Curley’s wife is in many ways like Lennie and George, she tell her dream like its real and could happen at any time to escape the loneliness of the ranch. She tells as many people as she can about her dream as though she wants to make it more real for herself. Her conversation with Lennie reveals her desperation to make this dream come true, she hangs onto the man who could put her in â€Å"pitchers†, so sure he did write to her and someone else ruined her dream. It is these fantasies she uses to escape her life which is heavily restricted by her husband who wants to control her to comply with his own dreams, she wishes to be free to fulfil the life she desires. Her way of telling the story of her dream is almost sad as she clings to any glimpse of it so desperately it is clear how unhappy she is. All the dreams expressed by these characters are what drive them in the novel and can determine how they express their feelings and how they act. Niki Holdsworth Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

International Airlines Hit by European Unions’s CO2 Emissions Plan

Bearing in mind that this article is comprehensive, coherent and fluent, the written account is inclusive and demonstrates an apparent connection with Section 2. 4 Market Failure and sets up a close relation with the two sections in particular; negative externalities1 and the possible governmental responses concerning the quandary given, which in this case proposes a European Commission draft proposal requiring all flights arriving at or departing from the European Union airports to buy permits for their carbon dioxide emissions. This article is effective for the internal assessment because it does not dive into the economic theory, but introduces many notions that can easily be absorbed into economic presumptions and then be analysed. The extract portrays about how the advantages and disadvantages of using pollution permits, how effective they are and how several European companies are learning to deal with the more stringent regulations of the EU on pollution as a result of global warming. Pollution permits, are certain amounts of CO2 which are allowed to be emitted by companies in during production. These are given out by the respective governments to the companies, who can also purchase further permits from other companies who don't need all their permission to pollute. 2 The draft proposal which will require all flights arriving or departing from EU airports to buy permits to cover their carbon dioxide emissions, will be presented just before Christmas, and is crucial to the community's fight against global warning and climate change. The E. U. has incorporated pollution permits, in order to curb carbon gas emission, and slow down global warming, forcing international airlines to pay for the negative externalities they are causing during production. This means that the trans-national airlines have to pay for the vertical distance between SMC and PMC, so that they are paying the expenditure the society would normally have to sacrifice for, which can be seen in Figure 1. , before the European Unions incorporation of pollution permits: Fig 1. 1: Before the Introduction of Pollution permits Figure 1. 2: After the Introduction of Pollution permits Figure 1. 1 shows the situation clearly before the pollution permits were introduced by the European Union draft proposal. The problem undoubtedly being that the market was experiencing failure, as the global airline firms did not have to pay the cost they were causing the society by their carbon gas emissions. In Figure 1. , the Private Marginal Cost (PMC) has shifted into the same position as the Social Marginal Cost (SMC) 3 was in Figure 1. 1, as now the Airliners have to pay for the negative externalities they are causing, consequently leaving the society left without having to pay for the pollution the aircraft caused, and the negative externality being pollution, abolished. Also, the Private Marginal Cost has become sharper, as the company must now compensations in case it exceeds a certain amount of carbon gas emissions. This is an incentive for the company to either produce less or produce more eco-friendly. As a result, Figure 1. 3 will arise, as the respective Airline Firm is now producing eco-friendly, and will not exceed the limits on its carbon gas emissions, furthermore will even be able to sell some of its excess pollution permits, to other firms who need surplus to cover their pollution. Fig 1. 3: During the Introduction of Pollution permits: The problem is that it does not happen like this, and that in fact the limits on the emissions are far too large for there to be any effect, and David Henderson from the Association of European Airlines (AEA), â€Å"We could see another trade war,† cited stiff opposition from the US several years ago against European plans aimed at reducing jet engine noise. A possible solution to the continuing problem would be further stringent regulations by the E. U. , and possibly a solid example are, the airline emission controls would come under already existing European emissions trading scheme (ETS), which was launched in â€Å"2005 as the cornerstone of EU efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. † 4 An evaluation of the economic theory shows that the idea behind the pollution permits is very good, and that there are some advantages of using it in real-life. However, it does not work as smoothly as was initially planned. For one, international airline firms are able to evade paying for the pollution permits, by moving production to developing economies outside the E. U. , who don't have any regulations on the carbon gas emissions. The effects of this are that they pollute excessively in the new production environment, which has exactly the opposite effect to the desired one. This of course, shows that many alterations need to be undertaken for the European Commission draft proposal's requirement of all flights arriving at or departing from EU airports to buy permits for their carbon dioxide emissions to work effectively. The E. U. will have to alter their plan slightly, which should be made more rigorous and binding to produce the desired plan, which is the slowing down of global warming, but also to combat the endless possibilities of negative externalities.

24hrs Urinary Urea Nitrogen Practical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

24hrs Urinary Urea Nitrogen Practical - Essay Example For example, a patient with a pathologically low blood pressure develops diminished urine flow. Nitrogen balance involves comparing nitrogen intake from foods and fluids with nitrogen excretion. Thus, nitrogen balance provides the clinician with an index of protein catabolism and a basis for assessing the adequacy of protein intake (Skipper, 1995; p. 86). In order to determine the nitrogen balance for each student in the group, data on the protein intake of these students must be acquired (Barakat et al., 2009) and inputed into the following formula: The dietary protein intake is best measured if the individual follows a standardized diet, that is, all the food that the individual eats must be measured before consumption, and duplicate meals must be prepared and analyzed for their nitrogen content (Manore et al., 2009; pp. 112-113). A minimum daily protein requirement is needed by the body to maintain its structural proteins, visceral proteins and immune competence. Conversely, when the body encounters certain stresses, its proteins also suffer level discrepancies. For example, starvation needs a progressive selection of fat as body fuel. Muscles stop utilizing glucose as soon as a meal is over and instead, fatty acids are used (Cahill, 1976). Ketoacid levels in blood become elevated over the first week, and the brain preferentially uses these instead of glucose. The net effect is to spare protein even further, as the brain further decreases the rate of using glucose. Nevertheless, there is still net negative nitrogen balance, but this can be nullified by amino acid or protein supplementation. In addition, protein kinetics are known to be accelerated in severe trauma. In fact, critically ill patients with major trauma demonstrate catabolism resulting in a net loss of body mass. Thus, the patient loses more nitrogen than is provided from nitrogen / protein sources (Wiliams & Shchlenker, 2003). The literature has varying ranges for the 24 hr UUN

Monday, October 7, 2019

British Politics Shaped By The FPTP Electoral System Essay

British Politics Shaped By The FPTP Electoral System - Essay Example British elections follow the plurality voting system. It is the responsibility of the people to vote for representatives of their constituency and will, therefore, elect a candidate of their choice from the competing political parties. There are approximately six hundred and fifty constituencies in the UK that have to be contested by the multiple parties in elections. Under the FPTP, political parties take time to invest and campaign for their candidates and parties, so as to influence the majority people to elect them. After the First World War, several changes in the electoral system of Britain occurred. The constituencies were divided into approximately equal proportions based on the population from which the FPTP electoral system would operate in. With the 1918 reform, additional groups of people such as the soldiers who had returned from war and the groups of women who had achieved the minimum property qualification affected the size of the electorate. For the first time, the nu mber of voters had almost tripled. Under the new FPTP system, each qualified voter from a constituency has been required to vote for a single candidate from a list given in the ballot paper. The assumption is that the candidate who gets most votes compared to other individual candidates wins the election to qualify for the representative in the constituency. This method has by far been the simplest and regarded as the voice of the majority. No doubt that conservative party can be regarded as the dominant political party of the 20th century.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Skadurz Pro Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Skadurz Pro Case - Essay Example Skateboarding and snowboarding used to be fads, but they have matured into mainstream sports events. At the same time, they have maintained their following as a hobby for many amateurs. Both as a sport and a hobby, the patrons of this activity are either adolescents, teen-agers or young adults, as the activity is too strenuous for older adults. Also, it may be assumed that the clothing lines carried by the stores are those that cater to the youth’s tastes and preferences. Greater safety consciousness has prompted the use of mandatory safety gear, including helmet, elbow and knee pads, items which could be included, as it most likely was, in the goods for sale in Skadurz. This would have added to potential sales in the stores. Location: Sudbury is a relatively young city, with the median age at 39, and about one-third of all the residents are below 25 years of age. There are also a dozen high school in the are, two colleges and one university, indicating that young people residing outside the city would certainly be visiting it on a regular basis, because they would be enrolling and studying in these academic institutions. Maintaining the status quo would entail no extra expense, but store performances may suffer if Connie retires and Joel takes over management of both stores. Hiring a new manager may be needed. Also, this does not address the threat of the new competition If South End were shut down, the advantage is that New Sudbury accounts for approximately 60% of the sales and the profits (see Table 1), and thus has a stronger market. The disadvantage is that the existing market may weaken because of the new competition in the area (West 49), and if this store fails, then Skadurz would have lost both South End and New Sudbury markets. If New Sudbury were shut down, Skadurz would immediately lose 60% of its sales and profits. On other other hand,

Saturday, October 5, 2019

1. Leadership and Transformation 2. Reflective Journal Assignment

1. Leadership and Transformation 2. Reflective Journal - Assignment Example My transformation has significantly been impacted by this unit. I have realized that a leader should be someone who acts as a role model to other members of his team. Thus, my focus has been to come up with effective strategies that encompass the contribution of all the team members. In this way, I have modeled them in such a way that once they attain a position of becoming a leader they will also create a strong team (Hemphill, 1949). Based on my objective of creating a strong team work, my communication with members of my team has always been open. This implies that I provide my team members with opportunities to provide feedback. In this way, I have been transformed from talking too much to a good listener (Schultz, et al. 2010). In this way, other members of the team can comment and possibly give an idea on how to address a certain issue either affecting the entire team or an individual member (Robert, 2002). As indicated in this unit, a good leader should recognize and reward ha rdworking team members who attain their goals. Individually, I have been transformed in the sense that I can set my own goal as well as those of the other team members (House, 1971). I promote and reward any member who achieves his or her goals while those who do not perform I train them on how to undertake their duties. As a leader, the transformational experience will influence me as a leader and a manager in various ways. First, my management strategy will now be democratic. In this way, I will be in a position to provide my team members with ample ground whereby they will be part and parcel of the organization (Montana and Bruce, 2008). Another aspect that I will emulate as a manager is to provide the team members with an opportunity to develop (Lussier and Achua, 2010). Apart from allowing them to attend part time leadership courses, I will initiate an in

Friday, October 4, 2019

The Effects and Symptoms of Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Effects and Symptoms of Stress - Essay Example le deals with the effects and symptoms of stress to create awareness and to take timely measures to overcome the situation and eliminate the coming disasters. A situation which threaten or upsets an individual or disposes a kind of impact that an individual looses mental peace either due to the realistic situation in which the individual is or some anticipated circumstances due to fear or agony. Body responds to any kind of stress through hormonal secretions called as â€Å"fight-flight-fright† the 3Fs. This is the protective mechanism of the body. These hormones provide impetus to be focused, alert and in some situations protective in avoid any disaster and congregate the challenges. In some situations stress is positive as it directs the body to cope with the challenges and keeps the mind alert especially during exams or in any sports or game or competitions. This is good as it provides motivation power to march ahead, on the contrary when stress surmounts and crosses boundaries and is negative in a sense that it affects health, well being, temper, humor, productivity and even relationships it becomes worrisome and if not treated within time it leads to serious consequences. It is therefore essential to understand what are the effects and symptoms of stress to conclude to the measures to reduce or overcome the situation of stress (Stress and How to Manage it). Various factors that serve as stressors encompass: death of a close relative or a spouse, broken relationship with spouse or separation from partner, jailed, any injury or illness that had changed the course of life of self and dependents, forced marriage, retirement from the job may also lead to stress, work pressure, peer pressure, competition pressure, expectations from self and also expectations of those who are dependents, fired from the job, financial crunch, loss in business, inability to pay off debts are the various factors that pave the way for stress to home in an individual’s physiology

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Formal letter for request sponsorhip Essay Example for Free

Formal letter for request sponsorhip Essay Good day! My name is Ang Teck Kui and I am a business student from ALC college, Klang is organizing a charity fundraising event for our final year project. I represent my team Raiser of Hope Carnival 2014 which is consists of 13 passionate business students from ALC College to write this letter to your esteemed organization to request for a sponsorship. We are given an opportunity by ALC College, Klang to organize this special event to help create awareness on social responsibility by companies and the public to the society. In addition, we as business students will be able to gain experience as business person through this project. The event that we have chosen is carnival and the details are as follows: Event Type: Charity Fund – Raising Carnival Event Venue: SMK Tengku Ampuan Jemaah No. 1, Jalan Pandamaran, 42000, Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor, Malaysia Event Date: 30th November 2014 (Sunday) You can refer to our Sponsorship Benefits on our proposal to find out about the sponsorship benefits packages according to the amount sponsored. We accept sponsorship in both monetary value and as well as products by your company. We hope to receive a favourable reply form your good organization regarding the sponsorship. For further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me Ang Teck Kui at 016-9967729 or email me at [emailprotected] . Your organization kind support and assistance to our cause is greatly appreciated by our team.

Detecting Plasma Leakage in Patients with DHF

Detecting Plasma Leakage in Patients with DHF CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Dengue disease is one of the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Dengue has become a major international public health concern. The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Over 2.5 billion people over 40% of the worlds population are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. According to WHO (2014), â€Å"Dengue causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes a potentially lethal complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever†. About 2.5% of those that are infected by dengue die since dengue has neither treatment nor vaccination.Plasma leakage is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever. So that early recognition of plasma leakage and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment are vital. There are only few researches which are done for plasma leakage detection in patients with DHF. Dengue virus infections may be asymptomatic or may lead to undifferentiated fever, dengue fever (DF) or Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) with plasma leakage that may lead to Dengue shock syndrome (DSS). DF is generally an acute febrile illness, with severe headache, myalgia, arthralgia and rashes. Leucopenia and thrombocytopenia may also be observed. Although DF may be benign, it could be an incapacitating disease with severe headache, muscle and joint and bone pains. Occasionally unusual haemorrhage such as gastrointestinal bleeding, hypermenorrhea and massive epistaxis may occur. Undifferentiated fever and classical dengue fever can be managed as any other viral fever with symptomatic treatment. However, often it is difficult to differentiate DF from DHF in the early phase (febrile phase) of the illness. DHF is characterized by the acute onset of high fever and is associated with signs and symptoms similar to DF in the early febrile phase. Plasma leakage is the hallmark of DHF which occurs soon after the end of the febrile phase. There is a tendency to develop DSS due to plasma leakage. Therefore suspected DF and DHF patients should be closely monitored to identify patients with DHF. The degree and the rate of plasma leakage in DHF can vary. It can be minimal in some patients while in others it can be very significant. The leak usually starts slowly, increases gradually, slows down and then ceases altogether at the end of leakage phase (usually within 48 hours from the onset). (Ministry of Health, 2012) 1.1 Description of the Research project The main purpose of this research study was to design a system to detect the plasma leakage in patients with DHF by analyzing patients’ medical records .Further, by using this system doctors can intervene early treatment of shock. In recent years machine learning methods have been widely used in medical diagnosis. Medical diagnosis is one of major problem in medical application. Several research groups are working world wide on the development of neural networks in medical diagnosis. Neural networks are used to increase the accuracy and objectivity of medical diagnosis.Detecting plasma leakage is considered as a non-linear problem that shows the complex causal relationship between the variables. However, an artificial neural network that is suitable for problems of extreme complexity not addressable with conventional technologies, either by the conventional computer programming or statistical method. In this research project multilayer feed forward neural network was used to train and test medical records of patients with DHF and DF. The trained network used to test more records of DHF patients to see the network performance and in order to make system practical to use in a real time hospital setting. The diagnostic performance of the proposed network is validated with Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity. 1.2 Literature Survey 1.2.1 Current methods for plasma leakage detection 1.2.1.1 Hemoconcentration Currently, clinical identification of plasma leakage is difficult until DHF develops. The most common method of monitoring leakage relies on identification of haemo-concentration, determined by tracking changes in HCT measurements, with a rise of more than 20% from baseline considered evidence of significant leakage. However, this method can be rather insensitive, particularly if the patient is receiving parenteral fluid therapy, and it is also limited by the fact that an individual’s baseline value is rarely known. (Ministry of Health, 2012) 1.2.1.2 Ultrasonography Studies using ultrasound have demonstrated that pleural effusions, ascites and gall bladder wall oedema are common during the critical phase, and correlate with disease severity. In addition, serial ultrasound studies indicate that subclinical plasma leakage can be detected as days 2 to 3 of fever, and is better at predicting likely disease progression than other marker of plasma leakage such as HCT measurements. Gallbladder wall oedema appears to precede the development of ascites and effusions, and may therefore be a helpful early predictor of outcome. Thus ultrasonography is a useful monitoring tool, and where available, should be considered in the overall assessment during the febrile phase. However, there are certain limitations, particularly the lack of defined normal ranges for the parameters of interest, the variability in measurements obtained by different operators, and the lack of specificity of the findings. (Srikiatkhachorn, Krautrachue, Ratanaprakarn, al, 2007) 1.2.1.3 Chest X-Ray Chest X-ray is recommended to increase the sensitivity of detecting pleural effution. Pleural effusion detected clinically may not be obvious in a Chest X Ray (CXR)-PA, but may be seen only in a CXR right lateral decubitus film. (Ministry of Health, 2012) 1.2.2 Expert Systems An expert system can be divide into two sub-systems the inference engine and the knowledge base. The knowledge base represents facts and rules. The inference engine applies the rules to the known facts to deduce new facts. Inference engines can also include explanation and debugging capabilities CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND THEORY 2.1 Vital Parameters 2.1.1 Pulse The pulse is how many times a minute that our arteries expand and contract in response to the heart. This rate is exactly equal to the heartbeat. 2.1.2 Pulse Pressure 2.2 Neural network 2.2.1 Artificial Neural network vs Biological Neural Network An artificial neural network is a mathematical model or computational model based on biological neural network. In other words, it is an emulation of biological neural system. An ANN is a network of highly interconnecting processing elements (neurons) operating in parallel. Natural neurons receive signals through synapses located on the dendrites or membrane of the neuron. When the signals received are strong enough (surpass a certain threshold), the neuron is activated and emits a signal though the axon. This signal might be sent to another synapse, and might activate other neurons.(Gershenson,2003) 2.2.2 Model of Neural Network Artificial neuron is a highly abstracted model of the natural neuron. Inputs of artificial neuron behave like synapse of a biological neuron which are multiplied by weights (strength of the respective signals), and then computed by a mathematical function which is called Transfer function (also known as Activation function) in order to determine the activation of the neuron. The model of a neuron also includes an externally applied bias (threshold) that has the effect of lowering or increasing the net input of the activation function. 2.2.3 Multilayer Feed forward (MLF) Neural Network A MLF neural network consists of neurons that are ordered into layers. The first layer is called the input layer, the last layer is called the output layer, and the layers between are hidden layers. A neural network that has no hidden units is called a Perceptron. However, a perceptron can only represent linear functions, so it isn’t powerful enough for the kinds of applications. A multilayer feed forward neural network can represent a very broad set of nonlinear functions. Therefore, it is very useful in practice. 2.2.4 Transfer function The behaviour of an ANN depends on both the weights and transfer function that is specified for the units. There are three transfer functions most commonly used for multilayer networks. 2.2.5 Supervised Learning Supervised learning is an approach to find the input-output relationship based from the training using a set of data. Fig. 2.6 represents the block diagram of supervised learning. Learning system is fed with the input data and generates output, which is then compared with the target to compute the error signal by arbitrator. The error is sent to the learning system for further training until the minimum value of error is generated. (Muhammad Akmal Sapon, 2011) 2.2.6 Backpropagation Algorithm The backpropagation algorithm is used in feed-forward ANNs. Artificial neurons are organized in layers and send their signals â€Å"forward†, and then the errors are propagated backwards. The network receives inputs by neurons in the input layer, and the output of the network is given by the neurons in the output layer. There may be one or more intermediate hidden layers. The backpropagation algorithm used for supervised learning. The network computes the error that is the difference between output and desired target and the backpropagation algorithm calculate how the error depends on the input, output and weights. The backpropagation technique reduces this error, until the ANN learns the training data. 2.2.7 Training the network CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND IMPLEMENTATION In this research project Microsoft Excel 2010 was used to analysis the collected data and MATLAB R2013a (8.1.0.604), 64-bit(win64) software was used as a tool to implement and to train the Neural Network. 3.1 Data Collection The records of 10patients with DHF and 6 patients with DF from September 2013 to April 2014which are obtained from centre for clinical Management of Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever government hospital in Negombo. The data consists of total 1081 instances which 164 instances belonged to the leaking phase and 139 instances belonged to the non-leaking phase. Each data consists of 10 variables such as heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, PCV, Temperature and all are coded as numeric values. The patients are both male and female between 18 to 60 years old and who have over 50kg weight. These measurements are taken at equally spaced time points (hourly) since the patient was admitted to the hospital. 3.2 Data Preparation One of the most important parts in data preparation is to determine the best variables that contribute to the decision-making. The data selection step requires some detailed knowledge of the problem domain and the underlying data. Therefore, the selections of the variables are based on the advice of the doctors and also the review of the literatures. Even though there are quite a number of variables entered into the Observation Chart, only five variables are identified as the important variables that contribute to the detection of plasma leakage. They are as follows, 3.3 Neural Network Training The training method was supervised training. Input vector contained 490 data for leakage phase and 591for non-leakage phase. The respective target for each was2-element class vector with a 1 in the position of the associated leaking or non-leaking. A two-layer feed-forward network with 20 sigmoid hidden neurons was created. The tansig(Tan-Sigmoid) is chosen as the transfer function for both hidden and output layers. The input vectors and target vectors are randomly divided into training, validation and test sets. From input vector 70% are used for training set,15% are used to validate that the network is generalizing and to stop training before overfitting, and the last 15% are used as a completely independent test of network generalization. The network was retrained until the network performance approach a satisfactory level (beyond 85%) of supervised training by using different training algorithms and increasing number of hidden neurons. 3.4 Testing The trained neural network saved and it was used to test the new dataset. The new dataset consist of 50 leakage phase and 50 non-leakage phase data. Correct classifications and misclassifications were recorded. CHAPTER 4: DATA AND ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 4.1 Performance Performance is measured in terms of mean squared error, and shown in log scale below figure 5.1. It rapidly decreased as the network was trained. Performance is shown for each of the training, validation and test sets. The version of the network that did best on the validation set is was after training. This figure does not indicate any major problems with the training. The validation and test curves are very similar.If the test curve had increased significantly before the validation curve increased, then it is possible that some over fitting might have occurred. 4.2 Confusion Matrix Confusion matrix contains information about actual and predicted classifications done by a classification system for supervised learning system. In confusion matrix, diagonal cells (in green cells) show the number of cases that were correctly classified, and the off-diagonal cells (in red cells) show the misclassified cases. The blue cell in the bottom right shows the total percent of correctly classified cases (in green) and the total percent of misclassified cases (in red). In this study, as shown in above figure 5.2, accuracy of training, testing and validation process are 90.9%, 80.9% and 79.0% respectively. Overall accuracy for correct classification is 87.6% and misclassification is 12.4%.Therefore the results show fairly good recognition. 4.3 Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves The coloured lines (green and blue) in each axis represent the ROC curves for training, testing and validation. The ROC curve is another visualization of quality of the network. It is a plot of the true positive rate (sensitivity) versus the false positive rate (1-specificity) as the threshold is varied. A perfect test shows points in the upper-left corner, with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In this study, the network performs fairly good.