Logistics Management in Ocean Shipping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Logistics Management in Ocean Shipping - Essay Example The issues like climate change dominate the future and result in headlong rush of western economies to offshore manufacturing to lower cost countries in the east. Further financial cost of delivering goods across the world has always been a fundamental element of trading and decisions of logistician is largely influenced by high environmental costs (www.pmcontent.com)1. Magee et al (1985:1) mentioned that high quality and high efficiencies have become the characteristics of the production and physical distribution operations of many foreign competitors concerned the companies in United States challenging some of their basic tenets. According to Frazelle (2001:10) global logistics is the flow of material, information and money between countries connecting suppliers' supplier with customers' customer internationally. Global logistics flows have increased dramatically during the last several years due to globalization in the world economy expanding use o trading blocs and global access to Web sites for buying and selling merchandise. It is much more complex than domestic logistics due to multiplicity of handoffs, players, languages, documents, currencies, times zones and cultures that are inherent to international business. According to Singh et al (1998:1) logistics management is unique and represents and paradox as it is concerned with one of the oldest and newest activities of business and government. It is further stated that logistics system consists of facility location, forecasting and order management, transportation, inventory, warehousing and packaging which were all being practiced since the start of commercial and industrial activity. Brewer et al (2001:12) states that logistic systems utilize a wide range of resources and services within and external to individual companies which is likely to happen because of wide range of functions that logistics encompass in procurement and distribution. It is further stated that achieving high level of performance in logistics is important for the profitability of companies and for the efficiency of national economies as well as global economy. The interactive effects of the productivity of national and international logistics increase because international trade increases as a percentage of the national domestic activity. Logistics is that part of supply chain process that plans, implements and controls the effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the customers' requirements. Logistics management is important in relation is issues like transportation costs, large distribution costs, deregulation, changing strategies, technology and globalization (Kritika and Madhu, 2008)2. Cavanagh et al (2002:163) mentions that there has been a massive increase in ocean shipping, highway transport, air cargo transport, rail with a tremendous corresponding increase in infrastructural develo pment with export production as a central feature of free trade. Ocean shipping has expanded more than tenfold since 1950s mainly because of increased commodity export activity from economic globalization which accounts for more than 90% of commodity trade shipments with the

HCS 483 Clinician Provider Order Entry Implementation Essay Example for Free

HCS 483 Clinician Provider Order Entry Implementation Essay Clinician Provider Order Entry Implementation Health Care Information Systems HCS 483 September 02, 2013 Clinician Provider Order Entry Implementation Implementation Process Health care organizations look forward when starting the implementation process for information system implementation. Adding or upgrading health care systems is met with excitement and opposition from the employees who must use the system and adapt their current practice processes. Constructing a rollout period for the employees to train and get specific training for their job requirements is imperative to the success of the health system implementation. Employees knowledge of how to use the system is equally important to the implementation process as choosing and designing the program that is best for the organization. Roles and responsibilities The project or system champion is someone in the organization who is vested in the completion of the project. The champion’s role is to help obtain the buy-in of other physicians into the use of the new system and makes sure the physicians who will be using the system have adequate input in the selection process of how the new system will be used. The board of directors is the governing entity for the health care organization that approves the acquisition and implementation of a new system. The board of director’s role is to have a voice for the organization. Going forward the board needs to be involved in how the new system will affect the processes of the primary users and help curtail the expenses that develop as the project evolves. The Project manager is the person accountable for the successful implementation of the new information system. â€Å"He or she is the person who provides the day-to-day direction setting, conflict resolution, and communication needed by the project team†(Wager, Lee, Glaser, Burns, 2009, Chapter 7). The project manager is responsible for the team of engineers  installing and testing the information system. The project manager is responsible for relaying the progress of the project back to the board of directors. This includes the good, and the bad as outlined in the case study of Memorial Health System in which Dr. Melvin Sparks yelled at Sally Martin over substantial increases in work force, cost, and time increases. Sally Martin resolved not to share any bad news or setbacks with Dr. Sparks again creating a false sense of understanding of where the project was in the stages of completion. The original action of Dr. Sparks started a domino effect toward the failure of the project. Fundamental Activities Information Technology (IT) is responsible for the long and tedious process of installing, changing, removing, testing, and correcting the chosen information system for the health care organization. IT must have a strong plan in place for the scope of the projected project. Organizing, identifying the project champion, determining the project’s size and expectations, and establishing and implementing the project plan are the steps in the IT implementation process. Creating detailed project guidelines for cost, number of employees needed to complete the implementation and project completion dates of the different phases to help complete the goals set forth by the health care organization. Fundamental activities that led to the project failure were lack of organization, system analysis, and employee workflow. The project was set to a rushed timeline that did not permit for proper organization for the intricate details of implementing a new information system. Doing the system analysis in six months and making a choice without direct input from the employees who would be using the system on a daily basis was part of the project failure. Employee workflow is a vital portion of the selection process of a new system in a health care organization. â€Å"One of the first activities necessary in implementing any new system is to review and evaluate the existing workflow or business processes†(Wager, Lee, Glaser, Burns, 2009, Chapter 7). If the process is too complicated or cumbersome, the workforce will fight back and reject the new system. In the case study of Memorial Health System although intentions were good for the implementation of a clinician provider order entry (CPOE) system by Fred Dryer and Joe Roberts the process was rushed and not properly laid out with realistic goals in place. IT was  not given adequate time to organize, plan, or determine the scope for the steps they would need to make to implement the new CPOE. Commun ication Dr. Melvin Sparks was a fundamental player in the project failure at Memorial Health System. Probably without direct knowledge of his actions, Dr. Sparks started a domino effect that ultimately led to many of the project failures with implementing the CPOE system. The initial communication between Dr. Sparks and his appointed project manager, Sally Martin, set the communication barrier of relaying time delays, lack of workforce, and budget increases that snowballed into the failure of the CPOE implementation. Project Failure Project failure in the Memorial Health System case study was evident from the beginning of the project. The idea was solid, but the planning was not thorough. Five indicators that the project would fail are lack of clarity of purpose that happens when the objectives of the project are unclear. Lack of belief in the project happens when the key users are not convinced the system will ease their workload. Insufficient leadership support happens when the lack of commitment shows through the lack of involvement by the leaders spearheading the implementation process. Organizational inertia happens when project work is added on top of the daily workload adding stress to the employees. Project complexity is multifold and is a direct effect of when the people working on the project do not have an understanding of the scope of the project. Minimize Project Failure Memorial Health Systems could have taken different steps to eliminate or minimize the effects of the project failure on the new CPOE system. This Student would have acted differently to minimize the effects for a different outcome on the implementation process for the new CPOE system. Lack of clarity of purpose This student would have communicated that the implementation of the new system will make the daily process of patient care is necessary so the providers and supporting staff understand that it will prepare for a better patient health record and reduce errors in orders. Lack of belief in the project This student would have communicated an understanding that the new CPOE system will create an efficient and useful electronic medical record. Therefore, easing the workload and minimizing errors in patient orders. This student would have made continual updates and newsletters updating the providers and staff about improvements that they would be making in his or her patient’s care. Insufficient leadership support This student would have created a more visible and involved leadership team. This student would have created meetings and training involving both the leadership team and the providers to create a better understanding of how the implementation of the CPOE will help the quality of care given by the providers at Memorial Health System. Organizational inertia This student would have organized the workforce to help drastically reduce the amount of daily workloads to free up dedicated time for the CPOE implementation project. Working in stressful environments can create lack of forward motion on a project because of the added work. Increasing the workforce to distribute the workload will help in the project continuing to move forward. Project complexity This student would have had a frank conversation with the contributing departments and stakeholders about the complexity and scope of the CPOE project. Communication would have included that additions to the project would increase the timeframe and cost of the project. When all entities understand the complexity of the project and that, there will be delays or setbacks in the implementation process this will help ease doubt during transitional times. Conclusion Having a strong implementation plan and goals are imperative when beginning the process of adding or changing an information system. Health care is changing rapidly and implementing system changes takes time, extensive planning, and support. Ensuring that a strong foundation and understanding of the project is in place before implementing a systems change will help in the success of the project. References Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., Glaser, J. P., Burns, L. R. (2009). Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management, Second Edition. [University Of Phoenix]. http://dx.doi.org/ 9780470387801

Noahs Ark vs. Gilgamesh Epic Essay -- Religion Religious Epic Gilgames

Noahs Ark vs. Gilgamesh Epic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gilgamesh Epic is an ancient Mesopotamian story about life and the suffering one must endure while alive. Included in the story, is a tale of a great flood that covered the earth, killing all but a select few of it’s inhabitants. This story of a great flood is common to most people, and has affected history in several ways. It’s presence in the Gilgamesh Epic has caused many people to search for evidence that a great flood actually happened. It has also caused several other religions and cultures to take the same basic story, claiming it for their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether in Christianity in the form of Noah’s Ark, or through Mesopotamian history in the form of an immortal, the idea of a great flood has proven to be a common story throughout the world. Though Noah’s Ark may be the most popular form of the story, it is not the oldest. Many people believe Noah’s Ark was based on Utnapishnem’s flood story. The two stories are obviously based on the same thing, but one must wonder which one is true or which came first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Utnapishnem in the Gilgamesh Epic starts with a dream that warns Utnapishnem of the coming flood. The gods are angry and want to rid the world of mankind. Utnapishnem built a boat large enough to carry his family, personal belongings, and â€Å"the seed of all other living creatures.† After Utnapishnem finished, the rain fell for six days and six nights, and it was so bad that the gods climbed into heaven for safety. After the rain stopped, the boat came to rest on Mount Nisir, and Utnapishnem released a dove and a swallow. Both birds returned because they could not find land. Then a raven was released and it did not come back, proving that there was land for it to rest on. Utnapishnem then came out of the ship and offered a sacrifice to the gods. When the gods smelled the sweet odor of the sacrifice, they blessed Utnapishnem and his wife to be like the gods and live forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Noah’s Ark begins with God being upset at mankind's wickedness. He decides to destroy it with a flood. God new Noah was righteous and told him to build an ark so he would be safe from the rain. Noah did so and took aboard his family and pairs of every kind of animal. It rained for forty days and nights, until the highest mountains were covered. Then God sent a wind and the waters receded, and the... ...tioned. What caused the tidal wave is still a mystery, although many people believe it was caused by volcanic eruption, or a large meteorite crashing into the Earth’s surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other theory is of universal flooding. The idea of a great flood has been found to be conclusive with geological findings all over the globe. A flood this large would have deposited sediment throughout the world. It has been scientifically estimate that more than seventy-five percent of the Earth is covered with sediment. Fossils have also been found in the Rockie Mountains that contain shells and fish. Many other petrified â€Å"fish beds† have been found all over the world, including Mt. Everest, suggesting that a global flood did indeed happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though scientists cannot agree on whether or not a global flood occurred, the effect of these stories on science has been monumental, as well as the effect of the stories on cultures and religions throughout the world. If this great flood did , in fact, occur, it’s effect on history would have been great because of the huge numbers of people lost to it. Though they may be fables, one must keep asking themselves if they may have been based on fact.

Othello, the Image Machine Essay -- Othello essays

Othello, the Image Machine  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s drama Othello presents a full panoply of diverse imagery that cannot be described briefly. Let’s spend some attention on this subject which has so many examples in the play.    Alvin Kernan’s â€Å"Othello: an Introduction† explains how the â€Å"symbolic geography† imagery of the play create a particular image of space and time:    We can begin to see this pattern in the â€Å"symbolic geography† of the play. Every play, or work of art, creates its own particular image of space and time, its own symbolic world. The outer limits of the world of Othello are defined by the Turks – the infidels,   the unbelievers, the â€Å"general enemy† as the play calls them – who, just over the horizon, sail back and forth trying to confuse and trick the Christians in order to invade their dominions and destroy them. Out beyond the horizon, reported but unseen, are also those â€Å"anters vast and deserts idle† of which Othello speaks. Out there is a land of â€Å"rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven† inhabited by â€Å"cannibals that each other eat† and monstrous forms of men â€Å"whose heads grow beneath their shoulders.† (76-77)    There is no shortage of imagery in the play; this is for certain. Critic Caroline Spurgeon in â€Å"Shakespeare’s Imagery and What it Tells Us† sorts through the plethora of imagery in the play:    The main image in Othello is that of animals in action, preying upon one another, mischievous, lascivious, cruel or suffering, and through these, the general sense of pain and unpleasantness is much increased and kept constantly before us. More than half the animal images in the play are Iago’s, and all these are contemptuous or repellent: a plague of flies, a qua... ...ore Evans. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Kernan, Alvin. â€Å"Othello: and Introduction.† Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1964.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Spurgeon, Caroline. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Imagery and What it Tells Us.† Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. D. F. Bratchell. New York: Routledge, 1990.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.      

Game design Essay

Introduction, my game concept is based around football and cars hence the name soccer cars. My game is targeted for both core and casual gamers as the game might be addictive to both groups of gamers rather than one. The concept will introduce a new experience to the gaming world, the basic idea for the game is to battle with cars whilst racing and trying to get to the finish line before your competitors with possession of the football. The gamer will need to use their strategic skills and mind games to defeat their opponent and forcing them off the track to gain an advantage and create opportunities they can use to win the game. The game will have different levels ranging from beginner to world class. The game will feature stages the gamer can unlock by winning racing and collecting coins along the way. The game is designed to be played on console to give the gamer a better experience and have better visuals on the game which is an advantage and they can also go online tom play against rivals from different places. Genre, the genre of my game will be a combination of two genres, to give the gamer the best of both worlds which will be sport genre and racing genre. Features, soccer cars will feature different cars to choose from, from high performance cars such as the Lamborghini and the Bugatti and will include different footballs to choose from such as the official world cup ball. My game will be 3D to give the gamer the feel of being in the game, it will be single player with the option to also play multiplayer. There would be audio and visual feedback to guide the gamer of what to do and where to go in order to win the race. There will be leader boards to show scores and show who is leading the ranks and also my game will the gamer to play their own music if they wish to and talk to their opponent online using a headset. Platform, the platform for my game will be console as it will be easier to play on a console as the gamer will take total control over the whole game and according to my research that I did gamers are likely to purchase games on console. Intended audience, as this is a new game my target audience will be between casual and simulation so that hard-core gamers will find a way to really enjoy the game, but also want to make sure to welcome newcomers to the racing/sports genre. It’s a game in that you have people who love racing and others who love sports hence the target audience will also include both male and female. It will also be targeted at console owners as this is the main platform for the game. Language, the language for the game will be English by default but if the gamer decides to change the language they can simply change it in the setting s to the language they prefer. Sound consideration, Core game mechanics Single/multiplayer, this game will have both single and multiplayer, this is because it will give the user a chance to challenge others and showcase their skills. The player will only be able to control their car so as to make the game fair and have a fair race between users. In single player situations the player can play against the computer car or if they wish they can race against the clock to see if they will make it to the finish line in time and set new records. In cases of multiplayer players can play online or offline the choice is theirs to make. General movement, the movement of the cars in the game are limited and the user can accelerate, brake, change gears, turn left and right and also can jump as there will be obstacle during the race. The movement made will be up to which buttons the user presses on the controller of the console. right1430683JUMP 00JUMP Control summary, These are the controls that are going to be used for this game and if the user does not feel comfortable with these they can switch them to their personal preference in the controller section in settings. Initial set up, when starting the game for the first time a video introducing the gamer to the game will 1 / 3 play, this will information about the game itself, what to expect and so on. After the video finishes the player will have a trial run to familiarize themselves with the game and the controls. After the trial run the user will be taken to the main menu where all the fun begins and they can personalise their profile including their car they start with and the game begins. Territories (environment), the environment of this game will be real life racing, I have done this so as to excite the user of the game. All the racing tracks and cars included are real life tracks and objects to enhance the excitement of the game itself and also as many of the users might be real life racing fans and will know the track well as they might have visited the track beforehand and give them a head start to their opponents. Health, Challenges, this game consists of many challenges which have to be completed by the user to win the race, these are, collecting coins along the way, finding the hidden coins for double points and lastly getting the ball to the finish line to win the race. Because there is also trial time race the user will have to race to the finish line within the time given or they will not complete the task. The user will also need an eye for details that would be shown on their screen as they might need to change gear, look at the map to see where things are or to see how far or behind they are from their opponent. The challenges will vary depending on what level the user is playing as they will be easier on beginner but will get harder as the levels go up all the way to world class. Scoring system, the scoring system will work when the user collects coins and every coin is worth X10 and when the player collects the double coins they will get twice as much but the bonus scoreis gi ven to the race winner, the runner up and third place position only and it will be classed as cash, the money will be given as followed. Position Points 1st 5000 2nd 2500 3rd 1500 Stage progression, depending on the type of race the player wants to play they can choose from career mode or just race if the player picks the career mode they will have to go through 5 levels which are: Beginner Amateur Semi-pro Professional World class After the player has completed all the levels and collected all the coins and unlocked all the tracks and cars they would have completed the career mode but can always play online against new competitor’s every time. 3042920124396500-313671127979000Covert adverts, just like in real life racing companies can advertise their businesses on the cars as shown below and also there will be billboards on which companies can also advertise themselves. This will be benefiting both ends the company and me. More adverts will be seen when the game is loading and these will more likely to be big companies such as Monster advertising their energy drinks. Covert advertisement will be seen during the whole race as the whole track will have logos of different companies with their posters and messages on them. 35476121330700Failure states trigger, my game will include failure states trigger. For certain races during the career mode if you fail to adhere with the task you will have to restart the race or if you wish to if you have passed any check points you can start from there although this will cost you coins to do. This mode does not work when playing â€Å"just race† mode it only works on career mode. left19973700. Win/lose screen statistics, win/lose statistics will be shown at the end of every race in visual 2 / 3 feedback the reason for this being that if the player wants to see all the information they will have all the time they need to do so. The information will be presented with the player’s name, how many coins they collected, penalties, total and will be in order from first to last with how much they have earned from the race. An example is shown on the left side. Flowchart Narrative/storyline Characters Main character, in this game the main character will be the player himself, they will be able to control their car and everything else surrounding them including car settings, audio settings and gameplay settings. The main character car will be a black ford mustang with monster covert advertisement, the car will include special features that the player can access by using their coins to purchase them. The character car will be the 3rd fastest car in the game after the Lamborghini and the Bugatti. In order to keep the car in top shape the player will have to service then car on a regular basis as if the car is not serviced it will not go as quick. The car will also have its own football and this will come as a package and if the player wishes to they can customise the car to their personal preference. This character car is based on the research I carried out on the best muscle cars for racing on track and will be the car to win the races. NPC, the NPC which is non-player character will be a ghost car also known as the computer player. This car will be racing the player and the player’s objectives will be to beat the NPC to the finish line only on single player and on some other races in career mode. If the player fails to do so they will have to restart the race till they beat they car to the finish line with the ball in possession and the NPC will also be able to disposes the player of the ball. Other objects, just like any other game there will be many different types of other objects and these may include, nitro on the track, tyres and spare parts for the cars and different footballs for the race. Other objects will be found all over the race and during the race as most of these will be random objects to make life harder for the player. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Definition of Pogrom

Definition of Pogrom A pogrom is an organized attack upon a population, characterized by looting, destruction of property, rape, and murder. The word is derived from a Russian word meaning to commit mayhem, and it came into the English language to refer specifically to attacks perpetrated by Christians upon Jewish population centers in Russia. The first pogroms occurred in Ukraine in 1881, following the assassination of Czar Alexander II by a revolutionary group, Narodnaya Volya, on March 13, 1881. Rumors circulated that the murder of the Czar had been planned and executed by Jews. At the end of April, 1881, the initial outbreak of violence occurred in the Ukrainian town of Kirovograd (which was then known as Yelizavetgrad). The pogroms quickly spread to about 30 other towns and villages. There were more attacks during that summer, and then the violence subsided. The following winter, pogroms began anew in other areas of Russia, and murders of entire Jewish families were not uncommon. The attackers at times were very organized, even arriving by train to unleash violence. And the local authorities tended to stand aside and let acts of arson, murder, and rape occur without punishment. By the summer of 1882 the Russian government tried to crack down on local governors to stop the violence, and again the pogroms stopped for a time. However, they began again, and in 1883 and 1884 new pogroms occurred. The authorities finally prosecuted a number of rioters and sentenced them to prison, and the first wave of pogroms came to an end. The pogroms of the 1880s had a profound effect, as it encouraged many Russian Jews to leave the country and seek a life in the New World. Immigration to the United States by Russian Jews accelerated, which had an effect on American society, and particularly New York City, which received most of the new immigrants. The poet Emma Lazarus, who had been born in New York City, volunteered to help the Russian Jews fleeing the pogroms in Russia. The experience of Emma Lazarus with the refugees from the pogroms housed at Ward’s Island, the immigration station in New York City, helped inspire her famous poem â€Å"The New Colossus,† which was written in honor of the Statue of Liberty. The poem made the Statue of Liberty a symbol of immigration. Later Pogroms A second wave of pogroms occurred from 1903 to 1906, and a third wave from 1917 to 1921. The pogroms in the early years of the 20th century are generally linked to political unrest in the Russian empire. As a way to suppressing revolutionary sentiment, the government sought to blame Jews for unrest and incite violence against their communities.  Mobs, fomented by a group known as Black Hundreds, attacked Jewish villages, burning houses and causing widespread death and destruction. As part of the campaign to spread chaos and terror, propaganda was published and spread widely. A major component of the disinformation campaign, a notorious text titled  Protocols of the Elders of Zion  was published. The book was a fabricated document which purported to be a legitimate discovered text advancing a plan for Jews to achieve total domination of the world by means of deception. The use of an elaborate forgery to inflame hatred against Jews marked a dangerous new turning point in the use of propaganda. The text helped to create an atmosphere of violence in which thousands died or fled the country. And the use of the fabricated text did not end with the pogroms of 1903-1906. Later anti-Semites, including the American industrialist Henry Ford, spread the book and used it to fuel their own discriminatory practices. The Nazis, of course, made extensive use of propaganda designed to turn the European public against the Jews. Another wave of Russian pogroms took place roughly concurrent with World War I, from 1917 to 1921. The pogroms began as attacks on Jewish villages by deserters from the Russian army, but with the Bolshevik Revolution came new attacks on Jewish population centers. It was estimated that 60,000 Jews may have perished before the violence subsided. The occurrence of pogroms helped propel the concept of Zionism. Young Jews in Europe argued that assimilation into European society was constantly at risk, and the Jews in Europe should begin advocating for a homeland.

The Scientific Method for Treatment of a Lawn essays

The Scientific Method for Treatment of a Lawn essays Recently, in observations of the health of my lawn I have realized that most of my grass is brown, much of it is dead and what isn't dead is not growing well. Although I was initially inclined to blame meteorological factors beyond my control, I have come to realize that my neighbor's lawn is green and tall. . .essentially thriving. Because of the fact that weather over my neighbor's lawn is the same as that over mine, I have concluded that there is some other factor responsible for the difference in the quality of our lawns. Since our lawns are side by side, many of the variables that affect my lawn also affect his. Things such as temperature, moisture and daylight hours are constant for both. This has led me to believe that there is something my neighbor is doing to his lawn that leads to its far superior By careful observation of the habits of my neighbor in his lawn care regimen, I have noted two fundamental areas that differ from my own. Every morning, my neighbor waters his grass with a sprinkler for half an hour. Additionally, by observation and conversation with my neighbor, I have discovered that he applies a complete application of fertilizer every month to his grass. Since I do not do either of these things, and since these appear to be the only ways in which the care of his lawn differs from my own, I am led to believe that either, or both, of these factors have a role in the success of his grass growing. I hypothesize that I can increase my lawn's health (in terms of greenness, percentage live grass and grass height) by incorporating watering and fertilizer into my lawn care routine. I further hypothesize that each independent variable considered separately (watering and fertilizer) will increase my lawn health, but maximum results will be obtained by using both methods together. Developing a concise hypothesis is important because, ...

How to Become a National Merit Semifinalist

How to Become a National Merit Semifinalist SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Every October, about 1.6 million juniors across the country take the PSAT. Those who score in the top 1% achieve the distinction of National Merit Semifinalist. Most of these students move on to become National Merit Finalists, with some winning scholarship money for college. Being named a National Merit Semifinalist is a huge achievement along the path to college. Let’s take a look at what you need to do to become a National Merit Semifinalist. Basic Entry Requirements forNational Merit Semifinalists To become a Semifinalist and be eligible for a National Merit Scholarship, you must meet the following four requirements set by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC): Be enrolled as a high school student, progressing normally toward graduation.This just means that you’re taking and passing a normal number of classes and expect to graduate on time. Plan to enroll full-time in college starting the fall following high school graduation. In other words, you can’t postpone college to spend a year abroad, work full-time, and so on. Be a U.S. citizen or lawful U.S. permanent resident planning to become a U.S. citizen. Earn a top PSAT score.The definition of a "top" score varies by state, but generally you'll need to score in the top 1% of juniors to qualify. But what PSAT score do you need exactly? Keep reading because in the next section we explain exactly how high your PSAT score needs to be to qualify you for Semifinalist status. To be eligible for National Merit, you must plan to start college in the fall after your high school graduation. National Merit SemifinalistQualifying Scores The NMSCuses its own Selection Index to determine which students qualify as Commended Students and Semifinalists. In general, students who score in thetop 3-4%are named Commended Scholars, while students who score in the top 1% are deemed Semifinalists. Students are compared on astate-by-state basis.The NMSC's Selection Index ranges from 48 to 228 and is based on PSAT section scores. There are three PSAT section scores (one each for Math, Reading, and Writing and Language). Each section score ranges from 8 to 38. To calculate your Selection Index, you simplyadd your three PSAT section scores together and then multiply the sum by 2. Let's say you got 28 on Reading, 32 on Writing and Language, and 34 on Math. To find your Selection Index score, first add your section scores together: 28 + 32 + 34 = 94. Then, multiply the sum by 2 (94 * 2 = 188). This gives you a Selection Index score of 188. As you'll see in the chart below, a 188 Selection Index score isn't high enough toqualify for National Merit Semifinalist status. Instead, you'll need a Selection Index of 212 or higher, depending on where you take the test. Based on reports from individuals around the country, we've put together a comprehensive list of qualifying PSAT Selection Index scores. Check out the most recent state cutoffs for National Merit Semifinalist in the chart below. These were used to pick out Semifinalists from the October 2017 administration of the PSAT. State Selection Index Alabama 216 Alaska 215 Arizona 220 Arkansas 214 California 223 Colorado 221 Connecticut 222 Delaware 222 DC 223 Florida 219 Georgia 220 Hawaii 220 Idaho 214 Illinois 221 Indiana 219 Iowa 216 Kansas 218 Kentucky 218 Louisiana 217 Maine 217 Maryland 223 Massachusetts 223 Michigan 219 Minnesota 220 Mississippi 215 Missouri 217 Montana 214 Nebraska 216 Nevada 218 New Hampshire 219 New Jersey 223 New Mexico 215 New York 221 North Carolina 220 North Dakota 212 Ohio 219 Oklahoma 215 Oregon 221 Pennsylvania 220 Rhode Island 220 South Carolina 216 South Dakota 215 Tennessee 219 Texas 221 Utah 215 Vermont 216 Virginia 222 Washington 222 West Virginia 212 Wisconsin 216 Wyoming 212 Average Score 218 As you can see, scores vary depending on where you take the test. Cutoffsregularly vary a few points between years, so if you haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit, set your target Selection Index about2-5 points higher than the predicted cutoff for your state. After you take the PSAT, there's nothing more you can do to be named Semifinalist until the results are announced. The NMSC notifies eligible students in September the following school year. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: What Are the Steps to Becoming a National Merit Semifinalist? You now know the requirements for becoming a National Merit Semifinalist, and you have a plan to get a top PSAT score. But what are the actual steps to becoming a Semifinalist?The process begins early in your junior year and can last all the way until the end of your senior year. Below is an outline of the key steps you'll need to take to become a Semifinalist. Junior Year October: Take the PSAT You’ll take the PSAT on a Wednesday or Saturday in October of your junior year. Because you'll be competing with about 1.6 million juniors, it's important to study diligently for the PSAT (as you would for the SAT or ACT) by taking official PSAT practice tests andtargeting your weaknesses in your prep.(We give you more PSAT prep tips in the next section.) Remember, only the top 1% of juniors qualify for Semifinalist status, so you'll need to be at the top of your game on test day! Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship but worried your score won't qualify? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program to learn your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics and customize your prep to be as effective as possible for you. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: December: Receive PSAT Scores You’ll typically get your PSAT scores in early December,about six weeks after you take the test. While you'll be able to see how well you scored and whether you meet your state's most recent National Merit Semifinalist cutoff, remember thatthese cutoffs can change slightly each year, so you won’t know for sure whether you're a Semifinalist until the beginning of your senior year. Winter/Spring: NMSC Determines High Scorers During this time, the NMSC determines the 50,000 high scorers who quality for the National Merit program. Senior Year September: Semifinalists Announced In early Septemberof your senior year, you’ll finally learn whether you’re officially a National Merit Semifinalist or not. Of the 50,000 high scorers determined, 16,000 will become Semifinalists, and the remaining 34,000 will be recognized as Commended Students (but won’t move forward with the National Merit Program). Fall: Apply to Be a Finalist After you’ve been recognized as a Semifinalist, you’ll begin the Finalist application process. To apply, you’ll need to submit the following materials: High school transcript SAT scores (must be received by December 31) Information about your activities and leadership roles A personal essay A recommendation from your high school principal, or someone the principal designates as a school official Information about your school’s curricula and grading system There’s no official cutoff for SAT scores or GPA, but the NMSC is looking for strong grades and test scores to prove that your PSAT scores weren’t just a fluke. February: Finalists Announced In February, 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists are named Finalists and can apply for National Merit Scholarships. March: Scholarship Winners Announced Finally, 7,500 of the finalists learn that they are National Merit Scholarship winners. Each winner receives a $2,500-a-year National Merit Scholarship, a corporate-sponsored scholarship, and/or a college-sponsored scholarship. How Do You Get the PSAT Score You Need to Become a National Merit Semifinalist? Alright, so you’re going to need an amazing score on the PSAT in order to meet the National Merit Semifinalist cutoff. Getting that score can be tough, but follow these three tips as you prepare in order to get your best PSAT score. #1: Take Practice Tests Doing well on the PSAT is all about preparation. Studying the content and format of the test is the best way to bring your score up. Some people are natural test takers, while others stress under pressure. Regardless of how you react to timed tests, preparing with high quality, relevant materials is the best way to position yourself toward top scores. Since the College Board makes the PSAT, its online practice questions are a great place to start. Below are two official practice PSATs you can use for free.You can also find more free and official PSAT practice tests in our guide. Official PSAT Practice Test 1 - Score Your Test - Answer Explanations Official PSAT Practice Test 2 - Score Your Test - Answer Explanations Take these practice tests under typical test conditions:work in a quiet area with few distractions and time yourself in accordance with official PSAT time limits. Taking timed tests is a skill, and practicing this skill will help you get better and better at the PSAT. Understanding the format of the test will also help you eliminate the potential for careless errors. #2: Identify and Strengthen Your Weak Areas It’s not enough, however, to take just one practice test and then immediately move on to the next one.As you’re studying and answering practice problems, try to identify your weaknesses.Are there any patterns in your mistakes? Do you need more practice with Reading questions? Grammar? Vocabulary? Algebra? Probability? Figure out where you need to focus your attention to really strengthen your overall PSAT score. At the same, you might also be able to push up your overall score by playing to your strengths. The NMSC considers your composite score rather than your individual section scores. For example, if you scored 650 on the Math section of a practice test, it might be easy for you to push that up to 750+. Or if you’re stronger at Reading and Writing, you might be able to add more points to your composite score by focusing your energies on those two sections. Just remember that, ultimately, you can’t have any low section scores on the PSAT if you want to become a National Merit Finalist. So try to staystrong across all areas of the test! #3: Set Goals and Track Your Progress Becoming a National Merit Semifinalist is a lofty goal, and in order to make sure you’re on track to meet it, you need to know early on what PSAT to aim for and how much progress you should be making. First, use the above chart to figure out what the cutoff is for your state. You might want to add a point or two just to be safe and take into account any potential increases in the cutoff score. Once you have your overall PSAT goal score, set smaller goals to accomplish throughout your studying. These can be monthly or weekly goals depending on what works best for your schedule. Some ideas could beto try to develop a better understanding of algebra questions by the end of the week, or to try to raise your total PSAT score 20 points by the end of the month. No matter your goals, regularly check to see that you’re (on your way to) meeting them. If not, figure out what you can do to improve, such as studying more often or changing up your study methods. Setting regular goals will not only help you stay motivated but will also ensure that you’re making the progress you need to be making to get the score you want on test day. How to Stay Motivated for the PSAT In addition to planning how you'll prep for the PSAT, you should ask yourself another important question: how will you stay motivated?Staying motivated is key to sustaining your studying. Why do you want to do well on the PSAT? What drives you? Some reasons students strive to become National Merit Semifinalists are academic recognition, scholarship money,and getting into college.What are your own personal reasons? Write down your ideas, and look back at this list for inspiration whenever you feel your motivation lagging. Since the PSAT is closely linked to the SAT, any studying you do now will definitely pay off when you take the SAT. Plus, it’s probably easier for you to find free time now than when you’re immersed in college applications senior year. Achieving a qualifying score or higher takes a lot of hard work. The benefits of this hard work don’t end when you get a certificate in the mail from the NMSC recognizing you as a semifinalist in September of your senior year. You can prove to yourself and to others the depth of your commitment and drive by putting your hopes into action and your dreams into determination. After all, this focused, purposeful effort is the key to achieving success in anything you do! What's Next? Being named Semifinalist is just the first step. Learn what it takes to become a National Merit Finalist and how to increase your chances of winning a scholarship. Did you know there are four kinds of National Merit Scholarshipsand more than 8,000 are awarded each year? Read all about the various scholarshipshere. Want to score a perfect SAT score?Check out our easy-to-read guide on how to do just that, written by an expert 1600 scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Rebecca Safier About the Author Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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U.S. Foreign Policy on Syrian Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

U.S. Foreign Policy on Syrian Civil War - Essay Example Debates as to whether U.S. policy towards the situation in Syria should call for a military action, defending the civilians, wipe out the terrorist groups or specifically act on Syrian forces suspected to be using chemical weapons on the opposition have been taken a central place in foreign policy discussions. Some groups fear that US actions may not lead to the desired outcomes, but may end up with more consequences than current problem. They fear that it may escalate the violence, create regional division and even a power vacuum that may look good from extremists’side. Unplanned expenditure and domestic opposition to the military action are some of the factors suggesting that the US should not take part in the Syrian war1. Administration critics argue that most the presumed costs of U.S. intervention are currently happening and that it will not make any difference if the U.S. gets involved in the Syrian conflict. Some believe that U.S. silence over the matter has a detrimental effect on its influence in the Middle East leading to the reconsideration of US foreign policy and revisiting of certain aspects that will increase their involvement in the Syrian war. Taking civilians into consideration, U.S. involvement in the Syrian war is inevitable. The Sectary of Sate’s announcement at the Friends of Syria Conference that the US and another member of â€Å"London 11†find it necessary to give coordinated assistance of non-lethal nature to the opposition is a good indication of what the U.S. needs to do2.   

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy Case Study

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy - Case Study Example For Sony Technologies, these measures include revenues, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, capital return, cash flow, product quality, and timeliness, rate of improvement, employee morale, turnover and use of best practices. Every organization is unique and this paper will analyze how to develop a balanced score card system in line with the strategy of Sony Technologies. The logic behind the making of a score card system starts with understanding these challenges in terms of the customers and stakeholders of the organization, and their needs. The management should then come up with the strategic components of the system and validate them. These include vision, mission, strategic perspectives, core values, desired strategic results, objectives, strategic themes, strategy map, strategic initiatives, performance indicators and targets (Rohm & Malinosky, 2010). Having a good strategy helps the organization to communicate its approach and gain a competitive advantage. In a strategy score card, there are four performance indicators for analyzing strategy; financial, business processes, stakeholder/customer, and organization capacity perspectives. The key step in developing strategy is creating other high level strategies and objectives for each theme. For example, customer focused operational excellence and growth through innovation. The creation of strategic objectives is important in developing the plan. Objectives are the continuous actions for improvement that can be measured, actionable, and documented. These objectives are then developed to form a strategy map. This is a graphical demonstration of how an organization creates value for its customers, employees and stakeholders. It is an effective communication tool that Sony Technologies can use to build alignment, transparency and focus on positive results (Kaplan & Norton, Strategy maps: Converting intangible assets into tangible outcomes, 2004). Strategic objectives are important in creating value in

Analysis of Association Is Not Causation Research Paper

Analysis of Association Is Not Causation - Research Paper Example The prevailing theory, is one that maintains that alcohol â€Å"reduces inhibitions† (1), and that a compromised mental state leads to violent behavior. They are careful to point out that they are not challenging the reduction of inhibitions, but challenging that the theory that there is a necessary relationship between these mental states and violence, and they cite a broad cross-section of studies that maintain this. If there is a causal relationship between reduced inhibitions, and violence, then there ought to be consistency across all cultures. One of the first challenges they point to, is that there are documented differences of alcohol behavior that â€Å"varies greatly† across cultures(2), and thus there has to be something more than simply a â€Å"pharmacological† explanation. They argue that it is â€Å"expectancy† that explains these differences. ... Thus, the 'expectation' of drinking had more to do with drinking than the actual pharmacological effects. Given that there is no strictly biological causal relation between violence and alcohol consumption, they turn to explain how this view had come about within the scientific literature. One problem they note is the discrepancy between alcohol â€Å"blood levels† (3) and reported incidences of violence. Police reports with actual blood levels measured of intoxicated offenders, indicate that while over 50 % of individuals charged with domestic violence reported alcohol as the cause, less than 20 % of these were actually intoxicated as measured by the toxicity of their blood(3). Likewise, statistical analysis' shows too that while reporting of alcohol use in domestic violence instances, the actual use in terms of â€Å"immediately prior† to the incidence is significantly lower. They conclude that there are important discrepancies with the data when they are closely scru tinized. Finally, the authors examine some of the methodological limitations of many of the studies, and conclude with implicit recommendations for further research based on some of the limitations of the existing research. They point to problems mainly to do with equivocation. That is, problems of defining or distinguishing between the types of drugs used(4), what exactly is violence and abuse(4-5), and finally, the very nature of alcohol consumption – how much, and how frequently is alcohol consumed(6). They argue that these definitional problems are inconsistencies in current research. ANALYSIS: 1. What are the strengths of the article? : The main strength of the article is that they unequivocally demonstrate that the existing literature confused correlation or

Sensory Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sensory Discrimination - Essay Example e has no sensory discrimination H1; Steve has sensory discrimination Method In this experiment, we utilize simple counts such as how many pieces of pizza were classified by the subject. The results were summarized in a 2 by 2 contingency table as shown below. The four numbers are a, b, c, and d, which are entered in the cells of the table according to the four categories. The total number of pieces of pizza which the subject can classify as Dominos Meatzza Feast or Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza is: n= a + b + c + d From the table below we see that a total of a + c pieces of pizza were guessed correctly while b + d pieces of pizza were guessed incorrectly. If the subject cannot distinguish between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza then a and c should be small. Conversely, if the subject can tell the difference between the two pizzas, we expect a and c to be about the same. (Weaver, 2008) Â   Guessed correctly Guessed incorrectly Total Dominos Meatzza Feast a b a + b Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza c d c + d Totals a + c b + d a + b + c + d (=n) According to Fisher the probability of obtaining the values base above is given by the hyper geometric distribution below: (Deborah, 2000) The p-value is calculated in such a way that the margins of the table are fixed and, therefore, the respondant will give guesses with correct numbers in each category of the table. This leads to a null hypothesis of independence to a hyper geometric distribution of the entries in the cells of the contingency table. When using the chi square in the analysis, the approximation is not enough when sample sizes are small or if the data is very unequally distributed in the cells of the table. Therefore the cell counts have been predicted to be low. (Agresti, 2001) In this... The p-value is calculated in such a way that the margins of the table are fixed and, therefore, the respondent will give guesses with correct numbers in each category of the table. This leads to a null hypothesis of independence to a hypergeometric distribution of the entries in the cells of the contingency table. When using the chi-square in the analysis, the approximation is not enough when sample sizes are small or if the data is very unequally distributed in the cells of the table. Therefore the cell counts have been predicted to be low.18 pieces of pizza were prepared--9 pieces of Dominos Meatzza Feast and 9 pieces of Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza. The pieces of pizza were presented to the respondent in a random order. The respondent’s task is to identify the 9 pieces of Dominos Meatzza Feast and the 9 pieces of Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza, and he is informed of the design.ParticipantsThe participant in this study was Steve David. He claims to be able to tel l the difference between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza since he runs a pizza store, and thus qualifies as an expert on the subject.The Fisher test is used with respect to the contingency table results. In this case, the test assesses what the expected frequencies will be if the null hypothesis is true. If there is no difference between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza guesses, one would expect that Dominos Meatzza Feast would have been guessed correctly six times.

Design project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design project - Assignment Example In order to design an effective mini air compressor, the pumping capacity must be considered in advance. The designed mini air compressor must also be cost effective, portable, lightweight, easy to operate, and safe for use. A mini air compressor is a small device that can be used easily and moved from one place to another with ease. According to the requirements of a mini air compressor, it should be lightweight. A mini air compressor is small in size and making it light weight enhances its portability too. The compressed air is also expected to be released at a higher speed. As a result, the air requires adequate compression so that it is released at the intended speed. The time required to use the mini air compression is also shorter because it is used in filling air gadgets that requires low quantities of air, for instance, a flat tyre, air mattresses, and beach balls among others (Jacobs 2010). One needs to understand the pressure that is required to be generated by the air compressor. One measures the pressure within one of the car tires using the air pressure gauge stored within the car’s glovebox. The value you acquire from the gauge is 29psi. Convert it to a more convenient unit for pressure measurements as follows: A mini air compressor does not require any specialized skills to use. When designing the gadget, simple and easy to understand technology must be used to ensure it is easy to operate. The designed product must also be safe to use because safety of users is a basic quality assurance requirements. A sizeable gadget is also advisable because it should be portable and its cost needs to be reasonable and affordable. Designing a small gadget will require slightly small amounts of funds to implement. This translates to reasonable costs of the material (Jacobs 2010). Designing a gadget like a mini air compressor applies high-tech knowledge. However,

Sensory Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sensory Discrimination - Essay Example e has no sensory discrimination H1; Steve has sensory discrimination Method In this experiment, we utilize simple counts such as how many pieces of pizza were classified by the subject. The results were summarized in a 2 by 2 contingency table as shown below. The four numbers are a, b, c, and d, which are entered in the cells of the table according to the four categories. The total number of pieces of pizza which the subject can classify as Dominos Meatzza Feast or Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza is: n= a + b + c + d From the table below we see that a total of a + c pieces of pizza were guessed correctly while b + d pieces of pizza were guessed incorrectly. If the subject cannot distinguish between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza then a and c should be small. Conversely, if the subject can tell the difference between the two pizzas, we expect a and c to be about the same. (Weaver, 2008) Â   Guessed correctly Guessed incorrectly Total Dominos Meatzza Feast a b a + b Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza c d c + d Totals a + c b + d a + b + c + d (=n) According to Fisher the probability of obtaining the values base above is given by the hyper geometric distribution below: (Deborah, 2000) The p-value is calculated in such a way that the margins of the table are fixed and, therefore, the respondant will give guesses with correct numbers in each category of the table. This leads to a null hypothesis of independence to a hyper geometric distribution of the entries in the cells of the contingency table. When using the chi square in the analysis, the approximation is not enough when sample sizes are small or if the data is very unequally distributed in the cells of the table. Therefore the cell counts have been predicted to be low. (Agresti, 2001) In this... The p-value is calculated in such a way that the margins of the table are fixed and, therefore, the respondent will give guesses with correct numbers in each category of the table. This leads to a null hypothesis of independence to a hypergeometric distribution of the entries in the cells of the contingency table. When using the chi-square in the analysis, the approximation is not enough when sample sizes are small or if the data is very unequally distributed in the cells of the table. Therefore the cell counts have been predicted to be low.18 pieces of pizza were prepared--9 pieces of Dominos Meatzza Feast and 9 pieces of Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza. The pieces of pizza were presented to the respondent in a random order. The respondent’s task is to identify the 9 pieces of Dominos Meatzza Feast and the 9 pieces of Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza, and he is informed of the design.ParticipantsThe participant in this study was Steve David. He claims to be able to tel l the difference between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza since he runs a pizza store, and thus qualifies as an expert on the subject.The Fisher test is used with respect to the contingency table results. In this case, the test assesses what the expected frequencies will be if the null hypothesis is true. If there is no difference between Dominos Meatzza Feast and Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s pizza guesses, one would expect that Dominos Meatzza Feast would have been guessed correctly six times.

Drug Development and Toxicology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Development and Toxicology - Essay Example The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that most of the drugs reported to it do not come with sufficient information. The FDA says that drug developing companies need to submit information on the compounds that are used to manufacture the drug, uses of the drug and its effects among other important data. It reports that if companies submitted this kind of information, the drug approval process would be much quicker than the current 8 years that are required. Consequently, it would increase the number of drugs that are clinically approved to enter the market without any restrictions (Friedhoff, 2009). In the end, this will help save a lot of money as well as patients who die in during the approval period. One common reason for the failed approvals is that drug development companies fail to indicate the optimal dosage that a patient should use so as to minimize the listed drug effects as well as any dangers associated with taking the drug. When undergoing the approval process, such a drug will be disqualified from the clinics conducting the trials have no way of knowing the appropriate dosage. FDA also noted that the populations that are sampled during drug development are very different from the population that is meant to use the drug (Zanders, 2011). When clinical trials are being conducted and such an error is noted, the drug is disqualified as having been developed for a different population from the one that its safety tests were conducted on (Friedhoff, 2009).

Colonialism and Latin America Essay Example for Free

Colonialism and Latin America Essay Eduardo Galeano is a passionate journalist and writer, a man that has put this passion into writing about the lost or often overlooked histories of Latin and South Americas. In one of his acclaimed books, Las venas abiertas de America Latina/Open Veins of Latin America, he looks at the history of exploitation in this place from early European explorers to current United States and European endeavors. In this paper using three examples from Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, will show how Latin America has developed a dependency on foreign entities. Latin America was mostly untouched by the European world until 1492, when the Spanish where looking for a cheaper way to obtain the goods from the Exotic East. Galeano even goes on to speculate that even earlier explorers could have visited thus creating the religions and gods that the native tribes worshipped (pg. 17). These Spanish explorers came looking for new goods and spices, and when they saw that these natives had bits of metal upon them and inquired after them discovered that gold and silver were in abundance here. Thus began the Spanish Conquistadors reign begin in Latin America, though out numbered 10 to 1, the Spanish steadily moved out. The technology gaps between these two worlds was astounding, as Columbus earlier noted, â€Å"They knew nothing of swords, and when these were shown to them they grasped the sharp edges and cut themselves. † Along with gunpowder, full metal armor, and most importantly horses the Spanish were able to decimate and terrorize most opposing forces that they encountered. â€Å"The conquests shattered the foundations of these civilizations† (pg.43), afterwards almost every major native city and been sacked and looted along with the natives being indentured or killed. The mines that were established created the greatest displacement of the native people; it forced them into grueling labor and destroyed the agricultural communities. These early conquests helped lay the groundwork for the future exploitation of this region. Gold and silver were the main motivating forces for the Conquest, but many other goods have developed within this region. Foremost of these goods was sugar, in fact it was such suitable terrain that it proved to be a â€Å"white gold. † The early sugar plantations were pure profit for the Spanish lords, with legions of African and Native slaves and soil ideal for sugar cane. This new agriculture and overseers helped contribute to the already old agriculture downfall. Forests were felled and other crops were dismissed as unnecessary, sugar became the only crop that mattered. These plantations developed into what we know today in Latin America as the latifundio, which has been meticulously honed into a system that allows for the highest profits to the owners but hardly adequate conditions for its workers. â€Å"The latifundio as we know it has been sufficiently mechanized to multiply the labor surplus, and thus enjoys an ample reserve of cheap hands. It no longer depends on the importations of African slaves or on the encomienda of Indians; it merely needs to pay ridiculously low or in-kind wages, or to obtain labor for nothing in return for the laborer’s under of a minute piece of land. † (pg. 60) This system created was so effective at siphoning the natural resources of the region that its growth into areas can be documented by the destroyed land and displaced populace that it leaves behind. Galeano states, â€Å"And this has not been the role of sugar alone: the story has been the same with cacao, cotton, rubber, coffee and fruits† (pg. 61). With the creation of this system within Latin America, it became ripe for foreign business interests to produce their product in this place. With the abundance of common resources available for cheap and with huge potential for a business owner to create huge profits, Latin America was directly and indirectly was given host to many business ventures from Dutch, French, English and U. S. industry. Businesses that invested into these ventures loved the model, land was acquired with earnest and more plantations were created with their overseers working for the new companies. Now all these companies could obtain a bulk product for little to no cost to them, and should you happen to own the transportation for bringing the product to its destination only created more. Investors grew rich and enjoyed their success at making double profits, though workers were not so happy. Unrest has become a staple of the Latin America countries, and unfortunately it is usually painted by our governments as the opposite of what is occurring. To begin most Latin American countries are under a Dictatorship, where the military has absolute power and the only thing with more influence is the businesses that want to keep their labor cheap. Foreign entities train these dictators then give them the money and goods they require to help maintain the goals that the businesses request of them. Most unrest that is documented is the people of these regions rising up against these Dictators to install someone for the people, but it usually doesn’t last long as foreign interest is already setting up the next player for their scheme. Latin America once boasted an ancient civilization with brilliant people; astronomers, builders, leaders, but now is governed by what product is most in demand. These people have had foreign parties that have been molding the way they live and function for over 500 years. Even know as we campaign to help them we can’t begin to grasp that these people need more than foreign interests to stop exploiting them, they need it to change their whole way of life. It’s a double edged sword, for there shall always be a party that enters the system that is only focused on its own needs rather than the needs of the people. The world has so deeply ingrained itself in the history and creation of the crutch that Latin America lives off of and if we should take that crutch away, they still won’t be able to walk, but if we show them how to do it on their own and let them govern themselves and teach them. Maybe they’ll be able to walk for themselves someday. Work Cited Galeano, E. H. (1997). Open veins of Latin America: five centuries of the pillage of a continent (25th anniversary ed. ). New York: Monthly Review Press.

Snoopy Tool Evaluation

Snoopy Tool Evaluation Snoopy is a tool which is used for designing and animating hierarchical graphs along with others Petri nets. Snoopy also provides the facility to construct Petri nets and allows animation and simulation of the resulting token flow. This tool is used to verify technical systems specifically software-based systems and natural systems e.g. signal transduction, biochemical networks as metabolic and gene regulatory networks. Snoopy is in use for consideration of the qualitative network structure of a model under specific kinetic aspects of the specified Petri net class and investigation of Petri net models in several complementary conducts. Simultaneous usage of different Petri net classes in Snoopy is one of its outstanding features. Other features are: It is extensible as its generic design aids the implementation of new Petri net classes. It is adaptive as numerous models can be used simultaneously. It is platform independent as it is executable on all common operating systems e.g. linux, mac, windows. Two particular types of nodes i.e. logical nodes and macro nodes are meant for supporting the systematic construction, neat arrangement and design of large Petri nets. Logical nodes act as connector or multiple used places or transitions sharing the same factor or function. Macro nodes allow hierarchically designing of a Petri net. Snoopy allows edition and coloring of all elements in each Petri net class and manual or automatic change of network layout too. Prevention of syntactical errors in the network structure of a Petri net is facilitated by the implementation of the graphical editor. Editor Mode: Start Snoopy and go to File New or press the new button in the tool bar. It results in opening of a template dialogue that allows selection of the document template. File: New/Open/Close Window/Save/Save as, Print, Export/Import, Preferences (change the default visualization) and Exit. Edit: Undo/Redo, Select All/Copy/Copy in new net/Paste/Cut, Clear/Clear all, Hide/Unhide, Edit selected elements/Transform Shapes, Layout (automatic layout function), Sort Nodes (by ID or name), Check Net (duplicate nodes, syntax, consistency) and Convert to. View : Zoom 100%/Zoom In/Zoom Out, Net Information (number of each element used in the model), Toogle Graphelements/Hierachy browser/Filebar/Log window, Show Attributes (choose for each elements which attributes to be shown in the model), Start Anim-Mode/SimulationMode/Steering-Mode. Elements (list of all available elements): Select/ Place/Transition/ Coarse Place/Coarse Transition/ Immediate Transition/Deterministic Transition/Scheduled Transition/Parameter/Coarse Parameter/LookupTable, Edge/Read Edge/Inhibitor Edge/Reset Edge/Equal Edge/Modifier Edge and Comment. Hierarchy (edit and browse hierarchy): Coarse (chosen elements are encapsulate in a macro node)/Flatten and Go Up in Hierarchy/Go To First Child in Hierarchy/Go To Next Sibling in Hierarchy/o To Previous Sibling in Hierarchy. Search : Search nodes (by ID or name). Extra : Load node sets (visualize, e.g., T-, P-invariants, siphons and traps), Interaction and General Information (title, author, description, literature). Window (arrange all opened windows): Cascade/Tile Horizontally/Tile vertically, Arrange Icons/Next/Previous and Open Files. Help: Help, About (current version), check update. The tool bar holds four shortcuts that facilitate: Open a new document. Load a document. Save a document. Select an element. All elements accessible in the current net class are displayed in panel for the graph elements. Left-click on one of the elements enables user to use one of these elements. Right click on the respective element allows user to edit or select all elements of the same class. All levels are displayed in hierarchy browser and any hierarchical level can be opened in a new window by a left-click. The editor pane can be considered as the canvas which allows user to draw the network. A left-click on the Editor pane activates chosen element and places the selected element on the canvas. Click left onto one node, hold the left-click, drag the line to the other node and drop the left-click, to draw an arc between two nodes. To add edges to an arc push the CRTL key and click left on the arc which facilitates the user to drag the edge with another left-click. Grid in the canvas tab can also be used for a better orientation. User can also pick edge styles i.e. line or spline in the preference dialo gue in the elements tab. Elements: Nodes: Elements Graphics Standard transition Standard transition Coarse place Coarse transition Immediate transition Deterministic transition Scheduled transition Immediate Transition: Immediate transitions fire as soon as they are enabled. The waiting time is equal to zero. Standard Transition (Timed Transition): A waiting time is computed as soon as the transition is enabled. The transition fires if the timer elapsed zero and the transitions is still enabled. Deterministic Transition: Deterministic transitions fire as soon as the fixed time interval elapses during the entire simulation run time. The respective deterministic transitions must be enabled at the end of each repeated interval. Scheduled Transition: Scheduled transitions fire as soon as the fixed time interval elapsed during the given time points. The respective deterministic transitions must be enabled at the end of each repeated interval. Edges: Elements Graphics Description Standard edge The transition is enabled and may fire if both pre-places and are sufficiently marked by tokens. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-places and new tokens are produced on post place. Read edge The transition is enabled and may fire if both pre-places A and B are sufficiently marked by tokens. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-place B but not from pre-place A, new tokens are produced on post place. The firing of the transition does not change the amount of tokens on pre-place A. Inhibitor edge The transition is enabled and may fire if pre-place B is sufficiently marked by tokens. The amount of tokens on pre-place A must be smaller than the given arc weight. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-place B but not from pre-place A; new tokens are produced on place C. The firing of the transition does not change the amount of tokens on pre-place A. Reset edge The transition is enabled and may fire if pre-place B is sufficiently marked by tokens. The amount of tokens on pre-place A has no effect on the ability to enable the transition and affects only the kinetics. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-place B according the arc weight and all tokens on pre-places A are deleted; new tokens are produced on place C. Equal edge The transition is enabled and may fire if number of tokens on pre-place A is equal to the corresponding arc weight and place B is sufficiently marked. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-place B but not from preplace A; new tokens are produced on place C. The firing of the transition does not change the amount of tokens on pre-place A. Modifier edge The transition is enabled and may fire if pre-place B is sufficiently marked with tokens. The amount of tokens on pre-place A has no effect on the ability to enable the transition and affects only the kinetics. After firing of the transition, tokens are removed from the pre-place B but not from pre-place A; new tokens are produced on place C. The firing of the transition does not change the amount of tokens on pre-place A. Functions: Name Meaning of function BioMassAction(.) Stochastic law of mass action. Tokens are interpretated as single molecules. BioLevelInterpretation(.) Stochastic law of mass action. Tokens are interpretated as concentration. ImmediateFiring(.) Refers to immediate transitions. TimedFiring(.) Refers to deterministic transitions. FixedTimedFiring Single(.) Refers to deterministic transitions that only res once after a given timepoint FixedTimedFiring(., ., .) Refers to scheduled transitions. abs(.) Absolute value acos(.) Arc cosine function asin(.) Arc sine function atan(.) Arc tangent function ceil(.) Rounding up cos(.) Cosine function exp(.) exponential function sin(.) Sine function sqrt(.) Square root tan(.) Tangent function floor(.) Round off log(.) Natural logarithm with constant e as base log10(.) Common logarithm with constant 10 as base pow(.) Exponent Parameters: Parameters are used for defining individual parameters and rate or weight functions but are not able to define the number of tokens on a particular place. Third group of macro elements are coarse parameters which facilitate encapsulating parameters. High numbers of parameters are not visible on the top-level or can also be categorized by the use of coarse parameters. Animation mode: Snoopy allows user to observe the token flow in animation mode which starts by pressing F5 or going to View and then start AnimationMode. It will result in opening a new window which allow user to steer the animation. This part of snoopy is very beneficial to catch a first expression of the causality of a model and its workings as it provides information about the transitions too. In order to understand modeled mechanism, playing with the token flow prove to be worthwhile. The token flow can be animated manually by a single click on the transition. A message box is displayed revealing a message â€Å"This transition is not enabled† when user tries to fire a transition that is not enabled. Clicking-left and clicking-right on a place aids addition of tokens and extraction of tokens respectively. Animation of the token flow can also be controlled by using the radio buttons present on the animation steering panel. Usage of radio buttons involves step-wise forward and backward or s equentially as long as one transition can be enabled, otherwise a notification â€Å"Dead State: There are no more enabled transitions is displayed on screen. Simulation Mode Pressing F6, going to view/Start Simulation or using the stochastic simulation button on the animation control panel, are three ways to perform stochastic simulations with the current model in the active window. Facilities of this mode include simulation of the time-dependent dynamic behavior of the model indicated by the token flow or the firing frequency of the transitions. The fluctuating concentration levels or the discrete number of the components over time is indicated by the token flow. This provides an impression of the time-dependent changes in model under consideration which is helpful in understanding the wet-lab system. More than a few simulation studies can be performed with considered model by manipulating the structure and perturbing the initial state and kinetics. All results can be manually and automatically exported in the standard *.csv-format and can be analyzed in other mathematical programs. Simulation Control: The simulation control allows selection of main settings and individualities for the simulation. It splits further into four panels: Configuration Sets: Modification of configuration sets is carried out by edition of single entries or addition of new sets and picking the configuration sets that is suitable for the simulation run. Simulation Properties: It includes setting interval start i.e. time point where simulation starts, interval end i.e. time points where simulation ends and output step count i.e. number of time-points that should be displayed in the given interval. Export Properties: Various automatic export settings are accessible to the *.csv-format. Start Simulation: It will initiate simulation with the selected settings and properties. Progress of simulation is indicated by the bar and the required time is displayed below. Viewer/Node Choice: It facilitates user by providing choices in displaying simulation results. It is divided into two panels: Viewer Choice: It provides user an option to select one between data tables and data plots. Provided buttons in panel allow user to edit, add and delete the data tables and data plots. Token flow (places) or the firing frequency (transitions) can be displayed in a data table or data plot. Place Choice: User can choose those nodes which should be displayed in the data table or data plot. Display: This panel allows displaying the simulation results as data table or data plot. If data table is selected, the token flow for the selected places is presented in a table. Some options which are used for model checking are present at the bottom of the window. If data plot is chosen, the x-axis displays the time-interval and the y-axis indicates the average number of tokens. View of the plot can be altered via the buttons located below i.e. compress/stretch x-axis, compress/stretch y-axis, zoom in/out and centre view. A csv export button allows user to export the simulation results of the selected places manually. Image of the current plot can be saved by using print button. Model Checking Mode: Snoopy is enabled to perform model checking of linear-time properties based on the stochastic simulation. A subset of probabilistic linear-time temporal logic (PLTL) is employed to formulate and authenticate properties. Various features of snoopy also include checking several features at the same time. In order to perform model checking in Snoopy, user needs to open the simulation window and select the table view. To perform model checking on all simulation traces, user have to enter or load a property that is checked by simulating the time-dependent dynamic behavior. Simulation window allows following options: Enter State Property: User can specify a property in the dialogue box and no model checking is performed if it is empty. Load state property: User can load a property which is defined in a text file. Check state property: It refers to model checking which is performed on the basis of average behavior of the previous simulation. Simulation run count is of assistance to state a number of simulation traces to which model checking can be applied. It splits into two types: Default value 1 run: User is only able to get the information if the defined property holds true or is not false. Arbitrary number of runs: The number of simulation runs supports defining probability of the defined properties as high accuracy calls for high number of simulation runs. User can set the time interval where model checking should be applied with the help of interval start and interval end. A log window displays model checking results that includes following elements: Formula displays the formula checked during simulation. Runs indicate the number of simulation runs performed. Runtime shows the number of threads used for simulation. Threads display the number of threads used for simulation. Prop indicate the computed probability for the formula. S ^2 displays the variance of the probability. Confidence Interval indicates the size of the confidence interval. [a,b] reveals the interval of the probability that is calculated from the confidence interval

Tibetan Medicine Essay -- Tibet Treatment History Illness Papers

Tibetan Medicine Tibetan medicine, developed over the course of over one thousand years in the isolated mountainous terrain of Tibet and preserved despite China’s decimation of Tibetan customs, views healing in a much different way than Western physicians. Tibetan medicine emphasizes science, faith, perception, spirituality, karma, and philosophy, whereas Western medicine is based almost entirely on science. In the West, religion and spirituality are believed to have absolutely nothing to do with healing and medical practice. Without looking at Tibetan medicine in depth, the Westerner could easily dismiss Tibetan medicine as superstitious and unscientific; however, Tibetan Medicine is often very successful at treating illness, and Tibetan physicians can often cure the root of the problem, rather than merely performing a quick fix to a localized part of the body as in the West. Tibetan doctors do not recommend simply popping a pill. Instead, they see illness as a manifestation of the body†™s imbalance and seek to correct this imbalance. In order to cure a disease, behavior, lifestyle, and one’s individual ‘humoral constitution’ (the three humors and the way in which they function in the body will be fully explained later) are all very important. In order to gain a fuller understanding of the Tibetan approach, as well as appreciate why it has remained so unknown to Westerners despite its lengthy existence, one must consider the Tibetan and Western medical traditions simultaneously. One is also inclined to consider if aspects or methods of diagnoses from the Tibetan tradition could be incorporated into Western medicine since each form of practice has own benefits – Western medicine has highly sophisticated technology and the... ...he Source, 131. [8] John Avedon, In Exile from the Land of Snows, 156. [9] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 86. [10] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 87. [11] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 89. [12] Dr. Yeshi Dhonden. Health Through Balance. (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1986), 142. [13] Dr. Dhoden, Health Through Balance, 148. [14] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 129. [15] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, (New York: Atria Books, 2001), 191. [16] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, 193. [17] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, 193. [18] Dr. Dhonden, Health Through Balance, 185. [19] Dr. Dhonden, Health Through Balance, 216. [20] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 187. [21] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 187. [22] John Avedon, In Exile from the Land of Snows, 155.

William Penn and the Quakers :: essays research papers

William Penn and the Quakers The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends was religious group that founded Pennsylvania. William Penn, one of the leaders, worked with the Quakers, Indians and the other population to make an ideal world for him, his followers, and the other people in his environment. With his efforts, and the help of others, the Quakers left a huge impact on Pennsylvania and the entire nation. The Quakers are a religion that originated in England in protest of the Anglican Church's practices. The man in charge of this religious revolution was George Fox.1 He believed that God didn't live in churches as much as he lived in people's hearts.2 In that state of mind, he went out into the world in search of his true religion. He argued with priests, slept in fields, and spent days and nights trying to find followers. His first followers were mostly young people and women. Besides freedom of religion, they wanted freedom of speech, worship and assembly, refusal to go to war or take oath, and equality of the sexes and social classes.3 In England, between the years of 1650 and 1700, more than 15,000 Quakers were fined and/or imprisoned; 366 were killed.4 The reason why the Quakers were put through such torture was because their beliefs and culture was different from the Anglican Church. At that time, any religion that was practiced in England other than the Anglican Church would be persecuted. They believed that religion shouldn't be practiced in a church as much as in your heart. The differences that were between the Quakers and the Anglican Christians was that the Anglicans practiced strict discipline in their prayers. They would go to prayer every morning, and ask for forgiveness of their sins. They believed that the sacred authority was the Bible, the only way to make your way to heaven was to go to sermon; they should glorify God in the world; and pay no attention to the irrationality of God. They didn't believe men could achieve anything for themselves; only God could do that. The Quakers, on the other hand, believed that God should be in your spirit, not in sermon, and that your sacred authority shouldn't be a book, it should be your inner light, the force that drives you through you life. They believed you shouldn't be servants of God, but to be friends of God.