Homemeade Kinetic Sand Recipe

Kinetic sand is sand that sticks to itself, so you can form clumps and mold it with your hands. Its also easy to clean up because it sticks to itself. Kinetic sand is an example of a dilatant or non-Newtonian fluid that increases its viscosity under stress. You may be familiar with another non-Newtonian fluid, oobleck. Oobleck resembles a liquid until you squeeze or punch it, and then it feels solid. When you release the stress, oobleck flows like a liquid. Kinetic sand is similar to oobleck, but it is stiffer. You can mold the sand into shapes, but after a few minutes to hours, they will flow into a lump. You can buy kinetic sand in stores or online, but its a simple and fun science project to make this educational toy yourself. Heres what you do: Kinetic Sand Materials Fine play sandDimethicone [polydimethylsiloxane, CH3[Si(CH3)2O]nSi(CH3)3] Use the finest sand that you can find. Fine craft sand works better than playground sand. You can experiment with colored sand, but be aware the dyes may not work for the project. Kinetic sand that you buy in the store consists of 98% sand and 2% polydimethylsiloxane (a polymer). Polydimethylsiloxane is known more commonly as dimethicone, and it is found in hair anti-frizz gel, diaper rash cream, a variety of cosmetics, and in pure form from a cosmetics supply store. Dimethicone is sold in different viscosities. A good viscosity for this project is dimethicone 500, but you can experiment with other products. How to Make Kinetic Sand Spread dry sand out in a pan and allow it to dry overnight, or place it in a 250 F oven for a couple of hours to drive off any water. If you heat the sand, let it cool before proceeding.Mix 2 grams of dimethicone with 100 grams of sand. If you want to make a bigger batch, use the same ratio. For example, you would use 20 grams of dimethicone with 1000 grams (1 kilogram) of sand.If the sand wont stick together, you can add more dimethicone, a gram at a time, until you get the consistency you want. Homemade kinetic sand is similar to what you would buy, but the commercial product uses super-fine sand, so it may behave a bit differently.Use cookie cutters, a bread knife, or sandbox toys to shape the kinetic sand.  Store your sand in a sealed bag or container when you arent using it. Recipe for Homemade Kinetic Sand Using Cornstarch Cornstarch is the material mixed with water to make oobleck and ooze. If you cant find dimethicone or are looking for a cheaper alternative, you can make homemade kinetic sand that is essentially oobleck with sand. It will not be as easy to mold as dimethicone sand, but its still fun for younger explorers. The advantage over regular play sand is that this recipe will stick together, so you can have an indoor sandbox without tracking as much sand all over your home. Materials Large plastic tub or a small pool6 cups cornstarch6 cups water50-lb bag of play sand ​​Instructions First, make the oobleck by mixing the corn starch and water.Stir in the sand until you get the consistency you want. Its okay to add a bit more of any ingredient to get the perfect sand.If you like, you can also add a squirt of dishwashing detergent or a couple of spoonfuls of tea tree oil to help prevent bacteria or mold from growing on the sand.The sand will dry out over time. When this happens, you can add more water.

Frida, By Julie Taymor - 762 Words

â€Å"Frida† the movie was released in 2002 and directed by Julie Taymor. The cast included Salma Hayek as (Frida), Alfred Molina as (Diego Rivera), Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, Mia Maestro, and Geoffrey Rush. The film is a biography of the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. She is a woman who came from a very simple background. Kahlo rose to fame as an artist with an unique vision for her craft. She endured a difficult relationship with her husband/mentor Diego Rivera. Many of her paintings are based on her experiences in life. She is also an artist who from the opinion of many, painted from her soul. Director Julie Taymor was able to capture and visually show us the life of Frida by using creative and dynamic angles to bring Frida s paintings to life. Frida’s rise to success was defined by the challenges she faced throughout her life. She had this sense of durability, strength and resilience. She was rude, bold and also smoked and drank like the men around her. At first Frida painted what she felt, but it wasn’t for anyone to see or to be sold. She would paint it and express every tragedy that affected her. In my opinion, her rise began once she witnessed her husband having and affair with her sister. It hurt her so much inside the only way to describe how she felt and let it out was she had to paint it. After that, she went on her own and continued painting her pain. Through out her life she went through many hardships that caused her pain internally.Show MoreRelatedFrida, By Julie Taymor766 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Frida† the movies was released in 2002 and directed by Julie Taymor. The cast included Salma Hayek as (Frida), Alfred Molina as (Diego Rivera), Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, Mia Maestro, and Geoffrey Rush. â€Å"Frida† is a biography of the life of Mexican artist Frida Khalo). She is a woman who came from a very simple background. She rose to fame as an artist with a very interesting vision for her craft. 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Cigarette Tax Free Essays

Section 1: â€Å"Cigarette tax hike sparks panic buying† By Ashley Hall Updated Thu Apr 29, 2010 What is the main issue presented in the media report? Discuss what has actually happened: In the year of 2010, the Federal Government raised taxes on cigarettes by an extra 25 per cent, resulting in an increase price of $2. 16 to every pack of 30 cigarettes. A proclamation stated by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on the crackdown on Internet advertising of cigarettes was mentioned. We will write a custom essay sample on Cigarette Tax or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mr. Rudd also affirmed ‘the government will spend $27. million on an anti-smoking campaign (Hall, 2010) This media report outlines the publics impulsive buying of cigarettes upon the government’s mention of the very rapid increase in taxes, thus resulting in an upward increase in price. It mentions the dismays retailers and tobacconists faced due to the tax hike. Further more, mentioning the concerns of philanthropists and other individuals. Highlight the reason for the issue being raised: This issue was one that arose quite soon after its announcement, as it impacted the country in its majority in numerous ways. The justification behind this issue was the government’s lack of planning. The release of the tax hike occurred only several hours before its prospected start of midnight that night, which ultimately left little or possibly even no time to adjust and prepare for the subsequent price increase. (Hall, 2010) Outline what possible impacts this change could have: The unexpected change posed many impacts on an abundant area of the population. The change impacted the consumers (smokers), the suppliers/producers, retailers/tobacconists, charity workers and the government. The sudden publication of the price increase would lead to a majority of smokers purchasing larger amounts of cigarettes than usual, in an attempt to purchase the product at a cheaper price rather than at its increased price. The retailers/tobacconists face the prospects of higher demands and physical impossibilities such as lack of stock and time to prepare. Although on the contrary as stated by the executive director of Quit Victoria â€Å"100,000 people will quit smoking as the result of the price increase and 250,000 children will not take up the habit†. (Hall, 2010) From another viewpoint, the rapid increase in tax had an immediate negative impact on the number of people seeking assistance. This is solely the case, as a widely held proportion of smokers come from low-income groups, â€Å"In fact, people from low-income groups are 13 times more likely to quit smoking in the face of a prime increase than those from higher income groups†. (Hall, 2010) Who are the key stakeholders that are impacted by the issue outlined in the report? The key groups that may be impacted by the issues raised in this report are ultimately the key stakeholders; i. e. he customers, suppliers, regulators and competitors. The customers (smokers) are faced with the increased price on packets of cigarettes. Which ultimately puts an excise burden on consumer’s income. The suppliers were faced with a rapid increase in demand in the hours before the implementation of the tax increase, and perpetual demand between the periods after the tax. This is due to the noti on that smokers are not willing to go cold turkey over night simply due to an increase of $2. 16, but ultimately the possible immediate decline in number of packets bought/sold in the event prior to the tax increase. Suppliers are also faced with the concern of consumers opting for substitute goods (This means a good’s demand is increased when the price of another good is increased) for example replacing cigarettes with chewing gum (even considering that cigarettes are inelastic). (McTaggart, 2010) Regulators, which in this case are the Government, are faced with constant scrutiny regarding their decisions and lack of planning. However, this tax hike increased an extra $5 billion over four years, which the Government would put towards its health and hospitals overhaul (Hall, 2010). So evidently, back into the economy. An increase in people seeking assistance will also place possible strains on charity workers, as people will continue to spend money on cigarettes rather than necessities. Competitors are also faced with a possible increase in demand, as the price of one good is increased, the demand of the substitute good is increased (McTaggart, 2010). Students and groups of people from low socioeconomic status will be directly affected the greatest. For those who come from high-income classes, their wages are generally increasing as the 25 per-cent increment is implemented, which ultimately does not substantially affect their income as a whole. However, students and people from low socioeconomic status groups are giving up necessities of life to feed their smoking addictions. What economic theories can be dawn from this media report? Opportunity cost: Graph 1: The theory of Opportunity cost (Graph 1): the amount of other products that must be sacrificed to obtain an extra unit of any product. The opportunity cost refers to the benefit forgone from the best alternative use of resources. (McTaggart, 2010) As the economy moves from point B towards point C, it must give up successively larger amounts of good B to obtain the same equal increment in good C (Layton, 2009). In relation to cigarette tax, people from lower income groups are giving up the necessities in order to feed their smoking addiction. Demand, Supply and Elasticity: Graph 2: The demand for cigarettes increased during the period of the government’s announcement and until midnight when the price increase was implemented: i. e. a change in consumer’s expectations about future prices brings forward an increase in consumption. (McTaggart, 2010) Graph 3: Change in demand is where the demand has shifted to the left hand side. Rise in price will see a greater quantity supplied (quantity will rise), shift in supply curve. McTaggart, 2010), (Layton, 2009). From midnight the equilibrium shifted to the left side along the demand curve by the price increase. As the result, as it was mentioned above, the quantities demanded decreased, due to the tax increase. Result in consumer and producer paying the burden of the tax increase. (McTaggart, 2010) Section 2: â€Å"Apple Shares hit as iPhone sales Fall Short† Sky News Oct 19, 2011 What is the main issue presented in the media report? Apple, one of the leading technological companies in the world has recorded revenues uncharacteristically short of expectations. Wall street analysts predicted iPhone sales during their fourth quarter earnings to be ’20 million sales’, with a short fall of ’17 million sold’. With overall revenues recorded at $28. 3 billion, substantially short of expectations (Sky News, 2011). Apple new chief executive ‘Tim Cook’ does not seem concerned about the recorded short fall of the company since the passing of Co-founder Steve Jobs. Recorded losses in revenue for Apple fourth quarter could be significantly the result of many factors (Sky News, 2011). The main contributing factor, being the short after release of the iPhone 4s. Due to the release of the iPhone 4s, consumers were withholding from purchasing older models of the iPhone, with the thought ‘I would rather wait a litter longer to purchase a new and updated version’. Ultimately the thought of consumers’ posses’ greater opportunity for Apple sales in the future but resulted in revenue falling short in their fourth quarter. The recorded revenue had a negative impact on the company. With the actual versus predicted sales of the iPhone falling short, Apple shared dropped 5% upon the announcement (Sky News, 2011). A drop in share price negatively affected the company, especially since a drop in share price has now only occurred since the passing of co-founder Steve Jobs. A drop in share price could result in consumers questioning whether they should continue to purchase Apple products, or if the drop in share price is a signaling factor that there is a higher demand for substitute goods. This could be the case as many other leading technological companies are constantly trying to innovate new and improve models of phones, laptops and tablets to keep up with Apples constant improvements. For example Samsung release of their new tablet caused large amounts of disputes between themselves and Apple, as Apple saw a large opportunity for threat to sales of their iPad. Although this is the case, the new iPhone 4s has sky rocketing sales of four million in its first three days on the market. As new chief executive ‘Tim Cook’ said: â€Å"customer response to iPhone 4s has been fantastic, we have momentum going into the holiday season, and we remain really enthusiastic about our product pipeline. † (Sky News, 2011). Who are the key stakeholders that are impacted by the issue outlined in the report? The key groups that may be impacted by the issues raised in this report are ultimately the key stakeholders; i. e. the customers, suppliers, shareholders and competitors. The customers are ultimately those who predict they continuing success of the company, without customer sales Apple would not exist. The hit of Apple shares could negatively impact consumer sales. A decline in the share price could signal a train of though in consumers mind that possibly there is a need for greater innovative or the threat of higher competitors in regards to Apple products. If consumers are being told that a company is recording predicted short falls in their expected revenue consumer might be apposed to their products, resulting in customers opting for substitute goods. (McTaggart, 2010) The suppliers in this report are in fact Apple and all other retailers that stock Apple products. The short fall of iPhone sales resulted in a decrease in revenue. Which ultimately lead to a decrease in the price of Apple shares. A decrease in share price could lead to a decline in possible sales, which results in a supplier surplus. Suppliers have a greater number of products to sell in relating to consumers who are interested in buying their product (McTaggart, 2010). In the event of the release of the iPhone 4s, suppliers are faced with higher consumer demand, which could result in a shortage of iPhone 4s in relation to consumer demands. Apples brand name and reputation is a very important asset to the company, with this issue being raised, it could have an impact on one of their largest assets. Shareholders, are those individuals or companies who have financially invested an interest in Apple, a decrease in share price negatively impacts shareholders. Decline in the share price by 5% results in a decrease in the value of shareholders wealth. The final group that is impacted by issues of a decline in Apples share price is competitors. This could have a positive impact to competitors. Negative public announcement over such a large and dominant company could result in a substantial amount of consumers opting to purchase products competitors offer, simply due to the decisions of other individuals. A consistent pattern in the public shows, that if a product is negatively represented in more than one way consumers will be very reluctant to purchase that product. Resulting in a positive advantage for competitor’s products. The group that would be impacted the most would be the suppliers. They are the key foundation of the company, without continued success the company could face greater hardships and decline in sales leading to a decline in revenue and share price as which occurred in the month of October 2011. What economic theories can be drawn from this media report? Supply and Demand: Graph 1: Demand curve during period of Apple reporting shortfall of sales and decreased revenue in recording during their fourth quarter. The graph above is a representation of changes in demand. Apple change in demand during this period is caused by consumer expectations, tastes and preferences. Where the soon to be released iPhone 4s resulted in the decrease of current iPhone sales. (McTaggart, 2010), (Layton, 2009). Graph 2: The Above graph is a representation of the supply and demand curve during the first release of the iPhone 4s. The supple curve remains constant (from period before and after the release of the iPhone 4s). Where significant changes occurred in relationship to the demand curve. The increase in demand which resulted in a right ward shift of the demand curve was a direct result of ‘taste or preferences of consumers’ a key determinant in the changes in demand (Layton, 2009). This was the case as consumers withheld from purchasing older models of the iPhone with anticipation of purchasing the newer and improved version of the iPhone (iPhone 4s). This resulted in Apple experiencing greater quantities demanded as stated in the article â€Å"iPhone 4s has sky rocketing sales of four million in its first three days on the market†. Change in demand results in change in new equilibrium (Sky News, 2011). References: McTaggart, D. , Findlay, C. , and Parkin, M. (2010), Economics, Sixth Edition, Addison-Wesley, Sydney Lecture Slides, Blackboard, University of Technology, Sydney, Insearch (2011), Economics for Business Unknown. 2011, ‘Apple shares hit as iPhone sales fall Short’, Sky News, YAHOO, viewed 4 November 2011, http://news. yahoo. com/apple-earnings-hit-drop-iphone-sales-220800212. html Layton, A. , T. Robinson and I. Tucker (2009), Economics for Today, Cengage Learning Australia, Australia: South Melbourne. Faculty of Business (2010), Guide to Writing Assignments (3rd ed. ), Faculty of Business, University of Technology, Sydney How to cite Cigarette Tax, Papers

Twentieth Century Poetry Coursework Essay Example For Students

Twentieth Century Poetry Coursework Essay Telephone Conversation, by Wole Soyinka and You will be hearing from us shortly, by U.A.Fanthorpe both deal with prejudiced attitudes through the language and tone of the three speakers.  You will be hearing from us shortly, by U.A.Fanthorpe, depicts the degrading process of being interviewed and only the interviewers voice is conveyed to us. This is done to create a patronizing, condescending and haughty tone. At the beginning of the poem the tone seems polite but the sub-text is invariably insulting. This becomes more obvious as the poem progresses. The title You will be hearing from us shortly, is a clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and is always heard in reference to the application of jobs and auditions. The clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is not genuinely enthusiastic but typically aloof. It sets the tone of the poem in this way as the title is a phrase an unimpressed interviewer would use.  The interviewers responses are set on the right hand side of the page to make it easier for the reader to understand that these phrases are responses. If not set on the right hand side of the page, the reader would find it very difficult to understand which parts of the text were responses. This technique is also used to convey how insulting the responses are. In the first stanza, difficult questions, such as, You feel adequate to the demands of the position? are used to convey that the interviewers preconceptions of the candidate are that she is not adequate for the position. This is a difficult question to be asked as when answering a question of this nature you know that you are being judged upon how well you respond and you want to come across as confident but not boastful. The Ah response creates a silence as it is assumed that the interviewer was not impressed by the candidates answer to the question. The reply is also cold and the reader can see that it would crush the candidates confidence. The qualifications of the candidate are discussed in the second stanza. The first line begins, Let us. By using a plural Fanthorpe implies that the interviewer may be interviewers; for instance, the candidate may be in front of a panel. This creates a very intimidating atmosphere.  The candidate is shown to have good qualifications, as the interviewer refers to them as Impressive but this complement is followed directly by a degrading remark as the following line of the interviewer exclaims that they Are not, precisely what had in mind. The stanza ends with another difficult question, Would you care to defend their relevance? This conveys the interview situation as a time where you need to defend yourself and fight against negative preconceptions. The response Indeed is not encouraging as it avoids affirmation. The interviewee is again asked to defend herself in the third stanza, this time she is asked to defend her age by answering the question Now your age. Perhaps you feel able to make your own comment about that. This line shows that the interviewers are imploying a tactic of age discrimination but not, as one might assume that the candidate is too young. The interviewers are looking to employ someone with precisely the right degree of immaturity. This phrase is very tricky as it could mean anything. Fanthorpe is a woman writing in her sixties; perhaps she has heard this line before. Therefore maybe this poem is a recollection of a real situation. The response, So glad we agree, implies concordance with a sardonic tone, whereas really the candidate would be disagreeing with the panel. The panel in the fourth stanza insults the appearance of the candidate, and no longer even shows the decency of being subtle. In an incredulous tone the interviewer declares:   And now a delicate matter: your looks  You do appreciate this work involves  Contact with the actual public? Might they  Perhaps, find your appearance  Disturbing?  Placing the word Disturbing on its own is very effective. It gives the word extra emphasis as it is given a capital letter and there is a short pause before the word is said. It also stands out in the text as an invariably short line.  The class of the candidate is discussed in the fifth stanza. The panel discusses the candidates accent and schooling and refers to it as a handicap. This stanza conveys the employers as highly educated, condescending and prejudiced members of the old school tie network. The employers are very formal and seem to show no emotion.

The Economic Environment of Business

Why Long-Distance Relationships Are Hard

Why Long-Distance Relationships Are Hard Its no secret: long-distance relationships, especially in college, are incredibly difficult. After all, just being in college is hard enough, so adding a long-distance relationship to the mix is inevitably going to add some stress and difficulty. Whether youre deciding whether you want to give your relationship a shot across the distance or whether youre just trying to prepare for whats to come, it can be a great help to be aware in advance of the challenges inherent in any college long-distance relationship. It Can Be a Challenge to Share the Little Things Sometimes, its being able to share the little things with someone that matter the most. Grabbing a cup of coffee, pointing out how ridiculous your physics professor is, or sharing a giggle over something funny in the quad are all things that can be hard, if not impossible, with a long-distance partner. Not having the shared experience of a million little things can be both sad and frustrating, especially as time goes on and all of those little, unshared experiences start to add up. It Can Be a Challenge to Share the Big Things You landed an amazing on-campus job; you just totally rocked your campaign speech for student government during a dead hour in the quad; you finally got selected to write a weekly editorial for the campus newspaper. While these may all be a huge deal in your college life, they can be hard to explain to someone who is far away and not completely familiar with the context theyre happening in. Sure, a partner can be excited for you, but its never quite the same as being there with you to applaud your efforts and see your victories in person. And that can be hard sometimes. Trust Issues Can Be Difficult You both are far away and living your own lives ... which hopefully means meeting new, interesting people. You might be a little jealous about your partners freedom and frequent interactions with potential love interests; your partner might be a little insecure about how much time youre spending with people he or she sees as a threat to your relationship. While any relationship has to be based on trust, trust in a long-distance relationship can sometimes be harder to establish. Your brain may even be able to logically explain why you should totally trust your partner, and yet your heart just cant seem to get on board. So even if you know youre being a little silly, trust issues can still creep in and pose a major challenge for one or both partners in a college long-distance relationship. Holidays and Special Events Can Feel Lonely While major goals for college should be, of course, academic in nature, there are major moments that happen along the way that is made all the more meaningful because of the people you share them with. And when your partner isnt there, things can get pretty challenging. Whether its a major athletic victory, a large co-curricular event youre organizing, a religious holiday, Valentines Day, or even something that happens unexpectedly, being alone when you want to share a special moment with your significant other can turn even the best of moments into one thats also bittersweet. Distance Can Grow Without Either Person Realizing It Even if both partners in a college long-distance relationship have the best of intentions, things sometimes just dont work out. All your Skype dates, messaging, and attempts to stay close somehow just fall short. The challenging part of this situation can, unfortunately, be that it happens without anyone really realizing it or, even worse, with one partner realizing it well before the other. They Will Never Fully Understand Your College Life Even if your partner lived on the same floor in your residence hall as you do, you still wouldnt be fully able to explain all of the details of your life to them. So when you add distance to the situation, things can quickly become incredibly, if not overwhelmingly, challenging. Even the best communicators can find it difficult to accurately and adequately explain all the exciting things about their time in school. And a partner can quickly become frustrated at their inability to fully understand whats going on in their significant others daily life. So while it may not necessarily be anyones fault, it can be frustrating when neither partner fully understands the others life. You Just Miss Them It goes without saying, of course, that the biggest challenge of a college long-distance relationship is the fact that you just miss someone you care very deeply about. You can try your hardest to stay close and make the relationship work. And even if you do last during your time apart, youll undoubtedly miss your partner terribly during the journey.

Comparative politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparative politics - Research Paper Example ctions and public policies with particular focus on the relationship between political culture and individual or group behaviors as well as how the individual/group behaviors are related with public policy outputs. With regard to the relationship between political culture and individual and group behaviors, political culture significantly influences both individual and group behaviors in various countries. This is largely attributed to the fact that political culture deeply impacts on the way individuals see their political world and ultimately shape their behavior within their political world. For example, in a democratic political culture, individuals and the society in general often tend to actively participate in the political processes are pursue their interests freely as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. Generally, in relations to individualistic view of governmental policies, political culture influences the individuals view of the practices of who gets what, when and how in the society. Contrastingly, in an authoritarian political culture, individuals are generally raised to believe that the interest of the state and the institutions serving the state overrides their individual interests and personal freedom1. For example, an empirical research conducted by Tezcà ¼r et al. (2012) to investigate the support for democracy in Iran revealed that the political culture in the country has a significant negative impact on the support for democracy in the Islamic State. Using a national survey, the researchers particularly found out that the dominant political culture in Iran is closely intertwined with religiosity and this has influenced the popular support for the Islamic regime and lower levels of support for democracy (Tezcà ¼r et al., 2012: 238). In the comparative public theoretical analysis, the groups in the political societies are easily influenced by the charismatic leaderships exhibited to the. Populist ideas of political cultures by

AMOURETTE SPOTLIGHT Hipster Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

AMOURETTE SPOTLIGHT Hipster - Assignment Example A lot of governing bodies have made companies responsible towards emission norms and set standards for declaration of their environmental compliances. Importance of corporate social responsibility is also reflected in the gaining momentum of mergers and acquisition dealings considering investments in socially responsible activities. Despite such rise in the value of CSR, the question remains as to why the companies find it important to engage and socially responsible behaviour when it actually does not add any financially visible value to the firm. Also, it is questionable whether these firms actually believe in acting socially or is it simply a means to gaining stakeholder support and shareholder (Font et al., 2012). The business world is plagued with multitude of problems ranging from accounting frauds, environmental issues and social concerns to corporate irregularities. In this scenario, importance of CSR reporting cannot be eliminated. This paper aims to examine whether the issu ing such CSR reports actually engage in socially responsible behaviour or merely try to convince stakeholders and gain investor support. It therefore highlights the role of business ethics and highlights the importance of CSR reporting. CSR for Increased profitability It is undoubted that companies operate in an environment where existence is subject to free play of competition between major players within any industry. In such unregulated attempt towards achieving greater market share, it is essential that government and media become aware of their role to act as controllers of social consequence of these activities. Their role has become significant and influential in today’s times. These groups of people have high power to put extreme pressure of major companies to adhere to environmental and social standards. This has resulted in the fact that CSR has emerged to be one of the inescapable priorities of businesses. Research has also shown that when managers and directors ta ke concern for employees and consumer welfare, they gain better support of their work staff in terms of productivity and loyalty than firms who have no consideration apart from earning profits. CSR in contemporary organizations There has been a sharp rise in CSR reporting in the recent decade. KPMG international has reported that about 95% of the largest 250 companies in the world issue standalone CSR reports as of 2011 data (Mahoney, 2012). This calls for a need to assess as to why companies have started reporting for CSR activities in such large numbers over their issues and sustainability efforts. The prime reason observed behind such rise in voluntary CSR reporting is the increasing pressure from various internal as well as external stakeholders on companies to emerge as good corporate citizens. It is known that engagement in CSR initiative has costs associated with it which might tax its competitive market position. Alternatively, the firm can benefit from the profits that accr ue to companies for being responsible corporate citizens like retention of employees, positive consumer behaviour and investments and higher profits. CSR reports are issued with a view that such information apart from other information that is available to stakeholders, shall act towards the benefit of the company. The major benefit arising out of this is believed to be good company reputation. KPMG reported that the major reason behind CSR reporting is brand building and reputation enhancement. It is also likely that

Michigan History2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Michigan History2 - Research Paper Example The area was also important to the French because it acted as a link between the Great lakes in the West and the Illinois County in the South. The area grew to become a military town, housing the French military. The inhabitants of this town would have looked forward to having one of the greatest commercial centers and a Military Fort. In the late 17th Century, the French were abandoning their forts in America. Viewing this as an invitation to the British to occupy the evacuated Forts, Cadillac requested the French government to allow him to build a new settlement in the Northern part of America. He chose to settle in the area near Lake Huron, then known as Le Detroit. He chose this area because of its fertile land, its hospitable climate, and its strategic location near the river. He brought Farmers, traders, soldiers, artisans and Native Americans from Montreal to settle in the place which later became known as Detroit. The final resting place of this famous Jesuit priest who helped convert Indians to Catholicism has been a subject of controversy over the years. He died on 18th may, 1675, aged 38 after enduring a fight with Tuberculosis. In 1972, bones believed by many scholars to be his were excavated at St. Ignace. These bones might have been brought by Indians. Other places associated with his final resting place include Ludington and

The Functional Requirement Of Cladding System Essay

The Functional Requirement Of Cladding System Essay Strength and Stability A wall structure should have adequate strength to support its own weight between points of support or fixing to the structural frame, and sufficient stability against lateral wind pressures. To allow for differential movements, there has to be adequate support to carry the weight of the wall structure, and also restraint fixings that will maintain the wall in position and at the same time allow differential movements without damage to either the fixings or the wall material. Thin sheet wall materials such as GRP, metal and glass suffer rapid changes in temperature and consequent expansion and contraction which may cause distortion and damage to fixings or the thin panel material or both. In the design of wall structure faced with thin panel or sheet material, the ideal arrangement is to provide only one rigid support fining to each panel or sheet with one other flexible support fixing and two flexible restraint fixings. The need to provide support and restraint fixings with adequate flexibility to allow for thermal movement and at the same time adequately restrain the facing in place and maintain a weather tight joint has been the principal difficulty in the use of thin panel and sheet facings. Resistance to weather/exclusion of wind and rain The least thickness of solid wall material necessary to prevent penetration of rainwater to the inner face depends on the degree of exposure to driving rain. Common practice is to construct a cavity wall adequate thermal resistance to the passage of heat, and an attractive finish. Common practice is to construct solid cladding systems with an outer leaf of light weight block for insulation. Material used to seal joints is required to be resilient enough to accommodate movement and resist weather deterioration. The rain screen principle is designed to provide a separate outer skin, to screen wall panels from scouring by wind and rain and deterioration by sunlight, and to improve the life and efficient of the joint seals. Durability and freedom from maintenance The durability of a wall structure is a measure of the frequency and extent of the work necessary to maintain minimum functional requirements and acceptable appearance. For example, masonry required a little maintenance because the dirt stained due to slow run-off of water from open horizontal joints. Panels of glass will maintain their finish over the expected life of buildings but will require frequent cleaning of the surface if they are to maintain their initial appearance, and periodic attention to and renewal of the seals. Another material that can be used is metal. bronze and stainless steel, both materials, will weather by the formation of a thin film of oxide that is impermeable and prevents further oxidation. Fire safety/fire Resistance Primary precautions are the internal spread of fire across the surface materials of the wall and ceilings, external fire spread over the fabric and fire spread such as cavities. The Building Regulations prohibit the use of materials that encourage spread of flame across their surface when subject to intense radiant heat and those which give off heat when burning. Limits of using thermoplastic materials in roof lights and lighting diffusers set in Building Regulation. To limit the spread of fire between buildings, limits to the size of unprotected areas of walls. The term unprotected area is used to include those parts of external walls that may contribute to the spread of the fire between buildings such as windows. The Regulations also limit the use of materials of roof coverings near a boundary that will not provide adequate protection against the spread of fire over their surfaces. Resistance to the passage of heat/thermal property Addition insulation need to be provided by lining of the cladding material. The interiors of building clad with large areas of glass may gain through large part or the whole of their internal heat from a combination of solar heat gain through glass cladding and from internal artificial lighting. Solar heat gain can be controlled through the use of simple shading devices fixed externally or internally to the building fabric. Control of internal temperatures As we know, solar is gain through glass panel. The thermal control can be achieved by deep recessed window used in conjunction with external vertical fins, non-transparent external louvers and used of special solar control glass. Another way is minimized the air leakage in the building. We need to maintain the temperature in the building like the concept of green house effect that can traps the heat in the building in the cool day. Resistance to the passage of sound/sound insulation There are several ways to overcome this problem. Firstly, used the resilient pad to prevent sound originating within the structure to be transferred vertically through cladding members. Airbone soung can be prevented by utilizing double glazing panel to window area. B) A client requires a road that requires little maintenance with reasonable non-skid properties. With the aid of diagramme, suggest a type of road and the construction methodology for the proposed used. A client requires a road that requires little maintenance with reasonable non-skid properties. With the aid of diagramme, suggest a type of road and the construction methodology for the proposed used. Type of Road: Flexible Road Sub-grade: original soil or backfilling soil Sub base: small aggregates. The surface of the compacted sub-base should be close textured to prevent migration of sand from the bedding course. Example: sand or quarry dust. Road base: crusher run Surfacing : pre-mix bituminous. Prime coat as binder of particles. Construction Methodology Site Clearing Right of way The corridor of the road has to be cleared to the required width (prevention of soil erosion) Make sure that the accessibility of the road is permitted legally. Clearing and grubbing of the site Using dozer or grader for the works. The hedges and grass roots can be removed by using dozer. Grader is usually for grubbing works where the topsoil needs not to remove form site Cut and fill of the road Cutting: Formation level is lower than original ground level. Filling: Formation level is higher than original level. Preparation of sub grade layer Make sure that the base and subgrade layers must provide adequate and moisture resistant strength and modulus, in addition to durability and stability. Before subgrade can start, make sure the installation of services has finished such as ground surface drainage, piping for water supply and electrical. Subgrade is started and compacted until reaching uniform density for the whole width and to falls. Replaced the unsuitable material such as rock or not useful soil. Subgrade, and base materials frequently require treatment with additives such as asphalt, cement, fly ash, and lime.   Should have unsoaked C.B.R (California bearing ratio) of 15% in the subgrade. CBR is a penetration test for evaluation of the mechanical strength  of  road  subgrades Preparation of sub base 300mm thick of sand/quarry dust. Compacted with 8-10 tonne smooth wheeled roller at 125mm layer 12 times. Rolling start from one side of the road to the center of road in horizontal direction by using roller-compactor. Road base construction Constructed into two layers with same thickness with each layer not more than 150mm thick. Materials (crusher run) leveled following chambers. Lastly, using compactor to compact the mixing tar of the road. Surfacing Construction the graded subgrade or the top granular base layer may be prepared with a prime coat A prime coat is a sprayed application of a cutback (MC-30 or MC-70) or emulsion asphalt applied to the surface of untreated subgrade or base layers.   The size of the premix: 12.5mm to 19mm Compaction should be done quickly Underseal which is a sprayed application of asphalt binder (emulsion or hot applied asphalt binder) immediately covered by a layer of one-sized aggregate. The last step is Road surface marking by using white paints. C) Describe the performance and specify of the material that can be used to fill the void of disused structures e.g. culverts, redundant sewers, cellars and basements and also for soil stabilization, e.g. bridge abutments tunnel stabilization and embarkments. Describe the performance and specify of the material that can be used to fill the void of disused structures e.g. culverts, redundant sewers, cellars and basements and also for soil stabilization, e.g. bridge abutments tunnel stabilization and embarkments. Materials used: Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Developed in Sweden in the late 1920s, autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) is a lightweight precast concrete building material that is cured under elevated pressure inside special kilns called autoclaves. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (often shortened to AAC) is effectively concrete with lots of closed air pockets in it. It is lightweight and energy efficient, and is produced by adding a foaming agent to concrete in a mould, then wire cutting blocks or panels from the resulting cake, and cooking it with steam (autoclaving). Performance Appearance It contains many small voids (similar to those in aerated chocolate bars) that can be clearly seen when looked at closely. The closed air pockets contribute to the materials insulating properties and also its aerated nature. Although there is no direct path for water to pass through the material, an appropriate coating is required to prevent water penetrating into the AAC material. AAC can be sculpted with wood working tools, but its softness means that it is rarely used as an exposed finish owing to its need for surface protection. Structural Capability The compressive strength of AAC is very good and load-bearing structures up to three storeys high can be safely erected. Entire building structures can be made in AAC from walls to floors and roofing with reinforced lintels, blocks and floor, wall and roofing panels available from the manufacturers. AAC panels and lintels contain integral steel reinforcement to ensure structural adequacy during installation and design life. Thermal mass With its mixture of lightweight concrete and air pockets, AAC has a moderate overall level of thermal mass performance. The temperature moderating thermal mass is most useful in climates with high cooling needs. Sound insulation With its closed air pockets, AAC can providevery good sound insulation. As with all masonry construction, care must be taken to avoid gaps and unfilled joints that can allow unwanted sound transmission. Combining the AAC wall with an insulated asymmetric cavity system will provide a wall with excellent sound insulation properties. Fire resistance AAC is inorganic and incombustible and is thus especially suited for fire-rated applications. Depending on the application and the thickness of the blocks or panels, fire ratings up to four hours can be achieved. AAC does not harbour or encourage vermin (ulat). Durability and moisture resistance The purposely lightweight nature of AAC makes it liable to impact damage. With the surface protected to resist moisture penetration it is not affected by harsh climatic conditions and will not degrade under normal atmospheric conditions. The porous nature of the material can allow moisture to penetrate the material to a depth but appropriate design (damp proof coarse layers and appropriate coating systems) prevents this happening. AAC will not easily degrade structurally when exposed to moisture. Toxicity and Breathability There are no toxic substances and no odour in the final product. If low toxic, vapour permeable coatings are used on the walls and care is taken not to trap moisture where it can condense, AAC may be an ideal material for homes for the chemically sensitive. Environment Impact AAC has manufacturing, embodied energy and GH emission impacts similar to those of concrete, but can be up to one quarter to one fifth that of concrete based on volume. Its much higher insulation value reduces heating and cooling energy consumption. As an energy and material investment it can often be justified for buildings intended to have a long life. Buildability, availability and cost AAC is relatively easy to work, is light and easily carved, cut and sculpted. Very large block sizes may require two-handed lifting and be awkward to handle but can result in fewer joints and more rapid construction. Low waste component, as the offcuts can be re-used in the construction of the wall. *Figure show the principle of heat insulation and sound insulation D) Briefly describe the activities involved in external works at the start of the contract. Briefly describe the activities involved in external works at the start of the contract. External work is means by the work or the construction is carried out outside of the building or the work generally done externally from main building. At the contract commencement, there are many types of external work can be carry out such as drainage, temporary access, temporary storage, temporary car parks, temporary site facilities, and public utilities such as water, electricity and telecom. Those external works must be prepared before the construction can be started. Most of the activities will span the whole contract period but bulk of activities will fall under early stages of construction and toward the end of the construction. In early stages of construction, there are many external work s need to prepare. For examples, drainage main runs, access arrangement, storage facilities, car parks, place to settle the machinery for foundation construction, and services to the construction sites. The first activities involves in external works at the start of the contract is drainage system. There are two categories of drainage which are surface drainage and sub-surface drainage. Surface drainage is the removal and disposal of water from the surface of the pavement. Whereas sub-surface drainage is the use of underground pipes and other fittings to corect the flow of water from where it is not wanted to some other place. This includes land drainage that removing and disposing of surplus groundwater from gardens, fields and other plots of open land. A subsurface drain is a perforated conduit, such as tile, pipe or tubing, installed below the ground surface to intercept, collect or convey drainage water. *The picture show the surface drainage and sub-surface drainage Besides drainage that need to take consider in the early stages of external work, temporary access also an importance in construction site. Ususally, a geotextile is used as a temporary road access. A geotextile is a synthetic permeable textile material used with soil, rock, or any other material. Geotextiles extend the service life of roads, increase their load-carrying capacity, and reduce the incidence of ruts. These benefits are accomplished by separating aggregate structural layers from subgrade soil while allowing the passage of water. Geotextiles should be considered for use on any section of road requiring an aggregate (rock) layer for surfacing. Geotextiles can reduce the amount of aggregate required, thus reducing the cost of the road, as well as providing the benefits described in the previous paragraph. * The picture show how the geotexile work. Next, temporary site storage and car park (empty area) also consider as external work that need to prepare in construction site. The uses of the temporary site storage is to keep important material or the expensive material. For example, the cement which cannot put outside space, it must be covered by the roof to avaid raining. The cement also need to keep in a dry place because it is easily chemically react with water. Car park or empty area also need in construction site because it is for the lorry to loading or unloading the things for the construction. Car parks also need for the site manager or outsides visitor to keep their vehicle. * The picture show the temporary car park at the site of construction Apart from that, at the commencement for external works, public utilities such as water supply, electricity and telecom also need to prepare in the site of construction. The piping work must be installated at early stage of external work in order to easy the work. The electricity supply need for the lighting, and machinery used. Telecom is used for the communication purposes.

Deliberate Alienation: Surrealism and Magical Realism Critical thinking

Deliberate Alienation: Surrealism and Magical Realism Critical thinking is a terrible thing. At least, that seems to be a popular opinion. We live in an age where people are willing to look to anyone but themselves for advice on what they should think. Rather than figure out what their own opinions are, they trust the thinly-veiled slant of the television newscasters, the politics-masquerading-as-reporting of magazines like Time and Newsweek. There are fashion shows and magazines that tell you what you think is stylish. Children in grade school and high school are actually discouraged from thinking differently from their peers or from their teachers. Even television commercials or assigned readings in school that encourage positive behavior are only promoting this phenomenon of mental laziness: whether people are told to think good things or told to think bad things is unimportant; either way they're still not doing their own thinking. Lest we become a culture of zombies, it seems important somehow to stop this disturbing trend. But how to combat this kind of apathy? Any appeal to the brain-dead must require them to use that very organ which they are allowing to atrophy. Perhaps some shock therapy is in order. There's a reason our language contains the phrase "to slap some sense into" someone. I propose that the best way to cure such mental apathy is to attack it. By presenting the individual with an apparent reality which contradicts or prevents what s/he is familiar or comfortable with, one would force him/her to spend the necessary cognitive effort to correct or reconcile the discrepancy, or risk existing in an utterly absurd, impossible, and nonsensical world. Purposely inducing cognitive dissonance may be the best... ...e Old Man and the Wormhole." Available online: http://justice.loyola.edu/~mcoffey/ce/wormhole.html , May 9, 2000. Beckett, Samuel. Waiting For Godot. (New York: Grove Press, 1956.) Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. (New York: Grove Press, 1962.) Garcà ­a Mà  rquez, Gabriel, trans. Gregory Rabassa. One Hundred Years of Solitude. (New York: Harper & Row, 1998.) Magritte, Renà ©. Painting: Le Prà ªtre Marià © (The Married Priest). 1961. Available online: http://www.magritte.com/3_detail.cfm?ID=253 , May 9, 2000. O'Brien, Dan. "Borges Rides the Cyclone." In Ketchin, Susan, and Neil Giordano, eds. 25 and Under/Fiction. (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1997.) Sartre, Jean-Paul, trans. S. W. Allen. Black Orpheus. (Paris: Prà ©sence Africaine, 1948.) Sartre, Jean-Paul, trans. Lloyd Alexander. The Wall. (New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1975.)

Nelson Mandela Essay

The world leader I have chosen to write about is Nelson Mandela:  Nelson Mandela’s rise in the political arena can be traced back to his years as one of the leading members of the African National Congress, otherwise known as the ANC, beginning in 1944 (Mandela, 2009). The ANC was one of the oldest South African civil rights unions. The union’s primary purpose, the freedom and equal rights of all black citizens from the practice of apartheid–South Africa’s then legalized form of racism–was a natural draw for Mandela.Mr. Mandela describes in his own words the deciding moment when he joined the ANC: I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments, [that] produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people (Mandela, 2009). Mandela’s desire and drive helped sustain him in the diffi cult years ahead. After joining the ANC and creating its first youth league (Mandela, 2009). Mandela went on to organize many nonviolent protests and civil disobedience demonstrations throughout much of the country.Growing in popularity, these campaigns were eventually deemed illegal by the National Party–the white supremacist government in power at the time–and ultimately led to the imprisonment of Mandela in 1962 (Mandela, 2009). Although many people advocated for his release throughout the years, it was from his own prison cell twenty years later when Nelson Mandela finally negotiated his own freedom and began the long, tedious, yet peaceful process of creating a new government for the South African people. Working together with South Africa’s new president, F.W. de Klerk, Mandela negotiated heroically in the creation of a new and non-discriminatory government.The two men made history on September 26, 1992 when they signed the Record of Understanding, a docum ent formalizing their agreement to create a new, non-racial, democratic government freely elected by the people (Mandela, 2009). Nelson Mandela went on to become the first freely elected President of South Africa and continued the hard work of rebuilding his country. He served his presidency for five years, stepping down from politics in 1999. Although removed from public office, Mandela continued to  advocate for issues important to his country; issues such as AIDS, poverty, and human rights. Again, Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly on behalf of his people, receiving numerous rewards throughout the years, until he formally retired from public life in 2004 (Mandela, 2009).As a result of his life’s work, Nelson Mandela forever changed the social view and practice of apartheid in his country. Politically, his efforts resulted in the first non-discriminatory, democratic (majority rule) government for South Africa. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social an d political changes that occurred as a result of Nelson Mandela. Task B.The individual I have chosen to write about is Martin Luther King, Jr.:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known as a religious reformer and civil rights activist who rose to greatness during the civil rights movements of the United States.Dr. King began his career as a civil rights activist in 1956 (About Dr. King, n.d.) when he was hired as a spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; a campaign organized and fully supported by the black community of Montgomery in protest of the segregation of the city bus lines. This boycott, which lasted for 381 days, ended successfully with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public transportation unconstitutional (About Dr. King, n.d.). This landmark protest would prove to be but one of the many successful campaigns Dr. King would lead throughout his lifetime.In 1958, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) elected Dr. Martin Luther Kin g, Jr. as their president (About Dr. King, n.d.). The SCLC’s mission of providing guidance to the growing civil rights movement (occurring throughout much of the south) served as the perfect platform for Dr. King’s message. From here, Dr. King would go on to organize many campaigns, most of them occurring in Birmingham, Alabama, then described â€Å"as the most segregated city in America† (About Dr. King, n.d.).Drawing from the nonviolent teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. King’s peaceful protests and civil disobedience demonstrations were televised in stark contrast to the brutality of Birmingham’s police force. The televised beatings of young black protesters proved too much for the nation to bear, prompting congress  to begin legislation on behalf of the civil rights movement in 1962 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Although the Birmingham demonstrations led to the writing of his open and now famous â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail;† an articulat e, well written manifesto of Dr. King’s beliefs and actions (About Dr. King, n.d.), time would show that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s greatest moments were still to come. In 1963 Dr. King gathered more than a quarter-million people to Washington D.C.’s National Mall for the â€Å"March for Jobs and Freedom,† now commonly referred to as the â€Å"March on Washington† (About Dr. King, n.d.)It was here that Dr. King delivered his legendary â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, firmly placing himself on the world stage as a social and political leader, as well as becoming the youngest man–30 years of age– to receive the Nobel Peace. As a result of all the publicity Dr. King drew to the civil rights movement, congress soon passed the historical 1964 Civil Rights Act, and soon after the 1965 Voting Rights Act (About Dr. King, n.d.); sweeping legislation declaring it illegal to discriminate against blacks or any other minority people, and removi ng any obstacles obscuring blacks of their right to vote.After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Dr. King carried on with his work, choosing to focus on economic justice and international peace. Tragically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while visiting a motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Through his work, Dr. King introduced our country to the practice of â€Å"nonviolent† demonstrations, socially changing the way many people participate in protests even today. Due in part to his nonviolent campaigns, Dr. King’s efforts resulted in the passing of the Civil Rights Acts, one of the most significant political changes occurring in the history of our country. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social and political changes resulting from the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BayState Realty Case Study Essay

1. Use a table to identify the software products sited above that fall within the following categories of software: System Software General Purpose Software Application Specific Software An operating system built to control and operate the hardware system Protect the firm’s hardware platforms from intrusion, malware, and computer viruses Dell laptops and desktop computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system Allows users to accomplish simple computer related tasks Standardizes and minimizes implementation costs Facilitates staff training Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft SharePoint For an end user Document and management system The CRM system, an Accounting System, a Human Resource Management System, a Real Estate Sales Documentation and Management System, and a Rental Property Management System 2. Use a second table to identify and explain the various elements in the total cost of software ownership and then list the steps taken by the CIO to limit the firm’s software TCO expenditures. Elements in the Total Cost of Software Ownership Steps Taken by the CIO to Limit the Firm’s Software TCO Expenditures Software and hardware upgrades Time to renew hardware and software Training for new and current employees Hiring MIS or IT personnel Sale Price Licensing 1. Focus on the procurement and deployment of a limited set of well-established, off-the-shelf products 2. Negotiate favorable licensing terms with Microsoft for the initial acquisition of products, to standardize and minimize implementation costs, and to limit firm investments in ongoing staff training and product documentation and support 3. Work closely with their line-of-business colleagues to select best-in-breed application specific software 4. Adapt their business processes to make the best use of the software and by doing so, better control the TCO for that software 5. Implement Linux (an open source software product) as the operating system of choice for servers running shared applications 3. List the reasons why BayState Realty chose to go with off-the-shelf software instead of developing their own software packages in house. BayState is mainly focused on their real estate agencies, so by doing so they can continue to focus on their business which means it is preferable for them to go with off-the-shelf software The software has already been tested by the company. Besides the test, the software company also provides warranty service It is available for computer shops, so there are lots of computer shops solving Window software problems It can easily find the same users so they can share their experiences easily and answer any questions about the system 4. List the reasons why it makes sense to go with Linux. Be sure to include how this particular use of open source software mitigates the risks typically associated with the choice of an open source software product. Linux is free or cheaper so it is beneficial for users that it is not owned by the company The software is unlikely to get computer viruses or other malware Hardware independent – operating system in advance and advantage Community relationship – Instead of establishing customer relationships, Linux shares with lots of vendors and is part of the community not a single user. Interoperability – able to connect to networks and communities easily You can select the best tools you need 5. Compare the advantages and the disadvantages associated with outsourcing the hosting of the firm’s three web sites. Advantages: Hosts the firm’s three Web sites Saves time – Do not have to spend time to manage the website Better equipped – Proficiency in creation, innovation, and design Low cost – helps customers manage their money wisely Use the correct Internet strategy, like formulating marketing programs Disadvantages: Hidden cost – it has a low cost for website outsourcing, but there are several costs behind the price, such as signing a contract Exposing data – BayState Company is sharing their information with a third party Lack of focusing on their customers – instead of customizing, vendor may be creating an expertise-need

Biochemical Surgery essays

Biochemical Surgery essays The desire to improve our world is inherently human. From our health to our food, humans strive to enhance what we have. With the biotechnological age upon us, this desire is being channeled in directions that were previously unforeseen. Scientists have learned a great deal about genes- their structure, function, and how to manipulate them. By combining the genes of unrelated species, permanently altering their genetic codes, organisms are created that will pass the genetic changes onto their offspring through heredity. For the first time in history, human beings are becoming architects of life. Bio-engineers will be creating tens of thousands of organisms over the next few years. The prospect is frightening because genetic engineering poses unprecedented challenges to the environment. Admittedly, genetic engineering has produced new kinds of tomatoes. The Flavr Savr tomato has two and a half times more lycopene than the regular tomato. Lycopene is a carotenoid that has strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants prevent oxygen from causing damage in cells. Carotenoids aid in the prevention of early blindness in children, cancer, and enhancing cardiovascular health. Not only are the transgenic tomatoes richer in lycopene, they are more robust and solid compared to regular tomatoes (Missick. sec. Tomatoes with... par. 3). For example, the company, Flavr Savr, took an extra gene and put it in a tomato. When it was left to ripen naturally, the developing sugar and acids enhanced the flavor of the fruit. The gene inserted also slowed the softening process by slowing the deterioration of the cell membranes, allowing the fruit to remain firm after ripening (Aldridge. par. 3). However, scientists cannot estimate the probability that harmful substances will be cr eated in any specific case, because not enough is known about the new field of genetic engineering. Current recombinant DNA methods and those likely to...

Artificial Insemination Restrictions Based on Financial Stability Essay

Artificial Insemination Restrictions Based on Financial Stability - Essay Example They make decisions according to their moral standards. However, those who want to conceive children using artificial insemination should have stable financial background showing that they can support the child. Artificial insemination is the injection of sperm in a female’s uterus with the purpose of impregnating her. This usually occurs if the husband or partner is not able to make her pregnant or if the female has fertility problems. Most of the laws only provide that children can only be conceived through the biological method. This indicates that there are no legal restrictions for artificial insemination. Parenthood has not been altered in the constitution, and this indicates that problems associated with artificial insemination cannot be dealt with legally. This occurs in some countries such as Israel (Green 1). However, artificial conception has been legalized in most of western countries and other developing countries. The procedure of insemination is mostly legalized for married couples to ensure that children will be brought up in the right environment. If used by other groups of people such as unmarried individuals and lesbians, many legal considerations such as the financial status should be considered. They should be capable of bringing up the baby without any problem. According to the Hosmer model, individuals are supposed to act in the correct manner for them to be trusted. Acting in the right way is morality and morality always creates trust and indicated a commitment of the individual. The study of the morality of an individual who wants to conceive artificially is relevant, especially for those who are not married. It shows the level in which an individual can commit himself or herself to the task. Trust is always linked to commitment and commitment linked to effort. However, sometimes moral behavior is usually ruined by personal desires. An individual would do anything to create certainty that they acquire what they desire. This inclu des changing their behavior on that certain occasion. Some behaviors cannot be changed, as they are inbuilt like facial expressions. The individual who wants to conceive artificially should be fit and morally correct. Legislations on child protection should be developed so that they provide for changes in technology especially in reproduction (Shaw and Corvino 380). The couple ought to be capable of supporting the kid and grant him his rights according to the law. Insemination should have obligations and should, therefore, not be an option for anyone. This will ensure that the child is raised up in the right environment. Lack of this is what leads to children mistreatment, and children who are denied their rights. Artificial insemination needs to be controlled among the populace. Childcare needs a lot of attention and the mother does not have time to work but take care of the child. They will only work when the child matures enough. This requires the mother to have financial resourc es at the time they are not working. It is, therefore, significant to restrict the procedure to married couples whereby one couple will be working while the other will be caring for the child. Those who are engaging in this practice should be financially stable so that they can support their children. In some cases, one delivers multiple children, which can be tough for the mother especially if she had prepared for only one child. Every parent has a duty to provide for their children with food,

Mans Search for Meaning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mans Search for Meaning - Essay Example However, the 20th century revealed another image of human, less generalized and, in his drives, a more individual one. Viktor E. Frankl, mostly basing his ideas on his psychoanalytic experience in concentration camps during World War II, had developed quite opposite to Freud’s one, and more current point of view on a subject. According to Frankl, one of the key drives for human existence is finding a meaning of life. Considering human as an animal of higher order, Freud naturally generalizes drives of human life to instincts, which are common for all people, and also are inherent for all human beings. Thus, the reasons for individual to behave in particular way also originate from the â€Å"inside† of a human, because those reasons are rather inherent or based on individual’s past. Freud is known to be the â€Å"father† of psychoanalysis, and in his studying of neuroses he also believed, that the common origin for all mind disorders is a past psychological trauma. Therefore, neuroses are caused by those human desires which once in the past were repressed by individual himself (even if he was forced to repress his desires as the result of psychological trauma). This idea naturally comes from Freud’s structural model of human’s psyche, which consists of three parts. â€Å"Id† is a driving force for all human actions and behavior, and is in common for all hu man beings. â€Å"Ego† is human’s individuality, which is reasonable, and therefore establishes connections between â€Å"id† and â€Å"superego†. â€Å"Superego† is a human inner censor, who gauges actions. â€Å"Superego† is based upon issues of authorities. Yet Freud rests most of the responsibility for human behavior on that â€Å"id†, which always stays in common for all individuals while â€Å"ego† and â€Å"superego† depend on conditions very much. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning Frankl brings next Freud’s utterance.

Budget Targeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Budget Targeting - Essay Example Absent these inferences, firms would not know how well they are doing, and capital markets would not know how to value them. And absent these inferences, firms would be unable to improve their processes and, as a consequence, improve their economic performance". (Meyer, 2002, p. 24) Budget meeting its target as personal performance measure can be analysed in two broad categories: "First, a budget can be used as a financial plan, utilised by the finance department to ensure that the organisation stays within its operating constraints. Second it is much more widely used in most organisations as a tool of overall management control. Here budget targets are set for individual responsibility centers and their operating managers, so that operating performance can be monitored and controlled". (Neely, Business Performance Measurement) Irrespective of any category, effective budget targets must possess the following characteristics: "Strong incentives for departments and their partners in service delivery to plan over several years and plan together where appropriate so as to deliver better public services with greater cost effectiveness". (Budget-2006) "Data collection and analysis for performance measures are defined to establish a common understanding for the measure, to describe how and when the data will be collected and interpreted, and to ensure the quality and integrity of the data". (Budget-2006a) Performance measures further include the following steps: "Analysis of existing systems (like accounting and auditing) should be conducted in order to determine its performance-basis, if one expects performance data to be used in the system this means that systems that relate to other outdated budgeting approaches need to be replaced to accommodate performance based budgeting". (Andrews & Hill, 2003, p. 135) "The use of performance information

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay The fight to legalize marijuana has been going on for decades now and looks to have no end until the result is that it’s legal. My fight would be for it to be legalized as well. Simply because it’s a drug with more benefits then harm. In some states, and other countries it’s already legal and doctor approved which I believe needs to be applied everywhere. Marijuana users will not stand for marijuana probation, no matter how long it takes, punishments or consequences. One might say press the issue! Make harsher laws! These prohibition views have failed to silence users. Marijuana legalization is a persistent issue that will not just go away. I believe it will be legalized because users are willing to continue to fight until they succeed. This will eventually open people’s eyes that the drug is not all bad. Marijuana has positive attributes; a medical value with very mild side effects. Many people use it because they see it good for them especially those suffering ailments. It relieves pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. I agree that if we do legalize it just for medication that it would leak to other users. But in today’s society many American adults prefer marijuana over alcohol as a way to relax, it has a lot less side effects then alcohol. The use of marijuana in America is a choice that comes with a relatively low dependence rate. Most people develop a tolerance to side effects, and those who don’t usually stop using drugs. Most Americans decide that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risk which the greatest risk is low risk arrest. Legalizing the drug can have more benefits to our county then harming it. If marijuana was legal we could put a tax on it, to make a profit on it. If we look at our crime rate, our law enforcement has more important responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession. By doing this we waste jail space, clog court systems, divert time of police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials away from violent crime. When I say violent crimes I mean being able to focus on the sexual abuse of children, terrorism and other more dangerous crimes. For my study I looked for a country that has legalized marijuana and their reasons for doing so. I found that it is a common knowledge throughout the world, that in Amsterdam you may just enter a coffee shop and buy drugs; you will be handed a menu with drugs of the day, and there might be even a special on the menu. It is all accessible, for four joints you will pay the same amount for twenty cigarettes. Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam because the government there realizes that it is much easier to control when they make it publicly available. This way they can tax it to generate state funding and ensure that they know where it is and whos using it. Its a much more liberal approach than prohibition, which causes any controlled substance to go immediately underground and leaves the governments jurisdiction. Marijuana being illegal is much like the prohibition of alcohol. The Prohibition was a period of nearly fourteen years of U.S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal. It led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. And unlike alcohol and any prescription drugs, marijuana is not lethal. A study in 2009 by U.S. Department of Health and Human Studies published that 69.7 million Americans are current users of tobacco products, 15 million Americans abuse alcohol, and only 4.2 million Americans abuse Marijuana. Everyday 1,000 people die from smoking related illnesses, 550 die from alcohol related accidents and diseases, and less than 20 die of drug related causes. American adolescents use Marijuana twice as much as their counter parts in Holland where Marijuana is legal. It seems that the temptations to do what you’re not supposed to do are too strong to resist. In conclusion, marijuana should be legal. If we are going to continue to offer these drugs that are more harmful then marijuana then why band one that helps? If continuing to keep marijuana as an illegal substance then users are willing to continue to fight. Like the prohibition of alcohol I don’t believe this fight will end until the users win. Maybe they will think their decision over, and realize it would help us more then it harms us.

Effectiveness Impact of Journal Clubs in Medicine

Effectiveness Impact of Journal Clubs in Medicine Abstract Background: Journal clubs` emerging goals are now considered to be teaching critical appraisal skills and learning how to use evidence based medicine in practice. Although journal clubs are well accredited, designing the right format to keep members stimulated and educated remains a great challenge. Methods: We conducted journal club structure modifications in internal medicine residency program of a university affiliated hospital. Initially group-based sessions identified feasible changes and baseline data concerning residents` knowledge of evidence based medicine (EBM) was collected by a questionnaire. Modifications implemented and a second set of group discussions and data collection took place after 12 months. Results: Total number of 78 residents participated. The most important identified changes were schedule adjustments and setting new goals regarding EBM, medical statistics and critical appraisal teaching. Group discussion showed increased satisfaction and questionnaire assessments showed significant improvement in residents` knowledge of EBM. Conclusions: Redesigning journal clubs with emphasis on regularity and setting new horizons basically improves their effectiveness. Assigning entire sessions to augment participants` skills in new areas of knowledge is a unique way to fit journal clubs as a novel and innovative teaching practice. Practice Points Journal clubs are connecting bridges between knowledge and practice. Journal clubs have gradually evolved to be a teaching tool in modern medicine. Considering growing popularity of evidence based medicine, journal clubs can be a way to introduce this discipline into educational programs. Redesigning old journal club structure is somehow necessary to better keep up with growing knowledge of medicine. Furnishing journal clubs with innovative methods might be a reasonable way of reform. Introduction The earliest reference to the origin of the phrase journal club is in memoirs and letters of Sir James Paget, describing a small room near St. Bartholomews Hospital in London in the period 1835-1854 in which pupils met and read journals (Paget 1901). More than a century has passed since Sir William Osler started the first recorded journal club in North America in 1875 as a way of sharing periodicals he could not afford individually and later established a club at Johns Hopkins University to review the latest medical research (Alguire 1998; Sleeman 1990). Today’s journal clubs have evolved a great deal and are found in nearly every medical school and residency training program in almost all fields of medicine (Valentini Daniels 1997; Sidorov 1995; Green 1999). Traditionally journal clubs are educational meetings in which a group of individuals meet to discuss and critically evaluate the current articles in the scientific literature (Mcleod et al. 2010; SVN Research Committee 2009). The major aim of journal clubs was to keep their attendees up to date with the latest medical literature (Valentini Daniels 1997; Forsen 2003; Goodfellow 2004). Gradually they have become a means for teaching critical appraisal skills, improving biostatistical knowledge, getting familiar with epidemiologic methods and most recently promoting the practice of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) (Valentini Daniels 1997; SVN Research Committee 2009; Woods Winkel 1982). Critical appraisal skills and basing clinical decisions on the best published evidence available (i.e. EBM) have become an important facet in clinical medicine and are part of core general competencies required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in all residency programs (ACGME 2009; Yew Reid 2008; Carpenter et al. 2010). In the ensuing years, EBM has enjoyed widespread popularity. Today’s journal clubs are effectively assisting practitioners translate knowledge into practice and serve as an excellent bridge between research and clinical work. While journal club has been a mainstay in postgraduate medical education for many years, several authors have pointed out the diversity of its format (Alguire 1998; Sidorov 1995; Ebbert et al. 2001). The desirability of journal clubs in internal medicine has been reinforced by accreditation requirements that mandate residents` participation in journal clubs. Although the goals and purposes of journal clubs are well established, selecting the right format and setting to keep members stimulated and educated remains a great challenge (Kelly Cronin 2010; Hartzell et al. 2009). With the growing appreciation of evidence based medicine (EBM) and its widespread application in clinical decision making, we thought of revising and implementing possible modifications in our journal club structure to improve quality of sessions and weigh their effects on our journal club program. Methods We conducted revision program into our journal club structure involving internal medicine residents attending the internal medicine residency program in a teaching university affiliated hospital. The modification process consisted of several steps. First we conducted group-based discussion sessions with participation of two clinical experts, two research experts, the program manager and chief resident. Group discussion primarily consisted of brain storming, reviewing similar works and their outcomes and sharing experiences. Five such meetings were held with main purpose of gauging current program features and identifying possible essential changes required to improve the program. Findings of these sessions then were shared with residents` delegates, 2 residents from each year, through three separate sessions. Identified feasible modifications were finally determined out of group-based discussions and implemented to make a new journal club structure. The group-based discussion took place for the second time, 12 months after executing alterations. Group participants were the same. This time the group assessed different aspects of changes made including residents` attendance, residents` satisfaction and the content of new sessions. Furthermore we measured the residents` existing knowledge of EBM by a self-reported questionnaire, designed and internally validated by the discussion group. The questionnaire consisted of three questions to assess three fields: residents` knowledge of statistical significance, their acquaintance with evidence rating and their familiarity with study design. Possible answers were as â€Å"No familiarity†, â€Å"Fair familiarity†, â€Å"Good familiarity† and â€Å"Excellent familiarity†. In order to facilitate further comparison, the first two answers were classified as cluster 1 (limited knowledge) and the two remaining answers as cluster 2 (acceptable knowledge); therefore making comparison between two clusters. Each resident was given the questionnaire before applying changes and again 12 months after running the new program. Residents` responses were also discussed in the second set of group discussion. The results were collected anonymously and data was then imported to Excel software (2010, Microsoft) for examination. We specified the distribution of answers in each cluster before and after modifications and calculated the absolute difference between them using descriptive statistics. Results Seventy-eight internal medicine residents (43 Female, 35 Male) were included into the survey. An almost even participation was observed among residents from all years of internal medicine training. Results of this study can be divided into two phases; before applying changes and after implementing modifications. Phase I Founded on the primary group-based discussions, the acknowledged key points for developing our new journal club structure encompassed program and schedule modification, adding motives, defining new goals, content revision and implementing feedback mechanisms from which, content revision was considered the most critical one. The main aspects of modifications made are explained in details. Our new schedule was designed as weekly sessions on Thursdays (the day before weekend in our country). We planned the sessions to be held from 7 to 8 in the morning (Breakfast time) and on the day with minimal educational and clinical workload to assure maximal attendance. To ensure the regularity and predictability of our program, we already scheduled the sessions for the next entire year. Holidays, exam days and residents` rotations were carefully noticed in planning the journal club calendar and the presenter for each session was specified at the beginning of the educational year. Furthermore we changed the place to a bigger room with better facilities. Also we decided to provide a mini breakfast meal during all sessions as a potential incentive that can increase participants` interest. Defining new objectives was also emphasized by group members. Therefore, we set our new goals not only to keep updated with medical literature and review the current literature, but also to introduce medical statistics to residents, encourage arguments and develop critical appraisal skills and understanding EBM. We changed the composition of our journal club participants to include relevant attending physicians, medical statisticians and experts in EBM and critical thinking as well as internal medicine residents from all levels. In order to achieve the broad goal spectrum, our reformed program consisted of two different types of sessions. Three sessions of each month were dedicated to presenting review articles and discussion about the main topic (analogous with former program). The last week of the month was devoted to evidence based journal clubs in which an original article was presented to the audience and 2 to 3 relevant articles or guidelines were also considered. The main focus of these sessions was to discuss the methodology and to point out statistical points through which critical appraisal skills were practiced and evaluation of the quality and validity of the results taught. Both types of sessions were moderated by an attending physician with experience in medical research and education background. Review article journal clubs were presented by a second year internal medicine resident employing slideshows; hence each resident was provided the opportunity to benefit from this chance at least twice a year. Evidence based journal clubs were presented by senior residents familiar with medical research and statistics and with acceptable teaching skills. These sessions were supervised by a team (at least 2 persons) of expert physicians in EBM and critical thinking skill. A support committee consisting of two senior internal medicine residents, journal club moderator and an EBM expert was formed for evaluating and choosing articles for presentation. The responsible resident had to provide up to 5 papers to the committee, who would then return one or two of them for presentation. The major selection criteria were relevancy and novelty of the topic and being in accordance with the interests of the participants. The other thing considered especially for articles to be presented in EBM sessions was being somehow controversial regarding the methodology or conclusion. At the end of each session a brief explanation was provided including critical points and a conclusion. For EBM sessions the strength and limitations of the article were also emphasized, inspiring the participants to involve in this process valuable in didactic endeavors. The conclusion of each session was then uploaded in the departmental forum of residents and interns for more discussion. Sometimes, a practical question was also provided in order to ascertain that residents have got the point correctly. Phase II Second phase results are described after 12 months of running the new program. Group-based discussion findings for new schedule clearly showed increased attendance and residents were more satisfied with the fixed and pre-defined sessions. Nonetheless we noticed that providing food was not of residents` concerns. Definition of new objectives for journal club sessions persuaded residents to participate more. Experts in the group-based discussions were also satisfied with the new content of sessions and monthly devoting an entire session to EBM and teaching statistical points and critical thinking. Regarding questionnaire assessment, final results showed that in the field of â€Å"evidence rating knowledge†, the number of residents in cluster 1 reduced from 51 to 17 and accordingly the number of residents in cluster 2 increased from 27 to 61 (43.6% absolute change regarding the total number of participants; P Similarly, before-after comparison for the field of â€Å"statistical significance acquaintance† revealed the absolute change to be 23.1%; i.e. the residents` acquaintance with concept of statistical significance was noticeably augmented, changing from limited knowledge to acceptable knowledge, in 18 residents (P Discussion Our conventional journal club structure first started in internal medicine department of Shariati hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences in year 2007. Since then it was running in a small room and on a weekly basis with focus on review article presentation only. Participants were mainly residents, internal medicine interns and medical students and presenters of sessions were selected from first year residents. There are considerable studies describing journal clubs conducted in different settings and for different health providers; yet there appear to be no ‘Gold Standard’ approach for conducting a journal club or assessing its effectiveness. It is therefore an ongoing challenge in designing effective journal club format that assists the participants to translate journal club activities into evidence based practice (Deenadayalan et al. 2008). As residency programs deal with work hour restrictions and implement competency educations (Hatala et al. 2006; Goroll et al. 2004), they need to undergo intense reassessment and possible remodeling to determine if they are meeting their goals. Our questionnaire survey showed that our reformed program made significant change in residents` knowledge and the number of residents significantly shifted from low knowledge to acceptable knowledge. We postulated that holding journal clubs on a regular basis is necessary to achieve continuous educational progress and gradually obtain the desired improvement in residents` competency which is in accordance to most previous studies (Deenadayalan et al. 2008 ). Regularity of sessions basically show the importance of this type of learning, as a new method of education is being introduced to the learners (residents). On the other hand, disorderliness might suggest that the program is not so useful and coordinators are not sure of its value, which in turn will dissuade participants from joining and following the schedule. Pre-defining the whole schedule would be a great way in achieving this goal. Although fixed schedule might seems impractical for many institutes but authors assumed that accurately considering some fine points such as work hour’s prerequisites before scheduling the program may be helpful. In addition, this would assist participants to adjust their time and for presenter to know their schedule and being prepared for that. Regarding best frequency, according to most of studies reporting this, it seems that monthly period is endorsed (Letterie Morgenstern 2000; Burstein et al. 1996). Our reformed structure had a weekly basis, though our new EBM sessions were held monthly, not to shrink residents` enthusiasm for participating in these educational gatherings. Some studies have shown that timing of journal clubs might be of importance considering attendance, especially when they were coincided with meal times (Bazarian et al. 1999; Langkamp et al. 1992). While they advised provision of food as a way to increase attendance, our group-based discussions and residents feedbacks did not show such relation. This might be due to . Authors believed that forward movement without adding new goals and/or lacking enough motivation would not be successful in improving participants` competency. Increasing knowledge of medical statistics and understanding EBM were the primary new objectives of our program which is demonstrated to be well achieved regarding our survey. Participants of journal clubs must be in accordance to the aims and contents of the program. Similar to Hartzell (2009), authors think that inviting attending physicians and involving senior residents may contribute to fulfillment of journal club objectives. This composition would facilitate the arguments and give space for better discussion and reaching a practical point. Assigning an entire separate session to introduction of this new area would also be of great benefit, since innovative thinking and learning new skills necessitates more time. New educational goals for residency programs now include conduction of problem oriented sessions, evidence based journal clubs and also experiencing critical appraisal. Considering that almost all of medical education programs have introduced journal clubs as a routine in their curricula, we thought of it as a useful tool to familiarize our residents with better interpreting medical literature, critical thinking and evidence based medicine. This approach has been supported by previous researches (Hatala et al. 2006; Ghali et al. 2000). Although this survey showed promising results and improvement in residents` knowledge and participation, our results are far from perfect. Yet we must increase our efforts to recognize subtle obstacles and further improve effectiveness of journal club. Conclusion In conclusion, journal clubs are of great value in today`s medical education addressing both clinical practice and evidence based learning improvement. Yet there is no gold standard to achieve the best result with this regard. We have enjoyed revolutionizing our traditional structure of journal clubs and furnishing it with novel objectives and construction and noticed significant improvement in attendance and competency of our internal medicine residents. Declaration of interest The authors report no declarations of interest.