Digital Signal Processing

The concept of digital signal processing has been widely used these days, as it has provided many benefits to the users with its capability of converting analog signals into digital signals to facilitate the process of transmission. The encoding techniques are available which were developed after a comprehensive research to support and enable the transmission of digital signals to meet the user requirements. Apart from that, the process of ramification of every signal into many frequency bands where ever band has been digitally encoded by itself is termed as sub-band coding. Furthermore, it is better to encode lower frequency band with more bits than the higher frequency bands because the lower frequencies hold most of the speech energy. Sub-band coding method is mainly used to solve this particular problem. This paper depicts the benefits and the importance of sub-band coding, as well as it explains the steps involved in performing sub-band coding.The method of sub-band coding has b een widely practiced for the purpose of transmitting digital signals. For efficient signal encoding this particular method has provided many benefits. Moreover, sub-band coding has also been used for many years in audio industry for high quality digital audio transmission. At first, there is only one signal available which is then subdivided in many numbers of smaller sub-bands where every single number composed of a fractioned spectral of the actual spectrum from that actual signal. This process of dividing signal into sub-band will further assist each band to be transformed through distinct number of bits for every sample, and further every single band is classified according to its step size. By performing the above process resulted in a finer signal quality (Proakis and Manolakis, 2007).After completing the above process, it will now be possible to encode every single band separately according to the following set of steps. The starting step of the digital signal processing is t o apply the filtering required for the signal, which might be a high pass or a low pass signal. The purpose of filtering is to avoid the noise linked with the signal. The frequency of noise associated with the signal can be high or low, depends upon the actual signal requirement. Apart from that, to reduce the sub-band sampling rates, filters are used to minimize the bit rate in the signal encoding process. This method helps to reduce the signal on every band from a factor of two in sampling rate, which suggests that every second sample must be taken from the signal in the process of digital signal processing (Crochiere, 1981).Furthermore, the above step can be elaborated as if the signal is x[0-6], the samples taken from this would be x[0], x[2], x[4], and x[6]. The major reason of sampling through this method is to make sure that the reduced number of samples which would be quantized based on the following phase, which makes the quantization step to be as efficient and as quick as possible.The next step includes the quantization of signal on each band. In this process of quantization involves quantization noise to all the bits that are going to be sampled. However, at the   receiving end, all those signals which are acquired from the process of quantization   are to be   sampled from the   factor of two. By doing this method if the input signal is x[0-6], the output signal would now results in x[0], x[2], x[4], x[6]. Through performing this step, the identical number of samples before down sampling would be obtained where every substitute sample was missing (Veldhuis, Breeuwer, and Van Der Wall, 1989).The following step in the process of sub-band coding is to apply filters on all signals located at every single band where every filter should be of similar type which are used in the previous steps. Moreover, all filters are now used to lessen the number of sub-band sampling rates. These signals already moved through the quantization and the up and dow n sampling stages which results in proper mode of decoding (Schaffer and Rabiner, 1973).The final step requires amalgamating the signals from many sub-bands to achieve the output signal and to produce an altered version of the input signal. The following equation shows that there is only one band available from the two bands that will move in the equivalent process.X1 (z) is the signal on the transmitting end, which was acquired after moving from the H1(z) also known as the high-pass filter which is:X1 (z)= x1 (0)+ x1 (1) z-1+ x1 (2) z-2+ x1 (3) z-3   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦_____ â€Å"1†X1 (-z)= x1 (0)- x1 (1) z-1+ x1 (2) z-2- x1 (3) z-3   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦_____ â€Å"1A†It is therefore proved that Z-transformed is actually a result of passing a high pass filter to the signal which is the actual input x[n]. X1 (z)= X (z) H1(z) _____ â€Å"2†The down sampling has been performed by the factor of two on the signal which is originally X1 (z) will now be presented by Y1(z) signal as show n in the following equation:Y1(z) = y1 (0)+ y1 (1) z-1+ y1 (2) z-2+ y1 (3) z-3 †¦_____ â€Å"3†Y1(z)   = x1 (0)+ x1 (2) z-1+ x1 (4) z-2+ †¦_____ â€Å"4†The equation â€Å"4† mentioned above, explains that the down sampling effect has removed every single alternate sample available.However, at the other end signals that were previously up sampled, will now be considered as U1(z) at which every single alternate sample is equal to zero value.U1(z) = u1 (0)+ u1 (1) z-1+ u1 (2) z-2+ u1 (3) z-3   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦U1(z) = y1 (0)+0+ y1 (1) z-2+ 0+y1 (2) z-4+ †¦U1(z) = y1 (0)+ y1 (1) z-2+ y1 (2) z-4+ †¦ from â€Å"4†Ã‚   U1(z)= Y1(z2)U1(z) = x1 (0)+ x1 (2) z-2+ x1 (4) z-4+ x1 (6) z-6 †¦U1(z) = (X1(z)+X1(-z))/2 = X(z) H1(z)+X(-z) H1(-z)/2__†5†Besides, the U1(z) signal now move towards the next high pass filter which is K1(z) which is positioned at the receiving point and specified as:V1(z)= U1(z) K1(z) =  ½ K1(z) [X(z) H1(z) )+X(-z ) H1(-z)] â€Å"6†Furthermore, the final output signal will now be created after each sub-band output is added which results in the subsequent equation:X_out(z)=V1(z)+ V2(z)X_out(z)=  ½ K1(z) [X(z) H1(z) )+X(-z) H1(-z)] +  ½ K2(z) [X(z) H2(z) )+X(-z) H2(-z)] .X_out(z)=    ½ [H2 (z) –H2 (-z)] X(z).When the final output is obtained, to make equation more expressive, it will now be altered into the frequency domain of w from the resulted Z domain, which will now be expressed in the following manner:X out(w)=  ½ [H2 (w)- H2 (w-p)] X(w).X out(w)= [e-jw(m-1) Hr2 (w) – e-j(m-1)(w-pi) Hr2 (w-p)] X(w).In the above equation, m represents that even number which measures the length of the filter.After completing the above procedure, the next phase requires experimentation which includes the implementation of sub-band coding that can be accomplished through two methods. The first method of experimentation is MATLAB, which requires the theory section to be followed from the same phases outlined. There is a file named as ‘subband.dat’ is provided from the input signal in this particular method. This file consists of many values which expresses the file regarding the capacity of the signal in a given time. Moreover, H2(z) was also given as the coefficients of the low pass filters (Croisier, 1974).It is also suggested that the high pass filters H1(z) are used with the low pass filters K2(z) which creates relationship among the filters explained below:H1(z) = H(z),   H2(z)= H(-z), K1(z)= 2H(z) and K2(z)= -2H(-z).Apart from that, there is one more value known as the SNR value that is required for the process of quantization where every single value of Q1 will be computed through the following equation:SNRdB=[ à ¥ xi(n)2 /   à ¥ (xi(n)- xo(n))2 ]. Where the limits of the summation is from n=0 to N-1.The next method for the implementation of the sub-band coding used is called C6711. It is a device that works as a converter and faci litate users in converting software implementations into the physical results. On the other hand, CRO is used on which the output will be connected for the verification of results. Moreover, the sine wave is also generated through connecting the frequency generator to the C6711 device (Rabiner and Gold, 1975).Finally, the results generated through MATLAB for the sub-ban coding reveals that before performing any find of modifications on the signal, it highly requires the plotting of input signal. Apart from that, result has also shown that the low pass and high pass filters of sub-bands were moved towards an intersection point which exactly equals to 0.5 rad/sample.The SNR values used in the process of quantization of distinct number of bits reached at a highest level of 16.5dB at the 5th bit. On the other hand, the SNR value has been calculated for 4 bit PCM system was almost 13.2dB. The value suggests that there is a 0.5dB variation from the value computed at the forth bit which is 12.7 dB and is acceptable after the comparison. However, the resulted output signal appeared on the CRO is quite similar to the input signal which explains that as the frequency increases the output signal will move towards zero (Kuester and Mize, 1973).After reviewing the whole process, it is concluded that the sub-band coding is a method to encode the input signal successfully with maximum efficiency. The two methods used in the process known as MATLAB and C6711 endorse the theory presented in the preceding sections which are considered as valid and reliable.

Jessie Pope Essay

Jessie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is illustrated in the title ‘Who’s for the game?’ It shows that her attitude to war was that it was a great big event that everyone should take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of the war, it is misleading and Jessie Pope – either intentionally or mistakably. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she did write the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would have no chance of wining in the war. Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a ‘game’ for the above reason and also emphasises that it is the ‘biggest’ game ever known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the game, ‘the biggest that’s played,’ Jessie Pope gives a false notion in the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not. The ‘game’ is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine instinct whilst there is a comparison between ‘the red crashing game’ and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match. Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ This shows that Pope’s outlook on the war was it was not for cowards but men who will fight for their country and protect their families in every way they can. This is compared to a game like rugby, which was a popular sport amongst men at this time, whilst meaning who will rise essie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is illustrated in the title  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWho’s for the game?’ It shows that her attitude to war was that it was a great big event that everyone should take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of the war, it is misleading and Jessie Pope – either intentionally or mistakably. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she did write the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would have no chance of wining in the war. Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a ‘game’ for the above reason and also emphasises that it is the ‘biggest’ game ever known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the game, ‘the biggest that’s played,’ Jessie Pope gives a false notion in the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not. The ‘game’ is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine instinct whilst there is a comparison between ‘the red crashing game’ and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match. Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ This shows that Pope’s outlook on the war was it was not for cowards but men who will fight for their country and protect their families in every way they can. This is compared to a game like rugby, which was a popular sport amongst men at this time, whilst meaning who will rise essie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is illustrated in the title ‘Who’s for the game?’ It shows that her attitude to war was that it was a great big event that everyone should take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of the war, it is misleading and Jessie Pope – either intentionally or mistakably. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she  did write the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would have no chance of wining in the war. Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a ‘game’ for the above reason and also emphasises that it is the ‘biggest’ game ever known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the game, ‘the biggest that’s played,’ Jessie Pope gives a false notion in the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not. The ‘game’ is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine instinct whilst there is a comparison between ‘the red crashing game’ and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match. Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ This shows that Pope’s outlook on the war was it was not for cowards but men who will fight for their country and protect their families in every way they can. This is compared to a game like rugby, which was a popular sport amongst men at this time, whilst meaning who will rise essie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is illustrated in the title ‘Who’s for the game?’ It shows that her attitude to war was that it was a great big event that everyone should take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of the war, it is misleading and Jessie Pope – either intentionally or mistakably. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she did write the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would have no chance of wining in the war. Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a ‘game’ for the above  reason and also emphasises that it is the ‘biggest’ game ever known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the game, ‘the biggest that’s played,’ Jessie Pope gives a false notion in the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not. The ‘game’ is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine instinct whilst there is a comparison between ‘the red crashing game’ and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match. Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ This shows that Pope’s outlook on the war was it was not for cowards but men who will fight for their country and protect their families in every way they can.

Project Mgmt Discussion Topic - Week 3.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Mgmt Discussion Topic - Week 3.2 - Essay Example However, the system has been criticized in various ways because of the fact that it may not offer long term solutions to sustained increased performance. In the first place, the system plays an important role by making the members to increase their efforts in order to get more benefits. This is a good move since the team ends up achieving more. However, one of the disadvantages is that the system does not create and sustain intrinsic motivation (Emerson & Loehr 2008). For this reason, some members often do not put their best in the work because they are not motivated by the incentives they receive. In most cases, the attention often shifts to those that do best and not encouraging those that do not. In this case, the mode of motivation can affect work relationship between the members of the team (Emerson & Loehr 2008). The manager needs to ensure that the method he uses elicits maximum intrinsic motivation from its members. In as much as the project has to succeed from achievement of its set targets, it does not need to achieve them at the expense of its workers; instead, it needs to ensure that the attained results are celebrated by all members because of their combined efforts and effective motivation

Poem and Story Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Poem and Story Analysis - Essay Example The poem clearly shows the lack of trust for males as they’re presented as the merciless cop who is always willing, in fact ready to destroy anything which comes in its path. Like Adrienne Rich presented Men in her poem, Susan Glaspell presents this half of the society very similarly in her story ‘Jury of Her Peers’. The story basically revolves around a woman and her husband who is a sheriff (just like Adrienne Rich, who presented men as cops in her poem) and is presented as an authoritative and a proud person who gives no value to women in his life. The sheriff is presented as a person who treats women as a third class member of the society and treats them wrong, both morally and ethically. Just like in the poem described above, women are again presented as a victim of this brutality and are mainly innocent. Both, the story and the poem presented one of the major problems of our society which is women being ill treated by men in many societies and cultures around the world. The writers in both the writings have presented men as cops which showed them in an authoritative position where they were able to do anything and everything, whereas women on the other hand were presented as the ones who have been suffering all the time. Both the pieces of writings are great indeed as they raised a question on our so called advanced society and pointed out the places where we still need

Banking on a Beard Award Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Banking on a Beard Award - Assignment Example She will not gain from the business because the business will start making profits at the second year. Therefore, she will lose $135,000 plus the 25 percent bonus if she quits. If she considers the chances of getting promoted after the second year, then she will be losing 202,500 after getting the 50 percent pay raise. Then during the second year, she will have started getting profits from his business. Assuming that the net profit if her business is a modest success is 20 percent in the second year, then she will make a total of $40,000 during the second year. Therefore, the opportunity cost of leaving her current job will have lessened by the second year. In the third year, her profits will increase to 25 percent which means that she will get a profit of $50,000 in the third yea assuming that her business is a modest success. If she is not promoted in the three years, Jennifer will still be making earning $135,000 every year. there is also a probability that she will be terminated in the first year if she does not get the promotion which is not certain because she is competing with three other colleagues. Recommendations I would advise Jennifer to quit her current job and pursue her dream of becoming a restaurateur. This is because she has a 40 percent probability of succeeding in business compared to retaining her position. Jennifer has a 30 percent likelihood of losing her job because after the first year she will be promoted, retained in her current position or fired. Considering these options, it is better to pursue the business option. Suppose her business is a huge success and makes 20 percent profit in the first year 40 percent in the second year and 70 percent in the third year, then Jennifer will make $40,000, $80000 and $140,000 respectively for the three years. This indicates that she will have started to make an equivalent of what she is earning every year in her job. This justifies the decision to quit her job because it is not even certain wheth er she will still be holding the position by the third year. rather than wait until she is terminated in order to pursue her passion, Jennifer should do it right away because then she is not under any pressure and she has already saved for the initiative. She has an advantage in that she is a chef and has adequate experience in the trade, which raises the probability of succeeding in the business. Her move is well calculated considering that she has a target market in mind, which will include small- and medium-sized business customers in addition to their families. Her employer is also supportive and will be willing to finance her if her business plan is viable. Conclusion Jennifer should quit her position and pursue her passion to become a restaurateur because according to the decision tree and the assumptions in profits, she will be making an equivalent of her annual wages in profits in her venture. She should also be motivated to quit her position because she is not guaranteed of the job as she has a 33 percent probability of getting a termination. Decision trees are significant tools of drawing a conclusion because they assist in clarifying the issues concerned and solve the predicament. In this case, the decision tree has assisted in calculation of the profits that Jennifer is likely to make while analyzing her future in her job in order to make a decision. Jennifer should thus forfeit her position and venture into business because she has a 40 percent probabili

Discussion prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion prompt - Essay Example In effect, Henry is saying that going to college is a mere excuse to party where students do not learn anything except to have fun. College is reduce to a mere rite of passage and not a way where can be enlightened or educated. When Henry mentioned that college is a mere rite of passage, it was in fact a statement of condescension if not derision because college is no longer a source of education where one can learn and get better but something that a person has to go through just like a ritual. And one does not necessarily learn anything when he passed through a ritual. When it is reduced to a mere rite of passage, it is like comparing college to male circumcision which is a rite of passage among males in certain societies to become â€Å"certified adult†. I do not necessarily agree with Henry that college is a mere rite of passage because people who go there have actual cognitive intelligence to overcome the academic rigors of college. There mere act of going there and going through the entrance tests are already enough justification that people who go to college are educated and has the right attitude to succeed in life because of their effort to be better through academic institution. Even assuming for the sake of argument, people who go to college are generally educated even without the formal credentialing compared to those who did not go to college. This attests that college is not a mere rite of passage but rather an actual learning process where students study to be

Early childhood learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Early childhood learning - Essay Example Cognitive Development helps children in improving in areas such as music, art, mathematics, logical reasoning, recognition of symbols and manipulative skills. These types of areas improve the mental capabilities of children and help them in learning more though different forms. At very early age, children must be taught how to behave socially. Developing social and personal aspects includes learning through self-concept, temperament, aggression, stereotypes and different stages of social behaviour. Every person has to encounter with different situations and different people in life, therefore early development in these areas help children to deal with such people and situations with a comfortable position. Physical Development is as important as any other area because without proper health and hygiene children would not be able to concentrate and give best of efforts. Physical development can be attained by incorporating healthier food, sports and restful sleep in children’s daily routine. Generally, there is very less attention paid to this area which is the most important of all. If a child is taught to spend a substantial time in grooming and enhancing the spiritual areas than there is a chance that it will become a major part and something of considerable importance to him. Spiritual grooming is essential as it is necessary to detach one from the worldly things and to give some time to the nourishment of one’s inner

Write an analysis on the story barn burning by William faulkner Essay

Write an analysis on the story barn burning by William faulkner - Essay Example Compelled by his habit, he gets annoyed with De Spain’s attitude and he drops some horse droppings on his very expensive carpet. De Spain asks him to give him 20 bushels of corn against the charge of the rug. Furious, Abner sues him and the court orders to give De Spain 10 bushels of corn instead of 20. Abner still furious decides to set the De Spain’s barn on fire. Sarty stops his father from doing wrong but when he does not listen, he warns De Spain and runs away and never looks back towards his family again (Wilson 434). The story has been one of the best selling of its time. It was also adapted to a short film in 1980, which was very much loved around the world. The story basically gives the idea of believing in what is right and never standing by lies and falsehood. It is pretty much proven that the Snopes’ family completely relies on each other in right or wrong decisions. The family seems to be living in their own world which is outside society values and even outside law, rather than on traditional values of right and wrong. Even though it’s your own father, one should stand what is right always even if they are standing alone. Family loyalty is very important but what is more important is that you never give anybody a chance to questions your honesty, integrity and truthfulness. This will make you away from your family once in a while, but there will come a time when the family will be reunited and you will get the reward of your good deeds. The story has decently listed characters, the main being the father, Abner Snopes and the son, Sarty Snopes. A peace demanding judge is mentioned twice at different occasions. The first person who complained was named Mr Harris and the second was the person that was sued who also was the new landlord De Spain. Mentioned only one are Sarty’s mother, his two sisters, his brother and his aunt. The characters have not been over done by the writer.

Art Exhibit on Nature Essay Example for Free

Art Exhibit on Nature Essay The planet earth is the only known habitat for humankind. For millions of years, it served as the home to numerous living things such as animals, plants and people. More so, it has been a witness to many events that have shaped the course of world history. Because of this, it is suffice to say that our beloved Mother Earth has played a vital role in nourishing and sustaining the existence of humans. In return for all the benefits and nourishment that Mother Earth has provided to humans, human beings have showed their gratitude by expressing their appreciation and admiration for the beauty and splendor of nature. For centuries, human beings have captured the magnificence of the diversity and uniqueness of the environment which was shown using various art forms such as painting, sculptures, photography, architecture and many others. In line with this, throughout history, several art movements have emerged. There were the Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Modernism and many others. The dominant and styles and themes differed in these art periods. However, there was one theme that has remained constant until the present day. This is known as landscape or nature art. This form of art is defined as the illustration of mountains, flora and fauna, bodies of water and the sky. More so, it is a celebration of the majestic beauty of nature. This trend in the art world has continued to persist throughout the ages. Aside from this, it has also evolved in terms of styles and techniques. Every part of the globe has developed their own approach on how to translate the beauty of nature into a canvas. Because of the variety in culture and tradition, nature and landscape artworks have surfaced as distinctive copies of the wonders of the environment. With this, nature had become a worldwide art phenomenon and these artworks have made nature a timeless masterpiece that will be forever treasured and recognized. On the other hand, due to changing times, the seemingly everlasting beauty of nature is apparently gradually diminishing. If before humans respected the significant role of Mother Earth in the cycle of life, nowadays, humans have abandoned their vital task of being the steward. Instead of taking care of the natural wonders of the world, humans have opted to obliterate it. This sudden change was caused by the desire to improve the ways of living of people. Initially, the intention may seem innocent and harmless but if one would look closely, traces of selfishness and greed can be uncovered. People wanted to advance the human race but at the expense of damaging the environment. Because of this, a drastic natural occurrence has been plaguing the contemporary society. This has claimed lives of many people and destroyed millions worth of properties. This phenomenon has been labeled as climate change or global warming. In the recent years, Mother Earth has been experiencing unusual changes such as the increase in temperature of the atmosphere, extinction of some animal and plant species, loss of land mass and many others. These alterations have posted an alarming threat to the existence of many living things. If humans would permit this condition to carry on, in time people would be left homeless and without any nourishment. To help intensify awareness on the present state of the environment, an art exhibit will be put up. This exhibit will showcase the nature artworks of American artist, Ansel Adams, French painter, Paul Cezanne, and a Japanese artisan named Hokusai. The objective of the exhibit is to help the viewers realize the importance and connection of nature with the existence of humans. More so, this nature-themed art exhibit will explore the various perceptions of artists on nature from different periods. It will demonstrate how people saw and appreciated the beauty of the environment during their respective eras. By incorporating artists from different continents such as North America, Europe and Asia, viewers will also be given a 360 degrees view of the world’s most beautiful places. Hopefully, after they have seen the exhibit, the viewers will have a new-found respect on the beauty and vigor of Mother Earth. Ansel Adams is an American photographer who has mastered the artistry of capturing wonderful shots of landscapes in scenic places strewn all over the United States. Aside from being an artist, he was also a dedicated environmentalist â€Å"who encouraged understanding of, and respect for, the natural environment. † Even though he initially got noticed as a noted photographer in commercial photography, he excelled in the field of landscape photography (Notablebiographies. com). The black and white landscape photographs have become Adams’ trademarks. Two of Adams most recognized photographs are the â€Å"The Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming† and â€Å"‘Old Faithful’ geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming† (TheHistoryPlace. com). Adams was commissioned to take these pictures for the National Park Service in 1941. The photographs were intended to be used to make the â€Å"photo mural for the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC. † The main theme was focused on showcasing nature â€Å"exemplified and protected in the U. S. National Parks† (U. S. National Archives and Records Administration). These two photographs have illustrated the grandiose and picturesque beauty of the mountain ranges and national parks in the US. Furthermore, he used his creativity to â€Å"preserve the wilderness and one of the first to promote photography as an art form† (TheHistoryPlace. com). Paul Cezanne is considered as one of the masters of post-Impressionism. He is also well-known for pioneering an avant-garde movement then called cubism in the late 1800s. Because of his quirkiness and modern styles, Cezanne was misunderstood by the people. But this did not discourage him to advance his creativity. He â€Å"grew out of Impressionism and eventually challenged all the conventional values of painting in the 19th century through its insistence on personal expression and on the integrity of the painting itself. † Through these innovations, he was recognized as the â€Å"father of modern painting† (Pioch). But before Cezanne ventured into cubism, he created several simple yet exquisite landscape paintings that â€Å"immortalized the Provencal countryside† in France. In his two paintings, â€Å"Etude: Paysage a Auvers† (Study: Landscape at Auvers) and â€Å"Jas de Buffan† (The Pool), Cezanne was able to depict nature as real as he can. These two oil paintings were generated in 1873 and 1876 respectively. For Cezanne, nature cannot be accurately duplicated in a canvas. He tried to link the natural and artistic worlds by showing his own perceptions about nature. In relation to this, most of his artworks are advised to be seen as a whole and not per part in order to fully appreciate their artistic essence (Pioch). Hokusai is a famous Japanese painter. Compared to the previous artists, his choice of material for painting is unconventional. Hokusai used wood as his canvas to celebrate the beauty of nature. A native of Edo, which is now called Tokyo, Hokusai is regarded as â€Å"one of the outstanding figures of the Ukiyo-e or pictures of the floating world (everyday life), school of printmaking† (Pioch). In the â€Å"The Breaking Wave Off Kanagawa or The Great Wave,† Hokusai illustrated the splendor of the sea. Since Japan is surrounded by water, this painting has become the quintessential representation of Japanese aesthetics. This seascape painting with a Japanese natural landmark, Mt. Fuji, had represented the Asian geography. More so, it showed the combination of western and eastern influences with regards to art production. Moreover, this particular Japanese art have preserved its authenticity and oriental aesthetic by â€Å"flattening the texture and using color surfaces as an element. † On the other hand, this painting also showed how nature can be so powerful which was expressed on the giant which was on the verge of devouring the people aboard the two boasts (Andreas. com). Works Cited â€Å"ANSEL ADAMS Biography. † 2007. Notablebiographies. com. 12 December 2008 http://www. notablebiographies. com/A-An/Adams-Ansel. html. â€Å"Ansel Adams Photograph. † n. d. U. S. National Archives and Records Administration. 12 December 2008 http://www. archives. gov/research/ansel-adams/. â€Å"Best of Ansel Adams. † 1999. TheHistoryPlace. com. 12 December 2008 http://www. historyplace. com/unitedstates/adams/. â€Å"Hokusai. † 2008. Andreas. com. 12 December 2008 http://www. andreas. com/hokusai. html. Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Cezanne, Paul. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 http://www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/auth/cezanne/. Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Cezanne, Paul: Landscapes. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 http://www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/auth/cezanne/land/. Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Hokusai, Katsushika. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 http://www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/auth/hokusai/.

Benefits of Work Psychology to Employees

Benefits of Work Psychology to Employees Is Work Psychology an Important Factor in Controlling Violence, Safety And Health Conditions In The Working Place? Boodhoo Zohyah Bibi Shaheena Introduction Work psychology refers to the study of human behavior in the working environment. The key role of work psychology is to understand the conduct of employees in order to promote the smooth running of any organization. Understanding work psychology may have a number of benefits to an organization as it focuses on increasing the organization’s productivity and also the psychological and physical wellbeing of employees. The task of a work psychologist is to study worker’s attitudes and also conduct leadership training. Workplace violence, in terms of occupational health and safety, is one of the most important problems of working life. Richards (2003) defined as â€Å"Incidents where staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, including commuting to and from work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well-being or health† Workplace violence includes not only physical but also non-physical violence. For example; workplace violence includes physical assault, homicide, robbery, verbal abuse, bullying/mobbing, swearing, shouting, sexual and racial harassment, name calling, threats, interfering with work tools and equipmentWorkplace violence negatively affects not onlythe direct victims of such behavior, but also thosewho witness such violence. To witness violence of any sort in the workplace may cause concern toworkers that they themselves may face this type of violence in the future. Studies have shown that thefear of violence creates a negative relationship between emotional wellbeing and somatic health There is a certain way individuals behave in a particular situation. No two individuals behave in similar ways. There are individuals who find it difficult to handle stress whereas there are certain individuals who have the ability to face unforeseen circumstances with a smile. Employee behaviour is defined as an employee’s reaction to a particular situation at workplace. Employees need to behave sensibly at workplace not only to gain appreciation and respect from others but also to maintain a healthy work culture. One needs to adhere to the rules and regulations of workplace. Remember, Office is not a place where you can shout on fellow workers, spread rumours, criticize your Boss and so on. You just can’t afford to be rude with your team members. Be polite and speak softly. Do not forget that you are not the only one working; there are other people around as well. Some people have a tendency to have their lunch at their workstations only. Such a behaviour is completely unprofessional. Male employees need to respect their female counterparts. Never ever think of sexually harassing your female team members. Such a behaviour is unethical and not at all acceptable at workplace. One complaint from them and your career is finished. Avoid making lewd comments, physical advances or touching them. An individual’s behaviour has lot to do with his upbringing and family background. A child who has been brought up in a decent family where females are respected and thought to be equal would never even in his wildest dreams think of abusing female colleagues. It is completely unethical to steal office property. Why do you have to take office stationery to home? Office stationery (pens, pencils, stapler, eraser, punching machine, glue and so on) are meant to be used only in offices and nowhere else. Avoid damaging office property. Remember, if you do not respect your organization, you will not get respect in return. Employees need to understand that some information is confidential and should not be discussed with anyone. Never break your manager’s trust. Do not disclose your team’s strategies or internal policies to others just because they are your friends. Some people tend to submit fake bills to claim more money than actual. Individuals with such a behaviour find it extremely difficult to survive in the long run. What is the use of submitting wrong bills? Believe me, if you are caught, you will lose in your job in no time. Such a behaviour will not only tarnish an individual’s image but also speak ill of his family background and upbringing. Why do you have to use your office computer for online shopping, watching movies, paying cell phone bills, internet bills and so on? Do not store your personal photographs or information in office computer. Avoid browsing objectionable websites at workplace. If your office people have blocked certain sites, they must have done it for some reasons. Please do not try to open blocked sites using through proxy server and fake passwords. Rather than wasting our energy on unproductive things, it is always good if we concentrate on our work Today, violence is commonly observed in allraces and cultures. Violent incidents in theworkplace which negatively affect employees’health and safety present an important problem of health and safety at work. Being exposed to violentincidents at work or being a witness to violence hasa negative effect on employees’ feelings towardstheir work and the organisation. Additionally thesetypes of violent incidents can be a reason for negative outcomes in the workers’ physical and psychological health.Employees’ perceptions of organisational policies, procedures and practices directed towardscontrolling and removing workplace violence andaggression, stated as violence prevention climate, isan important concept in the effect on workers’health caused by workplace violence.Organisational policies and procedures directedtowards preventing and controlling workplaceviolence and aggression create a positive violenceclimate.According to the results a significantrela tionship was determined between employee jobsatisfaction and the influence directed to thesubdimensions of a violence prevention climate of policies, practices and unsafe practices. A study byKessler et al. (2008) determined a significantrelationship between job satisfaction and these threedimensions [20].While a significant negative correlation wasdetermined between depression and thesubdimensions of violence prevention climate policies and practices, no significant relationship was found between pressure for unsafe practicesand depression. A significant negative correlationwas determined between stress and thesubdimensions of violence prevention climate practices, no significant relationship was found between policies and pressure for unsafe practicesand depression. No significant relationship wasfound between violence prevention climatedimensions anxiety. In a study by Spector et al.(2007) a significant relationship was determined between the perceived violence climate anddepress ion and anxiety [19]. While research byKessler et al. (2008) showed a significantrelationship between practices and pressure, nosignificant relationship was determined between policies and depression [20]. The same studydetermined a significant relationship between practices, pressure and anxiety.Furthermore, the stepwise regression analysisresults determined a significant relationship between practices and pressure for unsafe practicessubdimensions and job satisfaction. According tothis, organisational practices directed towardsreducing violent incidents in the workplace (eginformation and training on the subject of violence)and there being no pressures towards unsafe behaviour (eg violence prevention policies and procedures not being ignored) play a role inincreasing job satisfaction. The stepwise regressionanalysis results also determined a significantrelationship between the dimension of practices anddepression. According to this result, the practice of the organisation giving i nformation and training onworkplace violence prevention is effective inreducing the rate of employee depression. Hawthorne Experiment Details Over the course of five years, Mayo’s team altered the female worker’s working conditions and monitored how the change in working conditions affected the workers morale and productivity. The changes in working conditions included changes in working hours, rest brakes, lighting, humidity, and temperature. The changes were explained to the workers prior to implementation Hawthorne Experiment Results At the end of the five year period, the female worker’s working conditions, reverted back to the conditions before the experiment began. Unexpectedly the workers morale and productivity rose to levels higher than before and during the experiments. The combination of results during and after the experiment (ie the increase in the workers productivity when they were returned to their original working conditions) led Mayo to conclude that workers were motivated by psychological conditions more than physical working condition Psychological Contract There is an unwritten understanding between the worker and employer regarding what is expected from them; Mayo called this the psychological contract. Interest in Workers A worker’s motivation can be increased by showing an interest in them. Mayo classified studying the workers (through the experiments) as showing an interest in the workers. Work is a Group Activity Work is a group activity, team work can increase a worker’s motivation as it allows people to form strong working relationships and increases trust between the workers. Work groups are created formally by the employer but also occur informally. Both informal and formal groups should be used to increase productivity as informal groups influence the worker’s habits and attitudes. Social Aspect of Work Workers are motivated by the social aspect of work, as demonstrated by the female workers socialising during and outside work and the subsequent increase in motivation. Recognise Workers Workers are motivated by recognition, security and a sense of belonging. Communication The communication between workers and management influences workers’ morale and productivity. Workers are motivated through a good working relationship with management. Conclusion The traditional view of how to motivate employees is that you offer monetary rewards (pay increases, bonuses etc) for work completion. However the Hawthorne experiments may suggest that motivation is more complicated than that. Advocates of the Hawthorne Effect will state that the Hawthorne experiment results show that motivation can be improved through improving working relationships and social interraction References Work-related violence: Case studies Managing the risk in smaller businesses HSG229 HSE Books 2002 ISBN 0 7176 2358 0  http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg69.pdf National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Information Division  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ohp/ S. Aytaà § and S. Dursun / The Effect on Employees of Violence Climate in the Workplace  http://www.academia.edu/1477474/The_effect_on_employees_of_violence_climate_in_the_workplace Munchinsky, P. M. (2000). Psychology applied to work: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Wuang, M. (2007). Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In Discovering Psychology (4th ed.). Hockenbury Hockenbury. Worth Publishers: New York. http://psychology.about.com/od/iopsychology/f/organizational.htm

Emotions in Psychopathy and Borderline Personality Disorder

Emotions in Psychopathy and Borderline Personality Disorder Fathimath Shaiba Nimal Citation: Herpertz, S. C., Werth, U., Lukas, G., Qunaibi, M., Schuerkens, A., Kunert, H. J., Sass, H. (2001). Emotion in criminal offenders with psychopathy and borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(8), 737-745. The extensive commonality between the current range of recognized personality disorders is evident amid the conditions that constitute to form cluster B, a sub group best referred to as the theatrical, emotive, and volatile cluster (Personality Disorders Symptoms, n.d.). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and psychopathy are believed to be the most infamous and controversial of the bunch, and share a great deal of parallel features. (Comer, 2009). This particular article aims to build a more concrete barrier between the pair by comparing their respective styles of emotional response. The authors emphasized that though the DSM-IV criteria disregards the expected emotional features of psychopathic patients, the diagnostic measures for psychopathy by Cleckly states that psychopaths usually lack receptiveness to negative stimuli. Experimental studies on psychopathic criminals conducted prior to the article seem to support the claim. However, studies of emotion in BPD offenders were scarce. Accordingly, the authors based their research on the conjecture that patients with psychopathy will demonstrate a significantly weaker reaction to unpleasant and pleasant stimuli compared with BPD patients and control subjects, thus steering the first experiment to touch on the problem of diagnostic specificity. Hypotheses: The hypotheses generated by the experimenters comprised of several prongs, including one null hypothesis and two alternative hypotheses. H1: Psychopaths will display a weaker startle response, weaker facial expressions and lower autonomic responses to emotional stimuli when compared with both BPD criminal offenders and noncriminal control subjects H0: BPD subjects and controls will demonstrate similar configurations of startle response and facial expressions. H1: BPD subjects are will show a decreased electrodermal response, thereby illustrating why BPD patients exhibit a penchant for stimulus-seeking and impulsive behavior. Subjects and Selection Procedure: 50 male inmates convicted of capital crimes from two separate forensic treatment facilities were selected for the initial screening. They were informed that 25 of the criminal offenders were diagnosed with psychopathy, while the latter half was believed to have BPD. The subjects were further evaluated with the aid of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) and the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). The two investigators responsible for the screening process were oblivious to the clinical diagnosis the patients had received at the treatment facilities. Depending on their respective scores, the subjects were then selected for one of the two experimental groups. The article accentuates that both the raters had been in agreement on whom to include in the study. Offenders with mental deficiencies, dementia, schizophrenia, paranoid disorder, or current alcohol or drug abuse were disqualified. 25 male controls with no history of psychiatric illness or criminal violence were recruited via bulletin board announcements. The final count consisted of 18 subjects with BPD, 25 psychopaths and 24 controls. Methodology and Procedure of Data Collection: Materials: The investigators opted to use 24 slides from the International Affective Picture System, consisting of 8 pleasant, 8 neutral and 8 unpleasant slides. The slides were selected on its capacity to incite positive and negative feelings from the subjects and were presented in random order for less than six seconds each. Variables: The article had two dependent variables, the valance and arousal ratings, that hinged on the responses demonstrated by the psychopaths, BPD offenders, and controls towards the slides. Therefore, the subject groups and stimuli are believed to be the independent variables controlled by the experimenters while the BPD patients and psychopaths were the experimental unit. The three different types of slides (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) pertained to the levels of the responses. Valance and arousal ratings were measured via a self-assessment report and physiological measurements. These variables constituted to form a 32 contingency table. Self-Assessment Report: Subjects were asked to rate the strength of their affective response using the Self-Assessment Manikin. The ratings (0-9) reflected both the arousal and valance of emotion. Physiological Measurements Electrodermal Activity: The changes in the skin’s ability to conduct electricity were recorded to demonstrate the arousal dimension of emotion. Electrodes fixed on the non-dominant hands of all subjects measured the magnitude of the skin conductance response every 20 milliseconds. Modulation of the Startle Reflex: The defense response to a sudden acoustic probe was used to measure the valance of emotion. Two miniature electrodes placed round the left eye measured the strength of the eye blink, if any. Electromyographic response: Muscle activity of the face determined whether the subject frowned or remained constant in response to the stimulus and was recorded with the help of tiny electrodes placed above the right eye. Data Analysis and Results Diagnostic group effects were assessed using Kruskal Wallis tests and post hoc Mann-Whitney tests for pairwise comparisons of independent samples. Fluctuations in physiological parameters were analyzed using the Friedman test for repeated measures while post hoc pairwise comparisons were performed on slide valance categories using Wilcoxon signed rank tests for paired samples. The connection between slide valance and psychophysiological measures were tested separately for each diagnostic group. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons for group effects and slide valance categories paved the way for the Bonferroni-Holm procedure which identified the pair with a substantial effect for that particular variable and conserved a 0.05 level error rate. P values were ordered from smallest (i=1) to largest (i=3) among 3 comparisons. The groups relevant to Pi are said to differ at the overall 0.05 level provided Pi ≠¤ 0.05/ [(M+1)-i]. Post hoc contrasts verified that pleasant slides were rated higher compared to both unpleasant and neutral slides, with unpleasant slides being rated significantly lower than neutral slides in valence. Overall slide valence effect for arousal ratings demonstrated similar results. However, the psychophysiological measurements diverged from the self-assessment results. Post hoc Wilcoxon signed rank tests exhibited that the skin conductance responses were higher when viewing pleasant (P Furthermore, the Friedman test showed a noticeable change in electromyographic responses with slide valance categories in both BPD subjects (P=0.02) and controls (P=0.03), as opposed to psychopaths (P=0.44). However, Post hoc Wilcoxon signed rank tests directed that controls exhibited a larger EMG response to unpleasant slides likened to pleasant ones (P=0.01), unlike BPD subjects who displayed no difference in their response to pleasant and unpleasant slides (P=0.46). In fact, BPD subjects revealed a trivial change to pleasant slides (P=0.06). Lastly, psychopaths failed to respond to the startle probes often, regardless of the valance of the slides presented, contrary to both BPD subjects and controls. Nine psychopaths, 1 BPD subject and 2 controls were completely unresponsive. Dear Sir, This article has certainly opened my eyes to a few things, including the fact that reasons for the stigma associated with â€Å"psychopaths† need rebuttal and amendment. One must realize that all people are unique and comprised of distinctive predispositions. The article proved the hypotheses that psychopaths, indeed, displayed hypo-emotionality compared to both BPD subjects and controls, clearly illustrating why tend to act out in their need for stimulation. While I found the article quite interesting and cohesive, it cannot be denied that the experimental design had certain limitations in itself. For starters, the test groups were relatively small and of varying sizes. However, the article stresses that great care was taken to recruit distinctive diagnostic groups with vastly different PCL: SV scores. Secondly, experimental subjects were recruited from psychiatric treatment facilities, all believed to have a criminal record. This can possibly modify the outcomes, since it can be difficult to say if their responses were solely due to the psychiatric illness. Consequently, it can be argued that the differences in responses of control subjects are due to their non-criminal background, rather than the absence of a personality disorder per se. Of course, there is no denying that future research in this matter is essential to grasp a deeper understanding of why violent behavior is prevalent in personality disorders. Perhaps, further studies can use psychopathic and BPD subjects who need not necessarily come from a criminal background. Moreover, I feel that women should also be included in the sample, in order to form a diagnostic sample that can denote the entire population. Overall, I found the article to be an interesting and informative read. They had showcased the evidences for their hypotheses brilliantly well and I found myself completely engrossed in the study. REFERENCES Comer, R. J. (2009). Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers. Herpertz, S. C., Werth, U., Lukas, G., Qunaibi, M., Schuerkens, A., Kunert, H. J., Sass, H. (2001). Emotion in criminal offenders with psychopathy and borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(8), 737-745. Personality Disorders Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2014, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/basics/symptoms/con-20030111

Little Caesar :: Historical Narrative Italy Papers

Little Caesar Shortly before noon on a Wednesday in October, 1894, the clients of a small-town Italian barbershop leisurely undergo the ritual of shaving. A group sit along the side wall and trade observations in phlegmatic, Neapolitan dialect, while the patron in the barber's chair listens. Occasionally, between strokes of the razor through thick stubble, the barber adds his opinion to the conversation. A pair of young children regularly chase each other through the shop and are peremptorily ordered back out. A young man rushes in off the street and declares himself, somewhat unnecessarily, to be in a hurry. The older men are silent for a moment and share disapproving and curious glances while he climbs into the chair and the barber begins to lather his face. With hazel eyes and sharp features, 22-year-old Giuseppe Zambarano stands out in a gathering of swarthy peasant stock. His closely trimmed moustache and neat hair already appear well-groomed, his overall appearance verges on fastidious. He announces to the barbershop audience that he is getting engaged today. He will receive his betrothed and her family at two o'clock in his father's house. The men offer formal compliments to young Giuseppe on his engagement, and perhaps some patronizing words of wisdom: Moglie e buoi dei paesi tuoi; Take wife and cattle from your own village. The men in the barbershop know that Giuseppe's future in-laws, like most of them, come from the same triangle of villages in the back-country of Campania. Fontegreca, Ciorlano, and Prata Sannita lie two hilly miles. walk from the last station on the Naples line. Now many of the squat cottages there stand empty. Most of the one thousand or so natives of these villages make their homes a short way from the terminal of the Cranston St. trolley car, in Thornton, Rhode Island, on farm land that resembles the fertile hills of the old country, with island-dotted Narragansett Bay like a reflection of Naples in the background. * * * As a yet unmarried youngest son, Giuseppe Zambarano lives in the home of his father Gioacchino and his uncle Lorenzo, a modest wooden affair in the heart of this growing neighborhood. The Zambarano brothers of the older generation disembarked in 1882 to join the so-called "pick and shovel brigade" of new immigrants, who tilled the land in Thornton and Simmonsville, as they had in Italy. Now many of the early arrivals have become disenchanted with the hard conditions and meager returns of family farming that drove them from the Italian countryside in the first place.

kant Essay -- essays research papers

Kants’ Critiques of Pure reason and Groundwork of the Metaphysics Kant states that, â€Å"In the order of time, therefore, we have no knowledge antecedent to experience, and with experience all our knowledge begins, but although all of our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it all arises out of experience,†(CPR,41). What he means is that we do not rely on experience inorder to have knowledge, but knowledge and experience are connected for to have knowledge we must begin with experience. There are four types of knowledge that Kant deduced. A priori, which is knowledge that is independent of experience, knowledge which is always true, does not rely on a person to experience it inorder for one to realize that it is true. A priori knowledge are entitled pure when there is â€Å"no admixture of anything empirical,† (CPR, 43). Kant also states that, â€Å"Necessity and universality are sure criteria of apriori knowledge, and are inseparable from once another,† (CPR, 44). A posterior knowledge on the other hand is knowledge which is dependent on experience, and requires it inoder to understand it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Analytic judgments are, â€Å"those in which the connection of the predicate with the subject is thought through identity,† (CPR, 48). Synthetic judgments are, â€Å"Those in which the connection between the predicate and the subject is not present,† (CPR, 48). Analytic judgments are explicative because they add nothing new to the subject, but only further the...

Argumentative Essay: Classmate vs Parents

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: â€Å"Classmates have more influence on a child’s success in school than parents do†. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Excellent academic performance is the dream of almost every kid. There are many factors affecting children’s success in school, two of which are classmates and parents. The question that who has played more important role seems to be a controversial issue. Personally I think parents somehow contribute more due to the following reasons.Firstly it is often said that parents are who understand kids the most. Not only do they have a thorough picture of the children’s interest, but they are also able to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Thanks to the affluent experience they have got, parents are supposed to be the perfect kid’s consultants in school life, giving them good advice under any circumstances. Although dad and mom may not help with the aca demic knowledge, they can still share the working skills, for example time management, or assist effectively in case of affection trouble, like a puppy love.If it hadn’t been for parental orientation, there must be many of us who could not be that successful in school. Moreover, it will be very hard for any kids to conquer the study peak if there is no parental support in term of time and money. There are many obvious examples here in Vietnam showing the incredible efforts of rural parents who determine to sell everything in the house in order that their kids can take the university entrance examination.I myself still remember the time of primary school when my father had to travel approximately 20 kilometers every morning to take me to class; how much I owe him! Unconditional love is the only reason for these endless sacrifices. Opponents who think that classmates may have greater influence on study success have their point in arguing that same-aged friends can are better at helping each other in school subjects; and excellent peers can have a very good impact on kids. It is undeniable that classmates also play an important role in children’s academic performance as well as school relationships.However, the question is, how many of a kid’s peers can stand by his side through hard time in such a long study life? Classmates are not as experienced as parents to help kids make up their minds in crucial study decision as well. While school fellows are kids’ partners, parents are their life-time companions. To sum up, I want to emphasize that both classmates and parents do influence over a child’s academic performance, but the latters have a bigger saying. And kids need many other factors to be successful, not only in school, but in their future life.

The Difference Between Manual and Automatic Typing Machines

Today many people use a computer to do work for their business, home, and school. I am writing a report outlining the differences between using a typewriter and a computer to do work. I will also explain why one machine is better than the other. Hopefully this report will help you discover the advantages your employees will gain from the use of computers. Computers are machines of the future. People use computers more than the typewriters in the office, at school and at home. One of the main reasons is a computer has more features than a typewriter. A typewriter is very limited in it†s use, for example, you have to use correction fluid every time you make a mistake. There is the advantage of Manual typewriters being more mobile (since they don't depend on electricity), but are often bulkier and heavier than electric or electronic typewriters Computers process work faster than typewriters on mass of products. Software such as Microsoft Office 2000 can practically run the office for you. The most common word processing program is Microsoft Word 2000†³s Word 2000 program. Word 2000 can bold, underline, copy, paste, and highlight the letters on computers. It can also change fonts and sizes for the letters. Word 2000 has all these special features for the computer, which typewriters don†t have. Computers can save the word processing on hard disk or floppy disk, which means it can be accessed and edited over, and over again, and printed out when needed. Typewriters can†t save or change once typing done. There are some special features of Word 2000 such as the ability of inserting clipart and WordArt. Clipart is a feature that provides arts, pictures, video, and sound. WordArt is also a feature provide styles and colours for words. Computers can make word processing outcome ten times better than typewriter. Typewriters only had spaces, capital letters and other simple features. Computer Word Processors are very convenient for writing. You can correct mistakes, check your spelling, format your paper, and often do other fancy things quite easily. However, you are tied to a power supply, and you will usually need some unusual sort of adapter in another country. Ribbons for many word processor machines are unique to the company that makes them, and are often hard to find outside of large cities in post-industrial countries. Laptop computers are the ultimate in convenience. You can do almost anything with a modern word-processing/design application that you could in the best of print shops. However, you are again tied to an electrical outlet (limiting your choice of location and project) and most portable computers do not have their own printer. It is not too difficult to put your material on a floppy disk and print it out at the Center with a computer printer compatible with your computer. Be aware of typing and writing health. Use posture that won't break your back in ten years. Hold your wrists right so you don't get carpal tunnel syndrome (especially for electronic keyboards). Remember to rest your eyes regularly if your have to stare at a computer screen for long periods of time. As technology continues to expand in offices across the Nation, the role of the secretary has greatly evolved. Office automation and organizational restructuring have led secretaries to assume a wide range of new responsibilities once reserved for managerial and professional staff. Many secretaries now provide training and orientation to new staff, conduct research on the Internet, and learn to operate new office technologies. In the midst of these changes, however, their core responsibilities have remained much the same-performing and coordinating an office†s administrative activities and ensuring that information is disseminated to staff and clients. Secretaries are responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently. They serve as an information clearinghouse for an office, schedule appointments, provide information to callers, organize and maintain paper and electronic files, manage projects, and produce correspondence. They may also prepare correspondence, handle travel arrangements, and contact clients. Secretaries are aided in these tasks by a variety of office equipment, such as filing systems, photocopiers, and telephone systems. In addition, secretaries increasingly use personal computers to run spreadsheet, word processing, database management, desktop publishing, and graphics programs-tasks previously handled by managers and other professionals. At the same time, these other workers have assumed many tasks traditionally assigned to secretaries, such as word processing and answering the telephone. Because secretaries are often relieved from dictation and typing, they can support several members of the professional staff. In a number of organizations, secretaries work in teams in order to work flexibly and share their expertise.

Blood Promise Chapter Four

At any other time in my life, I would have loved exploring Moscow. Sydney had planned our trip so that when our train arrived there, we'd have a few hours before we had to board the next one to Siberia. This gave us some time to wander around and grab dinner, though she wanted to make sure we were safely inside the station before it grew too dark out. Despite my badass claims or my molnija marks, she didn't want to take any chances. It made no difference to me how we spent our downtime. So long as I was getting closer to Dimitri, that was all that mattered. So Sydney and I walked aimlessly, taking in the sights and saying very little. I had never been to Moscow. It was a beautiful city, thriving and full of people and commerce. I could have spent days there just shopping and trying out the restaurants. Places I'd heard about all my life-the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre-were all at my fingertips. Despite how cool it all was, I actually tried to tune out the city's sights and sounds after a while because it reminded me of†¦ well, Dimitri. He used to talk to me about Russia all the time and had sworn up and down that I'd love it here. â€Å"To you, it'd be like a fairy tale,† he'd told me once. It was during a before-school practice late last autumn, just before the first snowfall. The air had been misty, and dew coated everything. â€Å"Sorry, comrade,† I'd replied, reaching back to tie my hair into a ponytail. Dimitri had always loved my hair down, but in combat practice? Long hair was a total liability. â€Å"Borg and out-of-date music aren't part of any happy ending I've ever imagined.† He'd given me one of his rare, easy grins then, the kind that just slightly crinkled up the corners of his eyes. â€Å"Borscht, not borg. And I've seen your appetite. If you were hungry enough, you'd eat it.† â€Å"So starvation's necessary for this fairy tale to work out?† There was nothing I loved more than teasing Dimitri. Well, aside from maybe kissing him. â€Å"I'm talking about the land. The buildings. Go to one of the big cities-it's like nothing you've ever seen. Everyone in the U.S. tends to build the same-always in big, chunky blocks. They do what's fast and easy. But in Russia, there are buildings that are like pieces of art. They are art-even a lot of the ordinary, everyday buildings. And places like the WinterPalace and TroitskyChurch in Saint Petersburg? Those will take your breath away.† His face had been aglow with the memory of sites he'd seen, that joy making his already handsome features divine. I think he could have named landmarks all day. My heart had burned within me, just from watching him. And then, just like I always did when I worried I might turn sappy or sentimental, I'd made a joke to shift the attention away and hide my emotions. It had switched him back into business mode, and we'd gotten to work. Now, walking the city streets with Sydney, I wished I could take back that joke and listen to Dimitri talk more about his homeland. I would have given anything to have Dimitri with me here, the way he used to be. He'd been right about the buildings. Sure, most were blocky copies of anything you'd find in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, but some were exquisite-painted with bright colors, adorned with their strange yet beautiful onion-shaped domes. At times, it really did seem like something from another world. And all the while, I kept thinking that it should have been Dimitri here by my side, pointing things out and explaining them to me. We should have been having a romantic getaway. Dimitri and I could have eaten at exotic restaurants and then gone dancing at night. I could have worn one of the designer dresses I'd had to leave behind in the Saint Petersburg hotel. That's how it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be me with a glowering human. â€Å"Unreal, huh? Like something from a story.† Sydney's voice startled me, and I realized we'd come to a stop in front of our train station. There were a number of them in Moscow. Her echoing of my conversation with Dimitri sent chills down my spine-largely because she was right. The station didn't have the onion domes but still looked like something straight out of a storybook, like a cross between Cinderella's castle and a gingerbread house. It had a big arched roof and towers on either end. Its white walls were interspersed with patches of brown brick and green mosaic, almost making it look striped. In the U.S., some might have called it gaudy. To me, it was beautiful. I felt tears start to spring to my eyes as I wondered what Dimitri would have said about this building. He probably would have loved it just as he loved everything else here. Realizing that Sydney was waiting for a response, I swallowed back my grief and played flippant teenager. â€Å"Maybe something from a story about a train station.† She arched an eyebrow, surprised at my indifference, but she didn't question it. Who could say? Maybe if I kept up the sarcasm, she'd eventually get annoyed and ditch me. Somehow, I doubted I'd be that lucky. I was pretty sure her fear of her superiors trumped any other feelings she might have in regard to me. We had first-class train accommodations, which turned out to be a lot smaller than I expected. There was a combination bed/sitting bench on each side, a window, and a TV high on the wall. I supposed that would help pass the time, but I often had trouble following Russian television-not just because of the language but also because some of the shows were downright bizarre. Still, Sydney and I would each have our own space, even if the room was cozier than we would have liked. The colors reminded me a lot of the same fanciful patterns I'd seen throughout the cities. Even the hall outside our cabin was brightly colored, with plush carpet in red and yellow designs and a teal and yellow runner going down the middle. Inside our room, the benches were covered in cushions with rich orange velvet, and the curtains matched in shades of gold and peach, made of thick heavy fabric embossed with a silky pattern. Between all that and the ornate table in the middle of the cabin, it was almost like traveling in a mini-palace. It was dark out by the time the train left the station. For whatever reason, the Trans-Siberian always left Moscow at night. It wasn't that late yet, but Sydney said she wanted to sleep, and I didn't want to make her more irate than she already was. So we turned off all the lights, save for a tiny reading lamp by my bed. I'd bought a magazine at the train station, and even if I couldn't understand the language, the pictures of makeup and clothes transcended all cultural barriers. I flipped through the pages as quietly as I could, admiring summer tops and dresses and wondering when -if ever-I'd be able to start worrying about that kind of thing again. I wasn't tired when I lay down, but sleep took me nonetheless. I was dreaming about water-skiing when suddenly, the waves and sun around me dissolved into a room lined with shelves and shelves of books. Tables with state-of-the-art computers lined the rooms, and there was a calmness that permeated the place. I was in the library at St. Vladimir's Academy. I groaned. â€Å"Oh, come on. Not today.† â€Å"Why not today? Why not every day?† I turned and found myself looking into the handsome face of Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian was a Moroi, the queen's great-nephew, and someone I'd left behind in my old life when I took off on this suicide mission. He had beautiful emerald-green eyes that made most girls swoon, particularly since they were paired with stylishly messy brown hair. He was also kind of in love with me and the reason I had so much money on this trip. I'd sweet talked him out of it. â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"I suppose I should be grateful you only show up about once a week.† He grinned and sat down backward in one of the slatted wooden chairs. He was tall, like most Moroi, with a leanly muscled build. Moroi guys never got too bulky. â€Å"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Rose. Don't want you to take me for granted.† â€Å"We're in no danger of that; don't worry.† â€Å"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you are?† â€Å"Nope.† Aside from Lissa, Adrian was the only other known living spirit user, and among his talents was the ability to show up in my dreams-often uninvited-and talk to me. I took it as a blessing that his powers never actually let him know where I was. â€Å"You kill me, Rose,† he said melodramatically. â€Å"Every day is agony without you. Empty. Alone. I pine for you, wondering if you're even still alive.† He spoke in an exaggerated, silly sort of way that was characteristic of him. Adrian rarely took things seriously and always had a flippant edge. Spirit also had a tendency to make people unstable, and while he fought it, he wasn't unaffected. Underneath that melodrama, though, I sensed a kernel of truth. No matter how shallow an appearance he gave off, he really did care about me. I crossed my arms. â€Å"Well, I'm still alive, clearly. So I guess you can let me go back to sleep.† â€Å"How many times have I told you? You are asleep.† â€Å"And yet I inexplicably feel exhausted talking to you.† This made him laugh. â€Å"Oh, I do so miss you.† That smile faded. â€Å"She misses you too.† I stiffened. She. He didn't even need to say her name. There was no question as to whom he was talking about. Lissa. Even saying her name in my mind caused me pain, particularly after seeing her last night. Choosing between Lissa and Dimitri had been the hardest decision of my life, and time passing hadn't made it any easier. I might have chosen him, but being away from her was like having an arm cut off, particularly because the bond ensured we were never truly apart. Adrian gave me a canny look, like he could guess my thoughts. â€Å"Do you go see her?† â€Å"No,† I said, refusing to acknowledge that I'd just seen her last night. Let him think I was truly free of all that. â€Å"That's not my life anymore.† â€Å"Right. Your life is all about dangerous vigilante missions.† â€Å"You wouldn't understand anything that isn't drinking, smoking, or womanizing.† He shook his head. â€Å"You're the only one I want, Rose.† Unfortunately, I believed him. It would have been easier for both of us if he could find someone else. â€Å"Well, you can keep feeling that way, but you're going to have to keep waiting.† â€Å"Much longer?† He asked me this all the time, and every time, I emphasized how long it would be and how he was wasting his time. Thinking of Sydney's possible lead, I hesitated tonight. â€Å"I don't know.† Hope blossomed on Adrian's face. â€Å"That's the most optimistic thing you've told me so far.† â€Å"Don't read too much into it. ? ®I don't know' could be one day or one year. Or never.† His mischievous grin returned, and even I had to admit it was cute. â€Å"I'm going to hope it's one day.† Thinking of Sydney brought a question to my mind. â€Å"Hey, have you ever heard of the Alchemists?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. Typical. â€Å"Of course you have.† â€Å"Why? Did you run into them?† â€Å"Kind of.† â€Å"What'd you do?† â€Å"Why do you think I did anything?† He laughed. â€Å"Alchemists only show up when trouble happens, and you bring trouble wherever you go. Be careful, though. They're religious nuts.† â€Å"That's kind of extreme,† I said. Sydney's faith didn't seem to be anything bad. â€Å"Just don't let them convert you.† He winked. â€Å"I like you being the sinner you are.† I started to tell him that Sydney probably thought I was beyond all salvation, but he ended the dream, sending me back to sleep. Except, instead of returning to my own dreams, I woke up. Around me, the train hummed comfortingly as we sped through the Russian countryside. My reading lamp was still on, its light too bright for my sleepy eyes. I reached over to turn it off and noticed then that Sydney's bed was empty. Probably in the bathroom, I thought. Yet, I felt uneasy. She and her group of Alchemists were still mysteries, and I suddenly worried that she might have some sinister plan going on. Was she off meeting with some covert operative? I decided to find her. Admittedly, I had no idea where she could be on a train of this size, but logic had never really deterred me before. No reason they should now. Thankfully, after slipping on my shoes and stepping out in the hall adjacent to our cabin, I discovered I didn't have to look very far. The corridor was lined with windows, all draped in those rich curtains, and Sydney stood with her back to me, gazing outside, a blanket wrapped around her. Her hair was messy from sleep and looked less gold in the poor lighting. â€Å"Hey†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began hesitantly. â€Å"Are you okay?† She turned slightly toward me. One hand held the blanket; the other played with the cross around her neck. I remembered Adrian's comments about religion. â€Å"I can't sleep,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Is it†¦ is it because of me?† Her only answer was to turn back to the window. â€Å"Look,† I said, feeling helpless. â€Å"If there's anything I can do†¦ I mean, aside from going back and canceling this trip†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll handle it,† she said. â€Å"This is just, well, it's really strange for me. I deal with you guys all the time, but I don't actually deal with you, you know?† â€Å"We could probably get you a room of your own, if that would help. We can find an attendant, and I've got the money.† She shook her head. â€Å"It's just a couple of days, if that.† I didn't know what else to say. Having Sydney along was inconvenient in the grand scheme of my plans, but I didn't want her to suffer. Watching her play with the cross, I tried to think of something comforting to tell her. Bonding over our views of God might have been a way to get closer, but somehow, I didn't think telling her how I had daily battles with God and doubted His existence lately would really help me out with the whole evil creature-of-the-night reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let me know if you change your mind.† I returned to my bed and fell asleep surprisingly fast, despite worrying that Sydney would be standing in the hall all night. Yet, when I woke in the morning, she was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. Apparently, her exhaustion had been so strong that even fear of me had driven her to rest. I got up quietly and changed out of the T-shirt and sweatpants I'd gone to bed in. I was hungry for breakfast and figured Sydney might sleep longer if I wasn't around. The restaurant was in the next car over and looked like something out of an old movie. Elegant burgundy linens draped the tables, and brass and dark wood, along with bits of bright-colored stained glass art, gave the whole place an antique feel. It looked more like a restaurant I'd find on the streets of Saint Petersburg than a train dining car. I ordered something that reminded me vaguely of french toast, except that it had cheese on it. It came with sausage, which thus far seemed to be the same everywhere I went. I was just about finished when Sydney wandered in. When I'd met her that first night, I'd assumed her dress pants and blouse had been for the sake of the Nightingale. I was discovering, however, that that was her normal style. She struck me as one of those people who didn't own jeans or T-shirts. She'd been mussed while standing in the hall last night, but now she was in neat black slacks and a dark green sweater. I was in jeans and a long-sleeved gray thermal shirt and felt kind of sloppy beside her. Her hair was brushed and styled but had a slightly messy look that I suspected never went away, no matter how hard she tried. At least I had my sleek ponytail going for me today. She slid across from me and ordered an omelet when the server came by, again speaking in Russian. â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"What, Russian?† She shrugged. â€Å"I had to learn it growing up. And a few other languages.† â€Å"Wow.† I had taken intros to a couple of languages too and performed miserably in all of them. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, because of this trip and because of Dimitri, I really wished I'd learned Russian. I supposed it wasn't too late, and I had picked up a few phrases in my time here, but still†¦ it was a daunting task. â€Å"You must have to learn a lot of stuff for this job,† I mused, pondering what it must mean to be part of a secret group that crossed international lines and interacted with all sorts of governments. Something else crossed my mind. â€Å"And what about that stuff you used on the Strigoi? That disintegrated the body?† She smiled. Almost. â€Å"Well, I told you the Alchemists started off as a group of people trying to make potions, right? That's a chemical we developed to get rid of Strigoi bodies fast.† â€Å"Could you use it to actually kill one?† I asked. Dousing a Strigoi in some dissolving liquid would be a lot easier than the usual ways: decapitation, staking, or burning. â€Å"Afraid not. Only works on corpses.† â€Å"Bummer,† I said. I wondered if she had other potions up her sleeve but figured I should ration my amount of Sydney questions for the day. â€Å"What are we going to do when we get to Omsh?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. â€Å"We'll get a car and drive the rest of the way.† â€Å"Have you been there? To this village?† She nodded. â€Å"Once.† â€Å"What's it like?† I asked, surprised to hear a wistful note in my own voice. Aside from my quest to find Dimitri, there was a piece of me that just wanted to cling to everything I could of him. I wanted to know everything about him that I hadn't known before. If the school had given me his possessions, I would have slept with them each night. His room had been cleared out pretty quickly, though. Now I could only gather what pieces of him I could, as though hoarding these bits of information would keep him with me somehow. â€Å"It's like any other dhampir town, I guess.† â€Å"I've never been to one.† The server set Sydney's omelet down, and she paused with her fork in the air. â€Å"Really? I thought all of you†¦ well, I don't know.† I shook my head. â€Å"I've been at the Academy my whole life. More or less.† My two-year stint among humans wasn't really relevant. Sydney chewed thoughtfully. I was willing to wager she wouldn't finish the omelet. From what I'd seen that first night and while waiting for trains yesterday, she hardly seemed to eat anything. It was like she subsisted on air alone. Maybe it was another Alchemist thing. Most likely it was just a Sydney thing. â€Å"The town is half-human and half-dhampir, but the dhampirs blend in. They have a whole underground society that the humans are completely oblivious to.† I'd always figured there was a whole subculture going on, but I'd had no idea how it would fit into the rest of the town. â€Å"And?† I asked. â€Å"What's that subculture like?† She set her fork down. â€Å"Let's just say you'd better brace yourself.†

Back ground of Venezuela

Gran Colombia collapsed in 1830 and out of it came Venezuela together with two other countries. Venezuela occupies an area of 912,050 sq. km. which is approximated to be almost three times more than the area of California. The capital city of Venezuela is Caracas and other major cities in the country are Valencia, Maracay and Maracaiba among others. In terms of climate, the country experiences tropical and temperate climate depending on the altitude. The total population is estimated to be 28 million with an annual growth rate of 1. 6%. About 96% of Venezuela’s citizens are Roman Catholics who live in the urban areas.Venezuela embraces compulsory education for at least nine years which has seen 95% of the total population become literate (Anon. 2010). There are many ethnic groups that live in the country such as the Arab, German, and Spanish. Venezuela’s export comes from natural resources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, hydroelectric power and others. Statistics shows that the GDP is $313 billion with a per capita of $11,207 and an annual growth rate of 2. 9 percent. Government expenditure is estimated to be 27 percent of the total GDP (Anon. 2010).With the growth in the economy, most people have moved from the rural areas to settle in the urban centers leading to congestion and increased pollution. The consumer price index has been increasing significantly over the last five years. The government dictates over the economy and controls the oil company and the electricity sector. Most of the assets in the country have been nationalized denying private investors space for investments. For many years the country has been experiencing high inflation rates coupled with threats of poverty which makes it even harder for private investors (Anon.2010). The income inequality is quite significant with some people living in poverty and others in extreme poverty. The Gini coefficient has been estimated to be 0. 41. Unemployment rate was estimated to be 6. 6 percent in the formal sectors although this does not depict a clear picture of the unemployment in the country since more than half of the total work force work in informal sector. For a long time, Venezuela has been having border disagreements with Guyana and Colombia but policies are being employed to ensure that peace is restored (Anon. 2010).Some of the problems that the country is facing can be addressed through privatization of some of the government assets. Private investors play a major role in boosting the economy of any nation. The government should embark on policies aimed at making developments in rural areas so as to increase employment opportunity and reduce congestion in the urban areas. Reference list Anon, (2010). Background Note; Venezuela, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs [Flag of Venezuela], Retrieved May 12, 2010 from, http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35766. htm

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Marketing - Essay Example This eventually resulted to creating a need for a good financial market for banking and finance in which the bottom line would be to stimulate needs for certain product or service offerings. This area has become so competitive in which the resulting activity leads to the creation of competitive rivalry. In short, it is important to consider that the presence of new market entrants, power of supplier and buyer and advancement in technology has significantly created an essential force leading to competitive rivalry (Ireland et al., 2007; Hitt et al., 2009). Porter therefore is right on specifying some factors that may essentially lead to the creation of competitive rivalry. Thus, he emphasised that there is a need to go for competitive strategies. This is what the financial market has essentially applied to the extent that there is a point to include economic policy measures just to minimise the presence of competition in the market (Lindbeck, 1973; Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). The b uilding societies and banks The Building Societies Association (2011) presents some major differences between building societies and banks which include building societies as mutual institutions, are not companies run by their shareholders, and the issue on the limit of proportion of funds. These differences bring forward to some major advantages and even shown in some studies revealing that building societies have outperformed banks implying that mutual organisations may outweigh those stock organisations (Valnek, 1999). There are underlying reasons for this and one of the most significant is the inclusion of rights and privileges for members to receive the right information they deserve to have. The next most important thing about building societies is that they are not considered companies which are highly controlled by shareholders who are influential to maximise profits for increase amount of dividends. The point of this is that there will be low operating cost and other signif icant privileges that will ensure advantage on opportunity cost. In fact, it was found that building societies remain to have constant rates in deposit and mortgage (Heffeman, 2005). This emphasises that building societies are indeed not under pressure of its stakeholders which means further that the needs of consumers are greatly catered to the fullest. The limit of proportion of funds on the other hand would mean further that compared to banks, building societies are highly secured for investment and this is an opportunity for consumers or investors to go. Harpenden Building Society Harpenden’s company website revealed some of important information about its operation which leads to having a better view at its current trends in the market (Harpenden Building Society, 2010). Harpenden is known for its place in the UK building societies. It significantly belongs to the rank of 52 renowned UK building societies because of its 20,000 members having more than 25,000 accounts. As ide from this, Harpenden has no debt because it eliminates its chance for borrowings on the money market. Another good thing about the financial performance of Harpenden is the upward spiralling growth of its deposits and mortgages. Harpenden is also recognised by

Woodlice Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodlice - Lab Report Example They have a shell like exoskeleton which progressively shed as they grow. The shedding occurs in two stages were the back half sheds first followed by the front part later usually after two to three days later as opposed to the way moulting process occurs to other antropoda where the cuticle are shed in a single process. Metabolic rate is temperature dependent in woodlice which is in contrast to mammals and bird where their rate of respiration depends directly to the external environmental temperatures (Jordan 100). Woodlice are claimed to have unpleasant taste like that of a urine despite been a crustacean which is different from the taste of other crustacean like lobsters or crabs. Woodlice breathe through their plepodal lungs and live in terrestrial environment usually damp or dark places to reduce the rapid rate at which they lose water through their cuticle and excretion (Sutton, Stephen, Paul, and David 67). Although woodlice are preyed by a wide range of insectivores itâ€℠¢s the spiders that prey on them exclusively. This experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the variation of traits and the natural selection and the hypothesis of this experiment was that the predator preying on the woodlice determine the speed of woodlice to be found in an environment (Smith, SiaÌ‚n 98). The length and dorsal plate in all woodlice was measured using a microscope and recorded. The speed of three woodlice was obtained by taking two rulers to measure the distance and then assorted utensils for simulating predation and to mimic a predator was simulated and the timer was set from the time all the three woodlice started moving until they all reach the end of the two rulers and then recorded in seconds. Woodlice where placed in large specimen dishes and the predator for this experiment which was a spider was simulated RESULTS The woodlice traits were varying as like were the highest standard deviation error was obtained from the speed and the lowest standard deviation error was obtained from the length while the standard deviation error was zero as illustrated in table(1) below Trait Dorsal plate number Speed (seconds/10 cm) Length (cm) Color (values using soil color chart) Mean 7 21.20833333 0.991666667 5.083333333 Standard Deviation 0 +10.29131828 +0.21450989 +1.248187091 Standard Deviation Error 0 +2.100706547 +0.043786648 +0.254785123 Table (1) showing traits, mean, standard deviation and standard deviation error of woodlice In the frequency distribution below blue represents the total number of woodlice while the red represent the number of woodlice that survived after the predator was unleashed. From the graph the number of survived population is higher than the total populati on between the speeds of 1-20 and the same is exhibited between the speeds of 21-40 and between the speeds of 61-80 but between the speeds of 41-60 no woodlice survived. Frequency distribution of woodlice characterized by speed DISCUSSION From the table and the frequency distribution above it is clearly that there is a relationship between the population of woodlice that survived the experiment and their speed. Woodlice that were much fast and those that are somehow slower survived more compared to those that were of average speed as none of them survived and also the predator