Comparison of Models Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparison of Models - Research Paper Example It is noteworthy that the major differences between psychological and multicausal models of addiction are based on their varied beliefs on the causes of addiction. Psychological model of addiction, which derives its understanding from a number psychological models key among them being psychoanalytic theory developed by Sigmund Freud, the behavioural and cognitive theories of psychotherapy. Psychological model asserts that addiction is motivated by psychological distress. In other words, this model of addiction is based on the belief that addiction is because of repression and unconscious mental processes (Raymond, 1998). Addiction in this sense is just a secondary problem as psychological problems takes precedence. This means that addiction is only a coping mechanism as at seeks to create an illusion of comfort away from internal conflicts in an individual’s life. For instance, Sigmund view all forms of addiction as a substitute for primitive sexual urges, which brings about an internal conflict and intensified guilt that is reengineered by an addiction cycle. Psychological model emphasizes on the intrinsic drives especially cognitive which motivate people to develop a cycle of drug use and dependence (Raymond, 1998). For instance, individuals are seen to develop a tendency of using drugs as form of self-medication to internal conflicts brought about by dysfunctional thought patterns. In other words, addiction personality is real and it is experienced constantly owing to the fact that it is used as a coping mechanism against stirred up emotions, traumatic experiences, sexual issues, fears, negative relationships, feeling of powerlessness. A number of things that individuals try to self medicate have been categorised into four groups and they include difficulty in self-care, the expression of emotions, troubled relationships and low

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay Example for Free

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay Critically evaluate the use of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice Introduction Academic dishonesty such as plagiarism has been a major factor in education that has affected students’ success and academic achievements in recent years. Plagiarism according to Park (2003) is the act of appropriating or copying another person’s work and passing them on as one’s idea without acknowledging the original source. Park (2003) noted that plagiarism is a growing problem and has been a misuse of the writings of another author, their ideas, hypothesis, theories, research findings and interpretations. Furthermore studies by Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) emphasised that the rising trend of plagiarism among students can be attributed to several factors such as academic literacy, language competence and the technological advancements in the world today in terms of high speed internet facility available in hostels and computer labs. These factors according to Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) has enhanced the ability of students to plagiarise a whole assignment by obtaining papers on the internet relating to their assignments which is as easy as copying and pasting. Park (2003) stated that students have different perceptions towards plagiarism. He noted that students view plagiarism as a minor offence which is different from cheating in exams. He further discovered that plagiarism could be unintentional (ibid). This is because some students possess a mental illusion in which they believe they have produced something from their own perspective while infact they are reproducing something which they have read from another author. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the effect of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice. This paper will begin by briefly describing what good scholarship practise is. In addition the use of text matching software for detecting good scholarship practice will be critically discussed and a conclusion will be made based on the evaluation. Good scholarship practice can be referred to as a formal study which involves academic learning and achievement. It involves acknowledging where information used to support ideas in a particular context is gotten and citing the sources (Locke and Latham, 2009). Britag and Mahmud (2009) pointed out that different strategies whichinclude the use of electronic software tools such as turnitin have been derived for detecting plagiarism with the intent of allowing students’ take responsibility of their learning and also work hand in hand with their tutors in the drafting stages of their assignments. According to Britag and Mahmud (2009) manual detection of plagiarism is difficult because it is time consuming and this is the reason why some tutors are reluctant in pursuing potential cases of plagiarism. However both the manual method of plagiarism detection and the electronic text matching method should be employed (Britag and Mahmud, 2009). Scaife (2007) argued that the electronic text matching software is not the solution to eliminating plagiarism because the software only focuses on text matching of paper under review with documents (journals, articles, e-books and conference papers) found on the internet or which has been previously submitted and this is a limitation because the only detection are focused on electronic materials without considering some non-electronic paper based documents which could still be plagiarised. Walker (2010) stated that with the development of text matching software such as the turnitin plagiarism detection was made easier, however he emphasised that the turnitin detection software is not 100 per cent efficient, it merely identifies and matches materials present in a document uploaded to turnitin website to materials available on the internet. Walker (2010) describes the electronic text matching software as a tool only suitable for detecting word for word or direct plagiarism in electronic form and the refined ones from the paper based sources are not easily detected. Moreover Carroll and Appleton (2001) argued that the turnitin is just an option for measuring plagiarism and that alone cannot be used as a basis for judging good scholarship practice. In addition Carroll and Appleton (2001) insist that the use of electronic software for detecting plagiarism requires human application and interpretation and that using turnitin alone as a medium for plagiarism detection is not proficient. According to Barrett and Malcolm (2006) the electronic text matching software (turnitin) only indicates possible plagiarism without any certainty, it is left to the tutor to determine the extent to which the writer has plagiarised or included some sources in the paper without acknowledging where they were acquired. In conclusion the concept of plagiarism cannot be overemphasised. It has become a factor that has affected good academic scholarship practice and has  created an avenue for educators to develop methods for detecting and dealing with plagiarism. The development of the electronic detection software such as the turnitin has enhanced the detection of plagiarism however it cannot be relied upon completely because it is not effective. In addition it is important to understand that the best way to detect plagiarism is to use both the manual method which involves educators and the use of electronic text matching software such as turnitin. Students could also be assisted in understanding the criteria for academic writing such as the code of conducts which requires them to acknowledge any source from where data is derived when writing academically. References Barrett, R. Malcolm, J. (2006) Embedding plagiarism education in the assessment process, International Journal for Educational Integrity, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 38-45. Bretag, T. and Mahmud, S. (2009) A model for determining student plagiarism: Electronic detection and academic judgement. , Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 50-60. Chao, C. , Wilhelm, W. J. , Neureuther, B. D. (2009. ) A Study of Electronic Detection and Pedagogical Approaches for Reducing Plagiarism, The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 31-42. Carroll, J. and Appleton, J. (2001), Plagiarism: A good practice guide, Oxford: Oxford Brookes University. Locke, E. A, Latham, G. P (2009) Has Goal Setting Gone Wild, or Have Its Attackers Abandoned Good Scholarship? , The Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.  17-23. Park, C. (2003). In Other (People’s) Words: plagiarism by university students—literature and lessons, Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 472-488. Scaife, B (2007) IT Consultancy Plagiarism Detection Software Report for JISC Advisory Service. [Online]. Retrieved from:www. plagiarismadvice. org/documents/resources/PDReview-Reportv1_5. pdf [Accessed 24th October 2012]. Walker, J. (2010) Measuring plagiarism: researching what students do, not what they say they do, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 41-59.

3 Areas of Exploration :: Drama

3 Areas of Exploration Hot-Seating ----------- Hot-Seating is where the audience asks you questions about your character. This technique is important in drama because it really makes you concentrate on the character that you are playing. You have to know your characters background & what type of person he/she is. Which in turn helps move your work forward, because you know more about your character Thought Tracking ---------------- Thought Tracking is where your character speaks his/her thoughts to the audience. This technique is important in drama because it reveals what a character is thinking without other characters, in the piece, knowing. For example: Luke: Are you coming out later? Steve: ok then. (Aside) Though I suppose I’ll be paying again. (To Luke) See you at 7. Forum-theatre ------------- Forum theatre is where a scene is enacted & watched by the rest of the group & at any point in the drama any actor/actress can stop the scene to ask to make a suggestion or can join in by suggesting a new role or take over an existing role. This technique is important in drama because it helps get ideas & move your scene forward. Midsummer nights dream Vs Staying Lost Introduction ------------ These two plays are different in every way. On one hand we’ve got a romantic comedy, midsummer nights dream, which deals with four lovers & fairies & on the other we’ve got a serious piece, staying lost, which deals with life’s issues. Similarities Both of the pieces had 3 different parts which came together at the end i.e. the teenage pregnancy, the unwanted child the rape story. Then at the end the 3 parts came together in a very effective scene where the victims behind a big gate & the other people were on the other side. The 3 parts in midsummer nights dream also came together at the end i.e. the lovers story, the fairies story & the workers story. Then at the end we all came together in a scene where the workers put on a play for the visitors. Another similarity is that we both pieces used thought tracking i.e. In staying lost in the pregnancy story when Carly was sitting on the stairs

Nursing Case Studies on COPD

In this reflective piece of writing I will be explaining how chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects the patient physically, psychologically ,and socially ,I will also explain how the disease affects his daily routine and how it impacts on his family life. I will give an overview of the clinical signs and symptoms, how the disease alters the pathphysiology of the lungs, and what these changes cause within the body. I will be using the reflective model â€Å"What, So What, Now What â€Å" (2007). The patient I have chosen to write about is a seventy year old male who has been married for nearly fifty years. He has two grown up sons, both married with children of their own. Mr Woods has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease diagnosed ten years ago. Prior to this disease Mr Woods was a lifelong smoker, beginning at the age of fourteen years, smoking up to thirty cigarettes per day. Mr Woods condition has progressively worsened over the past few years, and he now requires home oxygen therapy. A patient was brought into the emergency department by the paramedics complaining of difficulty in breathing. On arrival he was tachypnoeic, had a respiratory rate thirty two and was found to have an audible wheeze. He stated that he had a productive cough and was expectorating green coloured sputum. The patient felt warm to touch. He looked pale, was sat upright, slightly leaning forward in a rigid posture on the ambulance stretcher. I was delegated the role of undertaking Mr Wood’s initial assessment, which included ensuring the patient was undressed ready for examination by a doctor, and also carrying out a baseline set of observations. I was happy to undertake this task, because I had the required training, skills and was deemed competent to carry out the necessary care required to look after Mr Woods. The nurse in charge informed me of Mr Woods medical history prior to me entering the cubicle, including what had precipitated his attendance to the emergency department which on that particular day had been his worsening shortness of breath. On entering the cubicle, I helped Mr Woods get undressed and into a hospital gown because any slight exertion made him more short of breath. I carried out a baseline set of observations. His blood pressure was 165/95, he had a pulse rate of 125 beats per minute, a temperature of 38. c, a respiratory rate of 32, on 2 litres of oxygen his saturation level was 88%, and his blood glucose level was 4. 4mmol/l. Although some of these observations are not within ‘normal’ range, for a person with COPD some of these observations maybe acceptable because the disease affects the path physiology of the lungs. The airways leading to the lungs, the bronchi, become inflamed. The inflamed airways produce too much mucus (sputum) which can lead to a p ersistent cough, wheeze and increasing shortness of breath. This happens because the air sacs (alveoli) become overstretched, rupture and merge which causes them to lose their elasticity. This causes the oxygen absorbing surfaces to be reduced, and with the narrowing of the airways gas exchange is less efficient (Parker, 2009). The lungs over inflate which reduces the air volume moving in and out of the lungs which can lead to tachypnoea (abnormally rapid rate of breathing), breathlessness on exertion, respiratory distress, abnormal posture I. e. leaning forward to help open the airways (Nursing Standard, 2001). Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can have a tendency to have low oxygen saturation levels, usually around 88% on air. In healthy patients their levels are usually between 95%- 100%. COPD patients often need supportive treatment of 2 litres of oxygen to maintain oxygen saturations normally acceptable for that specific patient. However oxygen therapy higher than 2 litres may cause their carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to rise (Abrahams, 2009). As Mr Woods COPD had progressively worsened he had been commenced on home oxygen which he uses throughout most of the day. This helps him to undertake the most simplistic of daily activities of living. Mr Woods lives at home with his wife who, due to the impact of this disease on Mr Woods, has now become his main carer. She helps her husband with his daily activities such as washing, showering and preparing his meals. He needs help mobilising to the downstairs shower room, and, once there, needs assistance to get undressed. Whilst in the shower room Mr Woods needs to sit on a shower stool because he cannot manage to stand for any length of time due to breathlessness. He is also unable to walk upstairs because he gets short of breath on exertion so he has had a stair lift installed which enables him to go upstairs to bed. This enables Mr and Mrs Woods to fulfil both the physical and psychological aspects of their relationship. COPD can affect the psychological wellbeing of the sufferer. Before Mr Woods condition deteriorated he was able to go out, he used to enjoy going fishing with his sons and playing with his grandchildren. Because of his condition, Mr Woods is prone to feelings of inadequacy and depression. He also feels guilty because of his growing dependency on his wife for the simplest of daily tasks such as making a cup of tea or answering the door. Because of the growing demands of her husband’s worsening condition Mrs Woods now has to depend on other family members to facilitate her with tasks that Mr Woods can no longer undertake due to his COPD, and frequent visits to the hospital with recurrent chest infections. Whilst Mr Woods was in the emergency department it was my responsibility to make sure Mr Woods was comfortable and that his observations were done regularly and documented. I was happy to do this as I am deemed competent and have the required training to carry out these duties. I made sure Mr Woods was sitting upright as this would help him with his breathing by improving his lung capacity and making sure oxygen was prescribed by the doctor and administered via nasal cannulae as per trust policy. I noticed Mr Woods remained tachyponeic, so repeated his observations. Even though on 2 litres of oxygen his saturation levels still remained low so I informed the nurse in charge that Mr Woods observations remained unstable. A doctor was notified and the patient assessed which involved listening to his chest. The doctor then prescribed nebulisers, oral steroids and paracetamol. A chest x-ray was also requested. I had to ask a qualified member of staff to administer Mr Woods medication, because I am not qualified to dispense drugs to a patient as a student assistant practitioner as this does not fall within my scope of practice or within the boundaries of my role. I think the fact I know my limitations and boundaries make me a safe practitioner. I made sure I had documented Mr Woods observations and that I had informed the nurse in charge of his condition making sure that I had dated, timed and signed what I had written. I got my documentation countersigned by a qualified member of staff as stated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008). The doctor asked me to cannulate and take some blood from Mr Woods. I was comfortable with this request because I am qualified to undertake the task. I explained to Mr Woods that I needed to put a needle in his arm and take some blood and that I would be leaving the cannula in his arm for any medication his may require later. I put the equipment together that I needed to cannulate, making sure that it was on a clean trolley and that I had a sharps bin. I then washed my hands, put on my apron and gloves following universal precautions. I then proceeded to cannulate Mr Woods explaining everything I was doing throughout the procedure. Once the cannula was in I disposed of my sharp in the sharps bin and put my dirty equipment in the clinical waste and then washed my hands. Mr Woods was then taken for his x-ray. Once labelled I then gave the blood to the doctor to send of to the path lab. I then filled in the cannulation documentation form as per hospital trust policy. I was pleased that I managed to get the cannula in on my first attempt because Mr Woods had terrible veins and I did not like the thought of having to put him through the procedure again as it can be quite painful and distressing. Mr Woods x-ray showed he had a chest infection for which he was prescribed intravenous antibiotics. Mr Woods was then transferred to the Medical Assessment Unit for further treatment by the medical doctors. Reflecting back I believe I have developed my knowledge about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Reading articles, text books and trust policies on COPD has allowed my to enhance my ability to recognise when patients are clinically unwell and have the confidence to highlight these abnormalities to the relevant members of the multidisciplinary team I. e. the nurse in charge and doctor, so the patient can be managed promptly and appropriately. Also the information I gained from talking to Mr Woods was invaluable in allowing me to gain insight and therefore a greater understanding of how the disease affected not only the patient but also his family on a day to day basis. Witnessing first hand the debilitating affects the disease process has on an individual such as Mr Woods and his family left me feeling a little sad due to the fact that my role as a student assistant practitioner limited my involvement in his treatment. Having been the first member of staff to attend to Mr Woods on his arrival to the department and to have spent time developing a therapeutic relationship with him I felt that involving another member of staff to carry out an aspect of care may make him question my abilities to look after him as I could not administer his medication. I could address this issue by explaining to the patient that my role as student assistant practitioner does not allow me to give medication but explain that I am competent in carrying out all other aspects of care. Developing my existing knowledge on the psychological and physiological affects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease has been consolidated by caring for a patient that has attended the emergency department with this chronic long term condition. Extending my knowledge base on this condition and the long term effects it can have on the individual will ensure that I treat each patient on their needs rather than just on their condition. Also looking back on this assessment I believe I acted professionally, promptly and efficiently. I feel I carried out my duties to a high standard of care within the boundaries of my role as a student assistant practitioner which in turn enabled Mr Woods to receive the treatment and medication he required to ensure the best possible outcome. Looking after Mr Woods has shown that I can work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team. I am able to assess, implement and evaluate my care which has enabled other members of staff to witness my holistic and high level of care delivery within the emergency department. I believe this can benefit not only the patients attending the department but also help develop my role within the team.

What Does It Mean to Describe Television as a Domestic Technology? How Does Its Primary Position in the Home Shape Its Forms and Uses?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DESCRIBE TELEVISION AS A DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY? HOW DOES ITS PRIMARY POSITION IN THE HOME SHAPE ITS FORMS AND USES? The act of television consumption occurs in technological, social and cultural forms, which concurrently effect the impact television has on everyday life as a domestic technology. The relationship between these elements is the basis for understanding television consumption. Television today is among the most commonly undertaken leisure activities, yet it is typically viewed as a mundane activity as a result of it’s domestic introduction to households.The initiation of television into the domestic home developed over time to become a routine leisure activity. For more than half a century television has been an intimate part of the life of most populations. ‘It can be extraordinarily powerful because it sits right in the middle of all that mundaneness’ (Potter, 1993). Television was first broadcast to the public in London 1929 by th e BBC network. In the US, commercial broadcasting began in 1939 as a domestic medium developed to provide programming for entertainment.Housing was democratized after the Second World War, and television made its domestic appearance as an essential part of that process. Prior to the 1940’s, private housing was not capable of facilitating a television set. Houses lacked proper electricity, gas facilities and hygiene causing incentive to spend as much time out of the home as possible. ‘Domestication became the solution to urbanization, industrialization and population explosion in the nineteenth century’ (Geraghty & Lusted 1998). Creating an incentive for domesticity solved the uncontrolled working class problem.That incentive began with television. For TV to succeed, consumers had to be at home. To be at home, they needed both capital investment in the home to maintain activities there, as well as an ‘ideology of domesticity which would maintain their pleasu res there rather than in the street, pub, cinema, music-hall or even in brothels or communism’ (Geraghty & Lusted 1998). Throughout the 1940s and 1950s ‘mass’ private housing was perfected as the necessary precondition for televisio. This movement promoted the values of domesticity by creating an incentive to spend time at home.Television became a medium for the association of the home with the ideology of domesticity. It has grown to represent private life, suburbia, consumption, ordinariness, heterosexuality, family-building, hygiene and the ‘femininization’ of family governance (Geraghty & Lusted, 1998). Shortly after the domestication of television, women became the focus for a number of campaigns to achieve social compliance, focusing on hygiene and domesticity. Women attracted men towards the home as they promoted comfort, cleanliness, cooking, security and regular sex.This ideology of domesticity was promoted through political and commercial c ampaigns. They were based upon existing aspects of respectable life like religion, femininity, thrift, shame, privacy, self-help and property. The home became a lifestyle in itself and the activities it was expected to sustain. These associations of domesticity have ineradicably become a part of the TV’s textuality. ‘Television viewing is integrated with the routines through which the rituals of everyday domestic life are constructed’ Grossberg(1987).The ways television consumption is performed depends greatly on various types of social, cultural and household influences. Culture, domestic space, social structure, lifestyle and income, among many other factors all effect the consumption of television in any home. These influences concurrently determine the role of television and the way it is consumed. The television is ultimately a pervasive item of furniture, which is central to the contemporary concept of the home. The TV set is a symbolic object of commodity culture as the choice of television purchased reflects upon its owner.Its relationship to commodity culture is further symbolized by its location in the household. Television is not only an integral part of individual’s lives; it has also become integral to their households physically, focally and socially. Most Western homes are arranged to accommodate the television rather than arranging the television to suit the home. Homes are typically organized to use the television as the main feature of the living space. Viewing is influenced greatly by the location of the TV in the home. The availability of space within a household impacts upon viewing practices.This technology will often be used to create personal space in a restricted environment. The TV may be used in small homes to avoid conflict and lessen the tensions of spatial privacy. In small homes the room must be used for many purposes, which requires the need for negotiation between family members. Larger, wealthier hom es may have more TV’s causing an increase in private space. This may lead to less conflict and friction because personal TV preferences are not an issue. While the television can be used as a medium for privacy it is also effective in terms of developing social relationships.Families are considered to be the fundamental units of society. Examinations of family leisure have consistently demonstrated a positive relationship between family recreation and the success of family functioning. In modern society, leisure is the single most important factor in developing healthy relationships between husbands and wives as well as between parents and their children. The inclusion of the television in the home allows families to always have a leisure activity available to participate in together.Such viewing experiences can provide one of the best opportunities for communication among families today. The household has become a major unit of consumptions and major market focus, yet the pu blic is not well informed about the processes of consumption and its relationship with domestic time, space and actions. Though influences within the household can affect the ways in which television is consumed, television also affects the dynamics of household consumption and use of goods, services and meanings.It defines that homes relationship to the outside world. The last forty years have shown major increases in the diversity of consumption of technologies in households. Advertising through television has greatly impacted this. Television as an object of consumption has a complex economy of meanings. It is both a technology as well as a carrier of meaning. The purchase of televisions as a commodity gains meaning by the intention of the consumer. The type of TV purchased, its location in the home, and its use all signify something about the owner.The associations, which develop as a result of purchase, are all influenced by social measures. Consumption is a general process of the construction of meaning. (Douglas & Isherwood. 1978). It is concerned with ‘the internalization of culture in everyday life’. Which is the re contextualization of the alienating possibilities of everyday life. (Miller,1987, 212) Television is often assigned a kind of everyday piority which means that other interactions take place around and throughout the watching of it. Television is a catalyst for forms of domestic organization of time and space.It is often a determining factor in how households organize their setup and everyday timetables. Disagreements may arise about the choices of broadcast content, or sheer quantity of viewing as well as differences of opinion about whether the set should be on in shared living spaces. Television content can often take priority for some over the more monotonous aspects of the household, a spouse for example. Most domestic conflicts today are not concerned with what is on television but rather about completing chores when oppo sed to luxury of viewing.TV today has become so entwined with every day culture in the home that people will often constantly be watching television while concurrently doing other things. The television continues to prevail over other outdated technologies, as it is so deeply immersed in everyday life that it would seem outrageous for the television to be excluded from the home. Historians and theorists of mass culture have commented widely on the electronic foundations of the mass media and their role in the evolution of modern consumer capitalism.Following the decline of a competitive market structure and furthering it, advanced capitalism creates an expanded sphere of consumption where the needs of the individual are defined, shaped and administered in the interest of high consumption levels and increased market control (Baran & Sweezy 1966). A culture of consumerism meeting these requirements has been largely through mass communications, representing an unprecedented joining of economic and cultural forces through which the meanings and structure of consumption are constituted throughout the realm of daily life.Previous research into the television audience does not consider the new environment in which television exists; the environment today is both technological and social. This new environment needs to be taken into account when studying the effects TV has on everyday lives. The consumption habits among households need to be viewed with the social, economic and technological aspects of the domestic sphere as central influences.Televisions audience needs to be understood in terms of a set of practices that are routine and ritual yet also embedded in the various multiple dimensions of domesticity. References. Dennis Potter, Potter on Potter, ed. Grahem Fuller, 1993:122. Douglas, Mary & Isherwood, Baron. The World of Goods. London and New York Press. 1978 Geraghty, Christine & Lusted, David. The Television Studies Book. Arnold Publishing. 1998. Isherwood, Baron. The World of Goods. 1978. Grossberg, L. ‘The In-Difference of TV’. Screen, 28, 2. 1987 Sweezy, P. & Baran, P. A. – Monopoly Capital [1966]

5th Grade Science Fair Projects

5th Grade Science Fair Projects By the 5th grade, students are expected to shoulder more responsibility in designing in doing a science fair project. There will still be a lot of parent and teacher help, but you want a straightforward project that ideally takes no longer than a week or two to complete. The ideal project is one the student can do pretty much by himself or herself, with guidance from adults as needed. 5th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas What household chemicals repel insects? Pick one particular type, common to your area, such as flies, ants, or roaches and test herbs, spice, etc. to see if you can come up with a non-toxic way to keep bugs away.Make a model tornado or vortex. You can use two bottles taped together or can make a cool tornado using water and vegetable oil. For the project, explain how the vortex works.Can people taste the difference between drinks sweetened with Stevia (a natural non-caloric  sweetener) and sugar? Which do they prefer?Are there any dyes you can add to water living plants that change the color of their flowers? Hint: Some modern orchids are tinted blue using dyes, so its possible.Do people have the same sensitivity to smell? Place people at one end of a room. Have another person open a scent, such as lemon oil or vinegar. Have your test subjects write down what they smell and what time they smelled it. Is the time the same for different scents? Does it matter whether the test subject was male or female? Use the streak test to try to identify different mineral samples. What other tests might you try to confirm your results?Does storage temperature affect popcorn popping? Store popcorn in the freezer, refrigerator, at room temperature, and in a heated location. Pop the same amount of each sample. Count how many unpopped kernels remain. Can you explain the results?Does food cooked in the microwave cool at the same rate as food cooked in the oven or on the stove top? Heat foods to the same temperature. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature at set times. Explain your results.Can you sip the same amount of liquid through two straws at once as one straw? What about 3 straws?Collect a group of different substances. Rank the materials according to best to worse heat conductors (or insulators). See if you can explain your findings.Does the color of a light affect how bright it appears in fog? in water?For your project, explain how traffic lights work. What is the reason for the delay b etween when a light turns yellow and then turns red? How many cars are needed to trip a turn arrow? If youre examining a particular light, does its behavior change according to the time of day? Where is the best place to store apples? Where is the best place to store bananas? Are they the same?Does the temperature of a magnet affect its magnetic field lines? You can trace the magnetic field lines of a magnet by putting iron filings on a sheet of paper over the magnet.What brand of battery lasts the longest?Make ice cubes starting with different temperatures of water. Does the starting temperature of water affect how long it takes to freeze?Make a homemade sundial and explain how it works.

Brothers in Arms essays

Brothers in Arms essays One of the greatest wars ever fought in our time is World War II; an ideal principle for humans freedom and equality. At a great scale, many men lost their lives and are recorded in many history books. From American to British and even Russian soldiers sacrifice their lives to stop a power of hatred against humanity. Though many are taught about the war, certain perspectives and details are often left out in our history books. In Brothers In Arms, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton writes an epic story about forgotten heroes in World War II. The first all-black armored unit to see combat in this great, devastating war. A part of history in which you will never find in any recorded books about World War II. A discrimination in which is still present in our society to not include such heroes of color. This book recognizes the valiant efforts from this all-black unit who wanted to give their lives for their country; an attempt that will lead to the desegregation of the American military. This book presents a perspective from an all-black unit that went through discrimination from their training and even throughout the war; a fundamental story that should be included when World War II is mentioned. In the beginning of the book, the authors record about certain individuals that have close relation to their families. They focus mainly about these three individuals: Leonard Smitty Smith, William McBurney, and Preston McNeil. These heroes are introduced and summarized about how they joined the Army. Smith and McBurney wanted to pursue into the Air Corps, in which they would be denied because of their color. They would all eventually sign up for the Army and be assigned into the 761st Tank Battalion. These significance individuals would go through an intense training physically and mentally. Blacks were characterized as inferior in military tactics and equipment, so they would prioritize their skills to beyond sup...

How a Penny Can Make Wine Smell and Taste Better

How a Penny Can Make Wine Smell and Taste Better Before you throw out that bottle of funky-smelling wine, try a simple chemistry life hack to fix it. Its super easy and all you need is a penny! How to Fix Smelly Wine With a Penny First, find a penny. Clean it up by rinsing it off and polishing off any grime.Pour yourself a glass of wine.Drop in the clean penny and swirl it around in the glass.Remove the penny. You dont want to accidentally swallow it!Now, inhale the improved aroma and drink the wine.Drink more wine. Youre so clever, youve earned it. How the Penny Trick Works Wine can smell stinky because it contains sulfur compounds called thiols. A burnt rubber odor comes from a thiol called ethyl mercaptan. Eau de rotten eggs comes from hydrogen sulfide. If your wine smells like someone put out a match in it, thats from a thiol named methyl mercaptan. The thiols are in the wine as a natural consequence of  grape fermentation. During fermentation, the sugars from the fruit juice undergo reduction, which involves the loss of oxygen. In stale, old wine or some cheap wine, the process kicks into overdrive, resulting in so much thiol the wine becomes unpalatable. Heres where the penny comes to the rescue. While pennies are mostly zinc, the outer shell contains copper. The copper reacts with thiols to produce copper sulfide, which is odorless. Since the senses of smell and taste are connected, removing the stench dramatically improves both the aroma and perceived flavor of the wine. Save Your Wine With Silver Looking for a classier way to fix your wine? You can get the same deodorizing effect by stirring your wine with a silver spoon. If you dont have a silver spoon, try a sterling silver ring. Just remember to remove it before imbibing.

Literature Assg 2 A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature Assg 2 A - Essay Example also has attempted to show different layers of human existence and how impulsive or biased judgements, blinded by pride or prejudice can lead to catastrophe. The King, like most of the human beings, also believed in false display of affection, whereas, he ignored and disrespected genuine feeling of those who are loyal to him. Thus, Shakespeare, within scope of the play has dealt with an essential human tendency of being attracted towards exhibition or show off or false elaboration of emotions and how an individual, trapped within such falsehood, forgets to appreciate and acknowledge genuine human feelings, consequently leading to his tragedy. Thesis Statement: The two daughters of the King surely have a major role to play in deepening the tragic plight of their father kin King Lear. However, the seeds of tragic and painful ending of the King were already sowed during Lear’s desperate rejection of Cordelia’s true affection, honesty and respect for him. Thus, besides holding the elder daughters responsible for his catastrophe, it is also important to consider his false choices, which he made out of prejudiced observation, as catalysts for his tragic end. A close and critical study of the four major Shakespearean tragedies, namely, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth, would clearly show that in each of these dramas the dramatist has exhibited certain common themes and a specific sequential approach to evoke the sense of tragic aesthetics. Hamlet’s tragedy is caused due to his dilemmatic nature and the existential crisis that he suffers from, in case of King Lear, the kingly pride, a stubborn sense of supremacy and overdependence to others, in this case on children, to decide the course of his life, have resulted in his fall. Finally, his realization regarding the wrong choices he made evoked in him a philosophical self that helps him to look deep in reality, keeping aside his trivial pride. Othello cannot escape his tragic plight due to the conjoint

Prosocial behaviours in Early Childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Prosocial behaviours in Early Childhood - Essay Example Pro social behavior is imperative to be followed in schools, mostly among early childhood generations. Most of the students face the problem of low pro social behavior such as the case scenario indicated Adams behavior in school is not adequate. There can be many reasons for this behavior such as lack of control, demonization and self-esteem on the perspective of parents as well as teachers. He may be suffering from some emotional and social problems, due to which he is harming other students. There is always specific reason behind this behavior of childhood. Adams present behavior is also related to his parent’s life, as parents influence have great impact in shaping a Childs behavior. If one gets frustrated in home, he behaves badly at other places to be calm and reduce the pressure of emotions. Therefore both parents as well as teachers should try to improve the behavior of Adam (Marion M, 2011). In the age of 5 to 7 years children’s go through development transforma tion most of which is adhered from school and a percentage is allotted to parental education. Due to this many changes occur in a child such as in the skills, thinking, behavior and emotions. The changes lead to positive and negative aspects. Adam is facing negative aspects of transformation of behaviors, in relation to social roles (MacNaughton G, 2003). Strategies In order to address the low pro social behavior of Adam many behavioral strategies can be used to prevent the situation. Some of them are discussed below: Promoting alternative thinking strategy- this strategy can help Adam to concentrate more on his emotional and social behavior. It will help to reduce aggressiveness and low pro social behavior of Adam. Teacher can conduct education and counseling programs for Adam to guide him towards social behavior. These activities can be conducted in class, school and parents should also take part in it because they play key role in developing ethnic behavior in their children. In this program Adam should be taught to express his feelings and behavior in a good manner, making him understand the perspective of others and their values so that in future he does not harm any student (Kauchak D & Eggen P, 2011). Development strategy- this strategy is mainly linked to psychodynamic education of children’s. It promotes social, emotional and cognitive growth. Teachers try to utilize classroom experiences with the children’s. By promoting this strategy on Adam it will create motivation and self-control in his nature and he would be able to recognize the needs and feelings of others. For example he will be become familiar of good and bad manners. He will believe more on himself and will do what is right and ethical (Gowen J W & Nebrig J B, 2000). Pro- social control strategy- this strategy have positive characteristics and concentrates on the well-being of peers. Adam is presently focusing on coercive strategy which is opposite to pro social strategy. He is focusing on unethical behavior. Teachers should try to adopt pro social strategy in order to improve the behavior of Adam. He should be provided learning’s of social relationships and should be continuously monitored for his action. Guidance should be provided to him on every step where he is wrong. This means that teachers can control the behavior of Adam through effective learning and monitoring systems (Gillies R M & Ashman A, 2003). 1.2 Highlight the relevant research work and theories related to this topic? Recent literature reviews have identified that there should be evaluating programs to prevent low social behavior of students which should be for longer durations, developmental and professional models should be included in the program to study the behavior of students and solution to their emotional problems, ongoing motivation and support should be provided

The Budget Deficit in Oman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

The Budget Deficit in Oman - Research Paper Example Overall vote of thanks goes to all people and Oman citizens who have had both directly and indirectly contributed in accomplishment and delivery of this research both real field research and report preparation. Financing team and field directors are not left out due to their special contribution in data collection for actual study. Submission of heartfelt appreciation is to all and sundry. Chapter One: Introduction Aim The goal is to establish the factors that make the budget deficit in Oman and formulation of ways of reducing budget deficit in the country. The research establishes ways of reducing the impact of the factors contributing to large government expenditure which results to large government expenditure. In order to accomplish the research objective, there are various research methodologies used for data collection and analysis. Objectives 1. To establish the causes of the current budget deficit in Oman based on various economic factors such as government spending. 2. To establish the contribution of corruption in oil management to current budget deficit in Oman by questioning many managers and citizens working in the oil firms. 3. To establish long term solutions to the current budget deficit in Oman. The views of different economists about the high budget deficit in Oman are obtained alongside their opinions on ways of resolving the issue on a long term ba sis. 4. To establish ways through which the Oman government can reduce government expenditures in order to reduce occurrences of budget deficits in future. This is achieved by reviewing various government expenditures and formulating mechanisms of reducing such expenditures. 5. To establish the different income-generating avenues in Oman so as to reduce government’s over reliance on the oil market projections. This goal is geared towards establishing other ways through which the Oman government can obtain revenues in order to minimise the governments dependency on

LEGAL THEORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

LEGAL THEORY - Essay Example From a legal and social perspective, the movement initiated the struggle of women to gain equality before the law, changing the structure of society as women ventured out into the workplace. This essay will set out to demonstrate how the notion of equality as mooted by feminist theories may not necessarily be adequate to advance the interests of women and the material inequalities that they may suffer from. Fighting for women to achieve equality with men may not necessarily redress the inequalities and advance their interests, since this equality approach to feminism is overly concerned with the personal issues surrounding identity. It does not address the root causes of inequality, which may be built into the framework of the law itself, hence without a change in the framework of the law, it may not be possible to advance the interests of women. This is the basic principle which must be addressed on the question of equal rights before the law for both men and women. Jurisprudence has remained a traditional male bastion with existing legal theories conditioned upon the premise of the â€Å"individual† as the philosophical basis for the legal system. Hence, the feminist movement itself and earlier struggles for equal rights by women were centered upon proving to the higher authorities that women deserved equal treatment, but this was still on the basis that they were individuals. The question that arises is – how relevant is such an approach in tackling the real issues women face and advancing their interests, when it is preoccupied with the subjective element associated with individual identity? For example, MacLaughlin points out that the liberal perspectives of law as a fair and just system that protects is rights of all individuals is based upon treating all persons indiscriminately and this system stresses individualism4 – but how can such a universal standard be defined in the context of differing constituencies and differing

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies Research Paper - 1

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the Techno Group of Companies focus on delivering the best quality along with ensuring that the health and safety precautions are well taken care of in the work environment. The main purpose of the company is to ensure that the company develops into a company that has a strong name in the growing market of construction. Also, the company ensures that work and projects that they deal with are completed keeping their core values of integrity along with client focus, teamwork and accelerated growth in mind. This has previously kept the previous customers satisfied and been the sole reason why they have been doing business with the company since then. The purpose of the Techno Group of Companies revolves around establishing the name of the company into the society. The entrepreneurs with projects that associate to development in of the infrastructure of the community is the primary goals along with constructing the buildings that are a part of this infrastructu re development. These functions revolve around the training of individuals who would serve the company as project managers, construction managers, design engineers and project architects which would be trained in a unique fashion and give the company the competitive advantage of the competition in these fields. The Techno Group of Companies also tries to focus on creating a name in other fields of work that would involve larger projects which can reach the scales of developing major dams and entirely new cities. This ultimate goal leads down to increasing the market share and keeping the name of the company on the recommended list of countries where they have current projects already running. The company is already very proud of the fact that they are a front line company to complete some major prestigious projects in various countries.

Book report(Francis Crick Discoverer of the Genetic Code) Essay

Book report(Francis Crick Discoverer of the Genetic Code) - Essay Example A number of renowned writers are being currently commissioned by the Eminent Live series of short biographies to write and arrange the biographies of the famous persons. For this excellent biography of Francis Crick, this has worked considerably well. Francis Crick's significant scientific contributions and importantly his personality are being presented to the readers by this work of Ridley. He expressed that it was quite difficult to discuss about Francis with certainty as he was a bit private person and didn't usually shared his gossips, moods and biases or his detailed daily life in his writing or work. Even then he wasn't an unfriendly introvert, as he always enjoyed the company of his close friends, colleges and practices a healthy social life when he wasn't in the laboratory. But he ignored fashionable attention and icon as crude and excruciating to hold. He usually kept himself isolated as his close circle was limited to those intellectual personalities the company of whom he perceived as vital for his own learning. This behavior was quite consistent over his entire life and being referred as "dyadic pairing" by Ridley. Very essentially, this habit enabled him to bounce suggestions from his close companion the opinion and judgment of whom he considered trustable. His immediate reference board was Georg Kreisel and a prominent student Wittgenstein. Jim Watson when in 1950s they explored the detailed arrangement of the DNA. While many of the theoretical underpinnings of molecular biology and especially the nature of genetic code Sydney Brenner followed in the 1960s. Later on when Crick shifted to the California's Salk Institute, he due to his dyadic pairing, and as he moved his concentration to neurobiology stuck up with Christ of Koch. His career actually began as a physicist. He was sent to work at the Admiralty and therefore pulled out from school quite early, as he was made to investigate he functioning and detection of mines during the years of war. Specifically, he discovered methods in which the acoustic and magnetic mines provided strong resistance to the ships passing by. Later he decided never make efforts in the field of nuclear weaponry when the atomic bombs were dropped at the Nagasaki and Hiroshima. There afterwards he began his PhD, just before the war, on the tackiness of water. But later when the war was over he again shifted and moved on to the life sciences as he wanted to apply his knowledge of physics and whatever he possessed to be applied to the principles of life. He therefore chose the x-ray diffraction and as in those days most of the scientists perceived the proteins as the likely genie material, he was requested to study the structure of protein, specially the hemoglobin. He was introduced to Watson in the 1950s. After their meeting they immediately shifted to the DNA as according to Watson thought it was quite necessary for the further study of the gene. A very excellent job is being performed by Ridley while describing that how they worked it and why Franklin, Wilkins and Pauling failed to do so. In order to deal with the coding problems Crick spent next ten years if his life. The importance

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies Research Paper - 1

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the Techno Group of Companies focus on delivering the best quality along with ensuring that the health and safety precautions are well taken care of in the work environment. The main purpose of the company is to ensure that the company develops into a company that has a strong name in the growing market of construction. Also, the company ensures that work and projects that they deal with are completed keeping their core values of integrity along with client focus, teamwork and accelerated growth in mind. This has previously kept the previous customers satisfied and been the sole reason why they have been doing business with the company since then. The purpose of the Techno Group of Companies revolves around establishing the name of the company into the society. The entrepreneurs with projects that associate to development in of the infrastructure of the community is the primary goals along with constructing the buildings that are a part of this infrastructu re development. These functions revolve around the training of individuals who would serve the company as project managers, construction managers, design engineers and project architects which would be trained in a unique fashion and give the company the competitive advantage of the competition in these fields. The Techno Group of Companies also tries to focus on creating a name in other fields of work that would involve larger projects which can reach the scales of developing major dams and entirely new cities. This ultimate goal leads down to increasing the market share and keeping the name of the company on the recommended list of countries where they have current projects already running. The company is already very proud of the fact that they are a front line company to complete some major prestigious projects in various countries.

How Globalisation Complicates the Process of Business Management and Essay

How Globalisation Complicates the Process of Business Management and Yet Increases Profitability - Essay Example On the other hand, globalisation is inevitably associated with the changes in competitive dynamics, which necessitate the creation and implementation of new business strategies and lead to profound shifts in management consciousness at a global scale. How globalisation drives profitability and complicates business management in international banking is a difficult question. The current state of research into the effects and implications of globalisation for business management and profitability is rather scarce. The main goal of this research is to analyse primary and secondary information in regards to the changes in profitability and business practices as a result of globalisation and internationalisation in the banking sector. Research aims and objectives The main research question is â€Å"how globalisation complicates global banking business and yet increases overall profitability for stakeholders and promoters for global banking enterprises†. ... of globalisation on business management practices; Understand how globalisation raises profitability; Estimate the mechanisms behind globalisation, profitability, and management practices in the banking sector. Literature review The current state of research provides a wealth of information about globalisation and its implications for various economic processes. Much of what was written and said about globalisation revolves around the topic of macroeconomic policies, financial internationalisation, and the shifts in competitive dynamics. However, contemporary scholars display increased interest toward the issues of globalisation and its effects on profitability and business management in organisations. Recent studies and research findings provide useful information about how globalisation affects businesses and decision-making processes in the new, global reality. The significance of the relationship between globalisation and management practices cannot be underestimated. More often than not, globalisation in management reflects through the development and implementation of the universal global standards of professional decision-making. In this context, international accounting and financial standards are among the most frequently discussed topics in professional literature. Beke (2010) suggests that the adoption of international financial standards by firms leads to better profitability and improved quality of accounting practices and decisions in organisations. Furthermore, harmonisation and standardisation of management practices are the most regular consequences of using international financial standards by firms (Beke 2010). Ultimately, it is due to the use of international financial/ accounting standards that businesses spend less time and money managing their

Boca Juniors Essay Example for Free

Boca Juniors Essay Trading players have become a profitable piece of business for soccer clubs globally especially in proven leagues in South American continents. Its had become an essential practice to ensure cash flows remain healthy from the export of home bred talents which is abundant in soccer crazy countries like Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In the case of Boca Juniors, the club president is faced with an enviable position where there is an option to sell players at the peak of their game for a nice profit. Both players, Gago and Palacio are key players in the team with a string of accolades in their short stint there. Their performances have generated a lot of excitement and have caught the eyes of Europes largest clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid etc In a business where the playing lives of soccer players are limited, it makes sense to trade them at their prime to the highest bidder. My recommendation to Macri is to offload the older Palacios to FC Barcelona while keeping the younger Gago and building on his experience (with more playing time, titles) and market value. While losing a key player may be disruptive, Macri can derive many benefits from the cash generated to the tune of USD4m. (17.5% ownership) Among the tangible benefits; 1. The proceeds from the sale will help close the gap on the loss and perhaps push Boca to profitability in fiscal 2007. Also, among the immediate benefit is the decrease in wage bill – Boca had to increase Palacio’s salary significantly if he had stayed. This is an important consideration as Macri will be leaving Boca to run for mayor of the city of Buenos Aires, he will like to leave a lasting legacy and his decision may prove to be essential to the impression that he leaves the club in a good state with the necessary support structure he developed and a team that is capable to challenge for honours. 2. Expand La Cantera – Boca Jrs has a good youth policy and are known to foster many of the world’s top players i.e. Tevez, Caniggia and Riquelme. The additional funds can be used to expand the existing facilities at the La Cantera Youth academy; expansion to cover branch academies in satellite cities or organize more coaching clinics across Argentina. 3. Staff additional scouts – casting the scouting net wider across all 18 cities in Argentina (incl Buenos Aires). This is critical to feed the academy with talent and nurturing them to become exceptional players. The excess can be used to fund scouting headcount. 4. Enhance La Bombonera – additional funds to be used to build a hospitality wing or upgrade facilities to include more VIP boxes and preferred seating. Expanding the stadium seating may be considered but the costs may exceed the contribution from the player sale. (it has already been enlarged previously in 1996 to 57,000 seats). Although not critical, the renovation could help generate more funds through ticketing or tours. 5. Investment fund track record – the sale will improve yield and performance of the fund. With the sale of Palacio, the private investors stand to earn up to 65% on the profits. This could amount to USD14.3m (65% of USD22m), the highest sale amount to be recorded by the fund. This could in turn be reinvested to purchase new players (outright purchase to replace the striker) to help compliment their efforts in churning new players through the youth academy. Moreover, there are also intangible benefits to this arrangement; such a sale could be aligned with their heritage of promoting players to the first team through their youth system. It is a chance for new and younger players to breakthrough. As for Gago, he can stay and build on his value; he is young and could spend another 2-3 years to build his credential (soccer players prime between 21-25 years old). His value will continue to grow if Boca is successful on the field during this period. Besides, Real Madrid has shown admiration and made their intentions known – a transfer down the road seems inevitable (player himself indicating interest) but Boca could use this to their advantage by pitting Real Madrid up against other clubs in a bid to price him up from their initial offer of USD26m. Gago’s contract is also without encumbrance and his ownership structure is not as complicated as Palacio. All proceeds from future sale could be booked as 100% profit for Boca. All these benefit could be captured without much impact to revenues. I anticipate that ticket sales, television rights, membership fees or marketing revenues will continue to grow evidenced by the strong following it has in Argentina. Boca fans are known to be dedicated and loyal to club due to the steep heritage – being one of the most successful clubs in history of soccer – 22 Argentine League championships, 16 international titles including 5 Copa Libertadores and 3 Intercontinental Cups. The Intergenerational following and folksy origin (Xeneize) appeals to the working class and has an affinity of close to 40% of soccer fans in Argentina.

The Difference Between Truth And Belief

The Difference Between Truth And Belief The word truth can have a variety of meanings, from honesty and faith to a verified fact in particular.[1] The term has no single definition about which a majority of professional philosophers and scholars agree, and various theories of truth continue to be debated. There are differing claims on the roles that revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective, objective, or absolute. Though truth is generally believed to be both subjective and objective, belief is assumed to be objective which means it differs from person to person. For example, I believe that the sky is blue entails that I think that this proposition is true. The ways by which we acquire knowledge, can be differentiated into four broad categories, sense perception, language, emotion and reasoning. The four ways of knowing help us to identify and differentiate between subjective and objective truths. It is generally assumed language gives us access to subjective truths while reason gives us access to objective truths. For example, the various mathematical proofs, theories and formulae that are in use today are in practice because of they have been proved by reason and are considered as objective mathematical truths. However, some theories and formulas are axiomatic truths. Axiomatic truths are self evident truths or basic facts which are accepted without any proof. On the contrary, perception and emotion are believed to result in subjective truths. From past experiences, I have generalized that objects left out in the rain get wet. Through reasoning I apply this understanding to tonights rainfall, and conclude that my own bicycle will get wet if it is left out in the backyard. Reason can help us to identify both subjective and objective truths. For example, reason can help to distinguish between objective mathematical truths and subjective artistic truths. Thus, from the above examples it can be seen that the various ways of knowing , alone can help to identify truths. But, the ways of knowing may also work together to give us the truth. For example, in science the way of knowing of reason and sense perception may work collaboratively to give us the objective truths. Some examples are objects falling on the ground with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. However, if reason helps us to identify and distinguish between objective mathematical truths such as the sum of the angles of a triangle is 180 and subjective artistic truths such as Beethovens 9th symphony is his best, it does not mean that reason is superior to the other ways of knowing because each of the ways of knowing has its own limitations and may not necessarily g ive us the absolute truth. The way of classical inductive reasoning can lead to false claims. Consider this example, I saw a duck and it was black. I saw a second duck and it was black. I saw a third duck and it was black. I saw an Nth duck and it was black. A general statement becomes the conclusion All ducks must be black. After tens of thousands of instances of black ducks in Africa, Asia and North America I go to the UK and see a white duck, right in the middle of a lake. One false instance is enough to topple over the general conclusion I had painstakingly reached. In the wake of the development in sciences and the extensive use of reason in daily life, a question is raised Is reason the most superior way of knowing?. Reason has give rise to many scientific explanations and theories such as the formulae of mathematics and the laws of physics. In the AOK of science, the various laws of gravity in physics have been defined after reason and research. For example, if I observe that the gravity is always same when I undertake an experiment, by inductive reasoning I will assume that this will always be the case if I measure gravity on any X place in the world. The general statement becomes the conclusion The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2. But, if I were to conduct the same experiment at the North or the South pole I would find that the value of gravity is more than what I had found before, as the earth is elliptical and the poles are closer to the earths core. Also, the value of gravity would be quite different if I were to conduct the same experiment at the equatorial regions .Thus, as we can see, the reasoned assumption can sometimes lead to a paradigm shift i.e. true in specific environments so not a universal truth. Even if the experiment is conducted hundreds of times, there is always a possibility that an exception will be found and the theory would be falsified like in the case of the white duck. Thus, it is suggested that a hypothetical deductive method should be used, which is a continual interplay between deductive and inductive reasoning, mediated by testing done in the real world, whereby false hypotheses are discarded through trial and disproof. However, there is a possibility that somebody may stumble upon a case that falsifies the conclusion. The other knowledge issue raised is How far do our cultural beliefs distort our attempts to distinguish between subjective and objective theories?. For example, a recent case in India, where cultural beliefs are followed on a large extent, the idols of Lord Ganesha in temples all over the country were believed to be drinking milk from the offerings by visitors and followers. Thus, the subjective truth of all the followers was that the idol of Lord Ganesha was drinking milk. However, scientists conducted various experiments on the idols thereafter and came out with an objective explanation whereby the subjective truth of the followers was falsified. The rationalists and the scientists proved that the result was because of the surface tension and the absorption capabilities of the materials of which the idols were made .Thus, the cultural belief in India that the offerings by devotees are consumed by the god , gave rise to the subjective truth and distorted the objective truth. Also , another knowledge issue which is raised is How to do we get from our subjective beliefs to our objective truths ? . Darwins theory of evolution was based on his observations and is believed to be true especially by most of todays scientists. Darwins subjective belief in evolutionary theory was transformed into an objective truth. He proposed that all of the millions of species of organisms present today, including humans, evolved slowly over billions of years, from a common ancestor by way of natural selection  [1]  . However, certain counter-claims make us believe that the theory of evolution is false. According to the theory of natural selection birds could never evolve to fly  [2]  while this is certainly not the case. Though subjective beliefs can be and have been transformed into objective truths by repeated experimentation, it is possible that a single counter-claim could forge the conclusion and prove the theory to be wrong. The distinction between subjective and objective truths also raises the knowledge issue Is emotion an effective way of distinguishing between subjective and objective truths ? . For example, in Ethics we may use reason effectively to distinguish between the reasons why we should switch off a life-support machine on a family member and why we shouldnt, but reason may not take into account the emotional pressures we feel in the moment of flicking the switch, or emotion may even over-rule reason to some extent. The ongoing debate between subjective and objective truths also raises the knowledge issue Are there any absolutely certain objective truths independent of what we believe to be true? . This knowledge issue takes into account absolute truths. An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact  [3]  . Many religions contain absolute truths. For example, a Christian might believe Lord Jesus to be his savior. To the Christian this may be an absolute truth. While many may agree that the Christian believes absolutely that Jesus is his Lord, they are unlikely to agree that Jesus is everyones Lord is an absolute truth. Centuries of missionary work is evidence of the human sense of infallibility in this area and is shown by the movie the mission in which a Spanish jesuist travels to the south American wilderness in the hope of converting the Indians into Christians . When a persons absolute truth is extended to all other people, it can be viewed as a philosophical statement of exclusion. Those who do not endorse the absolute truth of another are either pitied or attacked  [4]  and results in war and oppression. The method of the natural sciences involves perception as part of the collection of data to prove or disprove theories about the natural world for example , the development of the big bang theory by Edwin Hubble was based on his investigation of mysterious masses of stars called Nebulae. However, the problem is that a scientists observations may be limited by the instruments they use to make their observations. However, several of these theories are considered as absolute truths today inspite of what we believe. Again, Historians might provide primary sources to represent the absolute objective truth of the horrors of Stalins reign of terror, but the problem is this: how do we know that those sources havent been tampered with if Stalins regime was capable of doctoring evidence during his rule, isnt this even more rife in an age where everyone has access to Photoshop?

Essay --

The Gothic novel, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà « can be depicted as a novel that lacks a hero. Heathcliff, the protagonist of the novel, lacks many characteristics of a traditional hero; therefore, causes him to reflect the definition of a villain in a work of literature. Wuthering Heights illustrates that a predictable hero is not presented and that Heathcliff is the antithesis of a hero in the novel. Heathcliff is characterized as a vengeful character, who becomes destroyed and corrupted due to his rejection from Catherine, his overwhelming jealousy, and his mistreatment as a child by Hindley. He is a cynical character and due to his cruel and wicked attitude that grows throughout the novel, he grows to be a villain. Wuthering Heights lacks what a reader might assume to be an established hero. The novel lacks a hero due to the protagonists' personality, actions, and use of his qualities towards specific characters. Heathcliff, who develops into a wicked character from a young age, lacks heroic attributions because he shifts roles from a young age. Heathcliff develops into a misanthrope and a "...man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself." as described by Lockwood (4). Heathcliff grows up to become isolated from the rest of the world, having obtained Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange after his true loves', Catherine's, death. Although Heathcliff portrays hero related characteristics, he does not utilize his traits in appropriate situations or in acceptable ways, which causes the story to lack a hero figure. Heathcliff does not use his traits to present the archetypal hero in the work of literature. He has been treated harshly as a child himself; however, he uses his past to fu lfill his future. Heathclif... ..., the protagonist of the novel, lacks many characteristics of a traditional hero; therefore, causes him to reflect the definition of a villain. Due to his wicked and vengeful attitude that grows throughout the novel, Heathcliff grows to be a villain. Although he was mistreated as a child, he utilizes and carries out his past to continue his future, which still caused him pain and suffering in the end. Heathcliff took advantage and sought revenge over the ones who mistreated him, which is why he can be characterized as a major villain and why the novel Wuthering Heights lacks a hero. Although Heathcliff and Catherine illustrate an endless love, the two characters take advantage of each other and cause harm to one another in numerous ways. They do not feel sympathetic towards each other because they both state how they have killed each other emotionally and mentally.

Critically Analyse How Your Contribution to Your Ipe Team Impacted on the Functioning and Ultimate Output of This Team

This essay will demonstrate to the reader how my personal contribution to the inter professional education (IPE) team impacted towards the purpose and output of team working throughout this module. The essay will aim to draw upon several theories in order to support the research gathered on different ways of effective team working methods. In addition to this, team working roles will be discussed and will include the contribution I made as an individual. Furthermore, the essay will draw upon how this experience will affect how the student approach’s team working within the healthcare setting. The IPE team consisted of five individuals, all from different professional disciplines: two radiographers, a paramedic, a physiotherapist and myself a paediatric nurse. A productive team is essential for the success of any task and for this to take place the team needs to develop over several stages prior to the productive stage (Wong, 2007). The model constructed by Tuckman and Jenson (1977) involves four stages; forming, storming, norming and performing. Looking at the four stages, not all teams go through all the above stages and not all teams go through the stages in the same way. However, a successful team is one who can adapt through the different stages as and when required (Borrill, 2002). Our team fluctuated many times through these different stages, however, this can be seen as a characteristic of a successful team (Avery, 2004). Looking at the theoretical behaviours of the team throughout the different stages, the team had reached the performing stage, meaning the team were producing outstanding results. This involved the members of the team working together to undertake the task at hand. During week two of the module, the team met and each team member introduced themselves. Moreover, the group took time to inform each other about their roles within their different healthcare professions. At this stage, all members of the group were rather quiet and from the onset there was no leader that I could identify. This was because we were in the ‘forming’ stage of group development (Tuckman & Jenson, 1977). As the team had never met prior to this stage, the forming stage was possibly the most important. Our first task to be carried out as a team was to create and present a presentation on the topic of new ways of working. As a team we identified our own individual strengths and weaknesses and also took this time to get to know one another better. We discussed the role of appointing a team leader, however at this stage no one wanted to take up this responsibility. By not assigning a leader at this point, can be seen as a disadvantage as this meant there was no specific person delegating the work between the members of the team (Fisher, 2000). Therefore, we agreed to work together and decided to distribute the work evenly between us. By doing this, it can be said that we were a consolidating team as each of us knew what work had to be done for the following meeting (Woodcock, 1979). Each member kept to their designated tasks and completed it well however exact roles within the group were not noticeable. As time was a huge factor, I felt the team pulled together very well, producing and delivering a successful presentation. Having delivered the formative presentation, at the end of week two, each team was given the remit for the summative presentation. As a group we came to the decision that we would meet before members went out to practice placements. In the first meeting where the summative presentation was discussed, as a group we decided the initial research for the topic should be split equally between us. As we recovered an excellent result whilst doing the formative presentation, we felt this method worked for us. We then agreed that the next meeting should consist of sharing the different information each group member had obtained. This would then enable us to decide what our presentation would be based on and hence what information should be provided in the presentation to acknowledge the audience about our service. The ‘storming’ and ‘norming’ stages of Tuckman and Jenson’s (1977) model took place in the following meetings. At this point I felt there were more evident roles within the team although it was clear each team member had their own individual strengths. According to Belbin’s (2001) team roles, I felt within the team we had a co-ordinator, implementer, plant, team worker and a specialist. As a team we were able to share ideas and work together to help each other out. The roles within the team changed overtime nd it could be seen some members of the group undertook more than one role. The group shared their ideas with each other in order to come up with a reasonable service to provide for the public. However, the team faced obstacles as the initial service did not meet the aims and objectives set out. To overcome this, we conversed as a team and did not let this fall back put our spirits down. Thinking of a service to involve all of our different professional disciplines was hard for the team as it had to focus upon paediatrics, as my course is directed at paediatric nursing. Some members of the team found it hard to grasp the concept of the service being aimed at paediatrics only, as their individual professions include treating adults as well as children. At this stage I found myself taking on a slight leadership role as my profession involves taking care of children and ensuring their needs are met. According to Belbin’s (2001) team roles, I felt my role in the team was a co-ordinator as well as a plant. At the end of meetings I found myself delegating small tasks to each individual so that research gathered could then be brought together in order to begin to build a foundation for our presentation. Another member of the group also took this role and we found working together produced efficient and faster results. As time progressed, members of the team began to notice a couple of the group members were struggling with research and were not pulling their weight as much as the rest of the team. During our meetings, it could be seen that these members of the group, took on a specialist role within the group (Belbin, 2001). Even though they provided some knowledge and skills to the group, this was seen to be on a rare basis and contribution to the task was minimal (Belbin, 2001). Personally I was disappointed as time was a factor and certain areas of research were not being carried out. A team leader can be defined as one who can persuade people to agree with their way of working through a non coercive manner (Marquis & Huston, 2009). On the other hand, any one can be a leader, and each can have their own different behavioural style (Cartwright, 1951). Looking at this, any of the team members could have spoken to the remaining group members regarding their lack of input towards the presentation. Analysing the situation, shows that I took more of a Laissez-faire type of leadership style as I never confronted the group members who did not contribute as much as others (Cartwright, 1951). As the deadline approached, the team members carried out the remainder of the research in order to finalise the presentation. My role had now become a completer/ finisher as well as still aiming to co-ordinate the team and be a team worker. This meant along with helping others, I also had the task of ensuring all the work was completed to a high standard. With the help from other team members, I was able to ensure all outcomes had been achieved, ready to deliver the final presentation. Fortunately we moved into the performing stage fairly quickly which aided making up for time lost during the extended storming phase. The team worked very well together and rarely needed my input as a co-ordinator. Members were working harmoniously in order to complete the task and therefore, my main role at this stage was to facilitate the process and complete my aspect of the task. As stated above, taking the role as completer, I made sure everything was done to the best of the team’s ability. Mini deadlines were set to keep the team working at a comfortable pace, ensuring all team members could discuss their progress with one another. The other two members of the team as well as my self, who shared the role as co-ordinators, set a deadline before the presentation was to be delivered in order to give us enough time to correct any problems. This gave the group enough time to rehearse the presentation and ensure that the work produced was to the best of our ability. The latest vision for the improvement of healthcare states a greater level of communication between healthcare professionals is vital (UK Department of Health, 2008). Going through the process of working with other healthcare professionals was a simulation of what working inter-professionally in the real world would be like. The conflicts that were come across, especially those that arose from members having different healthcare backgrounds and therefore making time an issue, gave a true picture of how difficult this new vision will be to achieve. However, it also taught us how these problems can be overcome and how having an understanding and appreciation of other healthcare professional’s responsibilities is crucial for integrated patient care. Simple things, for example, re-iterating common goals made the team’s performance more focussed. On the whole, the process and concept of inter-professional learning to achieve a successful outcome was a very valuable task in preparing us to work as a team in the healthcare environment and is now crucial to achieve the best possible patient care available.

Recruiting, Selection, and Training Essay

The company that I researched is WellPoint (aka Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield). I would love to have a position as a Human Resource Director within the company. As a Human Resources professional at WellPoint, the goal is to lead their workforce and workplace talent strategies into achieving the purpose statement to convert health care with trusted and caring solutions. WellPoint also develop programs that attract individuals with vision and talent to be the future of their industry. Human Resources professionals at WellPoint concentrate on key areas such as talent management, engagement, and Integration to maximize customer focus and efficiency. Analyze the effectiveness of the company’s recruiting efforts and make recommendations for improvement. The HR professionals have a hard time getting qualified applicants to apply for certain positions. So the first challenge is getting enough people to apply to a particular job. In doing so they are able to prepare not to consider t hose who they deem unfit for the position. It takes a lot of effort to select the applicants that truly qualify for the job. All organizations have to begin with advertising for the position. Other resources used for employment are employee referral, employment agencies, school recruiters, walk-ins, and the internet. To work in human resources, a person must go through an industrial/psychology analysis. WellPoint human resource departments have their own job analysis and all human resource employees must help mangers anticipate and meet changing needs related to gaining deployment, and the utilization of employees. The human resource professionals must estimate the amount and type of employees the organization needs, to keep the business running successfully. Therefore they must hire someone who is qualified to conduct all the important roles as a human resource manager. Human resource departments use multiple aptitude tests to screen potential employees. These tests also determine pay  rates based on these tests. This is due to the quality of demand for a human resource manager. The selection process takes a lot of practice and involves assessing and choosing the right candidates. All selection processes must be legal, technically sound, and must accurately match the people and skills needed f or the position. Analyze the selection process of the company you researched and make recommendations for improvement. The majority of I/O psychologists believe that personality tests are important tools for choosing the right employees. WellPoint and several other big corporations use these tests to measure dimensions of personality and related characteristics. These testing methods are used to foresee insubordinate behaviors, and remove individuals that may cause trouble or hindrance to the organization. WellPoint Corporation has been dedicating numerous amounts of energy into areas such as communication, recognition, and employee retention. They understand that branding the employees doesn’t mean anything if the experience of the individuals does not match. Instead they want to establish higher profits, increased sales, lower turnover, and outstanding customer service to their members. Part of WellPoint’s pre-employment testing includes personality testing and mathematical skills. These tests are based on the individual. Some of these particular measures may be referred to as tempera ments, dispositions, or traits. Also measured in that category are employee reliability, thoroughness, change, trustworthiness, and friendliness. Various personality measures are focused on characterizing people within the standard adult range of functionality while others focus on the identification of psychopathology (Schmidt, Shaffer 2010-2011). The reasons individuals are given a basic math assessment are to measure the accountability for their employees to figure out co-pays and co-insurance amounts are calculated correctly to the claim. WellPoint has spent countless time and money in mastering the art of employee selection, training, and retention. WellPoint has a website for interested candidates to apply for careers within their organization, both online and the corporate offices. During the selection process, candidates are asked to take a variety of assessments that analyze areas ranging from characteristics, skill sets, and basic reading and writing tests. Once a candidate has been selected and has accepted a job offer, there are several types of training encountered within the company. Determine how training and talent management contribute to an  effective labor force of the company you researched. Training is a planned learning experience and it effectively prepares workers for their current and future jobs. Training for human resource managers focuses on the present job industry while development training prepares them for the future growth. Training enhances knowledge and job skills. Methods used to measure the success of the training are performance appraisals. This measures the adequacy of the human resource managers. After their performances are measured their results are discussed with them, and any changes that may need to be made in the training process can be easily detected. These pre-employment tests are used largely in Human Resource and customer service environments for middle paying entry level jobs. Testing is designed to predict proneness for theft and other forms of counterproductive work behavior in job applicants. The organization now proposes quarterly training for employees, and is on the path to training over thousands of new people due to health care reform (wellpoint.com) The whole program is centered on listening to customers, and it recognizes employees who go the extra mile in the name of customer service. Often the new hire will experience on-the-job training, during which he or she will be shown the necessary steps in their assigned tasks. For instance, if a person is assigned to the team and asked to process claims, he or she will be shown how to properly process the claim by the trainer. Other tasks that the new hire will be expected to perform, such as enrolling dependents or ordering ID cards. This training is done in a class room setting environment. Safety courses and other employee training courses are offered periodically. Some of these courses are offered online, while others are done in training sessions within the building. WellPoint corporate employees evaluate the efficiency of nearly every aspect of the training and implementation of new employees. Additional measures are also put in place when a policy or product has changed or a new one has been introduced. The department of Quality Assurance oversees this for their assigned regions. WellPoint takes great care in ensuring that their policies are proficient and products are the best quality. That is why there are several departments in place to oversee these important aspects of the corporations. They include Quality Assurance, Product Development, Legal, Human Resources and Information Services. Another way that WellPoint seeks to improve their employee job satisfaction is career training. A large  majority of WellPoint corporate staff started with the company and took advantage of the leadership training to climb the corporate ladder within the organization. WellPoint takes pride in the training program that the company offers, and this training is held worldwide. They are among many companies who has been certified to grant college credit hours to employees in the training programs. Human Resource managers must be treated ethically like their employees; however there are some cases where they are treated unethically. Human resource managers may face problems involving their employees, promotions, pay, and favoritism. Human resource managers must be very observant of all employees to ensure everyone is treated fairly. It is important that those who qualify for human resource management are the ones hired, not those who look, act, or dress in a certain manner. According to the EEOC, (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), â€Å"Employers are not prohibited from using personality or integrity tests in the workplace. However, the statute is implicated when: (1) an employer uses tests to intentionally discriminate against minorities or (2) the tests have an adverse impact on minorities and are not job-related for the position in question and c onsistent with business necessity. No cases have found that an employer’s use of personality testing in the workplace resulted in the unequal treatment of protected groups. However, there could be such a cause of action if the tests were used intentionally to exclude members of protected groups. This would usually involve evidence of comparative proof that members of a protected group were treated differently than majority group members. For example, it would obviously be illegal for an employer to test minority applicants, but not majority applicants†. As long as these tests are given in a professional manner, it is not against the law to do such to find out if the individual is the best fit for the job. Employee selection and training will continue to be two of the most important aspects for growing and supporting the workforce for companies in the future. Psychological assessments, such as the ones described in this paper, is one of the many ways that companies can attempt to get the highest quality people and not select people who do not want to be there. While there is speculation of the dependability of using these assessment tools for employee selection and training, the evidence shows that it can be helpful in focusing the time and money into particular areas or people to improve  productivity within the company. WellPoint also uses verbal reasoning, numeracy, spatial awareness battery test. They consist of a number of questions with multiple choice answers, only one of which is right. As a test progresses, the questions may become more difficult, and there are frequently more questions than can comfortably be completed in the time. These tests are designed so that very few people finish the test in the time allowed. The participant’s score is then compared with how other people have done on the test in the past. This enables the selectors to assess reasoning skills in relation to others, and to make judgments about ability to cope with tasks involved in the job. On the flip side, personality inventories are used in order to determine one’s typical reactions and attitudes to a variety of situations. They could be trying to identify how well an individual can get on with others or their normal reaction to stressful situations, or simply their feelings about the kind of people they like to work with (Spector, 2008). Perhaps the biggest challenge related to the use of assessment tools is determining when to use the information obtained to remove an applicant from consideration. References The WellPoint Employee (2008). Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.wellpoint.com Schmidt, R & Shaffer, D. (2010-2011). Personality Testing in Employment. Retrieved November 12, 2013 from http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Dec/22/130153.html. Spector, P. E. (2008). Industrial and Organizational Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011) Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964: Employment. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm Holley, W. H., Jr., Jennings, K. M., Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2012). Employment Labor & Relations. (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time Essay

Despite their massive appearance, the largest whales (and also the largest predators) have shorter dive time compared to other smaller fishes. Our hypothesis is that ‘lunge-feeding’ (the whales’ feeding behavior), is energetically expensive resulting to inability to dive at lower depths and at longer time intervals. This study is aimed at determining how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dives by examining how lunge-feeding affects their behavior and dive duration. Methods In order to determine how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dive times compared to other fishes, we have to study how its lunge-feeding behavior affects whales’ overall behavior and their dive time limit. In gathering data, we used remote sensing techniques. In this experiment, we used the TDR â€Å"time/depth recorders† technique since it is the most applicable method considering that the subjects were not in a controlled environment. The TDRs actually recorded the oxygen level of each tagged whale. After some time, the TDRs were collected and the results were analyzed through specialized software that translates the data from the TDRs. Results showed that the whales move faster when at the ascent (or climbing) portion of the dive while it showed that whales move significantly slower during descent. Recovery time spent at the surface was also viewed as an important factor in determining the effect of lunge-feeding. Our tests showed that there is a correlation between the number of lunges and the time spent recovering at the surface. Finally, using optimality models, we were able to compare the results of the actual study to the predicted outcome. The result was a common cost for lunge dives which indicated the high energy cost during lunge dives resulting to shorter dive duration. Results and Discussion Results of this experiment showed that there is a relationship between the number of lunges and the surface recovery intervals. The TDR analysis showed that whales move faster during ascent and move significantly slower when at descent. This indicated that lunge-feeding is energetically expensive. We were able to measure the high energy cost of lunge-feeding using the remote sensing technique. Whales usually recover at the surface after each dive and the length of stay at the surface is relative to the number of lunges it makes during the dive. The more lunges the whales make during feeding, the more time it spent at the surface for recovery. The optimality models showed the relative differences between the lunging-costly model versus the no-cost model. In the lunging-costly model, observed forage depths, vertical speed, number of lunges, time spent recovering at the surface, are some of the variables that were examined to provide an outright solution. Conclusion Based on the results of this experiment, it has been found out that lunge-feeding in large whales is an energetically expensive activity. Using the TDR technique to record the energy cost of lunge, we were able to deduce that the more lunges a whale makes, the more time it spends recovering at the surface, usually regaining oxygen levels. Therefore, the high energy requirements of lunge-feeding limit the dive time and depth of dive in large whales. Reference: Acevedo-Gutierrez, A. , Croll, D. A. , and Tershy, B. R. (2002). â€Å"High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time in the Largest Whales†. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 205, 1747-1753.