Sustainable urban develpment Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 17500 words

Sustainable urban develpment - Thesis Example The invisible impacts are more deep rooted, though they are difficult to see and assess. These invisible impacts include changes in the quality of life, changing social structures and genetic changes. There are also several possible impacts of urban development, namely, increase in employment opportunities, cost-effective and efficient supply of basic amenities like water, electricity, gas etc., availability of medical and educational facilities, and promotion of safe and environmental friendly public transport system. The implementation sites are therefore required to be sustainable or assessed so as to evaluate the associated costs and benefits to the region and to the life of the people. For this, various environmental impact assessment is carried out. There are several methods for carrying out the environmental impact assessment like the checklist method, the matrix method, the network method, the overlay method and the battelle method. While all the methods have their applicability, Battelle method is found to be more holistic as it takes into account a large number of parameters related to the physical environment and human habitats and also assigns weights based on relative importance of the factors at the given site. The current study uses the Battelle method to evaluate a large implementation site at Hayeel. This implementation site, which is a mixed-use project, covers an area of 3,000,000 meter squares. The results of the Environmental Impact analysis show a negative EIU (Environmental Impact Unit) of -503.9 which means the development will affect the sustainability of the site. The research concludes with making several recommendations that can help in mitigating the detrimental impacts of the implementation site. (I suggest you add some more specific recommendations based on your actual

Human rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Human rights - Essay Example Human rights history got its shape through major world events and more especially the struggle for freedom, dignity, and equality globally. The establishment of the United Nations in 1945, contributed to the formal and universal recognition of human rights. It reaffirmed the faith of people taking part of it in dealing with human rights (Donnelly, 9). One of the major achievements of the human rights was the formation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that still has a heavy impact on people’s lives worldwide. Human rights are constantly evolving and their standards change according to the needs and interests of human beings. An individual requires not buying, receive, or inherit their right. This is because they belong to human beings and are applicable to all people at all times and are the birthrights of all humans thus making them universal. Human beings need them to live a good life without undermining them live a dignified life. Terrorism is a major factor that contributes to people not enjoying their right to life. In addition, terrorism destabilizes the governments; therefore, undermining civil society, jeopardizes peace and security, and threatens the economic and social development of a country. Moreover, the security of an individual, which is a basic human right, is at risk. Therefore, states have a duty and obligation to ensure that they are taking positive measures to ensure that their nationals get protection against the threats of terrorists and bringing the perpetrators to justice. Corruption is rampant worldwide and the people who commit are either people who work in the private or public sector. The existence of corruption shows the failure of the state towards human rights obligation. Corruption affects the nature of equality and human dignity. Human beings have a right to live in a

Sequence Alignment and Dynamic Programming

Sequence Alignment and Dynamic Programming Introduction Sequence alignment Sequence alignment is a standard method to compare two or more sequences by looking for a series of individual characters or character patterns that are in the same order in the sequences [1]. Also, it is a way of arranging two or more sequences of characters to recognize regions of similarity [2]. Importance of sequence alignment Sequence alignment is significant because in bimolecular sequences (DNA, RNA, or protein), high sequence similarity usually implies important functional or structural similarity that is the first step of many biological analysis [3]. Besides, sequence alignment can address significant questions such as detecting gene sequences that cause disease or susceptibility to disease, identifying changes in gene sequences that cause evolution, finding the relationship between various gene sequences that can indicate the common ancestry [4], detecting functionally important sites, and demonstrating mutation events [5]. Analysis of the alignment can reveal important information. It is possible to identify the parts of the sequences that are likely to be important for the function, if the proteins are involved in similar processes .The random mutations can accumulate more easily in parts of the sequence of a protein which are not very essential for its function. In the parts of the sequence that are essential for the function hardly any mutations will be accepted because approximately all changes in such regions will destroy the function [6]. Moreover, Sequence alignment is important for assigning function to unknown proteins [7]. Protein alignment of two residues implies that those residues perform similar roles in the two different proteins [8]. Methods The main purpose of sequence alignments methods is finding maximum degree of similarities and minimum evolutionary distance. Generally, computational approaches to solve sequence alignment problems can be divided into two categories: global alignments and local alignments. Global alignments traverse the entire length of all query sequences, and match as many characters as possible from end to end. These alignment methods are most useful when the sequences have approximately the same size or they are similar. The alignment is performed from beginning of the sequence to end of the sequences to find out the best possible alignment. On the other hand, Local alignments find the local regions with high level of similarity. They are more useful for sequences that are suspected to contain regions of similarity within their larger sequence context. [9] Besides, pairwise sequence alignment is used to find the regions of similarity between two sequences. As the number of sequences increases, comparing each and every sequence to every other may be impossible. So, we need multiple sequence alignment, where all similar sequences can be compared in one single figure or table. The basic idea is that the sequences are aligned on top of each other, so that a coordinate system is set up, where each row is the sequence for one protein, and each column is the same position in each sequence. [10] There are many different approaches and implementations of the methods to perform sequence alignment. These include techniques such as dynamic programming , heuristic algorithms (BLAST and FASTA similarity searching), probabilistic methods, dot-matrix methods, progressive methods, ClustalW , MUSCLE , T-Coffee , and DIALIGN. Dynamic programming Dynamic programming (DP) is a problem solving method for a class of problems that can be solved by dividing them down into simpler sub-problems. It finds the alignment by giving some scores for matches and mismatches (Scoring matrices).This method is widely used in sequence alignments problems. [11] However, when the number of the sequences is more than two, multiple dimensional Dynamic programming in infeasible because of the large storage and computational complexities.[16] Dynamic programming algorithms use gap penalties to increase the biological meaning [9]. There are different gap penalties such as linear gap, constant gap, gap open and gap extension. The gap score is a penalty given to alignment when there is insertion or deletion. There may be a case where there are continuous gaps all along the sequence during the evolution, so the linear gap penalty would not be suitable for the alignment. Therefore, gap opening penalty and gap extension penalty has been introduced when there are continuous gaps. The gap opening penalty is applied at the start of the gap, and then the other gap following it is given with a gap extension penalty which will be less compared to the open penalty. Different gap penalty functions require different dynamic programming algorithms [12]. Also; there is a substitution matrix to score alignments. The mainly used predefined scoring matrices for sequence alignment are PAM (Point Accepted Mutation) and BLOSUM (Blocks Substitut ion Matrix). The two algorithms, Smith-Waterman for local alignment and Needleman-Wunsch for global alignment, are based on dynamic programming. Needleman-Wunsch algorithm requires alignment score for a pair of residues to be equal or more than zero. No gap penalty is required, and score cannot decrease between two cells of pathway. Smith-Waterman requires a gap penalty to work efficiently. Residue alignment score may be positive or negative .Score can increase, decrease, or stay level between two cells of pathway [13]. Sequence Alignment Problems For an n-character sequence s, and an m-character sequence t , we construct an (n+1)Ãâ€"(m+1)matrix . Global alignment: F ( i, j ) = score of the best alignment of s[1i ] with t[1j] Local alignment: F ( i, j ) = score of the best alignment of a suffix of s[1i ] and a suffix of t[1j] There are three steps in the sequence alignments algorithms: Initialization In the initialization phase, we assign values for the first row and column of the alignment matrix .The next step of the algorithm depends on this. Fill In the fill stage, the entire matrix is filled with scores from top to bottom, left to right with appropriate values that depend on the gap penalties and scoring matrix. Trace back For each F ( i, j ), save pointers to cell that resulted in best score . For global alignment, we trace pointers back from F (m, n) to F(0, 0) to recover sequence alignments . For local alignment, we are looking for the maximum value of the F (i, j) that can be anywhere in the matrix. We trace pointers back from F (i, j) and stop when we get to a cell with value 0. Local alignment with scoring matrix After creating and initializing the alignment matrix ( F ) and trace back matrix, the score of F (i, j) for every cell is calculated as follows: For i = 1 to n+1 For j = 1 to m+1 left_score= F[i][ j-1] gap, diagonal_score=F[i-1[ j-1] + PAM250(s[i], t[j]), up_score= F[i-1][ j] gap scores=max[ 0, left_score, diagonal_score, up_score] Also, we should keep the reference to each cell to perform backtracking. traceback_matrix[i][j]= scores.index(F[i][j]) After filling the F matrix, we find the optimal alignment score and the optimal end points by finding the highest scoring cell, maxi,jF(i , j) . best_score has a default value equals to -1 . if F [i][j] > best_score: best_score= F [i][j] i_maximum_score, j_maximum_score = i, j To recover the optimal alignment, we trace back from i_maximum_score, j_maximum_score position , terminating the trace back when we reach a cell with score 0 . The time and space complexity of this algorithm is O(mn) which m is the length of sequence s , and n is the length of sequence t. Local alignment with affine gap penalty For this problem, there are gap opening penalty and gap extension penalty. The gap opening penalty is applied at the start of the gap, and then the other gap following it is given with a gap extension penalty. Initialization: There are Four different matrices: up_score , left_score ,m_score , trace_back Filling matrix: For i = 1 to n+1: up_score[i][0] = -gap_opening_penalty-(i-1)*gap_extension_penalty For j = 1 to m+1: left_score[0][j] = -gap_opening_penalty-(j-1)*gap_extension_penalty For i = 1 to n+1: For j = 1 to m+1: up_score [i][j] = max( [up_score [i][j-1] gap_extension_penalty, m_score[i][j-1] gap_opening_penalty] ) Left_score[i][j] = max( [left_score[i-1][j] gap_extension_penalty, m_score[i-1][j] gap_opening_penalty] ) m_score[i][j] = BLOSUM62 (s[i], t[j])) +max( m_score [i-1][j-1], left_score [i-1][j-1], up_score [i-1][j-1] ) scores = [left_score[i-1][j-1], m_score[i-1][j-1] ,up_score[i-1][j-1], 0] We find the highest scoring cell, the position of that cell,and the best alignment by following the same steps as we accomplished in the previous problem. The time and space complexity of this algorithm is O(mn). Global alignment with constant gap penalty In this case every gap receives a fixed score, regardless of the gap length For i = 1 to m+1: alignment_matrix[i][0] = -gap_penalty For i = 1 to n+1: alignment_matrix[0][j] = -gap_penalty For i = 1 to n+1: For j = 1 to m+1: scores = [alignment_matrix[i][j-1] gap_penalty,alignment_matrix[i-1][j] gap_penalty, alignment_matrix[i-1][j-1] + BLOSUM62 (s[i], t[j]),) alignment_matrix[i][j] = max(scores) alignment_matrix[m][n] holds the optimal alignment score. The time and space complexity of this algorithm is O(mn) which m is the length of sequence s , and n is the length of sequence t. Global alignment with scoring matrix In this problem there is a linear gap that each inserted or deleted symbol is charged g; as a result, if the length of the gap L; the total gap penalty would be the product of the two gL. For i = 1 to m+1: alignment_matrix[i][0] = -i*gap_penalty For i = 1 to n+1: alignment_matrix[0][j] = -j*gap_penalty scores = [alignment_matrix[i][j-1] gap_penalty,alignment_matrix[i-1][j] gap_penalty, alignment_matrix[i-1][j-1] + BLOSUM62 (s[i], t[j]),) alignment_matrix[i][j] = max(scores) alignment_matrix[m][n] holds the optimal alignment score. The time and space complexity of this algorithm is O(mn) which m is the length of sequence s , and n is the length of sequence t. Global alignment with scoring matrix and affine gap penalty There are Four different matrices: up_score , left_score ,m_score , trace_back Filling matrix: For i = 1 to n+1: up_score[i][0] = -gap_opening_penalty-(i-1)*gap_extension_penalty For j = 1 to m+1: left_score[0][j] = -gap_opening_penalty-(j-1)*gap_extension_penalty For i = 1 to n+1: For j = 1 to m+1: up_score [i][j] = max( [up_score [i][j-1] gap_extension_penalty, m_score[i][j-1] gap_opening_penalty] ) Left_score[i][j] = max( [left_score[i-1][j] gap_extension_penalty, m_score[i-1][j] gap_opening_penalty] ) m_score[i][j] = BLOSUM62 (s[i], t[j])) +max( m_score [i-1][j-1], left_score [i-1][j-1], up_score [i-1][j-1] ) maximum_alignment_score = max(m_score[m][n], left_score[m][n], up_score[m][n]) The time and space complexity of this algorithm is O(mn) which m is the length of sequence s , and n is the length of sequence t. The above algorithms require too much time for searching large databases so we cannot use these algorithms. There are several methods to overcome this problem. Heuristic Method It is an algorithm that gives only approximate solution to a problem. Sometimes we are not able to formally prove that this solution actually solves the problem, but since heuristic methods are much faster than exact algorithms, they are commonly used . FASTA is a heuristic method for sequence alignment .The main idea of this method is choosing regions of the two sequences that have some degree of similarity, and using dynamic programming to compute local alignment in these regions. The disadvantage of using these methods is losing significant amount of sensitivity. Parallelization is a possible solution for solving this problem.[14] Parallel Algorithm In this paper [ 15 ] a parallel method is introduced to reduce the complexity of the dynamic programming algorithm for pairwise sequence alignment. The time consumption of sequential algorithm mainly depends on the computation of the score matrix .For calculating the score of each cell, the computation of F(i,j) can be started only when F(i-1,j-1), F(i-1,j) and F(i,j-1) acquire their values. Consequently, it is possible to conduct the computation of score matrix sequentially in order of anti-diagonals .So, the values in the same anti-diagonal can be calculated simultaneously. ( Figure 1 ) Figure1 .Computing score matrix in parallel manner .The values of the cells marked by à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   can be computed simultaneously. There are two models for problem solving using parallel method that improve the performance of the pairwise alignment algorithm. Pipeline model: Each row of the score matrix is computed successively by a processor, which blocks itself until the required values in the above row are computed. Anti-diagonal model: From the left-top corner to the right-bottom corner of score matrix, all processors compute concurrently along an anti-diagonal of the matrix. Each idle processor selects a cell from the current anti-diagonal and computes its value. When all values in current anti-diagonal are computed, the computation moves on to next anti-diagonal. In the algorithm that is based on the pipeline model, the score matrix is partitioned into several blocks by column and several bands by row. All the bands distributed to multiple processors, and each processor computes the block in its own band simultaneously. By applying parallel algorithm, The time complexity is O(n) when n processor is used. [15] Progressive Method For solving multiple sequence alignment problems, the most common algorithm used is progressive method. This algorithm consists of three main stapes. First, comparing all the sequences with each other, and producing similarity scores ( distance matrix) . This stage is parallelized. The second stapes groups the most similar sequences together using the similarity scores and a clustering method such as Neighbor-Joining to create a guide tree. Finally, the third stage sequentially aligns the most similar sequences and groups of sequences until all the sequences are aligned. Before alignment with a pairwise dynamic programming algorithm, groups of aligned sequences are converted into profiles. A profile represents the character frequencies for each column in an alignment. In the final stage, for aligning groups of sequences, trace back information from full pairwise alignment is required.[ 17 ] ClustalW This algorithm that has become the most popular for multiple sequence alignment implements progressive method. The time complexity of this method is O (N 4 + L 2) and the space complexity is O (N2 + L 2). [18] Conclusion By comparing the different methods to implement pairwise sequence alignment and multiple sequence alignment , we can conclude that using parallel algorithms that implement pipeline model or anti-diagonal model are effective algorithm for performing pairwise sequence alignments. The algorithms that implement progressive method such as ClustalW are effective algorithm for solving multiple sequence alignments problems. References Robert F. Murphy, Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University www.cmu.edu/bio//LecturesPart03.ppt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_alignment Dan Gusfield, Algorithms on Strings, Trees and Sequences: Computer Science and Computational Biology (Cambridge University Press, 1997). http://cs.calvin.edu/activities/blasted/intro03.html http://www.embl.de/~seqanal/courses/commonCourseContent/commonMsaExercises.html Per Kraulis , Stockholm Bioinformatics Center, SBC ,http://www.avatar.se/molbioinfo2001/seqali-why.html http://iitb.vlab.co.in/?sub=41brch=118sim=656cnt=1 Andreas D. Baxevanis, B. F. Francis Ouellett ,Bioinformatics: A Practical Guide to the Analysis of Genes and Proteins http://amrita.vlab.co.in/?sub=3brch=274sim=1433cnt=1 David S.Moss, Sibila Jelaska, Sandor Pongor, Essays in Bioinformatics, ISB 1-58603-539-8 http://amrita.vlab.co.in/?sub=3brch=274sim=1431cnt=1 Burr Settles, Sequence Alignment, IBS Summer Research Program 2008, http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~bsettles/ibs08/lectures/02-alignment.pdf Aoife McLysaght, Biological Sequence Comparision/Database Homology Searching, The University of Dublin, http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~lily/pres2/sld001.htm Rapid alignment methods FASTA and BLAST http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/bioinformatiikka/mbi/courses/07-08/itb/slides/itb0708_slides_83-116.pdf Yang Chen, Songnian Yu, Ming Ling, Parallel Sequence Alignment Algorithm For Clustering System, School of Computer Enginnering and science, Shanghai University Heitor S. Lope, Carlos R ,Erig Lima , Guilherme L. Morit , A Parallel Algorithm for Large-Scale Multiple Sequence Alignment , Bioinformatics Laboratory/CPGE Federal University of Technology – Paran ÃÅ'  Scott Lloyd, Quinn O Snel , Accelerated large-scale multiple sequence alignment Kridsadakorn Chaichoompu, Surin Kittitornkun, and Sissades Tongsima ,MT-ClustalW: Multithreading Multiple Sequence Alignment

Kasimir Malevich :: Russian Painter Designer Artists Essays

Kasimir Malevich Kasimir Malevich, a Russian painter and designer, was born near Kiev on February 26, 1878 (Guggeheimcollection.org) and was â€Å"one of six children from Russified Poles† (Articons.co.uk). While living in Ukraine, he became absorbed into art during his teens, â€Å"largely teaching himself† the basics (Articons.co.uk). After saving his money â€Å"from his job as a railroad clerk† (Articons.co.uk), Malevich enrolled in the Moscow Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 1903 and began to study art more seriously. Later he trained at Kiev School of Art and Moscow Academy of Fine Arts and â€Å"produced portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes† in his early stages of his career (Artstudio.com). By 1907 Malevich â€Å"took part in the Moscow Artists' Society's twice yearly exhibition along with such artists as David Burliuk, Aleksander Shevchenko and Natalia Goncharova† (Articons.co.uk). â€Å"He began working in an unexceptional Post-Impressionist manner, but by 1912 he was painting peasant subjects in a massive `tubular' style similar to that of Leger as well as pictures combining the fragmentation of form of Cubism with the multiplication of the image of Futurism† (ibiblio.org). In these initial years of study, art was not the only interest in Malevich’s repertoire. â€Å"In 1913, with composer Mikhail Matiushin and writer Alexei Kruchenykh, Malevich drafted a manifesto for the First Futurist Congress† (Guggenheimcollection.org) and began taking a â€Å"more philosophical and theoretical approach to art† (Articons.com). Also in that year, the artist â€Å"designed the sets and costumes for the opera Victory over the Sun† for these friends which was showed at the Salon des Independants in Paris in 1914. Kruchenykh and others introduced Malevich to the â€Å" the notion of ‘zaum’† in 1913, which was a â€Å"state where experience occurs beyond the naturally perceived world† (Articons.com). â€Å"This concept and his work for the Cubo-Futurist opera Victory Over The Sun (1913) propelled Malevich into the style of Suprematism† (Articons.com). It was at this time he began â€Å"creating geometric patterns in style he called Suprematism† (ibiblio.org). Although Malevich claimed to have created a picture â€Å"consisting of nothing more than a black square on a white field,† (ibiblio.

Does Crime Pay

Does crime pay? This is one of the most debated questions that has hit our shores in recent year. Ever since the introduction of basic human rights and many successful rallies against prisoner abuse, prisons have and are becoming increasingly pleasant places to lived. In this essay I aim to cover both sides of the story and give advice to the government on what is the next step. During my recent research I have found that roughly the average price to put one prisoner into prison cost ? 95,000 for one year. I also learnt that in prison you get an average wage of ? 9. 0 based on a 32 hour working week, and most surprisingly that prisoners get some fine food like Indian curries and Italian pastas. If we put this in contrast to the daily diet of a homeless person, who can go days without food and water, these people our victims of crime and yet our government still spends almost ? 100,000 on the people who victimise these helpless people in prisons. A logical and short term thinking home less person would be silly not to commit crime – a working wage, food, a bed and toilet facilities and showers provided and the option to complete a degree are just some of the perks.So crime does indeed pay on this level. Job seekers allowance now stands at ? 67. 50 for a single person, however these people need an address to receive this, the average price of a loaf of bread is approximately ? 1 and a pint of milk is now ? 0. 40, this shows that it is nearly impossible to survive from day to day as they are not eligible to apply for jobseekers allowance and therefore are depending on busking or begging money. For many homeless people, they have been forced to make crime pay, but there is a problem†¦

Government Intervention in the Housing Market and Is It Ethical?

Government Intervention in the Housing Market and is it Ethical? Intermediate Microeconomics Two schools of thought encompass the intervention of government into the national economy. On the one hand there are those who believe that state intervention is not only beneficial but also essential for the creation of a stable economy. However, there too are those who contend that government intervention sub-optimises the economy and the free market should be left to its own devices. The current state of the domestic housing market helps to build a foundation for those who advocate for greater government intervention in the economy.Owning your own home is for many a life-long goal; government intervention has the ability to bring this dream to fruition for those in lower socioeconomic circumstances. A combination of taxation, subsidised mortgage rates and government incentive schemes are the most commonly used tools of intervention into the housing market that are available to intervention ist national governments. Opponents of this theory believe that letting the free market regulate the housing sector is the fairest and most effective means of reducing or eliminating government intervention all together.There are, however, ethical issues intertwined with government intervention within the housing market and these issues must be weighed up against the economic and social benefits. Without regulation many would find homeownership to be unaffordable and unattainable. Microeconomic theory states that lower rates of owner-occupied homeownership would affect the supply and demand for housing within the residential market. Therefore forcing the price of rentable property well above what many lower socioeconomic families are able to afford.This subsequently has a flow-on effect, rates of home ownership tend to be in lower in areas of low socioeconomic standing, where unemployment is high, income is low and consumer confidence is down. A desire to increase the rates of homeo wnership is the catalyst for government intervention in the market. For this reason governments seek to regulate the housing market as a means of making it an attractive and ultimately more affordable investment for the average family. Homeownership is central to a state’s economic growth and overall financial stability. Residential investment constitutes a large portion of national capital formation.Poterba writes; â€Å"In the United States, real estate itself accounts for more than 1/3 of all fixed capital stock and a similar fraction of real assets in other developed countries† (Poterba, 1989). Economic policy usually provides favorable income tax incentives to homeowners; government incentives, for example first time buyers tax credits and subsidised mortgages. These policies are usually the only reason prospective homeowners are able to enter the market. Economics teaches people to respond to incentives; therefore homeowner’s entrance into the owner-occupi ed sector creates economic responsibility by means of servicing a mortgage.This action forces homeowners into stable employment, relative income and creates consumer confidence all factors of microeconomic stimulation within the economy. Government intervention within the housing market is both ethical and unethical. Some would say that government intervention within any market is unethical. Ethically is it right for a government to intervene in the economy, as what was once used as a market mechanism can in turn become a market norm. Government intervention is see by many as the government initiating force and imposing on ones right to liberty. Morally and ethically that would be an injustice upon ones self.But with that in mind governments introduce economic policy because they have a moral obligation to help those who are less able. Morally the government has the duty to ensure that those who are disadvantaged are given equal opportunities to succeed. According to social contract theory and those who would subscribe to the Hobbesian state of nature; one ethical stream of thought would say that governments should not exist in the market place at all. If and only when it is essential then they are only in place to offer retaliation of force in order to preserve individuals rights. In turn preserving free markets.It is well documented that the United States regulation within the housing market is unethical. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac whom of which are both government backed and subsidised mortgage lenders, were seen as too big to fail. Until they did, the way government policy was constructed around these two giants of the housing market was so ethically and morally corrupt that it poisoned the entire economy. Economic policies put in place would allow almost anyone homeownership, policies that allow no deposit, no proof of employment and no proof of income are themselves morally corrupt.This type of regulation would construe to a gross ethical breach. Policy that allowed individuals to set themselves up for failure is obviously morally corrupted. The principal alternative to government intervention in the housing market is to end all government regulation and state-mandated economic policy from the market, effectively creating a truly free market. Common consensus on free markets are that inherently people will choose to better themselves without the need for government regulation and naturally people will choose to improve their situation.In an article published by the Brookings Institute, former chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, hypothesized that this alternative to government intervention would result in â€Å"interest rates and mortgage rates would clearly be higher and the size housing market would be significantly smaller† (Greenspan, 2011). This limits the access to affordable housing, a lack of government intervention would essentially eradicate achievable ownership; house prices would soar ne gatively affecting demand while the size of the market would shrink simultaneously, severely limiting a markets housing supply for both purchase and rent.Hennessy explains under these economic conditions, â€Å"High mortgage interest rates and high down payment requirements might prove that the opportunity cost of owning is too high† (Hennessey, 2001). Therefore as previously mentioned unattainable homeowner ship would lead to a downturn in the economy, raising unemployment, decreasing the supply of rental property, decreasing the demand for property both for home owners and investors as well as leading to a downturn in consumer confidence all of which create a large negative effect on the economy and decrease economic growth.In conclusion the economic case for government intervention is strong. Governments are in place to help those less fortunate, this type of economic policy not only helps stimulate the economy in a multitude of ways but it also enables homeowners to enter the market, creating economic growth and long term financial stability. The argument, government intervention in the housing market is systemically flawed, due to sub-optimisation of the economy and erosion of free markets is incorrect.There is however a lesson to be learnt from what has happened with government intervention within the housing market, namely the global economic crisis. This was not entirely due to government regulation but in some ways the opposite, not enough regulation. Ethically there are strong views around government intervention and some do have merits. Namely market mechanisms used to guide economic policy, they can then become seen as market norms.When this happens you erode the moral value of what you are trying to accomplish in the first place. References Greenspan, A. (2011). Imagining a Housing Market Without Government Intervention. Retrieved 25-09-2012, 2012 Poterba, J. M. (1989). Residential Real Estate and Capital Formations. Regional Science and Ec onomics. Hennessey, S. M. (2001). The Impact of the Tenure Choice Decision on Future Household Wealth.

Biodiversity of Varying Organisms in Differential Dirt Samples essays

Biodiversity of Varying Organisms in Differential Dirt Samples essays The hypothesis tested was, Organisms are less biodiverse in non-mulched areas than they are in mulched areas. After comparing richness (S) to the average temperature (C) of the samples collected, it was found that species richness had a value of 8 morphotypes for both Group 1 and Group 2 (mulched regions and a value of 5 morphotypes for Groups 3 and 4 (non-mulched regions) (Figure 1). The average temperature for Group 1 was 18.2 C, 18.4 C for Group 2, 17.5 C for Group 3, and 17.7 C for Group 4 (Figure 1). The average moisture content for both of the mulched regions (Groups 1 and 2) was 2.7, while the average moisture content for the non-mulched regions (Groups 3 and 4) was 3.6 (Figure 2). Furthermore, Shannons Diversity Index for the mulched regions (Groups 1 and 2) was 1.71 (Figure 2). The H value for the non-mulched regions (Groups 3 and 4) was 1.45 (Figure 2). The next index calculated for this data set was Simpsons Index of Diversity. For the mulched regions, (Groups 1 and 2), this value was discovered to be .7695 (Figure 3). For the non-mulched regions, (Groups 3 and 4), Simpsons valu e was found to be .7361 (Figure 3). The last index calculated for the regions was Evenness. In the mulched regions (Groups 1 and 2), Evenness was calculated to be .822 (Figure 4). Evenness was found to be .901 in the non-mulched regions (Figure 4). After calculating several indices of biodiversity (Richness, Shannons, Simpsons, Evenness), the hypothesis was supported. It stated that organisms are less biodiverse in non-mulched areas than in mulched areas. The Richness calculation supported the hypothesis because it visibly showed that the mulched region contained 8 different morphotypes compared to the non-mulched region, which only had 5 different morphotypes. Shannons Index of Diversity supported the hypothesis as well. This is because it ...

Identification of Stage on the Hayes and Wheelwright Model Essay Example

Identification of Stage on the Hayes and Wheelwright Model Essay Example Identification of Stage on the Hayes and Wheelwright Model Paper Identification of Stage on the Hayes and Wheelwright Model Paper As the organization for analyses I chose the company I work for. Here is a short description of organization which may be useful for better understanding of outcomes: Airframe is today one of the fastest growing beauty companies selling direct. It is present in 62 countries, of which is the market leader in more than half. It takes the 18th place in the world among cosmetics companies in terms of sales volume. It offers a wide range of high-quality beauty products as well as a unique opportunity to Join sales force and start your own business. Brief facts about Airframe 1. 3 billion Euros in annual sales approximately 3. 3 million Distributors (Consultants) 7 500 employees 950 products annually, more than 30% of products are new. Global RD center with more than 100 scientists 5 own production units in Sweden, Poland, China, Russia and India Listed on the Nasdaq OMG Exchange since March 2004 The scope of the evaluation includes: Prepare fundamental data (description of main traits of the Hayes and Wheelwright model) Collect information necessary for analysis. Recommend tools for analysis. Make a clear conclusion about the stage on the model based on analysis. In the last decade the strategic role of operations has increased, which led to fast improvements in management and methodology. The four-stage model of operations contribution by Hayes and Wheelwright was developing from mid-80-s but has already a classic status in operations management due to its simplicity, visibility. It hypothesizes that companies go through four development stages: Internally Neutral, Externally Neutral, Internally Supportive and Externally Supportive. I found the following diagram of Hayes and Wheelwright (1984) the most pervasive and understandable: This model is a result of historical development with increasing performance levels. Stages are as a ladder that needs to be ascended for success to be achieved. The most successful organizations will be those whose operations reach the pinnacle of stage 4. The pears of stage name/maim trait are the following: Internally Neutral Avoid mistakes, Externally Neutral Benchmark, Internally supportive creative reaction to Dustless strategy, Externally Supportive Foundation of business-success And the short name for the model may be From Indifference to Maturity. Analysis in order evaluate Airframes stage Managers have difficulty in assessing the strategic role played by their operations in an internally consistent and coherent manner (Barnes, D. , Rowboat, F. 2004)) this phrase proved me in my philistine opinion that its difficult to determine a stage where my company is now. Its rather difficult to do as theres a lack of simple instruments to make analysis on this question. Suggested below self- diagnosis instrument for internal use is replica of Porters 5 competitive forces model and has a lot of shortcakes. I also assume the quality of analysis may be exposed to bout due to incoming information based on my personal assessments or on scared benchmark data. But its a good balance between simplicity and expensiveness of external experts/databases use or complex mathematical models. Source of information: My personal reflection as a manager who works in the analyses company. Strategic companys data mission statements, TOP- management announcements and interviews. Managerial data assessment (KIP, presentations. Example appendix 1). Extract of main proofs are in Appendix 2 classified under groups above. Proofs like that are used in Strategic stage survey below as answers for each question.

Your Opinion and Mine

Your Opinion and Mine In every wood in every spring there is a different green. ~ J. R. R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring) Recently theres been bru-ha-ha over Goodreads. About how readers and authors dont mix. How some authors dont like a lot of the reviews and threaten reviewers, and about how reviewers feel the latitude to crucify writers without ramifications. And I shook my head at the squabble amongst children. There are trolls out there. Ive banned them myself. Oh, you dont want my opinion? I was asked. This is just about siding with Hope Clark? I did not answer. I dont believe in arguing with children. As the persons posts  escalated, demeaning me and others, feeling free and unchecked, I just blocked her. No drama, no explanation, no last retort. My followers deserve better. My time is worth more. When you have a Facebook or Twitter account, or blog, or write op-eds anywhere, you are entitled to your opinion. Deliver it with intelligence and professionalism and expect feedback. But it crosses the line of maturity when one side or the other demands to be heard, demands to be right, and curses the other side for being different. You cannot win arguing with those people. You cant win arguing period. Because when you reach the level of arguing, which means you ditch adult debate, you are flexing your muscles saying your dad is bigger and can whip your dad. Which sounds like just what it is . . . playground banter.  Lately were even hearing about adults taking this squabble to the point of threats. I want to pinch their heads off, on both sides. Nobody able to keep their bloody mouths shut. So many wanting to snap and win. Tell me thiswhat do you win if you indeed best the other side? You dont, because youve exposed your ass to the world and you cant unsee whats been seen. Asses are rarely pretty. Ive received some silly reviews, silly in my opinion. I let them stand, mainly because I recognize that reviewer as having an opinion, too. I dont ask for explanation. Why? The majority of my reviews love the books. Thats my focus, not the oddities. Not the anomalies. Not the folks who feel empowered at a keyboard. Ill let the numbers speak. Obsessing over the one bad review undermines all the good ones, draws attention to it. Frankly, the good reviews prove that the bad review holds less value. All without arguing. I repeat . . . all without arguing. Ill respect your right to review as you please, and you respect my right to write as I please. My stories may swear, bleed or have sex. You may not like stories that swear, bleed or have sex. But I dont believe in the reviewer slashing the author, her life, or her beliefs over how she tells a tale. And I dont believe in an author doing the same against a reviewer. I know where you live, has no place in this profession, from either side. When you take it personal, you show the world you have a thin skin, and that your focus is not where it should be . . . on reading and writing good books.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

English - Essay Example To be precise, the character of Crenshaw plays a very important role in giving a realistic touch to Messina town and the influence of football on its people. The following narration given by the author gives a clear note on Crenshaw’s character as well as the main reason, which has stick him to Messina. "†¦he vowed to return more often. Messina was the only hometown he knew. The best years of his life were there. He’d come back and watch the Spartans on Friday night, sit with his friends and when the name of Eddie Rake was mentioned, he would smile and maybe laugh and tell a story of his own. One with a happy ending." â€Å"The math had never worked. However, they piled in from the county, from out in the sticks where there was nothing else to do on Friday night. in every window of every store around the Messina square there was a large green football schedule, as if the customers and townsfolk needed help in remembering that the Spartans played every Friday."The setting of the novel is completely written over Messina with specific attention given to football matches and its strong influence on the people of Messina. Most of the recollections of Crenshaw cover up the football matches in which majority of Messina’s people would come to see. The conflict between innocence and maturity, reason and reality keeps the story of Montana 1948 move with suspense and interest. David’s expedition to the frequent deaths happening within their living atmosphere, and the rivalry of power, which takes place between his grandfather and his own father, enhances the curiosity of David. The difference between the visions of a 12-year-old boy and a grown up boy holds the essence of the plot. The reasons which he [David] would like to explore with the events that happens after the death of their maid woman, and the understandings which he associates with his own realisation as well as his father’s helps a lot to understand the

Cloud Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Cloud Computing - Essay Example Cloud computing is arguably the most popular emergent computing paradigm of the last decade (Hayes, 2009) and a technology at the peak of the Gartner hype cycle (Schonfeld, 2008). Cloud Computing aims at reducing the costs associated with management of hardware and software resources by shifting the computing infrastructure from on-site to on-network through the use of a variety of technologies that offer everything as a service under what could be generalized as â€Å"XaaS† (Rimal et al., 2009). X here could refer to software, platform, hardware, infrastructure, database, business, framework, organization and so on. One of the major challenges for the proponents of cloud computing has been to clear the confusion over the definition of cloud computing. Geelan (2009) analysed definitions from 21 cloud computing experts and none of them provided a unified definition as they all seemed to focus on different aspects of the cloud. To remove confusion with regards to what the cloud is in this research, we shall use the definition proposed by Vaquero et al. (2009) in this paper. Vaquero et al. (2009) built upon the work of Geelan (2009) and additional definitions from other experts to arrive at the definition below: Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically re-configured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Infrastructure Provider by means of customized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) (Vaquero et al., 2009, p.51). ... One of the major challenges for the proponents of cloud computing has been to clear the confusion over the definition of cloud computing. Geelan (2009) analysed definitions from 21 cloud computing experts and none of them provided a unified definition as they all seemed to focus on different aspects of the cloud. To remove confusion with regards to what the cloud is in this research, we shall use the definition proposed by Vaquero et al. (2009) in this paper. Vaquero et al. (2009) built upon the work of Geelan (2009) and additional definitions from other experts to arrive at the definition below: Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically re-configured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Inf rastructure Provider by means of customized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) (Vaquero et al., 2009, p.51). 2.0. Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing To appreciate the advantages of cloud computing and to analyse its disadvantages we have to first comprehend the different modes of delivery of this new paradigm. Each of these forms of delivery offers different advantages and disadvantages to different businesses. Cloud computing allows delivery of computing resources as services in the form of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS) depending on the level of abstraction that the client desires. 2.1. Infrastructure as a service Under IaaS, instead of

The causes of world war I Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The causes of world war I - Research Paper Example World War 1 was by caused the diplomatic clashes that occurred between some of the great powers from countries such as Italy, the Austro Hungarian Empire, Germany and the British Empire. These countries clashed over some European and colonial issues causing high tension. The diplomatic clashes might have resulted in a change to power balance in Europe. One source of dispute was over the Balkans territory. This tension was caused by the competition between Austria Hungary, Serbia and Russia over the territory. There are many events that are thought to have triggered the war, which include national politics, assassination, economics and cultures, complex webs of alliances and counterbalances, which were developed with some of the European powers in the year 1870. There are some domestic political factors that may have resulted to the war. They include such factors as German domestic politics. This involved politics between parties such as Social Democratic Party, which had a significant impact on the elections that took place in Germany in the year 1912. The government in Germany was dominated Prussian Junkers; they were the Prussian landowning gentry, who controlled Prussia. This led to increased fear as a result of the rise of left wing parties. It is with such fear that Fritz Fischer thought an external war would distract the population resulting to support for the government.1 Germany might have been ambivalent about the war with the worry that if the Germans lost the war, Germany woul d have faced disastrous consequences, which include a drop of the economy and a shortage of raw materials. Another domestic factor that might have contributed to the war was French domestic politics. The loss of the Alsace-Lorraine resulted to increased anger among the French. France being compelled to pay large reparation to Germany in the year 1870 was seen as a source of humiliation in

Political Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Political Philosophy - Essay Example What is the rationalization of political authority? Why should man abide by government rules? Some have emphasized the need for order and protection as the answer to these questions. Nonetheless, many other answers have been offered towards the justification of government including Robert Wolff’s anarchist answer, Hobbes absolutist answer, and John Locke’s democratic answer. According to the anarchist answer, the state does not have the mandate to impose all its wishes upon an individual. In essence, autonomy is a primary moral need; therefore, the state has no right to go against it in any way. Robert Wolff’s â€Å"In Defense of anarchism† concurs with the idea that the state has no moral authority over any individual. On the other hand, the Absolutist answer describes that the state of nature, without political security is barbarous, dangerous, as well as, impoverished, that is rational to give major freedom to the government or state in order to gain se curity or peace. Hobbes agrees with this statement in his â€Å"Leviathan†. In the Democratic Answer, John Locke concurs with Hobbes when he states that individuals can contract with the government in order to give up on some freedom in exchange of security. Nonetheless, he disagrees with him on the degree of which people should surrender to the state. According to Locke, it is illogical to give up natural rights to representation, property, life and other goods, than slavery to the government. Political philosophy seeks to question the legitimacy of taxation, state’s authority, and the best form of government. ... 2.1 The Meaning of Political Authority Politics refers to the exercise of state’s power; therefore, political philosophy is the philosophy of the state (Pojman, 482). What is the state? Wolff defines the state as a group of individuals that possesses and practices the supreme authority over a specific population or within a certain territory. Therefore, the state may include every individual who falls under its jurisdiction. Two terms emerge from this definition, authority and power. Authority refers to the right to command while power means the ability to command compliance. A government has the right to tax its subjects because it has authority over them. Claiming authority means claiming the right to be obeyed (Pojman, 482-3). The expression authority, nonetheless, is ambiguous since it has both a normative and descriptive sense. Arguably, the state is the highest authority; however, its right to authority appears to be less than absolute. The individual who issues the comm and acts as the occasion for one to become aware of their duty, which is different from the idea that the government has a right to command. Men in de facto states believe in the existence of justifiable authority. However, they may all be wrong since such states may never be in existence. 2.2 The Idea of Autonomy Moral philosophy assumes that men ought to choose how they shall act, in some sense (Pojman, 483). Being responsible is all about trying to determine what one should do, which requires criticizing principles, predicting outcomes, gaining knowledge, and reflecting on motives among many other things. Every person with both reason and free will is obliged to take responsibility for every action, although he may not be actively continuing to reflect,

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Essay

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People - Essay Example Despite opponents of fostering happiness, moral actions will definitely foster and sustain the greatest happiness within the greatest number of people in a given society or community. Key words: Greatest, happiness, moral, action, utilitarianism, fostering, and sustaining Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Based on the utilitarian philosophy any public policy should aim at making a greater number of people attain the greatest possible happiness (Roberts, 2011). Despite the fact that attaining greatest happiness for a greater number of people is unfeasible and undesirable on ideological grounds, there are better ways of attaining the same (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). Since the classical time social history has shifted its main objective from poverty alleviation to making sure that every individual receives a more considerable standards of living (Roberts, 2011). Enhanced standard of living is one way of achieving happiness within a given population. Theref ore, Veenhoven (2010) argues that despite the philosophical misconceptions that fostering greatest happiness to a greater number of people is both undesirable and unfeasible, there are numerous strategies, actions, and policies that would enhance the same. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In order to provide the same, the discussion includes definitions of both the greatest happiness as well as the greatest number of people. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.... What’s more, the paper attempts to provide an overview of the main points under the conclusion sections. Definition of Terms ‘Happiness’ is a word that has many different meanings. The meanings of the word ‘happiness’ are always mixed up when use thereby ending into elusive reputations. One of the ways of defining happiness is on the basis of quality of life. According to Roberts (2011), happiness used in a broader sense would indicate high quality of life or the art of well-being. As a quality of life or well-being happiness denotes that life is a good thing even though such meanings do not provide the features or aspects of a good life. When used in specific ways under the aspect of quality of life or well-being, happiness can described some of the aspects of quality of life (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). In most cases, happiness is used to define two main classifications revolving around the life’s quality or well-being. Vertically, happiness may be used to differentiate between chances of good life against the actual outcomes that individuals undergo through. On the other hand, happiness can be used horizontally to provide a distinction between external and internal qualities of a person. Understanding happiness in respect to quality of life has been commonly used especially in the contemporary economy. Qualities of life can be viewed as either inner or outer qualities on one perspective and as either life-chances or life-results on the other perspective (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). A life that has desirable outer qualities and life-chances is considered to be livability of environment whereas a life that has both results and outer qualities is considered to be utility of life. Notably, life with chances and inner qualities is

Human Relations topic of the week-Evaluate Techniques for Coping with Essay

Human Relations topic of the week-Evaluate Techniques for Coping with Job Stress - Essay Example Especially during these times of economic crisis, workers become more wary of the threats of lay-offs or budget cuts. Other common workplace stress factors are increased demand for overtime due to budget cuts and pressure to meet rising expectations from management to maximize output (Segal, Horwitz, Gill, Smith & Segal (2010). Most workers often complain of a demanding boss and uncooperative co-workers. Even punctuality can sometimes put undue pressure to employees. Poor communication is also a typical stressor in the workplace. According to Dr. Willy Weiner (2007), reaction to stress differs from one individual to another. The reason for this is that we view and think about the events in our lives differently. People sometimes have rigid rules about things while others are more flexible. As Dr. Weiner puts it, â€Å"the way you think about it can change the way you feel about it† (Healthology, 2007, par. 13). When workers are stressed on the job, it can affect their producti vity and effectiveness.

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Essay

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People - Essay Example Despite opponents of fostering happiness, moral actions will definitely foster and sustain the greatest happiness within the greatest number of people in a given society or community. Key words: Greatest, happiness, moral, action, utilitarianism, fostering, and sustaining Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Based on the utilitarian philosophy any public policy should aim at making a greater number of people attain the greatest possible happiness (Roberts, 2011). Despite the fact that attaining greatest happiness for a greater number of people is unfeasible and undesirable on ideological grounds, there are better ways of attaining the same (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). Since the classical time social history has shifted its main objective from poverty alleviation to making sure that every individual receives a more considerable standards of living (Roberts, 2011). Enhanced standard of living is one way of achieving happiness within a given population. Theref ore, Veenhoven (2010) argues that despite the philosophical misconceptions that fostering greatest happiness to a greater number of people is both undesirable and unfeasible, there are numerous strategies, actions, and policies that would enhance the same. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In order to provide the same, the discussion includes definitions of both the greatest happiness as well as the greatest number of people. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.... What’s more, the paper attempts to provide an overview of the main points under the conclusion sections. Definition of Terms ‘Happiness’ is a word that has many different meanings. The meanings of the word ‘happiness’ are always mixed up when use thereby ending into elusive reputations. One of the ways of defining happiness is on the basis of quality of life. According to Roberts (2011), happiness used in a broader sense would indicate high quality of life or the art of well-being. As a quality of life or well-being happiness denotes that life is a good thing even though such meanings do not provide the features or aspects of a good life. When used in specific ways under the aspect of quality of life or well-being, happiness can described some of the aspects of quality of life (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). In most cases, happiness is used to define two main classifications revolving around the life’s quality or well-being. Vertically, happiness may be used to differentiate between chances of good life against the actual outcomes that individuals undergo through. On the other hand, happiness can be used horizontally to provide a distinction between external and internal qualities of a person. Understanding happiness in respect to quality of life has been commonly used especially in the contemporary economy. Qualities of life can be viewed as either inner or outer qualities on one perspective and as either life-chances or life-results on the other perspective (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). A life that has desirable outer qualities and life-chances is considered to be livability of environment whereas a life that has both results and outer qualities is considered to be utility of life. Notably, life with chances and inner qualities is

Chariots of Fire Essay Example for Free

Chariots of Fire Essay Answer: In the film Chariots of Fire, Directed by Hugh Hudson, two major film techniques which have been used are slow motion and close up shots. These Production techniques reinforce the character and feelings of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams as they prepare and run in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. The Close Up shots give us an insight into Eric’s Character and reactions, specifically when he makes the decision not to run on the Sabbath. Slow motion tells us of the nervousness and loneliness of Harold as he waits for the races to start, and communicates the feeling of tension to the viewers . The film techniques in Chariots of Fire enhance the characters personalities and form a link with the theme and major events in the story line. Close up shots are used in Chariots of Fire to portray the honesty and integrity of Eric Liddell, â€Å"the Flying Scotsman†, and his personality and approach to the Olympic Games. When Eric arrived in Paris he was confronted with the problem of running his 100m heats on the Sabbath. Eric decides that he won’t run on the Sabbath because, â€Å"the Sabbath is Gods and I for one intend to keep it that way†, â€Å"I won’t run and that’s final†. The close up shots showed us Eric’s reactions and emotions which exposed how Eric was a transparent character whose life was governed by faith, honesty and loyalty to God. Hugh Hudson has used slow motion during the Olympic races to portray the honesty and integrity of Harold Abraham and Eric Liddell. The slow motion technique is also used to portray the loneliness and solitary feeling before races. At the start of Harold’s race it shows his determination to win, â€Å"If I can’t win, I won’t run†. Harold was a Jew and was determined to prove that he could run, it was his weapon against the rising of Anti-Semitism before World War Two. The slow motion in Eric’s race shows the viewers the different style of running he has and how each movement counts towards the final victory. Eric said â€Å"God made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure†; the slow motion shows how he loves running, but reminds us of his firm faith and trust in God which will never be severed. Slow motion shots showed me the feelings of the runners during their races and deepened the sense of nervousness, but determination to run the race to victory in both of the main characters. The two production techniques close up shots and slow motion, enhance the link between the characters and the theme of faith and endurance, the understanding of character feelings and determination made the film worthwhile because you can sense the tenseness of the character and their yearning for victory as the both had â€Å"something personal to prove†. The production techniques helped me to understand the characters faith and the strength of their faith which governed their lives, never to decrease but continually increase and inspire others to run a straight race morally, have ambition and determination, this theme is especially prominent as we are shown how Eric’s faith in God was his strength when running and pathway to victory. Two major production techniques in Chariots of Fire, used by Hugh Hudson were close up and slow motion, these two techniques enhanced my understanding of the main characters, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. The techniques portrayed character feelings, formation and the result of crucial decision making. This film is worthwhile to watch because not only because of the way the director has used techniques to make it easier to understand the lives of the two Olympic heroes and inspire future generations, but to get an insight of how these two runners achieved their goal and their personal reasons for pursuing victory.

Research Project: Impact and Causes of Air Pollution

Research Project: Impact and Causes of Air Pollution NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT, THE CASE OF INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION IN ILUPEJU INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, LAGOS STATE. BY ATUBI AUGUSTUS O. (Ph.D) ABSTRACT The research work is primarily on industrial pollution; focusing on air pollution in the Ilupeju industrial estate of Lagos State, in Mushin Local Government Area. Air pollution has been a serious problem to the people who reside closely to Ilupeju industrial zone since inception of the area. It has been responsible for various ailments among the people and those who work in the industries that pollute the air through the use of some dangerous chemicals. The research work looked at the various ways by which air pollution is being generated in the area, the effects on the people and the possible control measures to minimize its further damage on the health of the people and the place for national development and global empowerment. INTRODUCTION The environment is the setting of man’s various productive activities. The impact of man on the landscape through these activities and the extent of environmental pollution arising there from have been well documented (Atubi and Onokala, 2006a, Atubi, 2007b). In Nigeria today, most of the industrial estates are not meant for industries alone; residential homes can be found in the so-called industrial estates also. And with this development, the problem of industrial pollution has effects on man, plants and materials. The areas which contain industries manufacturing different products such as petrochemicals, detergents, injects harmful wastes into the air such as carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons which are the major sources of air pollution. Generally, the release of industrial waste into the air has been responsible for many health problems such as chronic bronchitis, malaria, asthma and also the damaging of roofing sheets and buildings. The resident are not fully aware of the damages being done to their lives and properties by those harmful wastes. Most of the past researches in Nigeria and the world in general on industrial pollution such as Hodges (1977); Mcgraw-Hill (1977); Okoro (1979); Nwafor (1981); Simmon (1982); Kormondy (1984); Segynola (1988); Ohagi (1988); Ademorati (1988); Miller (1994); Hill (1999) to mention a few, have their focus on effects and causes of industrial pollution in general and not on industrial estate. Available evidence (Census, 1991) shows that about sixty thousand people reside in the Ilupeju industrial area, yet very low priority is accorded to the problems of industrial pollution and environmental quality in the area. The problem of air pollution is worse in Lagos than in any other Nigerian city. It is also more complex in Lagos. The study is aimed at analyzing the effects of industrial air pollution on the residents and environments of Ilupeju industrial estate as a way for national development and global empowerment. STUDY AREA/DATA COLLECTION This study is focused on Ilupeju industrial estate, which in the context of this paper comprises of over 20 streets and for proper administration it was further divided into three zones. The zones are Ilupeju bye-pass as zone A, Coker area as zone B, Town Planning area as zone C. Ilupeju industrial estate is located within the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State. It covers an area of about 110 hectares of land. It is transversed by longitude 30 and 3060I east and latitude 3030I north. It is bounded in the North by Ikeja Local Government Area, in the east by Somolu Local Government Area, in the West by Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area, and in the South by Surulere Local Government Area in Lagos State in 1962 (fig. 1). It occupies a unique position in Lagos State, firstly as an industrial zone, secondly as a commercial centre, thirdly as a residential area and lastly as a major route. The concentration of industries can be found in Ilupeju industrial estate. And the area is well established because of the rapid growth of new and large industrial establishments, which include good transportation, and relatively high standard of available public utilities. The industries on this estate include paints, plastic, textiles, printing services and the manufacturers of soap and detergents etc. The banking sector is another sector found amongst the economic activities that takes place in Ilupeju. The data on which the study is based were collected through questionnaire survey in the year 2005 from three zones to which Ilupeju industrial estate was divided. The random/systematic sampling techniques was used to select a number of streets. Out of the 20 streets in the area 10 were randomly selected for the study in which three houses were again selected randomly with two persons selected for interview. Responses from the questionnaires were mainly used for data analysis. The computation elied on averaging model, percentages and Analysis of variance (ANOVA). CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION Mcgraw-Hill (1977) stated that other sources such as pesticides and man’s earth-moving and agricultural practices lead to vastly increased atmospheric burden of the soil particles and of pollens, spots, rust and smuts. Okoro (1979) further stated that industrialization is as a result of man’s attempt to provide himself with facilities for optimum employment. Industries leave behind peculiar wastes. They also pollute our environment, think of the cloud of smoke that emerges from the industrial house and apparently disappears into the air, think of various colour liquid some of them have foul smells that are emptied into the rivers, lagoons and oceans. They change environment’s composition and destroy its purity. To assess this, respondents were asked to mention the causes of industrial pollution in the estate. The response made showed that the use of chemicals in Zone A is one of the major causes of pollution in the area followed by the release of smoke from the industries which 24 people responded to it, while the poor disposal of waste and noise from machineries have responses of 23 and 20 respectively. In zone B, 19 people responded to the use of chemicals, 10 to the poor disposal of waste, 9 people indicated to the noise from machineries and 15 responded to the release of smokes from industries. Finally, in zone C, 20 people indicated that the use of chemicals is the major cause of industrial pollution. 18 responded to the poor disposal of waste, 17 to noise from the machineries, and 18 to the release of smokes. Table 1 shows the details. From the table it could seen that zone A and C had high indications than B, this is because Zone A and C are the nearest neighbours to different industries while zone B are area away from the industries. TABLE 1:THE CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION IN ILUPEJU INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. Source: Field Survey, 2005 Therefore, the major causes of industrial air pollution as seen from the table is because of the use of chemicals which in turn pollute the area through the release of smoke. TABLE 2:THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION IN ILUPEJU INDUSTRIAL ESTATE Source: Field Survey, 2005 Table 2 shows that in zone A 20 indicated that restlessness has been one of the effects of industrial air pollution followed by persistent cough and chest pain, eye irritation which is the highest with 21 responses and 20 for asthmatic patients. Zone B, as could be seen from the table 2 had eye patient with 20 respondents and 10 respondents respectively for restlessness and persistent cough and chest pain. Zone C showed that the effect of industrial air pollution is more on eye irritation and persistent cough and chest pain with 20 respondents respectively while restlessness had the highest respondents and asthmatic patient has 19 respondents. From the above table 2, the effects of industrial air pollution is felt more in Zone A followed by Zone B and this is because the residential areas are nearest to the industrial area. Zone B has a total of 59 compared to Zone A (81) and Zone C (80). From the table it indicated that zones A and B have the highest effects of industrial pollution than zone C. Hypotheses were formulated and tested using analysis of variance statistic. The calculated values are 10.27 and 3.72 and the critical table value are 4.26 and 4.26. Therefore, there is variation of industrial air pollution in Ilupeju industrial estate. (See Appendix 1 and 2 for necessary computations). POLICY IMPLEMENTATION In order to prevent severe health hazards arising from increased industrial activities which pollutes the environment, government’s silence on environmental protection over the years should be broken and public interest must be sufficiently aroused through documentaries and corrective measures of pollution. We should therefore, plan ahead, and learn from the mistakes of the industrialized nations and their current efforts to correct those mistakes. We should not allow pollution to be the price of the state’s progress. The establishment of some parastatals concerned with the maintenance of sanity in environment is the next step in the right direction. The Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health, etc. amongst others are charged with the responsibility of protecting the environment and maintaining a healthy environments as a way for national development and global employment. However, to grapple effectively with our environmental problems and enhance the quality of life in our settlements, we require information in the nature and dimension of these problems. The State Government should make funds available for relevant research to increase our understanding of the source and effect of gaseous pollutant and all disciplines have a role to play in this regard. There is need to design relatively, cheap yet efficient methods of waste disposal for our towns and cities (Atubi and Oriero, 2006b). Finally, it may be observed that in the area of pollution control, there must be a good deal of cooperation between professionals. The engineers should explore different alternatives of controls; the economists must determine which combination of measures is least costly for a given degree or control. The social scientists explore the intangible benefits associated with different level of control, the surveyors to determine how best each level of control could be developed and the jurist establish how different control measures can be enforced. The decision regarding the control measures can be adopted and enforced. However, the adoptions rest with the people and the government. They will have to pay for it and will have to live with it. CONCLUSION The result of the study has shown that all environmental pollution in Ilupeju industrial estate is created by man’s activities in living, producing and consuming goods and services. These activities generate net benefits to the people undertaking them even though they may impose unwanted cost. An important objective of environmental resources management in Lagos State is to plan towards an improvement of overall quality of the state’s human environment and this plan should be undertaken from the local level upwards. To achieve this objective, a strategy should be worked out to ensure that the use of resources for the welfare of man does not result in a conflict between the environment and development or between resource utilization and man. REFERENCES Ademoroti C. M. A. (1988), â€Å"Environmental Management: Case Studies on Industrial Waste water treatment†, Environmental issues and management in Nigeria Development. Pp. 200 – 206 Atubi, A. O. and Onokala, P. C. (2006a) â€Å"The Socio-Economic Effects of Oil Spillage on Agriculture in the Niger-Delta: A case study of Olomoro, Delta State, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Studies vol. 2 No.4. Pp. 46 – 52. Atubi, A. O. and Oriero, S. B. (2006b) Environmental Sanitation in Abraka Metropolis; Towards A public policy in Akinbode, A and Ugbomeh B (eds) Abraka Region pp. 118 – 128. Atubi, A. O. (2007b) The Perception of Industrial Disturbances in Nigeria Cities: A Geographical Appraisal of Benin-City. Journal of Environmental Analar (forthcoming). Hill J. (1999), General Chemistry: An Integrated approach 2nd edition, Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Prenctice Hall. Hodges L. (1977), Environmental Pollution: 2nd Edition U.S.A., Library of Congress cataloging in publication Data. Pp. 6 – 8. Kormondy, E. J. (1984), Concept of Ecology, Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Prentice – Hall P. 35. Mcgraw-Hill (1977) Encyclopaedia of Environmental Science, New York: Mcgraw-hill p. 35. Miller, G. T. (1994) Living in the environment: Principles, Connection and Solution 8th edition Belmont California, Wadsworth. Pp. 569 – 583, 645 – 647. Nwafor, J. C. (1981) â€Å"An Evaluation of Land Conservation Problems of Extractive and Manufacturing Industries in Nigeria: A case study of Nkalagu Cement Industry† In U. M. Gbozurike (ed.) Land Use and Conservation in Nigeria. Nsukka; University of Nigeria Press, Pp. 128 – 36. Ohaji, S.M.O. (1988), â€Å"The Effects of Brewery Effluent Discharge on Ikpoba River Water Quality, Benin City† Environmental issues and management in Nigeria Development, Pp. 196 – 197. Okoro, P. T. (1979) Environmental Problems and Your Health: A paper presented to the Ministry of Health. Segynola, A. A. (1988) â€Å"The Nigerian Industrial Landscape and Environmental Degradation†. Environmental issues and Management in Nigeria Development, Pp. 174 – 179. Simon, I. G. (1982) The Ecology of Natural Resources, 2nd edition. Edward Arnold Limited, Pp. 277 – 279. APPENDIX I CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN THE STUDY AREA TO USE ANOVA, APPLY SSt=Sum of Square total Ssw=Sum of square within SSb=Sum of Square between Assign X1, X2 and X3 to the various zones Ho: There is no variation of industrial Air Pollution in the study Area. Calculate the F – ratio and use it to test for the significant difference SSt – ÃŽ £X2 = (ÃŽ £X)2 N ÃŽ £X2 = ÃŽ £X12 + ÃŽ £X22 + ÃŽ £32 = 2130 + 767 + 1337 = 4234 N = n1 + n2 + n3 = 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 ÃŽ £X = ÃŽ £X1 + ÃŽ £X2 + ÃŽ £X3 = 92 + 53 + 73 = 218 SSt=4234 – (218)2 12 SSt = 4234 – 3960 = 273.7 To get SSb SSb = ( X1)2 + ( ÃŽ £X2)2 + (ÃŽ £X3)2 – ( ÃŽ £X)2 n1 n2 n3 N (92)2 + (53)2 + (73)2 – (218)2 4 4 4 12 (2116 + 702.3 + 1332.3) – 3960.3 4150.6 – 3960.3 SSb = 190.3 To get SSw SSw = SSt – SSb 273.7 – 190.3 SSw = 83.4 Determine the F – ratio F = MSb MSw Where MSb = Mean Square between MSw = Mean Square Within Firstly, dfb (df between) = K – 1 Where K = number of groups dfb = 3 – 1 = 2 Secondly, dfw (df within) = N – K Where N = Number of subjects dfw = 12 – 3 = 9 df total = N – 1 12 – 1 = 11 MSb = SSb = 190.3 dfb 2=95.2 Then MSw = SSw= 83.4 dfw 9=9.27 F = MSb = 95,2 MSw 9.27=10.27 The calculated F-ratio must be larger than the theoretical F-ratio to reject the hypothesis. At 0.05 level of confidence, Theoretical F = 4.26 Calculated F = 10.27 Therefore, there is variation of industrial Air Pollution in the study area. APPENDIX 2 THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION IN THE STUDY AREA n1 = 4n2 = 4n3 = 4 ÃŽ £X1 = 81ÃŽ £X2 = 59ÃŽ £X3 = 80 ÃŽ £X12 – 1641 ÃŽ £X22 = 961ÃŽ £X32 = 1602 X1 = 20.3X2 = 14.8X3 = 20 SSt = ÃŽ £X2 = ( ÃŽ £X)2 N ÃŽ £X2 = ÃŽ £X12 + ÃŽ £X22 + ÃŽ £X32 1641 + 961 + 1602 = 4204 N = n1 + n2 + n3 = 4 + 4 + 4 =12 ÃŽ £X = ÃŽ £X1 + ÃŽ £X2 + ÃŽ £X3 = 81 + 59 + 80 = 220 SSt = 4204 – (220)2 12 SSt = 4204 – 4033.3 = 170.7 To get SSb SSb = ( ÃŽ £X1)2 + ( ÃŽ £X2)2 + ( ÃŽ £X3)2 – ( ÃŽ £X)2 n1 n2 n3 N (18)2 + (59)2 + (80)2 – (220)2 4 4 4 12 1640.3 + 870.3 + 1600 – 4033.3 4110.6 – 4033.3 SSb = 77.3 To get SSw SSw = SSt – SSb 170.7 – 77.3 = 93.4 F = MSb MSw dfb = 3 – 1 = 2 dfw = 12 – 3 = 9 MSb = SSb – 77.3 dfb 2 =38.7 MSw = SSw = 93.4 dfw 9=10.4 F = MSb=38.7 MSw10.4 Theoretical F = 4.26 Calculated F = 3.72 1

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor :: Essays on A Good Man Hard Find

In† A Good Man is Hard to Find† there are many factors that can be the theme. The theme can be about a family as a whole that lacks love for the grandmother, or about a family that goes on a trip that wound up having an accident, which puts them at the wrong place at the wrong time. Both of these themes are obvious to any reader, but it does not quite seem to match this author’s depth style way of writing. In a brief write up on Flannery O’Connor, it says â€Å"O’Connor is a moralist, she focuses an uncompromising moral eye on the violence and spiritual disorder of the world.† By knowing this about the author O’Connor we can look deeper into this story and find morals of two characters as the theme. The two characters are the Grandmother and the Misfit. Even though they are both different as night and day, they both have morals and stands by their morals no matter what.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though the Grandmother shows to be a victim of rudeness, hostile statements, and dangerous situations, she still stood by her morals regardless of the situations. In the first paragraph, the grandmother is a victim of her grandchildren and at the end, she is a victim of a murderer who ironically is much nicer to her than her own grandchildren! It is easily observed that the grandmother’s morals involve making her environment as pleasant as her personality. At the beginning, you can see how the grandchildren are making hostile comments towards the grandmother about going on the trip with them. As she sits in the back seat with the hostile children instead of allowing them to ruin her mood, she decides to point out the â€Å" interesting details of the scenery- stone mountain’s; the blue granite, the brilliant red clay banks slightly streaked with purple†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (pg 199). At the end while a victim of a murderer the grandmother still tried to make some good out of the situation. â€Å"Ain’t a cloud in the sky† he remarked. â€Å"Yes it is a beautiful day† said the grandmother. â€Å"Listen you shouldn’t call yourself misfit because I know you’re a good man at heart. I can just look at you and tell.† The grandmother said (pg 205). As stated earlier the grandmother was dedicated to keeping her moral of making her environment as pleasant as her personality!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Misfit is a â€Å"murderer†, he also has morals.

Ancient Egyptian Religion And The Monotheistic Religion Of Moses :: Religious History Essays

Ancient Egyptian Religion And The Monotheistic Religion Of Moses In the glorious Eighteenth Dynasty, when Egypt became for the first time a world power, a young Pharaoh ascended the throne about 1375 B.C., who first called himself Amenhotep (IV) like his father, but later on changed his name to Akhenaten (1370-1358 B.C.). This king undertook to force upon his subjects a new religion, one contrary to their ancient traditions and to all their familiar habits. It was a strict monotheism, the first attempt of its kind in the history of the world, as far as we know; and religious intolerance, which was foreign to antiquity before this and for long after, was inevitably born with the belief in one god. But Amenhotep’s reign lasted only for seventeen years; very soon after his death in 1358 B.C. the new religion was swept away and the memory of the heretic king proscribed. From the ruins of his new capital, which he had built and dedicated to his god, and from the inscription in the rock tombs belonging to it, we derive the little knowledge w e possess of him.1 This spark of monotheism can be traced back to Akhenaten’s father Amenhotep III. During his reign, ideas about the uniqueness of the sun god Re were developed in some de-tail. Some Egyptian priests conceived the possibility that all gods were part of a unique god from which all life originated and based on their experiential knowledge of nature (at least as they perceived it in Egypt) the sun was a good candidate for this universal god. 1 Freud, Sigmund. Moses and Monotheism. (New York: Vintage Books; 1934), p. 21. Political conditions at that time had begun to influence Egyptian religion as well. During the prosperous reigns of Thotmes III (1490-1436 B.C.) and Amenhotep II (1436-1412 B.C.), Egypt had expanded its frontiers in all directions and the nation was becoming increasingly difficult to govern. Egypt was the richest state in the world and Pharaoh represented the supreme power behind Egyptian prosperity. Annexed territories that belonged to Nubia and Syria were fully engaged in trade with the empire and the idea of a supreme and unique ruler was in perfect agreement with the idea of a supreme and unique god. In fact, the so-called revolution of Akhenaten is now thought to have been a political rather than a religious movement, a reaction to events outside Egypt.

The Burke-Litwin Casual model

Burke-Litwin Casual model is a model used by organizations to monitor organizational operations in terms of change and performance levels. The founders of the model were Litwin and some other people. In the 1980s Burke made the model more refined than they did (Burke & Litwin, 1992). Burke added some variables that make the model different from other models that had been in use. Burke-Litwin casual model is the latest model, more useful to organizations. The model has defined various variables that organizations should use for assessing their performances and changes. AT & T Structure.According to Burke-Litwin model, firms should have sound infrastructure systems such as duties and responsibilities, reports and authorities, communication and socialization that are geared towards meeting the organizations goals, strategies and missions. AT & T Corporation is a company that was established in the 1885. The company mission is to provide telecommunication services locally and internation ally. Their business strategy is to be efficient, affordable and competitive in the telecommunication sector as they maximize customer satisfaction. (Horton & Dorman, 2005).The company has been a provider of quality and highly reliable communication services for centuries. AT & T is well known for its wide range internet and multimedia services to both consumers and businesses worldwide. AT & T has more than two million customers in both private and governmental organizations, and in the domestic and international markets. AT&T applies departments and mechanistic style of management. The company is highly reputable in long distance communication services for both businesses and consumers all over the world. The structure of AT&T fits well with the Burke-Litwin model. (Horton & Dorman, 2005). Tasks and SkillsAccording to Burke & Litwin model, there are specific qualities and capabilities required for a person to fit in a given position (Burke & Litwin, 1992). An organization in busin ess should therefore check on that when recruiting members. AT & T emphasizes on high skilled staff to provide quality services to the customer. The company has highly invested on technology, innovations, high skills and dedicated customer care. These are the core competence factors. Dedicated customer care has attracted an increased number of customers and integrated network as a technology use has made AT & T to improve on communication services (Horton & Dorman).These factors makes AT & T fit the Burke & Litwin model Management practices According to Burke & Litwin (1992), organizations should assess how the managers deal with the other workers. For a success the employees should be given a chance to participate fully in developing an organization. In AT &T employees are allowed to take part in the production processes depending on which area they are specialized in. The organization calls for a teamwork and dedication. The management has always believed on partnerships to make t hem achieve their goals (Horton & Dorman, 2005).For instance they partnered with CBS hence a participatory management. This fits with the Burke & Litwin model. Systems and Policies Systems are the policies and mechanisms used in an organization as standards to facilitate quality improvements. These may include communication, sales and marketing, production methods (Burke & Litwin, 2005). According to Horton & Dorman (2005), AT & T believes on quality productions to satisfy the customers, hence the need for employing high skilled people. Sales and marketing is done by the sales and marketing team to sell the products.AT & T has specific charges for the customer services and also offer customized or personalized services to earn revenue. This is according to the Burke & Litwin model. Work unit climate This is the impression given by the members of an organization towards the organizational performance. This will in return influence their interrelationship (Burke & Litwin, 2005). AT & T Company has no specific social structures. AT & T has always considered employing domestic workers in large numbers as compared to the international.The company always outsourced rather than train the workers for such services (Horton & Dorman, 2005). This will make the employees feel a sense of belonging and be committed to their work. This doesn’t fit with the Burke & Litwin model. Motivation According to Burke & Litwin (2005), this is an inward driving force that makes one take the recommended actions to achieve a required goal. Howard (1994), employees’ satisfaction will directly affect customer satisfaction. AT & T has no plans in place to ensure the employees are well catered for. The employees are not recognized to be rewarded for good performances.This may make some of them loss focus on their responsibilities (Horton & Dorman, 2005). This doesn’t fit with the Burke & Litwin model. Conclusion. AT & T has a functional or product departmentation structur e. This is because the company has its departments arranged according to the functions they offer like sales and marketing. The departments are also arranged depending products they produce for instance consumer products in consumer services department or segment (Horton & Dorman, 2005). AT & T has a culture for their operations to meet customer satisfaction and always work in partnership for quality.Through quality products, AT & T improved on the revenue (Denison, 1990). Reference: Burke, W. W. & Litwin, G. H. (1992), A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18 (3), pp. 523-545. Denison, D. R. (1990), Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Horton, W. T. and Dorman, D. W. (2005), AT & T Corporation. Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, DC 20549. From 10-K/A. Howard, A. (Ed. ) (1994), Diagnosis for organizational change: Methods and models. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Vark Analysis

Reading and Writing Learning Preference Crystal D. Lynch Grand Canyon University NRS 429V November 11, 2012 Learning Style After completing the Vark questionnaire, this author showed a strong preference for learning by reading and writing. In the reading and writing learning preference, this preference is for information displayed as words (Fleming, 2001). Many students and teachers show a high preference toward this type of style. The ability to write, and read well are attributes widely sought by employers of recent graduates.In this learning style, emphasis is on text based input and output, using all forms of material especially manuals, reports, essays and textbooks (Fleming, 2001). People who prefer this model spend hours on the internet, gravitating toward power point presentations over audio presentation. In defining the reading and writing learning strategy, the author identified that the reading and writing learning model uses intake of material in a text-based format. It u ses lists, headings, dictionaries, handouts and textbooks as the prime source of intake material.Notes taken during lecture and manuals are also used as a source. When preparing to study, rewriting notes taken during lecture, and reading notes over and over, either out loud or silently, are some strategies used in this type of learning style. When preparing for test assignments or exams, taking practice exams with multiple choice questions is often helpful for students with the preference for the reading and writing learning style. In comparing, this authors’ preferred learning strategy to the identified strategies already in place, the model is actuate with only a few slight differences noted.This author finds it extremely helpful to use handouts, textbooks, and lecture notes as reference material when studying. Rewriting lecture notes, after class, has also been very beneficial for this author, as well as taking practice exams with multiple choice questions, which has been an effective aide in preparing for taking major examinations. Reading rewritten lecture notes out loud and over and over several times is a common study habit for this author.In contrast, however; the model suggests that students that lean toward this preference spend hours on the internet searching material and using power point presentations as a way to enhance their study habits. This author finds using the internet to be distracting, and cumbersome wasting time with material that is not beneficial. In addition, she finds the format of power point presentations hard to follow. The model suggests turning diagrams and charts into words as a helpful tool; not being accustom to using diagrams or charts this idea has not been tested by this author.The Vark questionnaire has raised some valuable points in the need for this author to make a change in the present study habits being used. Incorporating the differences into strategies already in place, with those listed on the Vark analysi s, should enhance the study habits, allowing for better results. The use of the internet as a resource as an enhancement to the study material can be beneficial, although the need to learn to use the internet in a more efficient way will help take some of the frustration out of searching endlessly for the material needed.The incorporation of the library as a resource is another area that this author will need to further investigate. Improving the way, in which the library is accessed, can be beneficial in enhancing the desired outcome for this student. In the final analysis of the Vark learning assessment tool: it is valuable, as it alert the student to the preferences they have toward learning. The assessment tool focuses on the best way to learn using a sensory model. The Vark model of learning styles is one of the most popular models in us today by students and educators.Developed by Neil Fleming in 1987, learners are identified by whether they have a preference for visual, audit ory, reading and writing, or kinesthetic learning (Cherry, 2012). The Vark questionnaire provides strategies that can lead to success in any learning environment (Fleming, 2011). The Vark model is not an exact science, but a guideline to help the student recognize their learning preferences, in an attempt to enhance study habits. By completing the Vark model assessment, the student is enabled to become more successful at tudying and to retain the information being taught. In conclusion, this author feels that the Vark questionnaire is a valuable tool in enhancing the success of students. By learning to recognize their study habits and incorporating those findings identified from the model, the student will become more proficient by limiting the time it takes preparing for an assignment. To be successful in the ever-competitive job market, students must learn to take advantage of all resources available.The Vark assessment is one such tool that can enhance the students’ abilit ies to succeed. Addendum Your scores were: Visual: 3 Aural: 5 Read/Write: 12 Kinesthetic: 1 You have a very strong Read/Write learning preference. References: http://www. vark-learning. com/english/page. asp http://psychology,about. com http://www. ehow. com Fleming, Neil copyright 2001-2011, Vark: A Guide to Learning Styles. Cherry, Kendra, About. com Guide2012, VARK Learning Styles: Visual, Aural, Reading, and Kinesthetic Learning. Vark Analysis The VARK Questionnaire is a great tool to use when deciding what one’s best learning strategy is. There is no wrong way to learn, only what works best. This paper will focus on multimodal study strategies and how other learning strategies compare. Summary of Multimodal Learning There are many different study strategies out there. According to VARK, the main study strategies include: Aural, Kinesthetic, Visual, Read/Write and Multimodal. In this case, multimodal will refer to using both visual and read/write study strategies.If one has many different ways they like to study they fit in to the multimodal category. â€Å"Approximately 60% of any population fits (this) category† (Fleming, 2001). Multimodal simply means that one utilizes more than one study strategy in order to learn certain subjects and/or material. Preferred Learning Strategies Visual learners prefer pictures, diagrams, graphs, flow charts, etc. For example, Jason wanted to score well on his exam. He used pictures and graphs he learned about in class, re-drew them repeatedly how he saw them, and chose the correct answer on the exam.Neil Fleming, the author of VARK Questionnaire, stated that one is â€Å"often swayed by the way something looks†¦and is interested in color and layout and design and you know where you are in your environment† (Fleming, 2001). For example, note cards used would be color-coded. Read/write study strategies focus on lists and words. Jason and others that think this way believe that â€Å"meanings are within the words† (Fleming, 2001). Jason, in this case, would utilize handouts, dictionaries, textbooks, and notes for studying.After reading these things through, Jason would then convert them into a way that was easy for him to understand. Diagrams, charts, and graphs would be turned into words and the meaning of the text would become much easier to understand. These words would then be written down on note cards to make for an easier and mo re efficient way of studying. With the combined visual and read/write study strategies, more of a secure feeling of knowledge is felt. In other words, the more ways he/she studies something; the more he/she will really learn it. Each student in a classroom has a unique and complex system of thinking and learning† (Lutz, 2011). Although multimodal studying works for Jason, it may not work for others. This is why there are several study strategies out there in order to cater to each unique individual. Comparison of Learning Strategies Two other study strategies that might help are Aural and Kinesthetic. â€Å"An aural learner soaks up information the easiest when it is presented in an auditory way. Speaking, listening and music all come naturally to the aural learner† (Priddy, 1999).In other words, he/she learns best by listening. He/she might tape class lectures, get together with a group to talk about certain subjects, or read their notes out loud when studying for an e xam. Kinesthetic learners â€Å"learn best when they discover things by doing them† (CLARE, 2010). If he/she is a kinesthetic learner, it might be hard to sit still in class and he/she will rarely take notes. He/she learns best by being active, physically. If he/she were this type of learner, it would help to make flash cards, and study for short periods over time.It is best to ask for help in class by way of examples. The more examples there are, the better. When comparing Jason’s preferred multimodal method of learning with the other above mentioned study strategies, multimodal works best for him. This is because he is able to combine more than one study strategy in order to achieve success in the learning environment. With multimodal referring to both visual and read/write study strategies in this case; VARK is spot on when detailing what works best for these learners.Visual, Aural, and Kinesthetic study strategies my be useful but will not give Jason the results th at his multimodal study strategies do. Study Habits Emphasis with these study strategies would be on utilizing highlighters, symbols, pictures and re-writing/re-reading notes over and over again (Fleming, 2001). However, one thing that Jason might want to include would be to imagine notes he made as multiple-choice questions in order to test himself on the info that has been collected. This is done in order to make sure that he is on the right track with his information.When in doubt always ask questions! Conclusion In conclusion, The VARK Questionnaire is indeed the best way to find out what one’s best learning strategy is. Not everyone learns the same way and it is because of that these learning strategies are out there. Multimodal studying works best for Jason but may not be the best choice for others. Find out what is, mold it in to a specialized, individual study plan, and stick with it. There is no wrong way to learn, only what works best. References CLARE. (2010, Decem ber 13).The study gurus: study advice for kinesthetic learners. Retrieved from http://www. thestudygurus. com/kinesthetic-study-tips/ Fleming, N. (2001). Vark: A guide to learning styles. Retrieved from http://www. vark-learn. com/english/page. asp? p=helpsheets Lutz, D. (2011, September 09). Learning strategies. Retrieved from http://www. seenmagazine. us/articles/article-detail/articleid/1663/multi-modal-learning-strategies-for-all-students. aspx Priddy, B. (1999). ehow: Aural learning style. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5472528_aural-learning-style. html