Cross-Border Strategic Alliances and Foreign Market Entry Essay

Introduction It is indisputable that as the world gets globalized, virtually all companies are compelled to expand their market to the international or foreign nations. Expansion into the foreign countries is perceived to be associated with many positive impacts. However, it has been shown that some entry modes are detrimental to the performance of the company or the firm. This implies that before any firm decides to expand, it has to weigh different international entry modes and determine the best mode to use.   This paper discusses one of the modern entry modes, called cross-border strategic alliance. The paper will achieve this by reviewing one of the detailed article cross-border strategic alliances. Analysis The article entitled â€Å"Cross-Border Strategic Alliances and Foreign Market Entry† by Larry Qiu analyzes how firms are motivated to form cross-border strategic alliances when entering into new markets. The goal of the article trying to answer the question as to why most firms are forming cross-border strategic alliances and also identifying the economic factors that facilitate the formation of such alliances. Utilizing a two-country, multi-firm and three-stage economic model, the author reveals astonishing findings on the manner in which companies enter into international market (Qiu, 2006). The article reveals that the company can enter into an international market in different ways. Some of the ways include export and foreign direct investments. Cross-border mergers and acquisition, according to the article is the modern way in which a country can penetrate other countries. There are other traditional forms such as export and green-field foreign direct investment (FDI). The article analyzes based on the thesis statement that multinationals are shifting from the traditional forms such as FDI to modern forms such as cross-border mergers and acquisitions and cross-border strategic alliances. The factors that are considered to influence the choice of the entry mode include such aspects as variable costs such as trade and transport costs and fixed costs. The author argues that a company may set up just one plant in its own country and uses it to serve both the domestic and foreign markets. According to the article, search firm will be entering into foreign and international countries through export. Alternatively the same firm may opt to set up two plants, one plant in the domestic country and the other in the foreign country. In such a case, the firm will be entering into foreign country through foreign direct investment. The invention of cross-border strategic alliances, according to the article, has compelled most countries to switch from export to FDI. This is because the cross-border strategic alliance is associated with numerous benefits compared with the export strategies (Qiu, 2006). For example it creates different synergies in the domestic and foreign markets. In addition, it promotes production alliances, which help each of the allied firms to reduce production costs both in their domestic plants as well as their foreign plants. As far as distribution costs is concerned, the article argues that the cross-border marketing, which is a product of the cross-border strategic alliance, reduces the allied firms’ distribution costs in their foreign market (Qiu, 2006). Conclusion The foregoing analysis has shown why cross-border strategic alliance is becoming the most preferred mode of entry as far as international trade is concerned. Compared to other entry mode methods, cross-border strategic alliances create different synergies in the domestic and foreign markets (Qiu, 2006). Some of the synergies include production cost synergies and distribution costs synergies. These synergies helps the company reduce the production and distribution costs and hence get profits. References Qiu, L. D. (2006). Cross-Border Strategic   Alliances and Foreign Market Entry. Hong Kong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University of Science and Technology. Retrieved from:   Ã‚   http://www.etsg.org/ETSG2006/papers/Qiu.pdf   

Prophet Muhammad the Ideal Character of Human Being

[pic] Today one in every five persons of the world believes Muhammad (pbuh) as the last messenger of Allah (pbuh) and millions of others are continuing to bear testimony to this fact†¦.. Yaqeen ul Haq Ahmad Sikander writes. Ever since dawn of the civilization, mankind has witnessed the emergence of a large number of great people who did significant contributions in their respective fields and immortalized their names forever. Their contributions, which they left behind, have been responsible for moulding the intellect of the people into the fashion of their teachings.The Teachings of Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Ashoka, Aristotle, Plato, etc even today have an avid influence upon the lives of masses globally. But among all these great people, only Muhammad (pbuh) possessed the most distinguished and determined personality. Across the centuries Across the centuries millions and billions of people have lived their lives loving Muhammad (pbuh) and following his principles and guidelin es in every sphere of life. No one other than Muhammad (pbuh) in the history has been so much adored and followed.Today one in every five persons of the world believes Muhammad (pbuh) as the last messenger of Allah (pbuh) and millions of others are continuing to bear testimony to this fact. He was the one who brought has billions of people from darkness of ignorance to light. He brought peace and set of ideals to countless hearts and lives. He is the inspiration for countless people over the globe. Even today Muhammad (pbuh) motivates and induces whole masses to strive to shape their lives according to his teachings.Indeed never before in the history has anyone influenced humankind up to such extent as Muhammad (pbuh) did even beyond his death. That’s why Qur’an rightly tells Muhammad (pbuh) to proclaim that He is the mercy for all nations which clearly depicts the universality of his mission. The Qur’an mentions: â€Å"And We sent you not (O Muhammad), but as a mercy to all the worlds†. (Al Qur’an 21:107). Among all the great emerged lives, only Muhammad (pbuh) was most influential and successful and both ‘Religious and Secular’ levels and this made Michael. H.Hart, an American Mathematician, Historian and an Astronomer to put Him on the No. 1 in the list of the top 100 men which he quoted in his world-famous book â€Å"The Hundred†. And the Argument that he puts forth for it is as follows: â€Å"Since there are roughly twice [the latest estimate is that there are more than one thousand million Muslims in the world and one thousand two hundred million Christians] as many Christians in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision.First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and m oral precepts of Christianity (in so far as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith and in establishing the religious practices of Islam†. Michael H. Hart in his book – â€Å"THE 100? – pages 38-39) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) : the only answer In the words of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, â€Å"Humankind needs a set of moral principles having universal validity as well as a real personality in which these moral principles are exemplified. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the only answer to this question. He proclaimed the ethics that bear the stamp of divine authenticity, and is, moreover, a model of perfect conduct and character for all mankind. In bodily appearance he l ived in this world, but, spiritually, he was on a different plane†.It was the exemplary life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his empyreal teachings that even made the non-Muslims bear testimony to the greatness of Muhammad (pbuh). Some of the verdicts of Non-Muslims on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that I have compiled from various sources are: â€Å"He must be called the Savior of humanity I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness. † (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. X 1936). Mohammed was the most successful of all religious personalities. † (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition). â€Å"Muhummad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him. † (Diwan Chand Sharma, â€Å"The Prophets of the East,† Calcutta 1935, p. 122). â€Å"Four years after the death of Justinian, A. D. 569, was born at Makkah, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race †¦ Mohammed †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (John William Draper, â€Å"A history of the lntellectual development of Europe†,- London 1875). By a fortune absolutely unique in history, Mohammed is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion. † (R. Bosworth-Smith, â€Å"Mohammed and Mohammedanism†- 1946). So the Qur’an rightly says to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that, â€Å"And have We not raised high the esteem in which) thou (O Muhammad are held)† (Al Qur’an 94:4). Exemplary Character Muhammad (pbuh)’s character was indeed exemplary for whole of the humankind. Before his death, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula was already under the rule of Islam.He could have easily led a very luxurious life in High palaces and could have enjoyed every pleasure of life and this world. But instead of this, he led a very simple and austere life and created a best example for the generations to come. He used to do his work himself. It is narrated in various Hadith the Muhammad (pbuh) used to milk his goat, mend his clothes, do household work and repair his shoes and visited the sick. All his companions loved him excessively but he forbade them to even getting up for him as a sign of respect. He brought a real revolution to the whole humanity and it was the transformation of the hearts.His companions who loved him more than anything else, were once his most staunch enemies but his sublime character transformed them to such an extent that they even gave up their lives for the sake of Islam. Muhammad (pbuh) brought masses from darkness to light. He was from a rich family that enjoyed highest status in Arabia but because of Islam, he suffered from worst persecutions and painful torture and sufferings. On a certain occasion, his uncle Abu Talib requested him to stop the preaching of Islam and for tha t he was offered the highest status of a chief and a lot of material wealth.But to this Muhammad (pbuh) gave a very sincere answer. he replied, â€Å"I swear by the name of God, O Uncle! , that if they place the sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it† (Ibn Hesham). Such was the determination of Muhammad (pbuh). And the Qur’an again describing the character of Muhammad (pbuh) says that, â€Å"And most certainly thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character† (Al Qur’an 68:4).It was the tolerance and sublime character of Muhammad (pbuh) that brought huge masses into the fold of Islam and the books of Seerah (Life Of Muhammad) are full of such incidents. On the fall of Makkah to the Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forgave even his most staunch enemies including Wahshi who on the battle on U hud had killed the beloved uncle and cousin of Muhammad (pbuh) namely Hamza and seeing this extraordinary behaviour of Muhammad (pbuh), Wahshi accepted Islam and became one of the Sahabees (The Companions of Prophet Muhammad).There are so many other cases found in the books of Tafseer (exegesis) and Seerah (Life Of Muhammad) wherein Muhammad (pbuh) by his sublime character won the hearts of many including Abu Bakr (RA) and Abdullah bin Salaam (RA) and many others that are considered to be the most eminent Sahabees (The Companions of Prophet Muhammad). Peaceful Preaching It was the peaceful preaching of Muhammad (pbuh) that invaded the hearts of the millions and is still continuing to do so. It was only by the peaceful preaching of Islam that it spread to all the nooks and corners of the world.And even now Islam is the fastest growing religion of the west particularly in USA and UK where many great personalities and intellectuals like Shaykh Yusuf Estes, Hamza Yusuf, Gary Miller, Dr Bilal Philips and Yusuf Islam have accepted Islam and are spreading its peaceful message globally and yet this is fulfilling an another prophecy of the Qur’an: â€Å"It is He (Allah) who has sent his messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that he may make it prevail over all religions, and enough is God for a witness† (Al Qur’an 48:28).Some of the sublime sayings of the Muhammad (pbuh) are as follows:The believers, in their love, mercy, and kindness to one another are like a body: if any part of it is ill, the whole body shares its sleeplessness and fever. (Bukhari & Muslim) The most perfect of the believers in faith are the best of them in morals. And the best among them are those who are best to their wives. (Tirmidhi & Ahmad) None of you believes (completely) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. (Bukhari & Muslim) The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and God will sh ow mercy to you. Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud) Smiling at your brother is charity†¦ (Tirmidhi) A good word is charity. (Bukhari & Muslim) Whoever believes in God and the Last Day (the Day of Judgment) should do good to his neighbor. (Bukhari & Muslim) God does not judge you according to your appearance and your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and looks into your deeds. (Sahih Muslim) Pay the worker his wage before his sweat dries. (Ibn Majah) A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well, he descended into it, drank his fill, and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst.The man said: â€Å"This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt. † So he went down into the well again, filled his shoe with water, and gave the dog a drink. So, God thanked him and forgave his sins. The Prophet was asked: â€Å"Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals? † He said: There is a reward for k indness to every living animal or human. (Bukhari & Muslim) So to conclude, Muhammad (pbuh) was bestowed by Allah with the most exemplary character. The nature of Muhammad (pbuh)’s teachings is universal and is directed for all generations and times.Muhammad (pbuh) was not just a leader or statesman, but he was and he still is, the best role model for the one who seeks guidance on the path of the Lord. It is in his teachings that one can find solution to the ongoing spiritual turmoil and find an innovative solution to the problems challenging the mankind. And it is in him that every nation and generation can find its last hope and it’s his teachings that can bring a revival to this world and save it from the disasters of hatred, bloodshed, racism and anarchy. The path that was enlightened by Muhammad (pbuh) will guide us to the eternal path of salvation and finally Jannah.Our deviated youth only by following the teaching of Muhammad (pbuh) can excel in all fields. The west has realized this fact and that’s why they are turning to Islam as it’s the only solution to all the problems confronting the humanity. If only our society would be framed and based upon the ideals and morals taught by Muhammad (pbuh), then it would bring an end to all our problems and then this world will really become a place to live in. The Qur’an mentions: â€Å"Most certainly, you have in Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern (of behaviour)† (Al Qur’an 33:21).

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 13

Damon. Death. The words swam in my mind as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. Damon was alive. But who knew for how long? If he had been captured, he was undoubtedly weak. How could he face a ravenous beast in a battle and survive? Anger tore through my body, along with the familiar ache of my fangs elongating. I ripped down the sign with a snarl. â€Å"What is it?† she hissed, her own fangs bared. I held up the paper. â€Å"My brother,† I said, staring without comprehension at the poster. The picture made him look like a monster. My eye twitched. â€Å"The battle is in two days.† Lexi nodded, taking in the portrait. â€Å"Gallagher found him,† she said, almost to herself. I shook my head, not understanding what she meant. She sighed. â€Å"Big businessman. He owns a lot of places in town, including a two-bit circus and freak show. Always looking for curiosities to display, and people always seem to find the money to attend. Your brother–â€Å" â€Å"Damon,† I said, cutting her off. â€Å"His name is Damon.† â€Å"Damon,† Lexi said gently, tracing the image with her fingers. â€Å"He doesnt deserve this,† I said, almost to myself. â€Å"I need to help him. But † I trailed off. But what? How could I possibly save him? â€Å"Well need to find him,† Lexi decided. She brushed leaves and dirt from the back of her pants. â€Å"Do you trust me?† Did I have a choice? My hunger forgotten, I followed her through the forest and back to the wide, silent streets of the city. â€Å"Gallagher lives somewhere in the Garden District with all the other nouveaux riches. On Laurel Street, I think,† Lexi murmured as we wove our way to the center of town. â€Å"This has happened before, soon after Gallagher arrived in New Orleans five years ago.† â€Å"What happened?† I asked, following closely behind her in the shadows. â€Å"He found a vampire. Hes good at finding us. Or maybe were good at finding him. But the other vampire wasnt part of my family. And † She stopped suddenly. â€Å"What happened to him?† But Lexi merely shook her head. Wed arrived at the Garden District, where the streets were wide and the lawns hugging the sherbet-colored Victorian houses were lush and expansive. â€Å"Here.† She stopped at a pistachio-hued mansion enclosed by an open wrought-iron fence. Magnolias and calla lilies spilled over the gate, and the air smelled like mint. Just beyond, I could see an enormous herb garden that took up a fifth of the property. I recoiled as we walked closer, as the garden grew a generous amount of vervain. Lexi wrinkled her nose. â€Å"He knows all the tricks,† she said wryly. We pushed open the gate, our footsteps barely crunching the gravel on the path that circled the house. Cicadas buzzed in the sycamore trees above us, and I could hear horses pacing in the stable. And then I heard a low moan. â€Å"Hes out back,† I said. Lexi gazed up at the sky. Orange streaks were starting to peek above the horizon; it was about an hour until day broke. â€Å"Its too close to dawn,† Lexi said. â€Å"I didnt realize how late it is. I have to go.† I looked at her sharply. â€Å"Im not protected.† Her fingers fluttered to my ring, and I glanced down self-consciously. The lapus lazuli adornment had become so much a part of me, Id forgotten that it made me different from other vampires, made me able to walk in the daylight. Katherine had arranged for both Damon and me to have this protection. â€Å"Well come back tomorrow. The others can help us then,† Lexi insisted. I shook my head. â€Å"I cant leave him.† Birds chirped in the trees above us, and from somewhere nearby came the sound of glass shattering. The orange streaks in the sky grew fatter, brighter. â€Å"I understand,† Lexi said finally. â€Å"Be safe. Dont play the hero.† I nodded, scanning the grounds for any guards or animals lying in wait to attack. When I looked up, Lexi was gone and I was alone. Stealing quickly to the back of the house, I made my way toward the whitewashed stable. Horses pawed the ground nervously, obviously sensing my presence. The stable doors were padlocked with an iron bolt. I grabbed the chain, testing it. Even though Id barely fed since the previous evening, it would be easy enough to rend the chains with my bare hands. But something stopped me.Don't play the hero.Lexis words echoed in my mind. She had become my guide during the past couple of days, and I knew it was in my best interest to listen to her. Better not to leave any evidence of an intruder, better to get the lay of the land before doing anything rash. I released the chain, and it fell back against the door with a loud clanking sound. A horse whinnied. I walked to the other side of the stable, where a dusty window was open a crack. â€Å"Brother?† I whispered hoarsely through the window. The cloying scent of vervain was everywhere, making me woozy and nauseated. In the corner, a filthy figure struggled to sit up. Damon. His hands and feet were bound with chains, and his skin was covered in angry red welts. The chains must have been soaked in vervain. I winced in sympathy. Damons eyes locked on mine. â€Å"You found me,† he said, no emotion in his face. â€Å"Are you happy to see that Im close to death, brother?† â€Å"Im here to save you,† I said simply. The horses were kicking up the sawdust around their feet in agitation; I didnt have much time before someone in the house heard the disturbance. Damon shrugged, an effort that clearly took all his energy. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. A large cut lined his forehead, slicing into his eyebrow. He looked awful and emaciated; it was clear he hadnt eaten in days. I glanced around, hoping I could find something–a squirrel, a rabbit, a chipmunk–to kill and toss to him, but there was nothing. â€Å"So the cold-blooded killer is going to save me.† Damon attempted a wan smile. He leaned back against the wall, his chains rattling. â€Å"Yes, we have to–â€Å" Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door slamming, then a dog barking. I whirled around toward the main house. â€Å"What do you think youre doing?† a voice yelled out. And I stood, my hands raised to the sky, unsure of who–or what–had found me this time.

In the Shooting Salvationist, David R. Stokes recounts the murder Essay

In the Shooting Salvationist, David R. Stokes recounts the murder trial of fundamentalist clergyman J. Frank Norris. Despite muc - Essay Example The court was told of the Norris’ feuds with the Fort Worth Mayor where the preacher had alleged that the city Mayor was an adulterer. Mayor Meacham swore to his friend, D.E Chipps that, â€Å"something must be done† to stop Norris behavior (Stokes 56). Chipps, a local businessperson, agreed to face up to the preacher to threaten him against tainting the local politicians. On July 17, 1926, Chipps entered Norris office and threatened to kill him if he continued to attack the Mayor. According to an eyewitness, L.H. Nutt, Chipps then appeared to have left the building before storming back with the same threats. Norris was standing in front of his desk where a gun belonging to the guard of the church was kept in a drawer as a ‘safety precaution’. Norris then short Chipps three times and claiming that the attacker was â€Å"stronger and could easily have overpowered† him had the brawl resulted into a physical fight (Stokes 112). The defense team stood it s ground that Norris acted in self-defense. According to Stokes, the defense team insisted that Norris’ popularity, fundamentalism views on modernity and his castigation of local leaders and sinners had attracted many enemies including the Mayor. Stokes and the final verdict seemed to agree that Dr. Frank Norris had not premeditated to murder Chipps. He only feared that the drunkard man endangered his life. To strengthen their case further, the defense team presented evidence of Norris inquiring from Nutt about Chipps identity. The case would have yielded different results had the court been presented with evidence that the preacher indeed had prior acquaintance with the victim. On these grounds, the court appeared to be reluctant to convict Dr. Norris of first-degree murder (Stokes, 34). Previous acquittal of Dr. Norris on arson and perjury also served to strengthen his ‘not-guilty’ plea. The prosecution team tried unsuccessfully to relate the two cases as proof that the preacher was culpable of the murder. This was never going to add weight to the case that was facing public scrutiny like never before in the American justice delivery history. There was an apparent fall-out between the public and the once renowned preacher. This was a weak point in the prosecution team because of the enormous task to proof behind reasonable doubt that it was not acting due to public pressure. Ultimately, this proved to be the breakdown of the trial in Norris favor as prosecution team appeared to be overreached. Stokes blamed both the jury and the prosecution team for the apparent injustice of finding Norris not guilty. The prosecutors could easily have won the case had they charged Norris with second-degree murder. Their overly vicious immovable decision to stage a â€Å"first-degree murder case or nothing† was not justifiable under the overwhelming evidence of the contrary (Stokes 150). The jury on the other hand appeared not to consider the possib ility of advising the prosecutors to reconsider their stand. Their final decision baffled the whole world because the enormity of the case warranted a better rationale for a ‘not-guilty’ verdict. Stokes noted that Norris had â€Å"great gifts and abilities† but he exercised â€Å"coercion, control and manipulation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to further his cause (Stokes 105). Dr. Norris strongly believed that â€Å"the end always justified the means† as he went to every length, including lying, to expand his doctrine of

The Process of Successful Selling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Process of Successful Selling - Essay Example Knowing about a product means knowing the strength of the product as well as flaws of the product. There are different types of customer who would come to a seller. Some of the customers will be aware of the product completely while others may be new and very cynical. It is the acquired skill of a seller to sell the product to the older customer in a complete newer way that they stay attracted towards the product for longer periods (Schiffman). For the purpose of selling a product to a new and cynical customer, it is recommended that the seller use the metaphors to compare product with other products of the market and highlight the significance of product. A seller needs to be very clever in this regard. Being a clever seller means, being informed about the marketing strategies and newer intervention in the product range (Schiffman). A successful seller can also be regarded as a squirrel who knows which nut is worth saving and which one to discard. A successful seller exactly knows which customer is a potential buyer. If a seller learns the art to weed out customers who are not worth enough for the product sell, then a seller will automatically turn into a successful seller. Need of a product would simultaneously gets increased with the effective marketing and campaigns that would be used for the sale of products and goods. The marketing campaigns such as APPLE’s strategic marketing campaigns are considered to be one of the world’s brilliant marketing campaigns. It is due to the active selling and marketing techniques that add value to a consumer good or product (Schiffman). A successful seller is supposed to be loaded with the tool kit of effective selling of his or her products for sale. The tool kit or in other words, the components that are required for the preparation of effective selling of products include prospects, techniques, conditions and final transit. By prospects of product, it simply means that a

Maria Full of Grace Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maria Full of Grace - Movie Review Example In the scene when Maria is traveling to Bogota, the movie captures infrastructure development in the countryside as average. The road on which Maria is traveling on a motorbike is depicted as having only two lanes. The roads are narrow at various points where sharp turns occur along the overlooking valleys. There are a number of ramps along the road at such turns, though the rest of the road sections have no ramps on the side that face the valley. When they reach Bogota, the road network improves to three lanes. There are elements of improvement of infrastructure unlike in many developing countries. There is a flyover, which may be seen to easy traffic along the roads. The buildings on the right also seem modern, though they appear to be based on the 1960s engineering technology that was not so much advanced. The streets of Bogota seem to have been maintained close to the level of other developed countries. There is a zebra crossing and the houses in Bogota central business district are quite properly planned. They are neatly arranged in a line. There is also evidence of streetlights. However, there is evidence of informal settlement and structures within Bogota. There is a poorly constructed structure by the roadside, probably an eatery. The environment around the eatery is untidy. One can see papers lying all over the place in the grass. Some people have parked their cars by the roadside, an indication that probably there are no official parking lots. In one street, vendors have occupied part of the road with their carts, which they sell their grocery. Inside buildings, there is an evidence of poor planning in lighting. The corridor and the rooms, through which Maria walks are dark, almost like dungeons. Life in Bogota is generally lively. There is a little bit of pomp. People seem to mix freely. Much of the countryside in Colombia is quite impoverished, so is part of the urban dwellers. Survival mechanisms in urban areas include taking odd jobs such

Use atleast 2 primary sources and analyze those sources that are Essay

Use atleast 2 primary sources and analyze those sources that are historical events in American history after 1900 - Essay Example When the First World War was declared in 1914, America adopted a policy of isolation and neutrality because many Americans could not believe Europe was ready to descend into greater depths in war, as depicted by the trench warfare adopted in the course of the war (Zieger 63). Even though small groups in America like American-French and American Germans supported the country’s involvement in the war, the majority of Americans favored Woodrow Wilson’s approach to remain neutral, as he needed to listen to public opinion in order to guarantee re-election in 2016 (Zieger 4). As a result, Wilson took control of foreign policy issues because the causes of war extended beyond race, as seen in the world war. America’ neutrality was based on a premise that a European war would not interfere with American interests, as trade continued unabated, but threatening America’s interest after Germany sank the Lusitania prompted America to join the war in 1917. The French, British, Germans, and Austro-Hungarians who led their nations to war after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand made many errors, but their worst miscalculation was neglect of the American factor, especially in case of a prolonged war (Zieger 104). America keenly followed rapidly unfolding events in the international arena and seized the opportunity to influence the war transformed international arena positively in its favor by declaring war on Germany in 1917 after the sinking of Lusitania. America exploited its neutrality not only to facilitate trade in the international arena in the event of war, but also to strategize to take the glory of the war and challenge Western hegemony, and the Zimmerman note provided an opportunity for America to prepare for full-scale war in 1918 (Zieger 160). The Zimmerman letter was a telegram sent by Arthur Zimmermann, German

Health Optimisation - Gerontic Nursing Care Essay

Health Optimisation - Gerontic Nursing Care - Essay Example Sullivan (2008) further points out that the patients suffering from dementia and delirium tend to have issues and behavioral problems of the same type including purposeless activity, sleep disorders, inappropriate conduct or aggressiveness. In both cases, the patient is most likely to be disoriented, have hallucination and delusions. Virani et al (2010) adds that patients suffering from dementia are at a high risk of getting into the condition of delirium. However, the overlap does not account for all the symptoms associated with each condition. Each condition has a set of unique symptoms that are entirely different from the other. According to Thomas et al (2008), â€Å"delirium is characterized by acute consciousness disturbances and global changes in cognition†. Moreover the patient can be extremely hyperactive if agitated or extremely hyper alert. On the other hand, Eliopoulos (2010) points out that a delirium patient can be hypoactive if the patient is confused, lethargic or even when sedated. Dementia on the other hand has many characteristics. According to Ouldred et al (2008), â€Å"dementia is characterized by slower move into deficits in cognition that include memory impairment and at least one of the disturbances of cognition such as aspraxia, asphasia, and a disturbed or agnostic executive functioning†. The impairment cause must be significant in occupational or social functioning and represent a great decline from a previous level of functioning. Course of illness According to Miller (2009), delirium is transitory. Its onset is quick and its treatment will remit symptoms. A sudden drop to baseline causes delirium. Dementia on the other hand is characterized by a slow progress and a long-term gradual decline from the baseline. Furthermore, it is chronic, progressive and irreversible. Etiology When comparing both delirium and dementia etiologically, a big difference comes out. Metabolic imbalance, substance abuse, failure of the liver, congestive heart failure or its infection all cause delirium. On the other hand, dementia is mainly caused by degeneration of the nervous system including neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer (Waszynski et al, 2008). Treatment According to Saxon et al (2010), the delirium symptoms can be prevented or reversed to prevent further medical or cognitive impairment. Some of the management of delirium, which are non-pharmacological, include steps such as provision of optimized, quite environments, in contrast, the dementia symptoms cannot be remitted but can be managed. Assessment The elderly patients like Mr. Webb are mostly at a higher risk of cognitive disorders. These cognitive disorders can be chronic such as dementia or acute such as delirium. For effective treatment, the first step is clarifying the diagnosis and assessment at onset. However, as Thomas et al (2008) explains, this can be challenging to the elderly patients like Mr. Webb. They often have accompanied medical co-mor bidities that can result to affective and cognitive changes (Gagliardi, 2008). 1. Approach the patient (Mr. Webb) As explained by Gagliardi (2008), I will try to reduce the number of people in the room. As well, as encourage him to rest either on the bed or on the chair. I will initiate a

Food Fortification with Vitamins and Minerals Essay

Food Fortification with Vitamins and Minerals - Essay Example Vitamins help fortify the body's walls against the attacks from viruses, bacteria and other health dangers. In terms of minerals, the body needs a the minimum of 200mg daily reference daily intake(RDI) of Calcium (He), Magnesium and Potassium. And, the body also needs other trace elements of less than 200mg daily reference daily intake of copper, zinc and iron (Francis). Vitamin D is a very popular and much needed vitamin. The following paragraphs explains the history, progress and the current situation of vitamins that have been included to fortify food products like milk and others. It had been discovered that the human body needs minimum daily requirements of both vitamins and minerals. The more popular vitamins that have been fortified in food are A, B -complex, D, E, and C. Vitamins increase the body's defense mechanism against the onslaught of beriberi, anemia and scurvy and other vitamin deficiency diseases (Fennema). Vitamins are substances that are needed by the body to maintain normal body metabolism, regulation of cell function, growth and development (Mitchell). And, vitamins are classified as organic elements which means that they have carbon components in them. Also, vitamins are the catalysts of the human body. Clearly, the human body cannot produce its own vitamins and must get them from organic substances found in plants and animals. Today, we can swallow vitamins that have been processed and sold in drugstores. Vitamins help in the fast and high quality formation of human bones and tissues. Vitamins also increase the energy and vitality of a person. Further, Vitamins help fix nutritional deficiencies. Unfortunately, it is believed that vitamins do not reverse cancer and other diseases. Vitamins are more effective in the preventive and not curative means. Currently, studies are continuing on the different aspects of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin AVitamin A can be found in large amounts in carrots. This vitamin is also known as beta carotene. Vitamin A is a fat soluble and is needed by the body to combat against night blindness, corneal drying or xerosis, corneal degeneration, triangular eye spots, impaired immunity and hypokeratosis and the softening of the eyes' cornea (Goldstein, M., Goldstein, M., ). Also, Crude palm oil is the world's richest source of beta carotene or Vitamin A. Lastly, Vitamin aids in the body's anti oxidation process to slow the effects of a person's growing old process. Vitamins can be found fortifying such foods as margarine, sugar, fats and oils, milk, spice mix and instant noodles. Adversely, foods fortified with Vitamin A cause the vitamin to disintegrate if the food's moisture content overshoots the dangerous seven percent mark. Also, reheating the food reduces the Vitamin A in the food. Furthermore, Vitamin A fortifies milk and dairy products like cheese and margarine as well as food ce reals in some developing countries. The standard fortification of Vitamin A in food is six mg beta carotene for every one mg of retinol. Vitamin fortification in sugar had been a success in Guatemala (Bauernfeind, J., Arroyave, G.,). For, Monodosium Glutamate was discovered to be good connecting link to Vitamin A in the Philippines (Solon et al.,) and Indonesia. Furthermore, Also, Vitamin fortifica

Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Essay Example for Free

Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Essay Exercise 1: Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Under the ‘Try This’ tab, complete the puzzles (P1- P6) presented to bring the items into focus. Use the check lists to make sure you have completed all steps Under the ‘Try This’ tab, complete the measurement puzzles (M1-M3) and write the answers here: M1 = __150___ micrometers at __10x__Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = __10_micrometers) M2 = __8.0____ micrometers at _100x_____Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = _1. 0__micrometers) M3 = ___2.0__ micrometers at __100x____Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = _1.0__micrometers) Exercise 2: Viewing a typed letter ‘e’ with your scope. Obtain the slide with an ‘e’ on it from the slide selections. Place the ‘e’ slide right side up on the stage with the letter ‘e’ over the hole in the stage. Using the techniques described in the ‘getting started tour’, focus on the letter on the lowest objective power. What do you notice about the orientation of the letter as you look through the microscope? In other words, how does the ‘e’ position compare to how it looks on the slide when looking at the microscope? Upside down At the lowest power, what is the total magnification of the image? 16x Adjust the position of the slide so that a portion of the letter is in the center of the viewing field. Now, rotate the next higher objective in place. If the image is not clear, use only the fine tuning knob to adjust. At 10x, what is the total magnification of the image now? 40x At 40x, what is the total magnification of the image now?160x At 100x, what is the total magnifi cation of the image now?400x Exercise 3: Human cheek cells. Your cheeks are lined with very thin cells that can easily be removed for viewing under a microscope. These cells are called epithelial cells and they line the outside and inside of your body. Cells are small, but large enough to be viewed with a light microscope. The following procedure shows how you would obtain these cells. However, since this is a virtual lab, the cheek cells have already been collected and stained. They are stained with methylene blue to view some sub-cellular parts. This is the actual procedure, but please proceed to placing the cheek smear slide on your ‘virtual’ microscope and bringing into focus. 1. Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with a toothpick. 2. Using a circular pattern, spread some saliva in the middle of a slide. 3. Place a small drop of stain on the saliva smear. The less stain you use, the better the results will be! 4. Place a cover slip on the stained smear. Knowing the objective scale in Exercise 2, estimate and record the diameter of a single cheek cell in micrometers. Diameter = ___4__________ micrometers What power of objective lens did you use? 100 What was the total magnification?400

Introduction To Opportunity Cost Commerce Essay

Introduction To Opportunity Cost Commerce Essay It is a very powerful concept when someone has to make a decision to select a particular product or making a choice. In simple words, opportunity cost means choosing or making a best decision from different option. When one has to make a decision in between various actions to select only one particular work at a time is called opportunity cost. Example: From a economist point of view when a kid has to make a decision to choose between ice cream and chocolate at a time. When the kid has got a limited pocket money of $10 only and ice cream cost is $8 whereas chocolate cost is $15. So, the kid will have to select ice cream only as the kid has only limited cash in hand. It is also an example of scarcity too. In this example, there is scarcity of money. NEEDS AND WANTS According to Macpherson (1977, p.27) defines needs and wants as The problem of needs and wants is both an ontological and a historical problem. NEEDS The basic requirement to satisfy human beings desire is included in needs. Needs are a basic necessity which are used in daily life like food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter etc. A mans survival is dependent on these needs only on the primary stage. In a modern society the basic needs keeps on changing according to the society standards. In case of modern society the basic needs of a man may differ from clothing to electricity, food to running water, shelter to furniture, medicine to electronic items etc. After talking about primary needs, secondary needs is the another topic which are needed to be explained. In case of secondary needs the necessity can be regarded as luxury. Like an automobile is a necessity in The United States. As the country grows to progress and development, the luxury too gets into necessity item for the people. At earlier stage cars could be only affordable by rich people. But at present, many of the middle level income people are also willing to afford it. Growth in a countries economy helps one to go beyond his or her limits. WANTS Wants include needs but it goes beyond that. Before we get deep into wants, we should understand the gap between needs and wants. According to Heibroner (1962, p.135) makes the statement that Consumer demand is no longer driven to essentials but hesitates before a whole range of possible luxuries and semi-luxuries. It means that now a days, consumer demand are unlimited and its no longer situated in a stage where consumer use to select between luxury and semi-luxury products. Due to the growth in economy, now most of the middle class people are also willing to afford luxury products. In a few years back was just a dream for them to afford the price for a luxury product. SCARCITY It is a stage when the wants are not satisfied up to the satisfaction of people. When the production is not enough or sufficient, to satisfy the demand for a particular commodity, the problem of scarcity arises. The scarcity keeps on changing from one society to various countries. As the society keeps on developing, the standard of living also gets higher. The demand also keeps on increasing according to the economy of a country and the satisfactory level of the society. So, the resources get scarcer to produce goods and services for the satisfaction of wants. OPPORTUNITY COST According to (Pearce, 1983, p.322) opportunity cost can be defined as opportunity cost can only arise in a world where the resources available to meet wants are limited so that all wants cannot be satisfied. In simple words, we could say that the wants and needs of human being are unlimited. But the resources available in the market are limited. And so, it is not possible to satisfy each and every wants and desires of human being. And thus, the topic opportunity cost arises in a world. Choosing the best alternative when there is scarcity for a particular product, it can be measured in opportunity cost for the satisfaction of the needs and wants. The value of the next best alternative which is available in the market is termed in as opportunity cost. ADVANTAGES OF OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost provides a benefit of choosing one option over another. It may be personal or business related, opportunity cost arises when we select one option over another taking into consideration that the selected option has better advantage comparing with the another option. It helps one to study each and every facilities and satisfactory level of various products similar in nature, when the resources are limited. Opportunity cost provides us awareness towards choosing the best alternative product, which helps one to make fully informed and to make appropriate planning and decision making, which helps to maximize ones resources. Price of a product plays an important role in considering opportunity cost, as it allows us to consider and compare prices between each alternative product and to select the most effective and satisfactory product from the option. DISADVANTAGES OF OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost consumes a lot of time to calculate the features, price, budget, success ratio, satisfactory level etc of a product and many times we do not have time to evaluate the benefits of every product to choose the best alternatives. The biggest disadvantage of opportunity cost from a economist point of view is that the opportunity cost is not considered in accounting process of any company accounts. And so, the cost of opportunity involved in a selection of a particular product and the alternative product which was not selected, cannot be taken into accounts for future studies at all from a financial point of view. PRACTICE OF OPPORTUNITY COST IN REALITY Opportunity cost is calculated everyday by a human being who has the desire to purchase any product available in the market. Whether it may be implicit or explicit cost, it is considered into opportunity cost itself. An example of opportunity cost in case of financial sector is as given below:- A decision maker must study the impact of opportunity costs deeply before making the decision. If we consider a situation of an investor, whether to make investment in stock market or mutual fund investment. If a person makes an investment of $20,000 in Mutual Fund Investment of any company for one year, then he thinks what if he had put the same $20,000 in stock market rather than mutual fund investment. Perhaps he may expect a return of 20% on stock, and then the investor has an opportunity cost of $4000.Mutual fund may only provide a return of 10% ($2000). Then the investor has to consider the risk taking capacity, if he goes directly with stock market. As stock market value keeps on changing from time to time and there is always a risk of losing the money. In case of mutual fund investment, investor finds it more safe and secure for his money. There is very less chance of losing the money as compared with stock market. Hence, the investor may take the decision on the best alternative to invest in after considering the opportunity cost. PRACTICES ADOPTED BY ORGANIZATION IN RELATION TO OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost is very important concept in financial sector. Especially in business progress related strategies. Opportunity cost helps one to examine the details and to make a profitable deal in a business purchase and selling process. The opportunity cost is the value mentioned to the next best choice. When an organization makes a decision to purchase an asset over another, there the organization is transferring the opportunity cost offered by another asset which was not selected. From my personal investigation on use of opportunity cost in business world, opportunity cost helps the organization to manage time with fully efficiency. Opportunity cost helps the organization to manage time with full efficiency. Even the business organization has to analysis which productive material should be purchased or not. Evento study the profitability level of various materials before purchasing it. It helps in a better decision making. Examples of opportunity cost in Business organization: A company has $2 million to spend on a project. The company can decide to invest the money for advertisement purpose of the particular product at the time of launch in the market. If they decide to invest the money in production and to buy machinery and all then the opportunity cost gets lost for advertisement purpose. And if they decide to spend the money on advertisement purpose, then the opportunity cost will be the organizations ability to produce commodity with more efficiently. Another example for business organization is that an organization owns a building in which it operates its function and so, it does not have to pay any rent for the office room space and all. But from economist point of view the business owner might have kept the office space for current use itself or the office space might have given for rent for money. So, that the owner could have earned from the rent but if the owner will not consider or provide the office space for rent then there is a loss in business expenses according to economist view point. But in real life accountant of a business organization cannot provide any loss expenses due to opportunity cost in any accounts. Even though opportunity cost is not considered by the accountants in case of financial accounts and all. But it is very much important for a manager of the business organization to consider opportunity cost in relation to business strategies. A business manager must consider opportunity cost in calculating the opportunity expenses in the organization for analyzing the profitable deals available in the market. It also helps in utilizing limited resources efficiently. CONCLUSION The value of the next best alternative which is available in the market is termed in as opportunity cost. It means choosing or making a decision from different options. From a economist point of view when a kid has to make a decision to choose between ice cream and chocolate at a time. When the kid has got a limited pocket money of $10 only and ice cream cost is $8 and chocolate cost is $15. So, the kid will have to select ice cream only as the kid has limited cash in hand. It is also a better example for scarcity too. When we talk about opportunity cost, we must take scarcity, needs and wants also into consideration. As, the basic needs to satisfy human beings desire is included in needs. Needs are a basic requirements which are used in daily life like food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter etc. A mans survival is dependent on theseneeds only on the primary level. Saying about wants it includes needs but it goes beyond that. Now a days consumer demands are unlimited but the resources are limited. It makes the demand margin to get higher, comparing with supply or resources. Scarcity is a stage when the wants are not satisfied up to the mark. When the production is insufficient to satisfy the demand for a particular commodity the problem of scarcity arises. Opportunity cost provides a benefit of choosing the best option available in the market after concluding the advantages and disadvantages. It also provides awareness towards choosing a product. From a business concern opportunity cost helps to maintain time management to make business decisions. Even opportunity cost involves limitations like consumption of a lot of time and opportunity cost is not considered by accountants.

Impact of Directly Observed Treatment on Tuberculosis

Impact of Directly Observed Treatment on Tuberculosis Description of the condition Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) is defined as Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with in vitro resistance to at least both isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP) (Johnston 2009;WHO;WHO 2013). Emergence of this strain since the 1980s has represented a major barrier towards successful TB control (Johnston 2009;WHO 2013). Among the newly diagnosed TB patients in 2012, 3.6% had MDR TB while the percentage was approximately six times higher among those previously treated cases (20.2%) (WHO 2013).In 2012, it was estimated that 450000 incident cases and 170000 mortality cases of MDR TB occurred globally (WHO 2013). Compared with drug-susceptible strains, treatment of MDR TB is much more complex. According to the WHO guidelines, MDR TB treatment regimen requires a minimum duration of 18 months with two treatment phases, the intensive and the continuation phase (WHO). The first six months of treatment is usually considered the intensive phase since a patient needs to receive both oral and injectable drugs (WHO). After this period, the injectable agent is discontinued and patients receive the oral drugs for another 12-18 months (termed as the continuation phase) (WHO). Management of MDR TB is challenging for that patients are normally in advanced stages of disease with thick-walled cavities and chronic lung lesions which are hard for the drugs to penetrate (Orenstein 2009). Also, the longer treatment duration, high out-of-pocket cost, together with the more frequent adverse reactions that are associated with second line drugs are all contribution factors to poor treatment adherence (Bassili 2013;Toczek 2012;Volmink 2007). As a result, treatment success rate of MDR TB was much lower compared to drug sensitive strains. According to the WHO, the pooled treatment success rate of MDR TB patients diagnosed in 2009 was about 48%, whereas it exceeded 85% among non-MDR TB patients (Johnston 2009). Description of the intervention Directly observed treatment (DOT) refers to the use of an appointed agent (a professional health worker, a community volunteer, or a family member) to directly monitor people taking their anti-tuberculosis drugs (Mukherjee 2004). Initially, this concept was proposed as a key component of Directly Observed Therapy, Short Course (DOTS) by the WHO in 1994 to ensure cure of TB (WHO). In addition to the provision of standardized 6-8 months short-course directly observed chemotherapy regimen, other components of DOTS include: political commitment, case detection through quality-assured bacteriology, maintenance of an effective drug supply and management system, and evaluation of performance and impact (WHO). Implementation of DOTS in non-MDR TB treatment demonstrates significant effectiveness, as the strategy has helped to treat 37 million TB cases and cured more than 80% of them by 2007(WHO 2013). However, the standardized short-course chemotherapy is usually not applicable to cases of MD R TB. To improve patients’ adherence to MDR TB treatment, in 2000, WHO and its international partners further developed DOTS-Plus strategy by adding the components of MDR-TB diagnosis, treatment and management into the DOTS (WHO 2008;WHO 2011). In this DOTS-Plus strategy, DOT is highly recommended by the WHO to be delivered to all MDR-TB patients (WHO 2008;WHO 2011). However, treatment of MDR-TB patients requires at least 18 months, therefore, delievering DOT to MDR-TB patients would be more challenge than for drug-suspectible TB patients. There are two types of DOT according to its implementation length. In full DOT, anti-TB drugs were administered under direct observation throughout the treatment duration (including both the intensive and continuation phase) whereas it is directly observed only during the intensive phase for partial DOT (WHO 2008;WHO 2011). Effectiveness of DOT is commonly demonstrated through comparison with SAT, a traditional management modality in which anti-TB drugs were self-administered by patients without any observation (WHO 2008;WHO 2011). Currently, many countries have incorporated full DOT into their national TB control programs (NTPs) according to suggestions from the WHO guidelines (Bassili 2013). However, there are still countries that adopt partial DOT or even self-administrated treatment (SAT) as the management modality in their NTPs. How the intervention might work A better understanding of how DOT improves treatment outcomes of MDR TB could have important management implications. First, knowing the type(s) of DOT provider and location that is associated with a higher treatment success rate could allow one to make evidence-based decisions when designing DOT for MDR TB treatment. Second, studying the influence of other characteristics on successful treatment outcomes of MDR TB could provide a conservative yet more objective conclusion of the effectiveness of DOT. Third, comparing DOT with other strategies for the improvement of treatment adherence could advise policy makers to balance resources between DOT and these other strategies so that treatment could be delivered in a more cost-effective way. Why it is important to do this review Impact of DOT on successful TB treatment has been controversial throughout the years. Previous observational studies suggested that DOT ensured timely adherence management as well as day-to-day monitoring of adverse effects (Orenstein 2009). One meta-analysis revealed that treatment completion rate among pulmonary TB patients could exceed 90% when DOT was implemented throughout the treatment course(Bassili 2013). However, results from a recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials showed no significant difference in treatment success rate between DOT and SAT among drug-susceptible TB cases(Mukherjee 2004). Moreover, previous meta-analyses almost exclusively focused on the role of DOT in the treatment of non-MDR TB; little has been examined systematically regarding its role in effective MDR TB treatment.

Samoan Language :: essays research papers fc

Samoan is a rich language that remains the principal language of the people of Samoa. The Samoan language is exquisite and quite easy to learn and is similar to other languages in the pacific region. â€Å"Samoan is a branch of the Austronesian Language, formerly called Malayo-Polynesian language, one of the word’s largest language families, both in terms of numbers of languages-more than 700-and geographic spread-covering islands and some mainland areas from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island and Hawaii in the east† (Amerika Samoa). â€Å"The Austronesian language is divided into two branches: Formosan, the languages spoken by about 200,000 people in Taiwan; and Malayo-Polynesian, comprising the rest of the language in the Austronesian family† (Encarta Online). As a student finishing up his 2nd year of the Hawaiian Language, I was amazed to find several words in Pouliuli having the same meaning in Hawaiian. Therefore, this report will focus on the Samoan l anguage; it’s rules, pronunciation, and the similarities and differences between the Samoan language and the Hawaiian language. The Samoan language cannot be considered as strong language, and few letters of the alphabet are put to use. â€Å"D and B are never used; H, R, and K are of rare occurrence, which are found in words that have been introduced. All words have a vowel termination, and their etymological forms are constructed by the employment of particles attached to the roots, thereby forming agglutinative or polysynthetic words. The Samoan language is comprised of only fourteen letters-five vowels, A, E, I, O, U, and nine consonants, F, G, L, M, N, P, S, T, V, --H, K, and R only occurring in words of foreign origin† (Neffgen 3). The Samoan language now contains many introduced words, which have been distorted by added vowels or substituted consonants, in order for native speakers to articulate them. Samoan vowels have long and short versions. The language is generally pronounced as in romantic languages such as Spanish and Italian. In print the long vowel sound is represented by the presence of a dash or macron over the vowel. Here is a chart on how to pronounce each vowel. Vowel  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Short A  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bath  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But E  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eh  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bet I  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bit O  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raw  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gone U  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pool  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pew Source: Samoan Sensation â€Å"Samoan consonants are pronounced the same as in English, with the exception of G, which sounds like the NG as in song† (Samoan Sensation). The Hawaiian language and Samoan language are quite similar because they both come from the same language family.

Abortion: Different Sides :: Essays Papers

Abortion: Different Sides When the topic of abortion is brought up, many people have different opinions. The only way we can have a sense of how the situation feels and the circumstances are from someone who has experienced it themselves; the mother. Here is a true story from Becca and her fight for life: â€Å"I write to you as an abortion survivor. My mother went to a clinic at 22weeks to get rid of me, most were appalled that she waited so long. Well to make a long story short they gave her the saline solution...or gave it to me rather. I was burned and poisoned but it didn't kill me. She never went into labor and so she figured she had to carry me to term but it didn't matter. I was dead or so she thought. 25 weeks came and went [†¦] she felt me still kicking. So she went back, the doc found me still breathing and he offered a partial birth abortion. My mom said she needed to think on that one and so we went back home. At thirty weeks, she never went back and she was starting to wonder about me, wa s I even still alive? I wasn't kicking as much anymore. Well she went into labor at 35 weeks, average gestation and all. I was born, my skin was red and scarred, my hair was gone and I was blind...the salt solution burned my eyes. The nurses were mortified from what my mom tells me, said I looked like Freddy Kruger. I had to have a lung transplant because my right lung was too burned up to function right. I was taken home, eventually my scars cleared up but I never got my sight back. I'm glad in a way that I couldn't see, after what my mom had done to me I could never look her in the eye anyway and hold back the contempt. Time passed, I'm 22 and married with a sweet baby of my own. My son Tristan came to me on February 27, 2002 and was perfectly healthy. I have also had surgery on my eyes, my vision is blurry but I can see a world my mother never intended me to see (abortionTV). For more stories and cases, go to Abortion Stories. This story shows us how one instance can ruin someone ’s life and also turn it into a blessing.

Local and State Education Agencies Essay

Dear Colleagues, The purpose of this document is to provide a stand-alone guide for local and state education agencies faced with the task of designing a new or upgrading an existing automated student information system. While based on a chapter from the Student Data Handbook for Elementary, Secondary, and Early Childhood Education, this guide contains additional information from a variety of resources, most of which are cited in the text. Included in the contents are guidelines, checklists, and real-life examples. This document was commissioned by the National Education Statistics Agenda Committee (NESAC) of the National Forum on Education Statistics (a part of the National Cooperative Education Statistics System) and funded by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Through contract with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and NCES funding, this document was developed by Barbara S. Clements of Evaluation Software Publishing, Inc. It is an adaptation of the chapter, Building a Student Record System, contained in the Student Data Handbook for Elementary, Secondary, and Early Childhood Education: 2000 Edition. Beth Young of NCES and Oona Cheung of CCSSO provided overall guidance to and management of this activity. Comments on the text were gratefully received from state and local education agency staff including Raymond Yeagley, Rochester (NH) School District, Lee Tack, Iowa Department of Education, Bethann Canada, Virginia Department of Education, and Carol Hokenson,  Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning. Design assistance was provided by The Creative Shop. The original Student Data Handbook was developed in 1994 by NCES. It was the result of the collaborative effort and work of NCES staff and contractors, the NESAC Student Data Task Force, local, state and federal education representatives and researchers from around the country. We hope this document will provide you with useful and interesting information to aid in designing your automated student record system. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comment or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you. Introduction The national focus on student outcomes has placed an additional burden on our nation’s schools, school districts, and state education agencies, for they must monitor the achievement of individual students, as well as groups of students, and show that all students are meeting high standards for learning. An education organization’s ability to meet this challenge is affected by the organization’s access to complete, accurate, and timely information about its students. This booklet has been developed to help education organizations plan and implement efficient systems for maintaining and using individual student records so that effective decisions can be made for the benefit of the students. Many schools, school districts, and state education agencies already collect and use data effectively. However, the proliferation of new reporting requirements and dramatic changes in technology have had a profound effect on the need for student data and the education community’s ability to manage student records. Purchase of more powerful computer hardware and software and the reconfiguration of information systems have become essential components in efforts to meet the needs of all students. There is probably no single best information system solution that can meet the needs of all 90,000+ public schools, 16,000+ school districts, 27,000  private schools, and 57 education agencies in states and outlying areas. However, there are certain steps that could help all education organizations to determine the best solution for their particular situations. This booklet can lead education organization decision-makers through the process of making the best and most cost-effective decisions about information management systems devoted to individual student records. Building an Automated Student Record System describes steps that are useful for education organizations to follow when planning for, designing, and implementing an automated student record system. This booklet should be particularly useful if your school or district is moving from paper records to automated student records or if you are revising or replacing an existing system. In addition, you may find information that is useful if your state education agency is building a new student record system or expanding the collection of individual student records. Contents of this Booklet Included are twelve steps to consider when developing and  implementing an automated student record system. Many of these steps are relevant to the implementation of any administrative record system, but our focus here is on the special considerations relating to student records, including confidentiality and access. After a general discussion about student records and student record systems, each step is described. Examples, case studies, and checklists are included to help you work your way through the steps and make crucial decisions. Related resource documents will be described for some of the steps. It should be noted that this book is derived from a chapter that appears in the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Student Data Handbook for Elementary, Secondary, and Early Childhood Education: 2000 Edition. In addition, information from other documents developed or sponsored by NCES and the advisory group, the National Forum on Education Statistics, are referenced and parts included in this booklet. Each of these documents is described in the Resource List at the end of the booklet, along with ways to obtain copies of the printed documents or the online versions. Student record is, by definition, any written information about a student. Student records can be described in terms of their contents (e.g., courses taken, grade point averages), use (e.g., identifying students eligible for the free lunch program), and storage medium (e.g., a manila file folder). The maintenance of extensive, accurate, historical, and current data about individual students is essential to the functioning of schools and school districts, and can promote effective educational practices at all levels of the education system. The contents of the student record are determined by the uses of the records. Typical contents may include family information, courses taken and grades, special program participation information, immunization records, assessment scores, extracurricular activities, and other information that is used by the education system to promote student success and provide appropriate services. Some of this information should be standard across classrooms, schools, districts, and states, while other information can be unique to the particular classroom, school, or district. Student records are used for many important educational purposes, including instruction and guidance decisions; monitoring compliance with attendance and health laws; and administrative purposes, such as determining tuition status, scheduling students into classes, planning school bus routes, monitoring program completion, and completing reports for local, state, and federal authorities. The student record usually contains the information necessary for each of these purposes at the school or district level.  Instructional management systems are frequently linked to student record systems to provide more analytical capability for teachers and administrators. These systems allow for student learning plans, individualized education plans (IEPs), portfolios, and other student products to be stored and retrieved for instructional decision-making and achievement monitoring. A student record may be kept on file in a classroom, school office, school district office, intermediate agency, state education agency, or other approved location. The record may contain information collected from the student (or family); from teachers and other school staff; and from other sources outside the school, such as health care providers or testing companies. The record for a student may be stored in a central location (such as a school computer) for the convenience of anyone with authorized access and a need to obtain information; or there may be a separate paper or computer record maintained by each person who has contact with a student. Some parts of the record may even be stored outside the school, as happens when student health records are stored and maintained by the local public health service, or when state test scores are stored and maintained at the state education agency. No matter where the student records are stored, procedures must be in place to ensure that access is granted only to authorized individuals and that only authorized individuals have the capacity to maintain (update) the records. Student records traditionally have been kept only at the school or district level. In recent years, however, many state education agencies have begun to collect individual student records. State-level records typically consist of data about student characteristics, program participation and assessment results––a subset of the data usually maintained at the school and district levels. The purposes of state-level databases are to promote continuous improvement in schools, plan for program changes to help students achieve high standards, distribute funds, and hold schools and districts accountable for student achievement. Most of the information included in state-level databases comes directly from schools and districts, and the information may be transmitted electronically among levels of the state’s school system. In summary, a complete student record may be a single file, or it can be made up of several separate records, each with specific content or uses and each stored and maintained in a different way.

The Great Pyramids as Art

The Great Pyramids of Giza Art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. When looking into a piece of art there are five essential questions that should be answered for it to be fully analyzed. What purpose was this piece of art made? What does this piece of art hope to communicate? How was this Piece of art made? What is the composition of this artwork? And finally, what elements should we notice about this work of art?The Pyramids of Giza are the largest The Great Pyramid is the most significant of the three large pyramids located on the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid was also the first pyramid to be built starting in around 2550 BC. This pyramid was built for the pharaoh Khufu, who ruled Egypt from about 2547-2524 BC. Along with the Khufu’s Great Pyramid his son, Khafre had one built on the Giza Plateau that at a first glance seems larger than his fathers, and Menkaure, Khufu’s grandson, also had one built on the Giza Plateau. The first question asked when looking at these ancient works of art is what purpose was it made for?In this very early time period Egyptians wanted to preserve the bodies of the dead, and for the better-known tombs were built. The tombs were often a place where offerings could be left to people that had gone home to the gods. These larger pyramids were not only built to prevent robbery, but they also resembled the rays of the suns rays descending to Earth. This relates it to the religious beliefs connected to the cult with the sun god Re. Ancient Egyptians believed that the sun died each night in the West and was re-born the next morning in the East.This is why the Pyramids are built on the West side of the Nile so that the bodies of the deceased can travel with the sun god through the night and be reborn with him the next morning in the East. The Great Pyramid was built to hold the body and belongings of th e pharaoh Khufu, and the one farther South was built for his son, and the one built farthest South was built for his grandson, Menkaure. The main purpose of these three structures was to hold their earthly remains, and to leave a place for them to be worshiped.The next question we should ask ourselves is what does this piece of art communicate? The Pyramids of Giza communicate many different things. They communicate religious beliefs about life after death, how wealthy and well known the person inside was, and how intelligent and resourceful people of that time were. As we mentioned earlier Ancient Egyptians believed that if they were buried on the West side of the Nile when the sun died to the West they would travel with it, and then be reborn into their eternal life when it rose in the East.These massive monumental tombs were built on the West side of the Nile so that this could happen. Many belongings were also left in the tombs with the body of the dead so that those items may a lso be taken to the afterlife with them. The pyramids were not an easy project and took thousands of men to build. The size of these pyramids communicate how wealthy and respectful the people inside them were. Slaves did not build the pyramids; workers did during the time of the year that crops were not being grown so they were out of work.To feed and dress this many people for months of the year over a long period of time shows how wealthy the person going into the pyramid was. You also had to be very well respected for people to join you in building this piece of art. These three pyramids that sit upon the Giza Plateau communicate to its observers that Khufu’s family was well respected, rich, and took many luxurious things to the after life with them. The Pyramids of Giza also communicate how intelligent and resourceful the Ancient Egyptians were. The Great Pyramid was built of an estimated two million stone blocks weighing up to two and a half tons apiece.Khufu’s py ramid stood at four hundred and eighty one feet tall, and held the world record for the tallest structure for over three thousand and eight hundred years. Without machines and heavy equipment architecture in this time was very difficult for most parts of the world. For the Ancient Egyptians it was not impossible. Some people today choose to believe that extraterrestrials had to participate in building them, because there is no possible way the Egyptians could have. The size and complexity of these magnificent monuments communicates how intellectual and resourceful the Ancient Egyptians must have been.After looking at what the purpose of the piece of art is and what it communicates, you should look into how the piece of art was made? No one knows exactly how the Pyramids of Giza were built, but there are many theories that have been put forth starting with the Greek historian Herodotus theory. Herodotus visited Egypt in around 450 B. C. when the pyramids were already two thousand yea rs old. In this theory Herodotus mentions machines, such as cranes were used to lift the huge stones up. This theory was quickly torn down when Diodorus proposed a theory years later.Close to three hundred years later Diodorus exclaimed that mounds (ramps) were used to slide the pyramids up one block at a time. Diodorus’s theory is much more respected because the crane had not been invented at the time the pyramids were being built, and if it had there would be remains of it somewhere. In his theory the ramps ran circles going up around the pyramid, and the block were slide up farther and father and put into place each time. The ramp could be no larger than eight percent or the men would not be able to move the blocks upward. Like all other theories of how the pyramids were built Diodorus’s is very faulty to.For the ramp to have corkscrewed up the pyramid would mean that the corners would have to be finished last. If the corners were finished last how would they plan t o keep the pyramid perfectly square. In today’s day and time most people tend to lean towards the theory that extraterrestrials must have aided the Ancient Egyptians in building this work of art. We may not know much of how the great Pyramids of Giza were built, but we do know what they are composed of. The Pyramids of Giza were composed of building blocks, an outer shell, and an inner shell.The building blocks were made of both limestone and granite, and they were quarried locally. The outsides of the pyramids were made almost entirely of limestone. This limestone gave the pyramid an incredibly bright shine and made it seem that much more magnificent. The inner shells of the pyramids were mainly composed of granite, but not just one type of granite. The important chambers for the queens and pharaohs in the pyramids were usually built with a special type of granite know as pink granite. When looking into this work of art the final question we should ask is, what elements shou ld be noticed about this work?When looking at the Pyramids of Giza we should notice several different elements. We should look into the formal, symbolic, and social elements of it. The formal elements of this artwork are sometimes overlooked. When looking at this piece of artwork compared to a painting, sculpture, or another type of art some people forget that it even is art. This structure didn’t take one person a few hours to complete it took thousands of people many years to complete. Heavy stone was moved long distances without the use of machinery just to have a burial site for a few beings.The symbolic elements of the Pyramids of Giza are the most significant. The Pyramid is a sign that a very well known, respected individual has been sent onward to the after life, but his presence will never be forgotten. The pyramid is a symbol of the suns rays shining down to Earth letting Khufu’s people know he is still with them. Last but not least the social elements of the pyramids should be noticed. At this point in time in Ancient Egypt bodies were placed in tombs where the spirit of the body went to the afterlife, but the actual body had a place to rest from that point on.Although the Pyramids of Giza are much larger than others tombs, they are still simply a socially accepted place to be put to rest. All tombs are art because they have to be created, but the Pyramids of Giza are a much larger and complex piece of art. The time put into them, complexity of there structure, and the intellectual people that were put to the test to build this structure give it the elements of art that make it so magnificent. Works Cited Brier, Bob. â€Å"How To Build A Pyramid. (Cover Story). † Archaeology 60. 3 (2007): 22-27. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Carrol, Colleen. Clip & Save Art Notes. † Art & Activities 140. 5 (2007): 33-35. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Ikram, SalimaKamrin, Janice. â€Å"Marks The Spot!. † Calliope (2012) : 3-6. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Ikram, SalimaKamrin, Janice. â€Å"The Majestic Three. † Calliope (2012): 24-26. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Lesko, Leonard H. â€Å"Preparing For The Afterlife. † Calliope (2012): 7-11. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Schiff, Bennett. â€Å"Out Of Egypt: Art In The Age Of The Pyramids. (Cover Story). † Smithsonian 30. 6 (1999): 108. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013.

Nietzche’s Moral and Political Philosophy Essay

In â€Å"Nietzche’s Moral and Political Philosophy† Nietzches theory of the strong and weak willed is explained to us. Nietzsche â€Å"seems to want to say that anyone who is strong, independent, and so on — anyone who fits his description o the higher type of man — is one who has value in himself†. I think it is interesting that Nietzsche puts such high value on a man who can think for himself, but if this man has followers and admirers of his work, these followers are considered weak willed. If everyone in the world thought for himself and broke free of the society accepted norms, our World would be one of mad chaos. Nobody believing each other or taking another mans word, everyone having to find out for themselves, and everyone trying to rise above another to â€Å"break free from societal norms†. Although it should be praised when a man has a strong will to power and can break free from the common attitudes and beliefs, i do not believe this path of master morality is something every man should do. Nietzsche seems to place a much higher value on a man that breaks free of society, and says the â€Å"followers† shape everything in society to work against this man,â€Å"[m]oral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited† (BGE 219), and he claims that the â€Å"chief means† by which the â€Å"weak and mediocre†¦weaken and pull down the stronger† is â€Å"the moral judgment†. To better understand this you could say, that the Government (the weak willed) put restrictions on citizens to get them to conform to societal norms. The goal of this is to weaken the citizens and prevent them from rising above the government. In the example I used above I would [Type text] [Type text] [Type text] argue to Nietzsche that in rising above this weak willed government in order to become a strong willed person, could mean i am breaking laws and harming others in order to fit in the master morality category. How would he explain criminals who â€Å"break free of societal norms and attitudes† but do it by unjust means? I think this theory of what a strong and weak willed man is, is very questionable. Although you should aspire to question what you are taught and common beliefs are, i don’t believe all men who do this are â€Å"strong-willed†.

Chapter 9 Review Questions Essay

Chapter 9 Review Questions 1. What is magnetism? 2. Torque is ________. 3. A magnetic field is _________. 4. True or False: A permanent magnet is a piece of material that has been magnetized and can hold its magnetic strength for a reasonable length of time. 5. How is an electromagnet produced? 6. Which of the following produces the best electromagnet? 7. Unlike poles of a magnet _________each other and like poles_________ each other. 8. What part does polarity play in the operation of an electric motor? 9. What part of a motor produces an inductive magnetic field within itself to facilitate the rotating motion? 10. What part does the frequency of alternating current play in the operation of an electric motor? 11. What would be the speed of a two pole motor operating on a 120 Volts 60 Hz power supply? 12. What are the five types of single phase motors used in the industry? 13. Which of the following correctly lists the motor’s starting torque from lowest to highest? 14. Which of the following is a common use of a shaded-pole motor? 15. How does a shaded-pole motor operate? 16. How can a shaded-pole motor be reversed? 17. What determines the rotation of a shaded-pole motor? 18. Draw a diagram of a three-speed, shaded-pole motor. 19. What enables a split-phase motor to develop enough torque to begin rotation? 20. What removes the starting winding from the electrical circuit of an open type split phase motor once it reaches 75% of its operating speed? 21. What are the three probable areas of trouble in a split-phase motor? 22. What is the unit of measurement for the strength of a capacitor? 23. What is the purpose of a capacitor? 24. What is the difference between a running and a running and a starting capacitor? 25. List the five capacitor replacement rules. 26. Explain the operation of a permanent split-capacitor motor. 27. How are a PSC motor and a capacitor start capacitor-run motor similar? 28. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the following types of motors? 29. What are the similarities between an open-type split-phase motor and a capacitor-start motor? 30. Which of the following is an advantage in using a three-phase motor? 31. Draw a wiring diagram of a capacitor start-capacitor-run motor. 32. True or False: All starting apparatuses are mounted externally to the hermetic compressor shell. 33. What is the process in troubleshooting any electric motor? 34. Which of the following is the capacitance of an 88 uF and a 108 uF starting capacitor connected in series? 35. Which of the following is the capacitance of two 20 uF running capacitors connected in parallel? 36. If a capacitor produces 15A on a 240 volt supply, which of the following is its microfarad rating? 37. Which of the following capacitors could be used to replace a 35 uF, 370 running capacitor? 38. Which of the following capacitors could be used to replace a 188 uF, 250 V starting capacitor? 39. Which of the following capacitors or combination of capacitors could be used to re place a 45 uF, 370 V running capacitor? 40. Which of the following capacitors or combination of capacitors could be used to replace an 88 uF, 250 V starting capacitor? 41. Find the common, start, and run terminals of the following hermetic compressors. A. B. C. 42. Briefly explain the procedure for troubleshooting hermetic compressor motors. 43. What are the electrical failure categories for hermetic compressor motors? 44. What precautions should be taken when checking hermetic compressor motors? 45. What would be the highest allowable resistance reading for a grounded compressor motor? 46. What are the advantages of using an electronically commutated motor over a PSC motor? 47. Explain the construction of an ECM. 48. An ECM is a ______________. 49. True or False: The resistance readings of the windings of a properly operating ECM should be equal. 50. True or False: The line voltage power supply of an ECM should be disconnected or connected with the power on.

Aids and it is obstacle to African development Essay

Aids and it is obstacle to African development - Essay Example As such, this essay seeks to critically discuss the obstacles caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic to African development by analysing the situation in South Africa, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone. The paper seeks to outline the direct effects of HIV/AIDS on development in these three countries as well as the measures that have been put by the respective governments to deal with the situation. Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) is contracted through birth, sex, sharing sharp objects such as a razor blade and over time the virus will spread over the body and weaken its cells. The weakening of cells causes AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome which leads to illness and eventually death from related diseases such as tuberculosis or pneumonia and many others (Greyling, 2). HIV/AIDS is one of the most difficult catastrophes to deal with during the contemporary period given that a cure for this deadly pandemic is not yet available and may not be near in sight for quite some time hence the only option that is available at the moment is to strengthen the mechanisms to prevent, reduce the spread and minimise the impact of HIV/AIDS (Benjamin & Barry, 28). In the Sub Saharan Africa in particular, death rates have continued to rise because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic causing life expectancy to fall from an average of 50 years in 1990 to 46 years in 2002 (ADI, 14). AIDS related deaths were 2.2 million in Africa in 2001 and there were more than 30 million infected people. Both Ethiopia and Sierra Leone also have high HIV infection rates according to the report. In the same vein, South Africa is one of the countries with highest HIV infections in the Sub Sahara region regardless of its strong economic performance. The productive age group has been severely affected by the pandemic and this consequently affects growth and development. There are high chances of loss of production and the government in respective countries have to spend a lot of money to procure drugs as well as puttin g other measures to fight against the pandemic which negatively impacts on development. In order to establish the extent to which the HIV/AIDS pandemic is seen as an obstacle to development especially in the three African countries mentioned above, it is imperative to begin by outlining the state of their economies using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) index to measure the performance of their economies. According to World Bank Development Indicators in 2011, South Africa’s GDP is $285, 366 billion, $28, 526 Billion and Sierra Leone at $1, 942 Billion. Comparatively, it can be noted that there is a wide gap between the economies of the three countries and this reflects the country’s ability to cope with the deadly pandemic in view of its economic development and growth concerns. In most cases, the workforce is the major driver of economic development in any given country but the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic is posing a serious challenge to the development of many Africa c ountries. Special attention will be paid to South Africa, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone in the discussion of how this pandemic has adversely affected economic development in African countries. According to You Magazine (4), 39 percent of all premature deaths were ascribed to HIV/AIDS and it was reported that

This a quick note which I mentioned it before Essay

This a quick note which I mentioned it before - Essay Example Their applauses sound much louder and the yells are more frequent. Tension slowly creeps in as the game is nearing the end. This is a very tight fight. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly, D seems to pick up momentum and makes several good smashes. The â€Å"thug..thug..thug..† sounds seem more piercing. The players must really be giving hard hits with the racquet. V could not seem to keep up with the overwhelming change in pace. She is not able to give as much good hits like D does. It is almost easy to guess who will win the match. D gives consecutive good hits, sending the crowd to a sudden uproar! Several people are not sitting on the bleachers anymore. They keep jumping and waving and clapping in the air. A Sudden Shift I arrived shortly before noon, approximately 11:00 am at Durham, N.C. I was wearing blue to match the university color, and as I walked inside the open court, I saw several blue-dressed students too. Some faces looked familiar, but several shot a couple of glances with smiles. Surely, they knew why I was wearing blue. I positioned myself at the mid-part of the bleachers..not wanting to be too near nor too far from the event. I felt at home with the several familiar faces I saw in the arena. I seated comfortably as I waited for the match to begin. The announcement of the beginning of the match sent the crowd to happy applauses and excited shouts, and when the game officially began, the air seemed to suddenly stand still. Everyone fell quiet, turning their head from side to side, following the tennis ball from one court to the other court. It had been a relaxed first half of the game, and I did not expect the crowd to be rowdy towards the latter part of the match. I then felt myself getting excited with the crown..my heartbeat drumming in the ears till I can imagine my chest thumping from the intensity of my pulses. I never thought that I could feel so excited for a tennis game. I have watched a couple of athletics games be fore, and never had I imagined that tennis games could send the crowd to a frenzied state. It was indeed a close game! There was that part in the game when I almost could not seem to understand what happened. All it took was an extraordinary nice smash by D, and it seemed like it defined that game. Right after that second, the relaxed excitement was replaced by loud cheers and applause. Even the jeers and boos went relatively louder. It was as if the movements of everyone were suddenly orchestrated. D’s hits became more and more incredible, while V sank further and further down. Even her stance showed a little unsteadiness, like she was not 100% sure anymore. Before, V was able to answer to the nice smashes of her opponent, but during those final moments, she cannot give cheer-worthy smashes anymore. Maybe D felt that, and took advantage of that. I remember during the earlier art of the game, this same thing happened; the only difference was that V was in the lead then. There was a momentum in her that just suddenly stopped when she missed a supposedly-good hit. It is just that it was totally different for D. V had something that stopped her amazing performance, while D here had something that started it. I knew from that second that if it went on, it would decide the fate of these two players in this particular game. The cheers even seemed to have added to D’s performance. As the game went on towards the final scores, the excited claps went on. All the while, V’s fans seemed to have shared her feeling. The quiet,

The use of gaming in e-Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The use of gaming in e-Learning - Essay Example Other factors such as the quality of the sound and visual features, and the element of drama in a game influence how well it is perceived by users. One case study, that of the Monkey Wrench Conspiracy did appear to be very popular with users, and to have valuable outcomes for the company who used it. The Case study answered a number of key questions about e-Learning: †¢ Will gaming prove to have more interactivity than the normal e-learning provided by organizations? The company had experienced some difficulty in training staff in the use of design software, and this e-Learning program succeeded in persuading staff to solve little interactive puzzles in an imaginary aliens-in-space scenario. The game was loosely linked which means that tasks were set to be completed outside the framework of the game. The challenge of solving the problems did not affect game progress in a direct way, but the game did provide a goal setting and framing structure, with an entertaining narrative, that encouraged users to follow through to the end. †¢ Will gaming be more cost effective than other methods? In this case study the game program was free to use, since it had a marketing as well as a training function. The cost of running it was therefore small, but on the other hand the cost of monitoring the results was rather higher, since there was no way of measuring how well users completed the task unless this happened in a separate context outside the game.