Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Canadas Boreal Forest and Gloeophyllum Sepiarium Essay

Canadas Boreal Forest and Gloeophyllum Sepiarium - Essay Example sepiarium wood rots. This organic matter is then returned to the soil it is an important contributors to the break down of wood in the forest and the recycling of nutrients as well as soil improvement. G. sepiarium and other fungi do not produce carbon as they do not have the ability of photosynthesis so they obtain their energy from breaking down organism that have carbon based molecules which are then absorbed as nutrients into to fungal cells (Farrar, 1985). Whilst this fungus is highly toxic if ingested it has been used in research against cancer has showed positively to date to have potential medicinal purposes for the fight against the disease (Sasata, 2008). The G. sepiarium is asexual an reproduces through vegetative spores in late summer and early autumn however fruiting bodies are seen all year round. .The spores are released by a strong ejection from the reproductive structure ensuring a wide dispersal range. BIBLIOGRAPHY Farrar JF (1985). "Carbohydrate metabolism in biotrophic plant pathogens". Microbial Sci. 2: 314-317 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez (accessed on 27th November 2008) Sasata, 2008 Healing-Mushrooms.net, http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/gloeophyllum-sepiarium.html (accessed on 27th

Monday, October 28, 2019

Hound of the Baskerville Essay Example for Free

Hound of the Baskerville Essay In this gothic novel, logic and supernatural collide a lot of times over the course of the story. Logic is something that can be explained using facts and also by finding the cause and effects to prove something. Mean while on the other hand Supernatural is something beyond human powers. In the Hound of the Baskervilles logic is used when Sherlock Holmes it trying to explain something. The longer one stays here the more does the spirit sink into ones soul, its vastness and also its grim charm. The moor is isolated and is seen as gothic because of its location. It is set in a deserted place which at night looks as If with no sign of life, but during the day it is not. The deserted houses also help to create tension as well as the idea of a hound loose on the moors. Baskerville Hall is a big mansion located in an isolated area surrounded with land and individual passages. This helps to create suspense because the characters as well as the audience are taken into a dark, mysterious and unknown place. The story of the novel is that there is a convict on the loose, who is controlling a vicious hound. Sir Charles Baskerville is the first victim of the hound. He dies a suspicion death. So Doctor Barrymoore calls Sherlock Holmes, a police detective, who uses only logic to explain things. The Hound is found and killed and Stapleton is found and arrested. Dr Mortimer has to use logic in his works, but believes in the hound. Sherlock Holmes Uses logic to explain things. Sherlock Holmes often comes with conclusions through past experiences. Throughout the novel supernatural and logic collide. This is because at the time the novel was written society believed in the idea of supernatural and because there is a black hound in the novel people view it as being viscous because if something is black then it is perceived as evil, dangerous and harmful. Although dogs have a good and faithful relationship with humans, the idea of a black hound would be perceived as evil and viscous. Sherlock Holmes always dismisses the supernatural and keeps looking for scientific facts until he can explain what has happened. For example: Sherlock Holmes uses facts and logic to explain the death of Sir Charles Baskervilles until at the end of the novel when the hound is killed that Sherlock Holmes explains the supernatural. Dr Watson, who is quite logical, is more convinced of a supernatural element. Holmes is more convinced of the logical element. Literary traditions of this novel are of the same as other gothic novels. Novels like Emily Bronthe, Wuthering Heights and Du Maurier Jamaican Inn are also gothic. They have similar settings as to The Hound of the Baskervilles. They all have moors, which are isolated and located in a place with no sign of life with land surrounding. All have wild threats posed to the moors. Sherlock Holmes conducts everything through logic. For example: when a cane is left by a visitor, Holmes uses logic to come up with what the most likely thing the cane would be associated with. Sir Arthur Connan-Doyle wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles in the way he did because in the Victorian Era people used to believe in the idea of supernatural. Sir Arthur Connan-Doyle wanted to show the audience that the idea of supernatural could b e explained using logic and facts. He also wrote it the way in which he did because every month chapters of the novel were published in The Strand magazine. So therefore that built up suspense for the, who would then go out and buy the next edition. Watson believes more in the supernatural element because Sir Arthur Connan-Doyle wanted to have a character, who at first tries to explain through logic, but later starts to believe in the supernatural as well as what the Baskervilles say to him. For example: when Sherlock Holmes is in the caves to induct his own investigation that there is no hound and that Stapleton is the villain, while giving Watson no indication what he is doing. Stapleton is the son of Roger Baskerville. He is an ex-convict having previously done four large bank robberies. He is the husband of Mrs. Stapleton (real name Mrs. Lyons). Both the themes of logic and supernatural are important as the story is mainly based on the idea of supernatural, which later would be explained by logic and facts. The novel is not relevant to todays readers as many do not believe in the idea of supernatural as there is no proof of supernatural existing. Whereas if something is explained by logic there is evidence to back it up.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Hysteresis :: essays research papers

Aim: To investigate the pattern in the amount by which a hanging piece of elastic stretches when a load force is applied and the amount by which the stretch is reduced when the load is removed. Aim (in simpler terms): To determine the relationship between the force on a rubber band and its stretch, both during extension and retraction. Hypothesis: Not required. Method 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hang a piece of elastic on a clamp stand. Ensure the elastic is new. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clamp a ruler using the clamp stand. Ensuring the markings on the ruler is as close to the elastic as possible. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Draw a diagram 3) Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. 4) Hang masses on the elastic until it reaches it point of irreversible distortion. Take note of this weight; do not hang more than this weight in the experiment. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Add a weight of 100N (change appropriately). Wait for a few seconds for the system to â€Å"stabilise†. Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. Special care must be taken to ensure that when the mass is added the elastic should not retract. 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Add more weights, till the total weight is close to its point of irreversible distortion or till there are no more weights. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remove the weights one by one. Wait a couple of seconds for the system to â€Å"stabilise†. Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. Ensure that when the mass is removed the elastic should not be allowed to stretch further. 8)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Repeat, till there is no more mass on the elastic. Measure the length of the elastic. Equipment Elastic Clamp stand Ruler Different weights or a weight hanger Variables Independent: Mass hung on elastic Dependant: Length that the elastic extends or retracts. Controlled: Same conditions – thus the behaviour of the elastic is constant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Same equipment Results Force (N)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Length of elastic (m)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Length that elastic was stretched   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During extension  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During retraction  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For extension  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For retraction 0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 100  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.4 .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   900  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Note: To find the length that the elastic was stretched. Simple subtract the value â€Å"During extension† by the original length of elastic. Then write the result in the column â€Å"For extension† for the appropriate weight. Repeat for retraction. Construct a graph of this data. For ease of data interpretation, graph force on y axis and length that elastic was stretched (that is the column â€Å"For extension† and â€Å"For retraction) on x axis. Also possible to have intervals of 0.98 N on y axis so that value of mass in grams can be plotted accurately (assuming g=9.8 m/s^2) Plot the points and draw a smooth curve.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

National Honor Society Paper

National Honor Society is known for having extraordinary students whom possess strong leadership, constant determination, and also structured character. Though there are various students who have what it takes to become a member of the National Honor Society I feel that I should be one of them. From the beginning of my Freshmen year, I had a strong desire to find my path early in life and choose a career I would like to pursue as time went on.Realizing my passion for shopping was just the beginning, and though most girls all have this love for clothes I saw it differently, and began to explore the fashion industry by researching and reading up on the latest news. The electives I took in 9th grade, which were studio and art and fashion illustration both had a large impact on my future and also provoked my desire and curiosity for the artistic side of the fashion world.Getting very high grades in these courses made me acknowledge my ability to draw and learn how to sketch fashion desig ns and learn about the career of illustration in fashion, giving me more confidence in choosing my direction in this field. As my sophomore year began, I explored a different side of the fashion industry and enrolled myself in fashion marketing and also fashion apparel and accessories, but also stuck to the arts by taking drawing. In my fashion apparel and accessories class my teacher privately selected 6 people from the class to partner up in twos and compete in the famous DECA competition.Out of three hundred people, my partner and I competed in advertising and placed honorable mention. This showed that out of all those people my partner and I’s work paid off, and my teacher found us to be unique among our class. Because of my teacher Ms. Ehrhardt and also my fashion illustration/ art teachers Mrs. Copolla and Ms. Syska I became extremely inspired to do something about my newfound passion and sign up for FIT’s precollege workshop classes to gain better experience of this fashion world I was ready to journey into.That march until may of 10th grade every Saturday I would independently take the train in early and attend three-hour fashion classes, sewing and an introduction to the fashion industry and take the train home late. The privilege of being in the city on my own helped me develop a significant understanding of myself and who I wanted to be, and the opportunity of taking these classes transformed me into a more social and friendly person. I became much more understanding to the structure of the basis of fashion and felt that though I loved the classes, I wanted to xplore other courses they had in order to expand my interests of fashion as a whole. In the summer I decided to spend most of my time in the city for fashion and took more classes at FIT and also LIM college to assure myself in which area of fashion I wanted to be in. The classes I took in 10th grade at FIT were design classes, but I felt that my abilities would have a larger pos sibility for success in merchandising. The summer FIT class I took was for public relations and I got the chance to visit various museums and also real fashion design floors to become truly involved in the industry.From here, I knew this was the area I wanted to be involved in and believed I would excel in. At LIM, I spent a week in the city with a roommate and dormed while I took a class for fabric styling and fashion magazine during the day. These two classes gave me a lot to offer, from the learning to the activities I became a leader of my own fashion shoot and also got to interview people in fashion, which left me such an empowering feeling.Though the dorms seem to be only temporary living quarters, I was fortunate enough to taste true independence and individuality; making me very excited to take on future challenges life would give me. Into 11th grade I pursued this path of taking fashion classes in the city, and took fashion marketing classes in. From all the hard work and d etermination In these classes through out high school, I was rewarded with high grades, which are hard to obtain in these courses. I also stood out because I was interviewed and placed upon the FIT website itself, under â€Å"who’s in precollege? (When you apply for a course) which holds the information and pictures of a handful of unique and stylish individuals. All of my fashion experiences as a whole have built me into the hardworking, determined, independent individual I am now and I am very proud that was able to achieve these aspects in order to reach my goal of being apart of the fashion industry. I also feel that this has made me eligible and also worthy of becoming a member of the National Honor Society who’s character will be beneficial towards this society.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Food Waste? Too valuable to waste! Essay

According to statistics from the Environmental Protection Department, in Hong Kong, solid waste generated daily weighs around 17000 tones, of which around 30% is organic matter (2700 tones) which is roughly equal to 120 double-deck buses in size. Compared this to the US where, revealed by the Environmental Protection Agency, only 12% of waste stream was scrap of food in 2005. Extra care in disposal is required for these putrescible wastes, otherwise nuisance to the environment will be caused. Food waste not only causes a feculent choking smell, but also discharges a huge amount of concentrated greenhouse gases, methane and polluted water, all of which are leading to the global warming that we highly concerned about. All the food wastes are currently disposed to landfills, however all the existing landfills will be saturated within 5 years. Construction of new landfill is a problem because of a lack of available space that is far away from residential areas. Therefore, seeking out alternative ways for food waste treatment has become an imperative for the government. Before discussing cutting food waste at its source, there is another possible destiny for surplus food besides disposal – Food recycling. The food waste for food recycling can be categorized into two parts: edible (bread, vegetable and meat) and inedible (bones and eggshell). Food Waste Processor Basically, inedible food wastes are useful in that they can be recycled and reused. Through natural biodegradation by bacteria, all the organic waste will be converted into organic fertilizer and soil stabilizer. According to the journal of â€Å"Food waste composting – sustainable organic waste management† (Jonathan, 2003), in some advanced countries in Europe, central food waste treatments has been practiced for years. All the domestic food waste will be collected and transported to central composting facilities which are installed far away from the residential areas. However, this huge facility is not available to Hong Kong owing to the limited area. The Ecotech Food Waste Processor, a new technology for the same purpose is being tested in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong International Airport, housing estates and universities. Due to the tiny space of Hong Kong, it is well-designed for being used in small communities such as restaurants and housing estates which are the main sources of food waste. A large processing capacity 100kg per day is supported with a small sized machine. The automatic processor is easy to operate and is equipped with self-adjustment of temperature and moisture which are decisive parameters for the speed of reaction. Also, the specially formulated microbes and materials are used in the processor to increase the rate of biodegradation. To enhance the transportation efficiency, the volume of food waste will be reduced by about 90% in 24 hours. The composite fertilizer contains high nutrient value including nitrogen which is a major element for plant growth. This new technology is suitable for Hong Kong, as it has limited space. All the food waste can be recycled and become useful materials rather than being disposed in landfill. Besides reducing the load of landfill, the valuable organic materials, which are transformed from the â€Å"waste†, are nutrients to our health and the Earth. Since vegetables grown by organic fertilizer is much healthier to human than those grown by chemical fertilizer. Therefore, this processor should be widely used in Hong Kong in order to minimize the amount of food waste and raise public awareness of this exigent problem. Surplus Food Donation The Environmental Protection Department stated that â€Å"the amount of food wasted by Hong Kong’s restaurants, hotels, and food manufacturers has more than doubled in the past five years.† Effort should be focused on collecting leftover food donation as a huge pile of edible food waste is created from restaurants every day. Foodlink is a nonprofit organization working on this aspect. It takes surplus food from over 40 hotels and restaurants and delivers it to charity groups such as Home of Love in Sham Shui Po and Action Care that works with the less privileged communities in society. Regarding to an article â€Å"The food chain† (Grace, 2012), about one million people in Hong Kong are suffering from hunger and struggling to fill their stomachs. Freshly cooked food is something that they cannot support on a daily basis, especially for the one million people in Hong Kong who are living below the poverty line. Actually, those government-sponsored food banks only provide canned or prepackaged food which is unhealthy in the long term. On the contrary, the hot leftover food from the hotels and restaurants is nutrient rich. In fact, this creates a triple win situation for the landfills, charities and hotels. By examining the amount of excess food that transport to the charity, the hotel can determine the appropriate quantity of food for each day. Eventually, not only less food waste will be produced, but the cost of excess food production and food waste treatment can be reduced and eliminated. Also, less recyclable food will be wasted and disposed to landfills. Therefore sponsorship to those charities and public promotions is an obligation for the Hong Kong government. As the old saying goes â€Å"Prevention is better than cure†, cutting the food waste at its source is the best ways to solve this issue. However, despite there being less food waste being disposed to landfills, the food waste problem will continue to occur if the eating habits do not change. Food waste charge Similar to the solid garbage charges being promoted in the past few months, food waste charges could be implemented in restaurants to minimize this problem commercially. According to Friends of the Earth, in the catering industry, hotel buffets and restaurants that offer â€Å"all you can eat† are the major sources of uneaten food, which then goes into the landfills. Many customers whose â€Å"eyes are bigger than their stomachs† usually order far more dishes that they are able to consume, so the surplus food eventually has to be disposed of. Some hot pot restaurants that provide â€Å"all you can eat† strictly charge the leftover food per kilogram in order to minimize the problem. However, only a few hotel buffets in Hong Kong are willing to charge for the uneaten food since it may lower its attractiveness. In foreign countries, London and America are good role models that are attempting to use this policy to solve the food waste issue. A Chinese restaurant Kylin Buffet in London will charge a $32 â€Å"wastage fee† for the excess food. A â€Å"guilty fee† is imposed to charge the uneaten food in a Japanese restaurant located in Manhattan. In order to enhance the popularity of food waste charges, promotion and communications with restaurants are necessary for the government. Through this policy, it arouses public awareness of food waste so that the eating habit may finally improve. Since the food waste fee acts as a reminder and warning to customers to make self-adjustments to their appetite. All in all, for thousands of years, famine has continued to happen somewhere throughout human history. In fact, the current food production and storage in the world is more than enough to support the whole populations if we are able to minimize food waste. The food waste processor, leftover food donation and fee charging are the substantive measures to minimize the food waste and reduce the load of landfills from two main aspects (usage and source of food waste). As a Chinese proverb says â€Å"every grain is from hard toil†, hardship is required in food growing, we should cherish food and respect the nature that nurtures us. (1261 words) References 1. Food Waste Management in HK. (2011). Environmental Protection Department. Retrieved from http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/owt_food.html 2. Municipal Solid Waste in The United States – 2009 Facts and Figures. (2010). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2009rpt.pdf 3. Jonathan, W. (2003, May). Food waste composting – sustainable organic waste management. New Horizons, 3, 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~cpro/online_pub/nh0203/nh0203_12-13.pdf 4. Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong – Waste Statistics for 2011. (2012). Environmental Protection Department. Retrieved from https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/materials/info/msw2011.pdf 5. Grace, T. (2012, April 19). The Food Chain. Retrieved from http://hk.asia-city.com/city-living/article/food-chain 6. Order Less Waste Less. (2012). Friends of the Earth. Retrieved from http://www.foe.org.hk/welcome/geten.asp?id_path=1,%207,%2028,%20150,%204310,%204566

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Modern Communication essays

Modern Communication essays How have the modern communications technologies of the past century affected the culture of the United States? Its like a disease spreading all over the United States but not something that you would run from. This is a type of disease you want to get because its the future. Technology is everywhere and everything. Over the past century technology has affected the U.S. culture in many ways. With more time and money there was a greater need for information and entertainment. Many big events were taking place and Americans did not know what was going on. There were things happening and no one knew where to go. So this brought out the inventions of the newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures. Once these things hit the market they took off. Two events, in particular, that people were unaware of were WWI and WWII. Since many Americans wanted to know what was happening to their soldiers, the newspaper was a big hit. Johannes Gutenbergs invention of the printing press made it much easier for the newspaper to be printed. It was faster and more sufficient then any other type of news. It also gave the middle and lower classes a chance to know what was going on at a low cost. Since it was at a low cost millions of Americans bought the newspaper spreading news all across the states. So now you new events or happenings in other places other than around you. Magazines and motion pictures were a big hit as well. Both of these were more for entertainment. Although you could also get news from them, many people used them for fun. Now days, newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures are still hits. Millions of Americans still read the newspaper. I think that it has become more important now because of everything that is happening with the War In Iraq and this years election. Wherever you go and have to sit and wait (doctors, dentist, library, etc...) you will always find either a newsp...

Monday, October 21, 2019

14 Weirdest College Christmas Trees

14 Weirdest College Christmas Trees It’s not that college students don’t love Christmas or take it seriously. That’s not the case at all. The issue is that due to financial restraints some people are forced to get creative. Like a Marine, they must adapt and overcome, and use whatever they have at their disposal. What you end up with are these 14 weirdest college Christmas trees. 1. An Elaborately Decorated Traffic Cone Hey, it’s kind of the same shape as a tree, right? They’re handy and sitting in the road, or perhaps half buried in dirt in the front lawn. Why not just grab some tape, a string of lights and maybe a roll of dental floss and voila, Christmas Cone Tree. 2. The Almighty Beer Bottle Christmas Tree Many have tried, but few succeed. In reality, pulling off an impressive beer bottle tree is hard to do. How many college kids does it take? No one knows yet. Search around the net though and you’ll discover the beer-tree creation is a science (should be a degree option). 3. A Majestically Stacked Pizza Box Tree There’s at least 30 of them all stacked neatly in the corner behind the thing (otherwise known as the love seat sofa), so why not put them to good use? It all comes down to stacking, super glue and then all the many adornments laying around the house. 4. The Keg Tree You’ll need about 20 kegs to pull off a monster keg tree. Stacking them is simple and then decoration is cake walk. Lights galore, and to finish it off perhaps a single light within a Jgermeister bottle (festive green of course)? 5. Walk Outside Grab a Twig When all else fails simply walk outside, grab the nearest branch with foliage still clinging to it (Pine is ideal) and then stick it a bottle, tac it to a wall, or whatever it takes. That right there is a classic dorm room tree, worth of center window placement. 6. The Textbook Tree What else are they good for? Plus, they’re heavy and won’t be missed, unlike the pizza boxes. You can use them to hold lights in place but getting ornaments to hang from them is a bit tricky. 7. Traffic Cone + Branch Tree Combining a traffic cone with a branch is another epic strategy for the â€Å"staying on-campus this year† Christmas student. Like putting peanut butter and bananas together, it just works. 8. Blowup Dino-Tree They’re green with spots and come with plenty of things to hang thing from. Plus, the plastic is thick enough to where you can tape all kinds of festive things (popcorn strings anyone?) on them. Who doesnt love a quality blowup Dino-tree? 9. Air freshener from a Stick Tree Grab one of those timeless, and fresh scented, air fresheners that already come in the shape of a Christmas tree and dangle it from a stick. In college you have to be open minded. Where you might see an air freshener hanging on a string from a stick, the roomies consider it the equivalent to Time Square’s Christmas tree. Lighting it is a problem though. 10. The Disappearing Dorm Hall Tree It’s there one minute and then quite suddenly it disappears. What’s with that? Doesn’t it defeat the purpose? In case you’re wondering, we’re attempting to get you to infer that the tree was stolen. It happens every year, but every year the dorms have to have their own trees. 11. Any Tree Made in The Lab If the tree was concocted or conjured up in a lab on or off campus, then it definitely belongs in this list. If the person creating the tree is wearing protective eye goggles or even a torch mask, then chances are it could end up being more of a hazard than anything else. 12. Toaster + Branch If there’s never any toast around anyway, why not put it to good use. Hey, it plugs in and they can hold not one but two small Christmas Tree twigs without a problem. 13. Thumb Tacs + Short Light String This is for the more artistic Christmas lovers out there. You buy a string of Christmas lights and then use thumb tacs to put it on the wall in the shape of a tree. If the wall paper is green, or festive, then that right there is an epic tree. 14. Christmas Tree Ladder Like the traffic cone, ladders come pre-molded for use as Christmas trees. Throw a green blanket around it, tape some lights into it, maybe even some tinsel and you’re golden! These are some of our favorites, but we know there’s so many more fabulous trees. The lengths that some of us will go to celebrate the Christmas spirit never ceases to amaze. If you still dont know how to celebrate Christmas, here youll find amazing Christmas party ideas. How about it, what kinds of weird Christmas trees have you seen or created?

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free sample - Intangible Resources and Management Authority in Organizations. translation missing

Intangible Resources and Management Authority in Organizations. Intangible Resources and Management Authority in OrganizationsThe sphere of business is very diverse and every company tries to do its best in order to be the fist in the completive market and preserve its positions. Good presentation and work of the company depends upon its management that performs different functions. The main function of the management is organizing process of work correctly, using the resources of the company in the best possible way. From the one hand it sounds very easy to do, but on the other hand this task is not so easy to do. So, the main obligation of the management of every company is a rational utilization of the company’s assets and resources, tangible as well as intangible. There is a mistaken idea that intangible assets are not very important as they do not play such important role in the successful existence of the company. It is a common mistake of many managerial teams that do not pay enough attention to the intangible resources. According t o Berkeley-Thomas (2003, p. 25), the companies have to genuinely consider a significance of identical or greater effect of such factors as consumer satisfaction, process effectiveness and improvement when coming to a realizing of performance realities. These factors will be additional to an organization’s realizing of financial figures, helping to better understand the significance of otherwise potentially misleading or unfortunate numbers. Most companies do not pay enough attention to the intangible assets that is why the general performance of the company suffers. In this case, experienced market leaders insist on considering the intangible assets greatly, as they are half of a company’s success (Grey, 2009, p. 43). In the findings, the investigation demonstrated that intangible assets, comprising consumer list, brand name,   reputation of the company, and its location are considerably chief elements; in the meantime, the   size of the organization is taken into account, but not that significant. In general, the essence of the intangible resources is quite broad, as it comprises many notions. Intangible assets can also include patents, copyrights, franchise and government licenses, goodwill, and other issues that lack physical matter but give long-standing advantages to the company. Companies should pay attention to the intangible assets as much as they do it on depreciable and natural resources. The charge of intangible resources is methodically allocated to the costs during the asset's helpful life or legal life, whichever is shorter, and this life is never permitted to exceed forty years. The procedure of allocating the value of intangible resources to expense is called amortization, and organizations almost always use the straight-line way to amortize their intangible resources. In order to understand more completely the essence intangible resources that management can draw upon, it is necessary to describe briefly some of them to see how useful they can be for the management of the company to evaluate the level of its performance and success.   One of the first and the most important intangible resources is the brand name. Needless to say, that brand name and recognition is very important for every company as it is the first step for the company’s success. Brand name should be as recognizable as possible in order to make the company well known. Brand recognition is, probably, main form of intangibles. Think about the many name brand organizations and it will quickly be realized the power of intangible assets. Software programs used by the organizations in order to produce or plan their product are one more brilliant example of intangible resources. Reputation of the company is rightfully regarded as another very important intangible resource. It is understood that every company strives for having excellent reputation and be second to none in the market. The question of reputation is necessary to draw upon by the management. For instance, the company, having good reputation as a reliable partner and manufacturer of the qualitative products will likely have more customers as the company, having lower reputation even if its production is as qualitative. So, evaluating the performance criteria of the company and speaking about the work of its management, we can say that reputation of the company is very significant anyway. One more intangible asset considered as important one is goodwill. Goodwill equals the quantity paid to obtain a company in excess of its net assets at reasonable market value. The excess payment may be consequence from the price of the organization’s reputation, setting, consumer list and management team. Goodwill can be recorded only after the purchase of the organization takes as such a transaction provides a purpose measure of goodwill as recognized by the customer. The worth of goodwill is considered by first subtracting the purchased liabilities of the organization from the fair market price of its assets and then subtracting this consequence from the purchase price of the organization. So, goodwill can not be seen at once, it can be evaluated only when the company starts working. Unfortunately, members of the management team and the business board room in a great number of companies all over the world nowadays fail to understand the effect and importance of their intang ibles on the bottom line as the intangible resources are not reflected on a balance sheet. People are in habit to believe stable and proved facts that can be seen visually on the paper and from different documents, that is why, intangible assets are not so popular management strategy because they are not provided in writing.   In conditions of modern current economy a lot of companies can make sure their survivability and sustainability into the post depression era if they are able learn to ruin the brick and mortar attitude that has tainted corporate America. According to the statistics, seventy-five percent of value of any company can be traced to intangible resources (Ramu, 2000, p. 15). One main cause for mistake is a lack of understanding and the incapability of upper management to think outside the frames. The representatives of the management within a company having no ability to think outside the frames have the complexity in demonstrating new ideas to upper management in the usage of intangible resources influence. So why intangible resources are so significant for the company are so important to legitimize management authority? First of all, strong brands effect on consumers’ decision-making processes, as well as making sure that premium prices may be charged. This is mainly true in many businesses connected with consumers. At their best, they symbolize an assurance of excellence and quality and sometimes, when it deals with luxury brands, customers even gain social status from the brand. It can also maintain the fast development of new successful markets. For instance, Tesco, one of the UK’s primary retailers, succeed in penetrating financial services. Surely, the financial benefit of the company arises from intangible resources such as brands and consumer relationships. Intangible resources, therefore, provide with a potential competitive benefit, but being the resources they obviously require specialist management and excellent communication skills. Management’s capabil ity to bring its strategy is extremely dependent on its consumer relationships, brands and performance of main employees – all of which are also intangible resources for accounting purposes. The significance of these factors is obviously very important to a company’s productivity and to the sustainability of future performance of the company. So it will be more correctly to ask how it is possible to improve the management of these resources, rather than ask why it is so important. One more question of the paper that should be discussed is in what way the companies manage their intangible resources in modern market? Important management is concentrated on the brands to guarantee that the brand is exemplified in every sphere of the company’s outside and interior behaviors (Kaplan and Norton, 2004, p. 24). Brands are continually adapted and revitalized to act in response with variable consumer trends and to be in front of the competition, thus increasing their importance and value. But it is often hard to see financial information about the brand being examined and managed. For instance, the amount of money invested in a brand development is not constantly available.   Consumer relationships comprise one more critical intangible resource for a great number of companies. And, just as in the case with brands, there is a shortage of information about main consumers – including the duration of the relationship, the limits and the charge of supporting main relationships. This is particularly relevant to retailers and the production of customer loyalty card schemes points out the significance these organizations attach to this resource. In the modern market retailers now have better understanding of the desires and needs of their consumers. This information can be further translated into charge which could then be monitored and managed on the continuing basis. The financial result of changes to the way in which consumers are managed could then be frequently reported to the board and eventually to external parties. Everything mentioned above proves once again that intangible resources are extremely necessary to pay attention to and draw upon by the management. Although there is a widespread opinion that intangible resources are very significant to the future prosperity of any company, still there is a dilemma concerning their ongoing management as well as communicating their value. The fact that it can be rather hard to get the information required to administer and enhance the intangible resources, together with the understanding of this information, has held a lot of companies back. Nevertheless, investors, analysts and stakeholders insist on the importance of intangible resources, from the point of view of their usage and investigating (Grey and Willmott, 2005, p. 45). They come to realize, that there is a significant information gap concerning rational usage and studying of the intangible resources. That is why, the companies should move towards enhanced intangible asset management and improve systems of their usage.   Intangible resources are important for every company despite its size and sphere of business. Not only is there a co nvincing financial motive for more careful intangible resources management process, the tax and accounting systems are requiring that numbers are billed to intangible resources as part of accounting for attainments. The value of intangible resources is compulsory to be monitored on the constant basis, as it will help the company to improve its performance. Every company has its own intangible resources needed to pay attention to and it is the task of the management to see what asset requires attention and how it van be used to give maximum profits. Reference List Berkeley-Thomas A. (2003) Controversies in Management. London: Routledge. Grey C. (2009) Studying Organizations. ( 2nd ed.) London: Sage. Grey C. and Willmott H. (eds) (2005) Critical Management Studies: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kaplan, R. and Norton, K. ( 2004) Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes. New York: Harvard Business Press Ramu, S. (2000) International Licensing: Managing Intangible Resources (Response Books). London: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Look for the fax that im sending you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Look for the fax that im sending you - Essay Example The firm seeks to thrive through employment of friendlier and skilled staff, which in combination with great prices, is set to propel the repeat business that will be reliable. The firm expects that as the price of medication continues to rise, Inter-Global Medicare will be increasingly be appealing to the clientele’s sense of value, affordability, and convenience. Inter-global Medicare Entrepreneurs has come on board with the best prescription medication that seeks to fill the therapeutic gap that many scientific attempts have failed to break. Antiobesity Treatment, which this firm has developed, is called surgical sympathectomy. This entails administration of tables and a theatre surgical operation that is aimed at removing some of the excess fats from the body. After that, the patient is taken through a physical exercise session for at least two months and utmost five months within the supervision of the experts and within the facility. The degree of efficacy of this prescr iption will be based on the extent of weight loss. Considering the other past and even the present alternative prescriptions to the Inter-Global's drug, it emerges the best in terms of side effects with little body immunity destabilization and physical wellbeing. Objectives The objectives of Inter-Global Medicare entrepreneurs for its first four years in the market include; i. Deliver beyond the customers’ expectations with superior pricing ii. Increase the market size by more than 35% per year iii. Develop a steady business that survives off its own cash flow. Mission The mission statement of Inter-global Medicare is to provide clients with the best prices for their prescription medications. Our convenience and services will exceed the expectations of the customers. Keys to Success The fundamental keys to success by this firm will include; Satisfaction of the customers so that they are always motivated to come again. To ensure that the overhead costs as well as operating cos ts are maintained as low as possible. To provide effective prices that will be affordable to the customers and a cost-sales competitive tool against the other players in the industry. Company Summary Inter-Global Medicare entrepreneurs is located in Upper-Hill commercial center and offers prescription medications at discount prices to customers by mail order or at the store front. Company Ownership Inter-Global Medicare entrepreneurs are private limited liability corporation. It is registered with the national companies’ registrar under the company’s registration act. Products The Inter-Global Medicare Entrepreneurs offers a wide range of prescription drugs to patients based within Upper hill and nationally. Both generics and name brands will be on offer. In order for clients to purchase medications through mail order, they must first contact The Inter-global Medicare Entrepreneurs over the phone. The customer then needs to mail in the prescription, fax it, or email it . Once it is received and payment arrangements are complete, the prescription will be sent out to the customer via the delivery department. Local customers may stop by the store front to pick up the medications. In conducting any form of business, the concern should be over the welfare of the customers. The pharmaceutical industry is particularly delicate too given the implication of wrongful administration of drugs on patients. Based on this, the firm would do everything to ensure the safety

Friday, October 18, 2019

Working Mothers in America's Twentieth Century and Beyond A Social Essay

Working Mothers in America's Twentieth Century and Beyond A Social Perspective - Essay Example Women, in general, occupy a secondary or subordinate position in many societies. Plans have been devised to help working mothers overcome their socioeconomic problems and to provide them with equal opportunities. Instead of increasing productivity, development processes have relegated women into economic sectors that limit social and economic mobility. The 20th century has changed lives and destinies of women, their social, economic and political roles in society. Social change raises new issues about the social meaning of adult identity for women. Many women are marrying later, having one child, and having them later in life than their mothers or grand-mothers did. Before 1900, in all-male government circles, employment policies were being developed which catered for a proportion of unemployed working-class men, but which omitted any specific reference to women. Although the attempts of the 'right to work' movement in the decade before the First World War was to force the State to accept responsibility for creating paid employment for unemployed men have been documented. 1980s-1990s brought a change in social relations and political area allowing women greater participation in workforce and labor relations. Thus, at the beginning of the 21st century, the role of working mother is still limited by their social status (as a mother and a wife). The beginning of the 20th century marked a ne... owever, support for limiting the paid employment of wives and mothers also came from members of the employing class, including some whose family fortunes owed much to the employment of married women. his may have partly stemmed from dislike of the fact that working-class women who had economic independence, particularly those living in areas where women's full-time employment was the norm were relatively active in the women's suffrage movement. The women's almost equal pay and better conditions were offset by longer hours of work (Baxandall and Gordon 1995). These would have been problematic for widows with sole responsibility for young children. Conditions on public works for men were made relatively unattractive, through policy-makers' concerns that men should not come to prefer these temporary schemes to their normal employment; but this was not the case on the women's schemes, nor was it seen as a problem. Although in most of the workrooms the women enjoyed better pay and conditi ons than in their usual work, no concern was expressed that women's incentives to move on to paid employment would be undermined. This appears to have been based on a strong resistance to seeing women, even widows, as having a proper place in the labor market (Anderson and Eamon 2005). Before the WWII, social insurance was considered to be societal protection against those risks viewed as beyond the control of the individual, or risks incurred while contributing to the well-being of the society as a whole. At the core of this perspective was concern with the protection of earned income when earnings were lost temporarily or permanently. Maternity benefits for employed women, as a social insurance benefit, were almost as old as sickness benefits, the oldest such benefit. They were

Compare the Maxwell and Pauly articles on Moral Hazard Essay

Compare the Maxwell and Pauly articles on Moral Hazard - Essay Example People buy health insurance to protect themselves from future financial risks. This is the point of Pauly when issue concerning what motivates Americans to buy insurance is taken into consideration. From economic point of view, Pauly has the point and got it right. However, if this would be the case since he also states that â€Å"people contemplating about insurance are not poor or high risk† (2), most, if not all, Americans must be insured. From Gladwell’s article, there is a significant contradiction to Pauly’s point since Americans spend $5,267 per capita on health care every year and even a visit to their dentists seems to be a luxury (Gladwell, 2005). This only depicts the reality that to be insured in the US for health care is a bit expensive for ordinary citizens, which until now many Americans suffered financial bankruptcy due to unpaid amount of bills from received medicare. Gladwell and Pauly would both agree marginal benefits should be tantamount to marginal costs. However, what Pauly fails to consider is the capacity of every Americans to secure health insurance for each of them. The moral hazard that Pauly would want to point out cannot have full realization if in the first place the Americans do not have the capacity to secure health insurance. In other words, based on Gladwell’s article, the prevailing US health care is not even subject to moral hazard. Pauly’s article might be too presumptuous about the health care system situation in the US by not initiating prior consideration of the minor details just as what Gladwell exactly did. In the first place, consumers could not demand for more health care, as they do not even have one in the first place as what Gladwell would want to clearly state. Personally, I do not want to go the doctor when nothing was wrong with me, even though I might have a very generous policy for my health insurance. In this case, the moral

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Management accounting - contemporary approach Essay

Management accounting - contemporary approach - Essay Example The paper starts off with a brief review of literature concerning historical trends in management accounting and then develops understanding into modern issues while introducing recent systems of management accounting, discusses a breakthrough development in performance measures viz. balanced scorecard and identifies various budgetary controls and their relationship with the managerial performance. The management accounting system emerged and developed initially during the 19th century. At first it was solely used by managers for obtaining cost information such as direct labour and direct material etc used in the manufacturing process. Further, the management accounting was developed in the same century to obtain information concerning subordinate activities and impact of specific products on company profits. It was then also utilised for estimating costs (standard cost) and comparing it with actual costs i.e., variance analysis (Johnson & Kaplan, 1987). Atkinson et al. (1997) describe management accounting as a process through which the economic transactions of an organisation are acknowledged, gauged, accounted and examined. This process of management accounting needs to be endogenous to the organisation, which directs the flow of organisational decisions vis--vis operation and investment. Despite the criticality of management accounting in the process of managerial decision-making and performance towards the accomplishment of organisational goals, there remain substantial concerns regarding the bias and malpractice exercised on the part of managers. These concerns lead to the development of various controls enabling the organisations to oversee the conduct of managers and supervisors, and to make them accountable for their activities impacting organisational goals. This is referred to as the management control, and Anthony and Govindarajan (1998, p17) delineate it as, "Management control is the process by which managers influence other members of the organization to implement the organization's strategies. The system used by management to control the activities of an organization is called its management control system." Hopwood (1972) previously figured out various demoralised activities on the part of the managers, such as budgetary slacks and exploitation of performance measures vitiating the role of management accounting. Merchant (1985) describes various controls to be enforced at managerial level so as to set standards and gauge outcomes of managerial activities and decision-making. The most significant control pertinent to management is the result control, which is achieved either through some performance indicators such as profitability etc or through target identification. Holzer and Norreklit (1991) says that financial accountability control could be also exercised at the management level, where the managers could be held responsible for financial results of the company such as net income, losses etc. In this way, decisions taken under the management accoun

Critical appraisal in clinical practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical appraisal in clinical practice - Essay Example It is of particular interest to me because various studies have been carried out on pain management and assessment, and I believe that establishing which studies provide the best evidence on care would also assist me in my delivery of health services (Hammer and Collinson, 1999). This paper shall first present the method by which the studies were selected. It shall be followed by the critical summaries and then by the appraisal of method. Finally, a synthesis of findings and reflection on practice will also be presented. Body Selection of papers In the selection of the papers, I entered the following search words in Google Scholar; post-operative + nursing care, post-operative issues + nursing, pain assessment + post-operative nursing. Search results were further narrowed down using the following additional parameters: past 10 years, and results from the following databases: EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, and the Cochrane databases. Articles found were further narrowed down based on advance d search parameters, covering meta-analysis and other scholarly types of research. The credibility of the authors was also evaluated, assessing their expertise on the subject of the research. Critical summaries In the study by Blondal and Halldorsdottir (2008), the authors attempted to establish a though understanding of nurses’ experiences in the management of patients in pain. The authors understood that despite improved knowledge on patient care, these patients were still suffering from issues in relation to pain and nurses are the primary health professionals which can help relieve these symptoms. The authors carried out their study as a phenomenological study covering 20 dialogues with 10 experienced nurses. The research process revealed that caring for patients in pain is a major challenge for many nurses and nurses seem to feel a moral obligation to ease patient’s pain. Moreover, these nurses feel that they face a challenge in managing patient’s pain in t erms of how they read their patient, how they deal with moral conflicts, and organizational issues. The authors also concluded that nurses require different patterns of knowledge and a favourable work environment in order to improve their pain management skills. In the study by Al-Shaer, et.al., (2011), the nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain assessment and intervention was considered. The authors undertook their study as a non-experimental, descriptive design, based on a convenience sample of 129 registered nurses working in various units of a Midwestern metropolitan hospital. The authors covered registered nurses on their knowledge and attitudes on pain management and the results indicated that their knowledge of pain management principles and interventions seem to be insufficient. Although the results of this study do indicate high knowledge scores, some nurses indicate an inadequate ability to care for patients experiencing pain. The authors were also able to a cknowledge the fact that pain is a subjective experience and that nurses must not base their assessments on their personal beliefs of judgments. Critical review 1. Appraisal of method In the study by Blondal, the problem was specifically and clearly stated by the authors and it had sufficient background information in order to

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management accounting - contemporary approach Essay

Management accounting - contemporary approach - Essay Example The paper starts off with a brief review of literature concerning historical trends in management accounting and then develops understanding into modern issues while introducing recent systems of management accounting, discusses a breakthrough development in performance measures viz. balanced scorecard and identifies various budgetary controls and their relationship with the managerial performance. The management accounting system emerged and developed initially during the 19th century. At first it was solely used by managers for obtaining cost information such as direct labour and direct material etc used in the manufacturing process. Further, the management accounting was developed in the same century to obtain information concerning subordinate activities and impact of specific products on company profits. It was then also utilised for estimating costs (standard cost) and comparing it with actual costs i.e., variance analysis (Johnson & Kaplan, 1987). Atkinson et al. (1997) describe management accounting as a process through which the economic transactions of an organisation are acknowledged, gauged, accounted and examined. This process of management accounting needs to be endogenous to the organisation, which directs the flow of organisational decisions vis--vis operation and investment. Despite the criticality of management accounting in the process of managerial decision-making and performance towards the accomplishment of organisational goals, there remain substantial concerns regarding the bias and malpractice exercised on the part of managers. These concerns lead to the development of various controls enabling the organisations to oversee the conduct of managers and supervisors, and to make them accountable for their activities impacting organisational goals. This is referred to as the management control, and Anthony and Govindarajan (1998, p17) delineate it as, "Management control is the process by which managers influence other members of the organization to implement the organization's strategies. The system used by management to control the activities of an organization is called its management control system." Hopwood (1972) previously figured out various demoralised activities on the part of the managers, such as budgetary slacks and exploitation of performance measures vitiating the role of management accounting. Merchant (1985) describes various controls to be enforced at managerial level so as to set standards and gauge outcomes of managerial activities and decision-making. The most significant control pertinent to management is the result control, which is achieved either through some performance indicators such as profitability etc or through target identification. Holzer and Norreklit (1991) says that financial accountability control could be also exercised at the management level, where the managers could be held responsible for financial results of the company such as net income, losses etc. In this way, decisions taken under the management accoun

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Policy review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy review - Essay Example 2006: 1). Perioperative environment area is the sterile area that should be free of the infection-causing bacteria. Therefore preventing cross transmission of the MRO must be addressed in all perioperative settings including, day surgery, the surgical ward, the holding area, the surgery suite, and the PACU. It is the responsibility of all healthcare staff to protect themselves and their surgical patients from contracting MRO infections. The Infection Control Policy: Prevention and Management of Multi-Resistant Organisms (MRO), a policy directive of the NSW Department of Health, or PD2007_084 would guide all health workers in the prevention and management of MRO. The content of document, PD2007_084, the NSW Department of Health policy directive which is the Infection Control Policy: Prevention and Management of Multi-Resistant Organism (MRO) outlined the roles and responsibilities of healthcare staffs by highlighting the general and specific measures that should be observed as standar d practices in all healthcare units. The general measures refer to infection control measures, use of antimicrobials, and environmental cleaning. Specific measures included surveillance of MRO, screening patients and healthcare workers for MRO, risk categorisation of patients and healthcare workers for MRSA, decolonisation and clearing a patient of MRSA, and risk categorisation of patient care area. Guidelines on specimen collection, decolonisation protocol for MRSA, and relevant readings are also included in this policy. Lee and Bishop (2002:273-274) stated that nosocomial infections are grouped into two categories: exogenous infections and endogenous infections. Exogenous infections refer to those infections from the hospital environment, staff, other patients and visitors. Endogenous infections are cause by microorganism in the patient’s own normal flora, including hospital strains. Lee and Bishop (2002: 274-275) also stated that the Australian survey showed a higher preva lence of nosocomial infections in large teaching hospitals because they usually have a large reservoir of infection in intensive care unit, specialised burns unit and in transplant operations facilities. In Australia, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of controlling and managing infection control in the recent years. All staffs are responsible to control hospital infection by observing the infection control policies and guidelines (Lee and Bishops, 2002: 276). Purpose of the Policy The purpose of infection control policy is primarily the prevention and management of MRO in healthcare facilitates so as to ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers through the implementation of routine and standard practices of preventing and controlling the risk of transmission and colonisation of infectious agents. This will prevent fatal illness or death from MRO infection, prolonged hospital stays, readmissions, and additional diagnostic and treatment cost associat ed with such infectious contamination. Implementation would thereby improve the delivery of healthcare services and protect the lives of both patients and healthcare workers. The purpose of infection control policy is not only for the prevention and management of multi-resistant organism in the perioperative environment but also in every aspect of the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Compare the pre twentieth century Essay Example for Free

Compare the pre twentieth century Essay Compare the pre twentieth century A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens with the twentieth century play An inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly focusing particularly attention on plots, character and authorial intent; why do you think the two pieces of literature written at such different times are so similar? Both of these stories were written over a hundred years apart from each other but the message that comes across is a story about morals. A lot of people think that the stories are about stating the rich verses the poor. I dont see this, as there is a lot more to the stories than this in both IC and CC. In these stories the message that is brought to our attention is that what ever people do or what they have done they always deserve a second chance. There are a lot of similar features that appear in the two stories. One of these the similarities is between Scrooge and Mr Birling. Both of these men dont seem to care about other people and just think about them selves. Birlings shows this when he says Community and all that nonsense. This also shows how narrow minded he really is. In Scrooges case things are even worse as he does not even care for his own nephew Its enough for a man to understand his own business and not to interfere with other peoples. These two both think that people who are poor have to work all around the clock and dont understand that everyone is equal and some people (the rich) are more fortunate than others. Another example of their similarities as they look for any that could lead to a business opportunity. In IC Birling shows that he looks at Sheila and Geralds marriage is not a moment of joy but a huge business opportunity. This would greatly benefit him in the long run. We look forward for the day when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but working together. This compares well with when Scrooge in CC says He was an excellent man of business, on the very day of the funeral on the funeral of a long life partner, which would usually be very upsetting but instead jumps at the chance to keep his business going on his funeral. It is also shocking that he doesnt even show any sympathy towards him. One main reasons that these two men are so narrow minded is their generalisation. They resort to picking on people who ever they but they only see them as they do in their heads not who they truly are. Scrooge announces strictly I cant afford to make people to make idle people merry to one of young man who is trying to collect money for charity. He thinks that as some people are poor they cannot be happy. We assume that he thinks that people have to be rich to be happy. A good example of this is when Scrooge says to his nephew What have you to be merry? Scrooges nephew replying, What right do you have be dismal? sharply. This shows that just having family and friends with you at Christmas should be enough to make you happy. In IC Birling announces, If you dont come down sharply on these people then theyd soon be asking for the earth. Here he generalises his factory workers as greedy. This brings through his experience that he actually has of normal people.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Effect of Temperature on Enzyme-catalyzed Reaction

Effect of Temperature on Enzyme-catalyzed Reaction Yasmine Dabash Introduction Topic: The denaturing of enzymes. Purpose: To further investigate catalysts and enzymes as well as their reactions to temperature change. Problem: How does temperature affect the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction? Research Source 1: http://www.worthington-biochem.com/introbiochem/tempeffects.html Information found: Like the majority of chemical reactions, the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction raises as the temperature elevates. According to the source, â€Å"A ten degree Centigrade rise in temperature will increase the activity of most enzymes by 50 to 100%.†Many enzymes are unfavorably affected by intense heat. Because most animal enzymes quickly become denatured over 40 °C, nearly all enzyme activity is accomplished under that temperature. After some time, enzymes neutralize at even reasonable temperatures. The recommended temperature to store enzymes is 5 °C or lower but even some enzymes deactivate when frozen. Source 2: http://classroom.synonym.com/effects-temperature-enzyme-activity-biology-6049.html Information found: Collisions between molecules increase as temperature increases. This is because of the increase in velocity and kinetic energy that is a result of increased temperature. With rapider velocities, there will be less time between molecule collisions. This results in supplementary molecules reaching activation energy, which elevates the rate of the reactions. Since the molecules are also moving quicker, collisions between enzymes and substrates also increase. Identify Variables Independent Variable: Liver temperature Dependent Variable: The rate at which the liver rises to the surface of the hydrogen peroxide. Controlled Variables: Environment temperature, liver origin (same individual of the same species), concentration of hydrogen peroxide solution, water composition, filter paper size, filter paper weight and density, beaker material, forceps material, Petri dish material, filter paper material, and pipette material. Hypothesis: If enzymes are heated to 70 °C then the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions will decrease because the denaturing of enzymes occurs after 40 °C. The Plan Procedure: Step 1: Put on an apron, gloves, and safety goggles. Also, make sure hair is tied up away from your face and out of the way of any experimental material. Step 2: Use forceps to place raw liver in an open Petri dish. Use a pipette to put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide solution on the liver. Observe any chemical or physical changes. (Caution: Rinse off any hydrogen peroxide that comes in contact with skin, eyes, or clothing) Step 3: Cut of a 5 cm x 5 cm piece of filter paper and absorb it with a sample of liver. Step 4: Fill 50 a 50 mL beaker with 25 mL of 1% hydrogen peroxide solution using a graduated cylinder to measure. Step 5: Use forceps to drop the livered filter paper to the bottom of the solution. Record using a timer how long the filter paper takes to rise to the surface. Seek assistance if needed. Step 6: Now, heat 25 mL of water and a sample of liver in a 50 mL beaker to 70 °C with on a hot plate. (Caution: Hot plates are called hot plates for a reason; their hot. They can burn you. Seek adult assistance if young or incapable.) Step 7: Turn the hot plate OFF and remove the beaker from the hot plate using beaker tongs. Then remove the liver from the water using forceps and set the sample into a Petri dish. Step 8: Repeat the previous experiment with the heated liver. Records results then analyze the data. Step 9: Compare and contrast the data sets from each part of the experiment. Data Liver temperature The time it took for the liver to reach the surface of a 1% hydrogen peroxide. (seconds) Room Temperature Liver 5.73 seconds 70 °C Liver 7.22 seconds Results and Understandings Graphing: Data analysis: When analyzing the results of the experiment, it is easy to see that there are trends in the data. The relationship between enzyme activity and temperature is inversely proportional. The higher the temperature of the enzymes, the faster they react and the less time the livered filter paper takes to rise to the surface of a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution. However, after 40 °C, the denaturing of enzymes; therefore slowing down enzyme-catalyzed reactions. This is because as the denaturing of enzymes occurs they no longer fit their specific ‘lock’ to which they are ‘key’ to. Though there was not any lack in accuracy, there was an extreme lack of precision during this experiment. Firstly, the assistant scientific hands were not at all interested in the experiment; making it exceedingly difficult to attempt to get them on task, complete the experiment, and get steps that require the cooperation of more than one individual done. It is also importance to recognize the limitation of time allotted for previously mentioned tasks to be applied; one class period. Also, it would have made all the difference in the world if the time it took for the filter paper to rise in increments of 5 mL could have been measured since it rose through 25 mL of 1% hydrogen peroxide solution. In doing this, it would be seen whether the filter paper accelerated positively or decelerated as it rose through the solution. But due to time constraints, lack of expertise, and lack of an extremely precise timing device, such an idea could not be executed. But even before trying to accompli sh that out of the ballpark idea, it would have been better to allow more trials for each temperature of liver and perhaps entertain the addition of higher or lower temperatures of liver. Perhaps refrigerated liver? Even better, liver at or around 40 °C. Knowing how enzymes react to heat is vital for a number of biologists globally. Especially since biologists are required to properly handle and store enzymes. Enzymes are best stored below 5 °C in order for them to not o dormant. Also, it is important for real life biologists to understand that enzymes will work faster in heat only up to a certain point. For example, in many animals, enzymes denature after they hit 40 °C. Almost all enzyme activity happens below that temperature. Conclusion Claim: In correlation to the hypothesis, the outcome of the experiment proved the following hypothesis: â€Å"If enzymes are heated to 70 °C then the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions will decrease because the denaturing of enzymes occurs after 40 °C.† The hypothesis gathered from the evidence pertaining to the collision theory ended up being true not only on paper but in real life experimentation and scenarios as well. Since the chemical reaction slowed when the livered filter paper was heated to 70 °C, then it is easy to say with utmost certainty that the relationship between temperature and reaction time is indirectly proportional up until 40 °C. In regards to the purpose of the lab experiment, many investigations have been made that further our knowledge on how to properly handle enzymes temperature wise. Which temperature are too hot, which are not hot enough, etc. Also, from the information gathered, other intelligent assumptions can be made on the proper storage of enzymes. Since it is known that enzymes, over time, become dormant—wouldn’t it be ideal to freeze them so they retain their activity? But perhaps, that is for yet another experiment. Evidence and Elaboration Evidence 1: The collision theory states that as temperature rises, particles move more rigorously as collide more often. When these molecules bump into one another, reactions occur—in this example, the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is the result. The amount of collisions it takes for a full reaction to occur is the activation energy of a chemical reaction. This theory is the first piece of evidence for the increase in enzyme-catalyst activity then temperature increases. Evidence 2: The Induced Fit theory of enzymes accounts for the fact that the activity and substrate of an enzyme are complementary and mold to one another’s ice-cube tray, or as biologymad.com likes to say, â€Å"Mould to each other like ‘hand in glove.’† The links in substrates and enzymes bend when enzyme-substrate compounds form, deteriorating them significantly. Unlike the ‘Lock and Key’ theory of enzymes, the Induced Fit theory accounts for catalytic action and the products of chemical reactions pertaining to enzymes. Works Cited Enzymes. Biology Mad. Master Frameset, 07 Nov. 2005. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. Introduction to Enzymes: Temperature Effects. Worthington Biochemistry. Worthington Biochemical Corporation, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. Santhosh, Lakshmi. The Effects of Temperature on Enzyme Activity. Synonym. Demand Media, 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Biography of Julius Caesar Essay -- Julius Caesar Roman Empire Essays

Biography of Julius Caesar A baby was born on July 12 or 13 of 100 BC in Rome. Little did the proud parents of this baby know that he would rule most of the known world. This baby was born to the name of Gaius, his personal name, Julius was the name of his family's clan and the name of his family was Caesar meaning hairy. Caesar was such an amazing man that many people couldn't believe that he was born the same way as them. Over time stories have arisen about Caesar's birth. One story says that Caesar was pulled from an incision in his mother's stomach. This is where the medical term of Cesarean section came from, from Caesar's birth. Not everyone paid that much attention to the birth of Caesar, it was overshadowed by exploits of his Uncle Gaius Marius. Marius was a politician, he was a "new man" or a plebeian politician. He married into the aristocratic Caesar family so he would have a name to back up his words. Marius did not receive a first-class education or a lot of other advantages some politicians had. Marius was elected consul in 108 BC, once in office he proved himself as a brilliant general. He persuaded the senate to send him to Africa and replace the general in the war there. He took over for General Metellus. Soon he ended the war that had been dragging on for many years. When he returned to Rome Marius found another chance for fame. Nomadic German tribes had invaded the north of Italy and winning a couple battles over Roman armies. Marius took the spotlight away from this little bundle of joy named Caesar.No matter what he wanted he was propelled into politics. Many of his relatives were senators or held other important political offices. He listened to many political discussions between his family which had substantial influences on him. He was trained to be a politician by his tutor Antonius Gnipho. He studied Greek and Latin literature, philosophy, and most important, rhetoric or the art of persuasive argument. At the age of twelve he was brought to the senate house to watch speeches and debates.As a kid he wrote numerous poems and plays. Augustus believed that these writings might tarnish his reputation, when he became emperor he burned all of Caesar works. Caesar was a very handsome boy and for that matter man too. He dressed in a style all his own. He was not very strong as boy. All male children were expected to be goo... ...ors over the edge. Caesar wanted to lead armies again in new and glorious conquests. He made plans to leave Rome for two years and lead an army. He was to leave on March 19. This meant the assassination had to take place soon, Cassius had to make final plans. Caesar knew something was wrong he had spies everywhere and a soothsayer openly said that he would be killed. He refused to take precautions and even dismissed his bodyguard. This whole time he refused to be crowned king. Caesar was scheduled to attend a meeting on the Ides, or fifteenth, of March, that was the day the conspirators would attack. On March fourteenth Caesar's wife had terrible dreams of her husband's death. In the morning his wife pleaded with him not to go. Caesar postponed the session. One of the conspirators named Decimus Brutus came to Caesar's house and persuaded him to come to the session. He gave in and came to the session. His wife's try to save him failed. When Caesar entered the Senate a group formed around him and stabbed him to death. He was stabbed 23 times then fell on a statue of Pompey. So Caesar died. Caesar had a great life and then was stabbed because people were jealous of him.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Critical Analysis Essay Essay

This section contains a summary of the article â€Å"What Cost Chris Dussold His Dream Job?† In his introduction, Bartlett explains how Mr.Dussold was a professor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and was fired for â€Å"copying another professor’s teaching statement.† But further explains that Mr.Dussold says â€Å"that was not the real reason he was fired† and that â€Å"Now Mr.Dussold is on a crusade to restore his reputation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he goes on to explain how Mr.Dussold lands the dream job he wanted which was going smoothly until one day when a rumor started. Mr.Dussold tries many ways to make the rumor stop happening and assure everyone it is not true. Bartlett tells you about how the university does investigations on the rumor and what Mr.Dussold does to try and clear his name. Describing later on how the investigation ended and explain why Dussold ends up suing the college for false termination. Arguments See more: how to write a critical analysis outline The main purpose of this article written by Bartlett is to help prove the innocence of Mr.Dussold and give the side of Dussold’s story behind the rumor made against him. Trying to make an ethical argument Bartlett tells how Dussold’s reputation is put into question. According to the article Bartlett describes how Dussold had gone to Southern Illinois as a student and had offers from other colleges to work there but took the job at SIUE because â€Å"It felt like coming home.† In fact he said â€Å"‘I used to tell them I would take this job for nothing,’† and how many of his students and colleagues enjoyed working with him. Dussold tried to steer clear of arguments with others and then out of nowhere a rumor is started the ruins his character as a teacher. Bartlett also elucidates that Dussold whole life started changing after this rumor had been started. The author states that Dussold who was once an outgoing professor but once the rumor started, allegations were made about  him which led him to start questioning everyone and everything around him â€Å"Every interaction now carried a question mark: Who believes the rumor?†¦Were there more?† Each day these questions were rattling around in his head, not knowing the answer to any of them. Eventually he starts going into his own shell trying to not cause any more problems in his life â€Å"The once-outgoing professor started keeping to himself.† The rumors started making Dussold stressed showing us an emotional argument. Author Style Bartlett starts out describing how Dussold has told this story many times, saying how he was fired, how he was escorted and how he felt hopeless. â€Å"But even after two years and numerous retellings, the emotion still sneaks up on him.† But does not give the full story away making you curious and wanting to read more. He also goes on to mention that he was fired for â€Å"plagiarism† but he felt that, that was not the true reason. Dussold believes the reason is because a rumor that had start but was not true, and vouched to clear his name. â€Å"No matter what you think of Mr. Dussold†¦you can’t dent his zeal: He is a man on a mission.† Though Bartlett tells you this information he still leaves out the main details like what the rumor is or how Mr. Dussold is going to prove his side of the story making this an intriguing contradiction. Bartlett writes this story in order of the events that had happened besides his brief explanation in the introduction. In the first passage of this article Bartlett explains how Dussold used to be a student at SIUE and was ecstatic when he was offered a job there â€Å"’I used to tell them I’d take this job for nothing,’† going on to say how he and his colleagues as well as his students were getting along well and his life was going good. Later on you find out about how Dussold’s life has been turned upside down due to a rumor starting accusing him of having sexual activities with a student that was in one of his after school clubs, †Every interaction now carried a question mark,†. Eventually you learn that Dussold get the dean involved who does his own investigation and later on fires but not for the rumor, but because of plagiarism of another professors work. Dussold turns back around after getting fired and sues them because he believes he was truly fired because of the rumor, and how he now has a new job and a college not far from SIUE, â€Å"He remains convinced that it was the rumor-and the fear that he  would sue-that led to his firing. And he believes he can prove that in court.† Response This story was unconvincing due to the fact that Bartlett says Dussold claims to be fired because the rumor was started. Then Bartlett just explains everything surrounding the rumor and never exaggerates on the actual reason he got fired, which was plagiarism. It is also unbelievable since it says Ms. Peyla, the student from the rumor, decided at one point to just go on with the rumor and report that it was true. Not many people would willingly just agree with a rumor that is potentially life ruining if it were not true. This article could have been more convincing if other professors or students had been included in the story. This would have helped because the more witnesses the more proof of what really happened and that usually would help in deciding if a person is guilty or not judging from an article about their situation.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Maggie and Dee & sisters Essay

Everyday Use is about these two colliding characters: Maggie and Dee are sisters. In the story, Maggie seems to be the powerless and passive character. She had scars from being burnt and this experience brought her to directed inward. She valued the things that are less superficial and more meaningful. She has stayed with her mother and there she learned making quilts. Dee is more the outgoing type. She cares a lot about her style. She’s into physical appearance and boys are one of her interest. Thesis Statement: The central conflict this part of the story is the triumph over legacy – who will be recognized as the successor? This very powerful story revolves around the quilt. As Dee tries to win the quilt, she also seeks her long-lost heritage after a long time of absence. (Walker 278). (66) â€Å"’Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! † She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Dee always tries to prove herself in the way of her power to persuade and aggression (Walker 278): (68) â€Å"But they’re priceless,† she was saying now furiously for she had a temper. Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that! †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ But Maggie is a strong person with inner strength and she knows that the legacy has been passed on to her (Walker 279). (74) ‘â€Å"She can have them Mama, â€Å"she said like somebody used to never winning anything reserved for her. â€Å"I can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts. † Maggie said. ’† The mother knew that her daughter Maggie has been the one who deserves the heritage. Although Maggie seems weak and she will talk in peace (Walker 279). (75) ‘â€Å"She stood there with her scared hands hidden in the folds of her skirt. She looked at her sister with something like fear. But she wasn’t mad at her. This was Maggie’s portion. This was the way she knew God to work. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Towards the end of the story, Dee knows that her mother fought for Maggie and has won the battle. She denies herself from humility that she lost (Walker 279). (81) ‘â€Å"You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live, you’ll never know it. † Dee will always hide the loss. She will not be someone who will stand up for defeat and that is in a way being a coward (Walker 279). (82)â€Å"She put on her glasses and hid everything above the tip of her nose and her chin. † Conclusion: Everyday Use explores the long years a mother’s will to raise her children, see them grow and realize their identity. Maggie spent her every day with her mother and her mother experienced her presence for the longest years. Meanwhile Dee has spent her life away from her family. The one who has learned the craft of quilting which signifies her unconditional love for her family is Maggie and finally her mother realizes that and in all sense she deserves that honor of their heritage. Citation: Walker, Alice. â€Å"Everyday Use. † In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women. Harvest Books (1974): 272-279.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples, Definition

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples – Essay Speech about inclusive Education Good morning principal and fellow colleagues. I have been given the task to talk to you about Inclusive education and the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to learning and development. What is inclusive education? In line with international trends, South African education is moving away from special education towards a policy of inclusion (i. e. Inclusion of learners with disabilities, impairments and historically disadvantaged in terms of access to curriculum into mainstream schools). International and South African perspectives on inclusion are closely related to wider social concerns about human rights. The new Constitution highlights respect for the rights of all, with particular emphasis on the recognition of diversity. This implies an inclusive approach to education in the sense that all learners are entitled to appropriate education. It was argued by Engelbrecht et al. (1999: viii) that this is only possible if one education system is liable for educational provision, and not two systems (i. e. mainstream and special education system). However in order for it to be effective, schools, classrooms and teachers need to be prepared to change and supported in doing so. There has never been a formal exclusion in our country. Learners with a wide variety of special education needs were and are to be found in many classrooms. The difference now is that these learners are recognised as having the right to access the curriculum and the right to a curriculum which is appropriate to their learning needs. This has implications for the nature of the school and classroom environments, the nature of the curriculum and roles of teachers, parents and communities in the education of all learners. A commitment to inclusion does not mean that all learners with special education needs will necessarily be in mainstream classrooms. There will always be a few who are better catered for in separate environments. Inclusion and education for all The 1994 report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), stated and I quote. â€Å"The guiding principle that informs this framework is that schools should accommodate all learners regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This should include disabled and gifted learners, street and working learners, learners from remote or nomadic populations, learners from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and learners from other disadvantaged or marginalised area or groups. † In other words, inclusion is not simply about reconstructing provision for learners with disabilities, but is a means of extending educational opportunities to a wide range of marginalised groups who may historically have had a little or no access to schooling. This is of great significance in our country, considering our past (apartheid era). There are many journals and books based on inclusive education, and how to run an inclusive school and classroom, so before going on and on, I will briefly outline occurrences of barriers to learning and development of learners. There are two groups: intrinsic factors – those located within the individual learner themselves. The learners are usually born with specific characteristics such as blindness or a missing appendage. The second barrier is extrinsic factors – those emanating from outside the learner – that is their environment, home, upbringing and teaching (Weeks, 2003: 19). If we look at: 1. Intrinsic barriers. The most prominent intrinsic factors are physical and/ or physiological impairments and personality characteristics which are caused by many factors. If I’m tired of my own voice by now, I don’t want to imagine how you may be feeling, so I will only outline a few general causes (Weeks, 2003:21). 1. 1. Genetic or hereditary factors We inherit out genetic composition in the form of chromosomes and we receive an equal amount from each parent. Just as one inherits certain characteristics of the parents, for example eye and hair colour, so too, can a physical or physiological impairment be inherited. Examples of this are poor eyesight and low levels of intelligence. Sometimes abnormal genes are not inherited, but something goes wrong with the genetic composition during the very early stages of development in the uterus. This is known as â€Å"chromosomal† or â€Å"genetic† deviations. Down’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome may result and these learners usually have an intellectual impairment ((Weeks, 2003: 22). 1. 2. Before, during and after-birth brain damage A child may suffer brain damage before birth from various factors – radiation, measles or syphilis injections, a defective placenta, an incompatibility of blood groups, etc. During birth they may suffer brain damage if there is a complication at birth and; after birth; brain damage may be caused by accidents, diseases such as meningitis and, polio which may result in permanent muscle paralysis. Here are a few forms of physical impairments that are directly associated to brain damage: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning impairments such as dyslexia or dyscalculia and certain forms of intellectual, hearing and visual impairments. Learners with these impairments require special educational methods and aids and therefore have special educational needs, for example, blind learners require Braille machines. In the past, these learners were taught in special schools but now, the new legislation includes them in the mainstream of education (Weeks, 2003:22). 1. 3. Personality problems Some learners have specific personalities that have a negative impact on their academic achievement and gives rise to barriers to their learning. These traits may be inherited or could be shaped by extrinsic factors (Weeks, 2003:23). Examples:Some learners are extremely shy and cannot assert themselves. They lack confidence to ask questions and query statements.Rebellious learners and attention seekers do not want to respect the authority of teachers. Teachers become aggravated and frustrated with them, thus ignoring and punishing them regularly.This impacts on the learners achievement in a negative way as the learner loses interest and motivation for school work. Learners with a low self-esteem do not have the perseverance to excel. The slightest negative experience is an even greater discouragement on their motivation to do well. Now I will outline the second barrier which is: 2. Extrinsic factors. Extrinsic barriers are not barriers within the learners themselves. They are perfectly normal at birth but circumstances outside or beyond are so inadequate that they adversely affect their development and learning and ultimately cause barriers to their learning. Let’s take a look at the first factor (Weeks, 2003:23). 2. 1. Environmental factors 2. 1. 1 Unfavourable socioeconomic circumstances Learners of lower socioeconomic groups face many barriers to their success in education. Many do well in school despite the difficulties faced in other aspects of their lives. However, they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to be behind in their accomplishment and to leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. There are many reasons why learners of lower socioeconomic groups tend to have low achievement. Some face so many difficulties in their lives that schooling may seem to be of low priority to them and to the organizations providing support. Schooling is also often given insufficient priority when making and reviewing care plans. There are additional factors associated with this way of life that are not conducive to achieving good academic results on the part of the learner. The following are examples of rife conditions: Poor medical services, poor lighting, cramped, overcrowded and noisy homes makes studying difficult, limited time for study because learners are often expected to do house chores and work over the week end to supplement the family income, a lack of cognitive stimulation because there is little or no reading material at home, poor language use, a shortage of role models, a general attitude about resignation of life, Irregular and poor school attendance and lastly, a general relaxation of morals (Weeks, 2003:24). These destructive social circumstances usually initiate a chain reaction. There are few schools in these areas and when there is education it is not of a very high standard (it is related that good teachers are usually found in favourable environments). According to Reglin (1992) these learners would perform better at school if their parents and family members got involved with their school academics and social lives, which we as teachers utterly agree. 2. 1. 2. Urban and rural areas In cities, learners often grow up in apartment buildings, usually both parents and the single parent works. There is no parent supervision when learners return home from school and therefore the learner can do as he / she pleases. Young learners are confined to the flat and do not have the opportunity to play outside, whereas the older learners roam freely in malls a on the street. There is very little control over their schooling and homework and this leads to slim stimulation to scholastic achievement. Contrastingly, in rural areas, literacy is much higher than in cities. Parents who themselves are illiterate; do not always see the value of education for their children. They expect them to leave school at an early stage so that they can supplement the family’s income. These learners attend school very irregularly because they have to herd cattle and till fields (Weeks, 2003:25-26). 2. 1. 3. Prosperous areas Environments need not be disadvantaged to have a negative effect on learners’ improvement at school. In prosperous areas there are factors that give rise to barriers to learning in learners. Since these learner’s grow up without hardship, have plenty of money and their need are provided for, these learners get easily bored and seek excitement elsewhere in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. Of necessity, these learners will show deterioration in school achievement. Additionally, pressure is placed on these learner’s to achieve and this causes rebelliousness and depression. The second extrinsic factor is: 2. 2. Upbringing 2. 2. 1. Mistakes in upbringingLearners who are pressurised by parents to achieve, become hostile and negative towards school.Overprotective parents deny their children the freedom to become independent. Their decisions are made for them by their parents; hence they do not take responsibility for their work. Some parents show little interest in the activities of their children and do not encourage them to achieve academically.Poor disciplined homes allow children to do as they please. These learner’s are disorganised and are not disciplined in their studying. Disorganised homes constitute one of the main causes of learning problems in learners. These are just to mention a few mistakes, the next factor in upbringing is:2. 2. 2 Unstable and broken homes. Another factor that plays a role in acting as a barrier is:2. 3. School factors Poor teaching due to the lack of qualifications, lazy and unmotivated teachers, stereotyped teaching methods, teachers are not looked at as role mod els and teachers do not have empathy for learners.Incomplete participation on the part of learners because of domestic vices, scholastic backlogs, emotional problems and peer pressure.Inappropriate study material.Inefficient school organisation.Crowded classrooms and,At-risk schools, where learners and learners are estranged, low standards and poor quality, incomplete studies, disciplinary problems and frequent absenteeism and teachers suffer from â€Å"burnout†.And the last two extrinsic factors to barriers to learning are, a difference in language and culture and limited job prospects. The latter is a well-known fact that because of the poor economic growth in our country, very few job opportunities have been created. This means that many school leavers do not succeed in finding jobs. Consequently they lack the will to achieve. QUESTION 2 2. 1. A Hearing Impairment For a learner with a hearing impairment the following steps will be taken by me (Weeks, 2003:158):Obtain advice from a teacher trained to teach the deaf. If possible the learner should wear a hearing aid.The learner must sit in front of the class.Speak to the learner while facing the learner so that he / she may read my lips (if possible) and pay attention to facial expressions, gestures and body language.Speak clearly, naturally and at a normal pace, unless asked to slow down.If the learner is not facing me, I would gently touch him / her on the shoulder or arm to indicate that I want like to talk to him / her.Explanations will begin with concrete, example working from concrete to abstract. The use of visual aids will be most helpful since vision is the primary means of receiving information to the hard-of-hearing learner.For reinforcement, new vocabulary words would be repeated in different contexts and written in sentences, many words presented look al ike to the lip-reader.All announcements and instructions will be written.An interpreter will be used where needed.Vibrations and excessive noise will be avoided.I will not talk while writing on the chalkboard.When writing materials:Long sentences will be broken up Difficult vocabulary load will be reducedConcept density will also be reducedQuestions asked by other learners will be repeated so that the learner in question knows what I am referring to.Carbonless note taking paper can be used. The volunteer note taker needs to take eligible notes and then give the learner with the hearing impairment a copy.Obtain feedback from the learner at every opportunity as an indicator of the level of understanding.Provide an outline in advance of the lesson or activity to give to the child in advance and also list expectations. Encourage parental involvement, for example, attending speech therapy after school.2. 2. A Visual Impairment Depending on the type of eye condition and the amount of resi dual vision of the learner, assistance would be given (Weeks, 2003:151).A learner with myopia (nearsightedness) or cataracts:The learner must sit in front of the class, near the chalkboard so that he / she may see better.Repeat what is written on the chalkboard to help the learner check his / her own work.A magnifying glass will be kept on my table which may be useful to the learner if the print in textbooks is too small. Also when using duplicated copies, the print would be large, dark and visible.With regard to his / her notebook – instead of using ordinary A-4 books, a blank book could be used by drawing horizontal parallel lines with a black koki – this will be more visible to the learner and it will be easier for the learner to write between the lines.Contrastingly, if the learner suffers from hyperopia (farsightedness):The learner will be placed at the back of the classSince these type of children enjoy outside play more than having an nterest in school work, con crete apparatus would always be kept for their usage.As for a learner suffering from albinism, their eyes are sensitive to light, therefore:The learner would be placed in a darker place in the classroom, away from the windows and glare.If there is no dark side, curtains will be used to regulate the amount of light coming into the classroom.Due to a lack of pigmentation that protects the skin, they are very vulnerable to skin diseases and cancer.Therefore, to avoid sunburn, their school attire should be cotton long sleeve shirts and trousers, and hats with wide brims. Additionally, they should make use of medicinal creams for the skin. Textbooks can be recorded on tape for the learner. Also doors should be kept either opened or closed because open doors can be a potential hazard. The learner could bump into them and get hurt. Passages between desks should be kept clear to prevent the learner from stumbling over stray objects (Weeks, 2003:152). 2. 3. Cerebral palsy For a learner with cerebral palsy I would support the learner by (Weeks, 2003:180):First, viewing the classroom as if I were going to have to navigate it in a wheelchair or walker. Make sure the classroom is set up to provide accessible resources for someone in a wheelchair or with a limited range of movement.See that the learner is comfortable with his / her orthopaedic aids.Take time to introduce and explain these aids to other learner’s.Build the learner’s self-esteem at every possible opportunity.Try to have a way to secure paper or moveable objects to the workspace so they can be utilized without having to be secured by another hand.Look around for areas where the cerebral palsy learner might benefit from additional support, like a handrail or ramp. Understand that the learner might require additional time to reach the classroom or get set up for the class.If the learner has difficulty with handwriting, I would make use of a type writer and tea ch the learner how to use it.Insure that I know what to do if a cerebral palsy learner begins to seizure.Insure the time allocation for taking tests and completing tasks is compatible with the cerebral palsy learner’s abilities or it could be orally.I would allow lessons and discussions to be taped.The learners would also be placed in the front of the class to help with vision or hearing problems. Use of small groups for discussion and work collaboration will encourage active listening and communication skills.Learners in the class would take turns to carry the cerebral palsy learner so that they get used to it, in case of an emergency or a need to improvise.QUESTION 3 Epileptic seizure Ease the learner gently to the floor, clearing the area of hazards and without preventing movements. Then I would place something flat and soft (like a folded jacket or a pillow that will be kept in the class) under the learner’s head. The learner would be turned to one side to keep the air passage clear. I would not try to force his/her mouth open and neither hold the tongue, nor would I put anything in the learner’s mouth. If the learner is known to have epilepsy, I would follow the parent’s instructions (a written and signed copy of instructions). When jerking movements stop, the learner will be allowed to rest. When full consciousness has returned to the learner, he/she would rest under supervision. If a seizure lasts for longer than 10 minutes or if another starts right after the first, I would call for emergency services. The parents of the child will be notified of every seizure the child has during school hours. If the learner has no history of epilepsy, the parents will be notified immediately and have an immediate check-up by a medical doctor (Weeks, 2003: 189-190; Epilepsy, South Africa, Reg. 001-912). Additionally, all learners in the class will be trained to help the epileptic learner during a seizure; however, only two specific learners will be assigned to help each time so that all learners do not leap to the epileptic learner when a seizure occurs. The rest of the class would clear and create space. QUESTION 4 4. 1. ECD Phase At any school one can witness a variety of different behaviours. Behaviour patterns are acceptable if they elicit the approval of adults and peers. However, a class can include learners who:Show aggressive behaviour and react aggressively towards others.Have a display of bullying, threatening, or intimidating behaviour.They physically abuse others.Deliberately destroy other's property.Show little empathy and concern for the feelings, wishes, and well-being of others. Show callous behaviour towards others and lack of feelings of guilt or remorse.They may readily inform on their companions and tend to blame others for their own misdeeds. The above behaviours become apparent and should be taken in a serious light when:They occur to a serious extent and over a period of time.The symptoms appear to worsen.They occur in conjunction with social aggression.They negatively impact the learner’s academic development. Furthermore, behaviour problems are unaccept able when they prevent:Other learners from participating in class activities. The teacher from managing class activities effectively. If I have a learner with the above behaviour in my class the following steps (Essa, 1995:22, cited in Weeks, 2003: 237) will be taken to support and assist the learner:Investigate the causes of the problem behaviour.Problem behaviour can stem from non-variable external factors (Essa, 1995:22, Weeks, 2003: 237) such as chronic illness, food or environmental allergies, or the child’s diet. As a result the child may feel a bit irritated, function on a generally lower level or experience a lower level of tolerance. These problems may not be removed but I as a teacher will treat such a learner with sensitivity, be supportive and try to create an environmentally friendly space for him / her.Positive reinforcement is one of the most important techniques and is used in conjunction with others to change unacceptable behaviour or encourage positive behaviour. I would show the learner approval by either smiling, hugging or saying something positive. This would be repeated regularly to achieve quick and good results.Ignoring the learner proves to be a very effective strategy.   It is very useful when learners try to secure the attention of adults through their irritating or unacceptable behaviour. But when the child acts in a positive manner then I would pay attention and praise the child and reinforce positive behaviour. Also if the child persists with the negative behaviour, all teachers would be asked to ignore him/ her.When aggressive behaviour should be stopped, the learner will be withdrawn from the group and be given a time-out. The child should be warned beforehand only when the third transgression occurs should he / she be removed from the group / class.The child will be taken to an isolated area and explained why he / she has been removed and then be left there without looking or talking again to the child. The rest o0f the class will be told that he / she needed a time-out. Only after a certain amount of time (when I feel it’s time-up) will the child rejoin the class. Positive behaviour reinforcement will begin immediately thereafter.If th e Learner is overwhelmed by the classroom activity and is over sensitive to stimulation will be allowed to move to quiet corner for a while until they feel calmer.The reason for his / her behaviour is external and therefore this strategy will help him / her to calm down.Prevention is an excellent technique, but can only work if I am aware of what leads to the problem behaviour and if I’m a keen observer. This method is effective for younger learners who do not have self-control and who do not yet have the ability to express themselves.Redirection can be used for a two year old by directing the child’s attention away from something and by giving him / her a toy to play with.Two year olds do not possess the social skills of sharing things; therefore the child will gradually learn these skills with my help. If it was an older learner, he / she will be guided to overcome social problems.A child of four or five is often willing to change problem behaviours and feels embarra ssed about an outburst. I would therefore find a quiet, calm place and discuss the situation and work with the child to find a workable solution.If I feel a learner’s problem behaviour is a result of need for attention, I would use the special time strategy.   I will set a special time which I can spend alone time with the child. Probably every alternate day or twice a week. During this time I would do what the child would like to do and fulfil his / her wishes.Another strategy that can be used is a highly visible reinforcement like a star chart.   Successful positive behaviour is reinforced in this manner and it should not be used as an indication of failure. The use of the above techniques depends on the type of problem behaviour and the child. Hyperactivity and Distractibility are manifestations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Hyperactivity is actually a surplus of motor activity where learners are over active, running around, fiddling, touching everything in their path, never quiet, pushing and kicking other children and moving about without any purpose or aim. This can be quite disturbing and irritating for both the other learners and the teacher as well. Distractibility is also known as ‘sensory hyperactivity’, refers to children that are continually moving around, on the go in terms of attention. Most things that they see or hear (sensory stimulus) catches their attention, but they are unable to concentrate on one particular thing for a long time. They are unable to control their attention, because any slight sound or movement distracts them. Due to this, they are unable to complete tasks and move from one unfinished task to another. Hyperactive and distractible learners cannot pay attention to instructions properly, often misunderstanding when spoken to, cannot wait their turn during tasks, act impulsively and therefore come across as undisciplined. These learners also seem to have temper tantrums and rapidly changing moods which makes it difficult to handle them in the classroom. This cam result in the learner having a poor self-concept because they of the many mistakes they make. It is important for teachers and learners to work together to being able to better handle these learners and this can be done by having a better understanding of this particular kind of behaviour. :- Recognising the symptoms and identifying the learners strong and weak points:-Identifying easy and difficult tasks and situationsIdentifying sills necessary for each task and situationInvestigating your own thoughts and feelingsOther people’s reactions Understanding the learner’s world:-Learn to understand the learner’s behaviourKeeping the learner’s level of development in mind Discussing problems with the learnerVerbalising the learner’s unexpressed feelingsCommunicating more than wordsAnticipating problems rather than waiting for themDistinguishing between the learner and the learner’s behaviourProviding Structure such as relationship, task and situation structure is also important as it provides the learners with safer environment where they are able to develop optimally. Therapeutic discipline is also important and is different from punishment because it shapes, corrects and reinforces behaviour. (Weeks, 2003: 239-246) Who is going to be tasked with integrating music & math? Who's going to be responsible, in any school, for joining the arts w/other subjects? IME, most elementary classroom teachers have come through public school systems whose arts have been eviscerated, so those teachers are FAR less likely to be musically literate than they might have been when I was in public school *mumble mumble* years ago. As an elementary general music sub a few years ago, I pretty much had to co-opt teaching limericks in the 4th-grade poetry unit because their classroom teachers didn't really understand, musically, the meter of the poems; even teacher-created limericks left a lot to be desired in terms of the 6/8 meter/rhythm characteristic of limericks. I find it hard to imagine that they'd be the best folks to use rhythmic or metric subdivisions to teach fractions. So will this task fall then to the music teachers? Elementary music teachers in MCPS already have their own music curricula to deliver, even wi thin the â€Å"intrinsic barriers to learning† approach of Curriculum 2.0 – and they see the kids once per week, assuming no field trips/assemblies/standardized testing/snow days/holidays, AND they have to spend time assessing what they're teaching already because â€Å"Data-Driven.† When could they possibly find time to do this in addition to what they're already tasked with doing (which is theoretically to get kids to a basic level of music proficiency in less time per week than classroom teachers have DAILY with kids in reading, so already set up to fail )? Is there going to have to be concentrated staff development to get classroom teachers to a level of musical proficiency that will enable them to add one more thing to their curricula?