A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Essay

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is that investors prefer to invest in the most efficient portfolios available - Essay Example To determine an efficient portfolio, an efficient frontier is drawn. The efficient frontier is a graph drawn to exhibit different portfolios with a different combination of returns and risks. To achieve such optimal portfolio, there must be a combination of the lowest risk with the highest expected return. The figure below shows the efficient frontier. The efficient frontier has a Y- axis that measures the anticipated rate of return (ER) and X- axis that measures the standard deviation (∞). The curve JKL drawn in the graph is the minimum variance frontier which combines the risk of a portfolio and anticipated return on portfolio to minimize the return deviation at distinct levels of return expected. On the efficient frontier, there are some points that are found either below or above it. Those portfolios that lie below the frontier provide an inadequate return for a given risk hence they are sub-optimal. In other words, they are attainable but insufficient. Conversely, those that lie to the right of the frontier have higher risks given a certain rate of return. In theinvestment of securities, the main objective is to earn returns from a respective investment. High-risk with high returns is always avoided because they require high capital for investment. An investor can anticipate earning a lot from a given security but because of the fluctuations of the market prices and inflation, such investor can incur a loss simply because the future movements of the portfolio cannot be predicted (Fama 2009, p.452). Given an axiom that all investors fear risk, none of them will be willing to invest in a portfolio that has a high possibility of a loss. However, investors prefer a portfolio that has low-risk because they can be certain of the expected returns from a certain portfolio. Though they will not be getting the maximum returns they wish, they are able to get the returns for unforeseen future because

History of education Essay Example for Free

History of education Essay As a student, I have read â€Å"On the Use of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students† written by Mark Edmundson many times. Edmundson’s article is now published in textbook (for example: from Inquiry to Academic writing) and taught in English university education. Edmundson argues that nowadays liberal education is as lite entertainment for bored college students; education is product and universities are suppliers that satisfy the expectation of consumer students. In any aspect, I agree with him. The education now is changing in bad way. The students do no longer care about what they need to learn in the school except for their point. But why does this happen? This article just show one side of students. What about teacher? School? Family? Or society? Generally, there are some points I consider make me not believe or agree with this article absolutely. First, he wrote this article after many-year teaching. This is based on his be-teacher experience. He is in the point of view of teacher. But despite teaching many years, how many student he taught? What percentage in the total number of students in USA or the world does it hold? It is unfair and unbelievable when he draws the conclusion about all students with only students he has taught. Maybe he is right but he is also possible to be wrong. Because that number of student may be very high, maybe hold 70%, 80%, even 90% but also just 20%. There are no researches given in the article. No one knows the exact number so can’t give that conclusion. But the only thing we can believe is that many is not total; that many students are as consumers. Secondly, he says education is as lite entertainment for bored students. What is meant by bored students? How bored? A teacher comments that students are bored so what did he/she do to improve them. I know learning is responsibility of own student but school or teacher is instructor leading them to what they need to explore themselves. They now are just in the wrong way, so it doesn’t mean they will be so forever. They now need a person to lead them in the right way. Besides, he just shows their present that they are bored but not shows the reasons. Why doesn’t he/she ask the question about himself, about his lessons. To each student, their ability to take lessons is very different so with a lesson, just some student feel interested. In his essay, Edmundson claim that most student today consume their education than interact with it. He says he wanted his student connect with him, but it doesn’t mean they have to like or dislike him. He says that â€Å" I don’t teach to amuse, to divert, or even, for that matter, to be merely interesting. He also says â€Å" I think many of my student have imbibed their sense of self from consumer culture and in general from the tube in particular†. That not only shows his lack of native passion of a teacher but also that he become accept education’s business. Next, when he assume that teacher do anything to make them satisfied, interested, I wonder just only students feel that. That time, did teachers feel satisfied? The answer is, of course, YES. Both teachers and students feel comfortable and facile. So why don’t make lesson colorful, instead, boring and not effective. Each teacher has different ways of teaching to help students understand lessons. One of them is that make it interesting. That means both create interesting atmosphere and help student easy to understand. Students are young people, no experience; they just learn what they care. If schooling is bored, they can’t both study and find the right way to go in the future. But if the school is an interesting thing that they take everyday, they feel life to open, to explore and persue. The second view is clearly better that the first and why does he consider all such lesson as product standard for consumer students. The last thing I wonder is the reason why education is changing. Nowadays, society is developing with high technology and opening economy. Society requires people that are excellent or really good. How does society realize such people? In general, it is evaluated based on the point of student at school. So, that students are always care about their point because they are worried about their future is grossly. Moreover, education system always evaluate their performance and achievement. Because of that, they always worry that they can lose, they can in the bottom at school and hope they are in the top. Some can make effort to reach it, but not all is the same. To some student, it is motive power to be better themselves but to the rest, it is pressure make them in stress. Besides, not all teachers is good. Some requires presents and they â€Å"sell the mark†. To students, this is a good way to improve their mark not trying to study. That is small gap in education system. In the end, Edmundson’s article is not researched and have a few logical fallacies but warn us the status of education as product. Although there are something I disagree with him, evidence of his argument is not denied; it is difficult for anyone to argue that consumerism has not poured in the university to some degree. [That is my personal point of view. Maybe it is not right absolutely. ]

The Films of Michael Moore Essay -- Film Industry

Michael Moore, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker is known for his highly controversial documentaries. He appeals to the younger generation, trying to educate people along with addressing our unresolved social issues in the United States. He gives insight to corrupt things that our government is involved in that citizens do not know. Michael Moore continues to prove to be a monumental influence through his work in the movie industry. His main message is to get people to stop following their government blindly, but rather speak out, ask questions, get involved, and most of all shows people’s power to be able to change what needs to be changed. He proves being patriotic means taking responsibility and being knowledgeable about what’s happening in the media and all of Michael Moore’s films give the audience this. Time magazine named Michael Moore one of the World’s 100 most influential people. Through his Oscar and Emmy awards, he substantiates even a powerless author and producer with nothing more than a pen and a movie camera can make a tremendous difference. His documentary Bowling for Columbine reiterated that by a determination and persistence that not only him, but patriots can create change. He interviewed some of the surviving victims of the Columbine shootings along with Charlton Heston, the NRA president. He shows the gruesome effect of allowing guns and bullets to be so easily accessible. Kmart was his main target and he took it upon himself by going right to the top of a major corporate food chain. The documentary was about how he was able to get them to stop selling bullets completely. Getting Kmart to stop selling bullets doesn’t mean that you are going to prevent kids from going somewhere else to buy them ... ...s own opinion in public, which many people are not courageous enough to do, and for that many respect him. Michael Moore proves that one man can make a difference. He is a great example of exercising our right to free speech and questioning the government. If something doesn’t seem right he is a spokesperson for finding out the truth. Moore was a small town boy who grew up to become one of the most influential documentary film makers of our time. Works Cited Bowling For Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. 2002. Fahrenheit 911. Dir. Michael Moore. 2004. Penn, Sean. Time.com. 18 April 2005. 8 March 2012 . Sicko. Dir. Michael Moore. 2007. The Oprah Winfrey Show. Michael Moore's Sicko. 1 January 2006. 8 March 2012 .

Rose And Graff :: essays research papers

Two professors of different backgrounds, Mike Rose of California, and Gerald Graff, of Illinois, discuss the problems college students face today in America. Though similar in slight variations, both professors view the problem in different regards and prepare solutions that solve what they feel to be the heart of this academic problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mike Rose, author of The Politics of Remediation, explains that “linguistic exclusion'; is the barrier that prevents many new college students from excelling in the academics at any given university. Gerald Graff, on the other hand, feels that the problem comes from the lack of communication between professors, and that many of the times the students are taught the same concepts but through opposite understandings and in a bias fashion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mike Rose met many struggling students at UCLA’s Tutorial Center, the Writing Research Project, and the school’s Summer program. He first describes the loneliness students feel upon arriving at college, and that as they try to find themselves, they all to often lose themselves because they are bombarded with ideas that are so foreign to them. He introduces his audiences to Andrea, a bright young girl out of high school who, despite hours of memorizing in her textbook, could not obtain a passing grade on her Chemistry mid-term. How is this possible if she spent so much time studding? Rose explains that she failed because in college, and in this course in particular, it is not enough for a student to know the material, but rather, to be able to apply it in a various amount of problems. Yet the problem Andrea faces is that she was never taught this in high school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rose writes of other students he tried to help as they sat in front of him with eyes that were both sad and confused. From young, jocks, to a twenty-eight year old mother, and an insecure girl that was so afraid to use her own ideas, she turns to plagiarism. Rose explains this situation in great detail, “Students were coming to college with limited exposure to certain kinds of writing and reading and with conceptions and beliefs that were dissonant with those in the lower-division curriculum they encountered.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rose places great blame on the professors who assume that these students are culturally prepared to address, and analyze, ideas and concepts that they have never even heard of before. Students, who come from different cultures and backgrounds, are not prepared (especially on their own) to give up everything that have spent the past eight-teen years believing in, in order to write the prefect college essay.

Affirmative Action: a Losing Battle Essay

1.Yes. Affirmative action is aimed at addressing the imbalances of the past. It is sanctioned and required by the constitutional requirement to achieve substantive or real equality. There is a moral imperative on all South Africans to work towards the achievement of a more equitable society. Racial discrimination, in contrast, has no rational and objective premise and simply appeals to the basest of human instincts. It is in the best interests of society to promote the general well-being of as many of its citizens as possible. A healthy, well-educated, well-adjusted citizen contributes to both the wealth and the stability of the society. 2.The United States of America used Affirmative Action to promote racial preference through the implementation of various acts from 1862 to 1930 to address the issues of inequality. 3.South Africa is a country with a huge imbalance between the rich and poor created by the previous apartheid and racial laws to discriminate against Blacks, Coloureds and Indians in education and employment opportunities. In order to balance these inequalities, the South African government had to implement Affirmative Action policies like Employment Equity Act, for example, to address the huge gap created in employment opportunities. The policy is justifiable in that it is aimed at creating a just and equitable society. On moral grounds, the government of this country has a responsibility to make a good-faith effort to remedy the effects of past discrimination. 4.For as long as these inequalities exist, the policy cannot be discontinued because of the legacy that existed for a long time. It will take a long time before the different racial groups could fully participate in all areas of the economy. 5.This question is not clear†¦. Please check with facilitator. SECTION B: PARAGRAPHS 1.Cultivating equal opportunity society has helped countries such as South Africa and America to move forward. Yes. The cultivating an equal opportunity society have helped country such as South Africa move bit forward since the Government policies have design to address the often interrelated problem of inequality, poverty and unemployment. Government initiatives on equal opportunity society have included the growth employment and redistribution programme, the reconstruction and development programme, the broad-based black economic employment policy and the land reform strategy. The fiscal policy leg of economic policy becomes increasingly important when government aims to address the problem of inequality by trying to redistribute gains from economic growth. One of the policies that the government has implemented quite successfully is the provision of social grant and it has serve as a main source of income for aged and disabled people. Equal opportunities in South Africa is a pressing concern, it has a complex relationship with economic growth, poverty and race though South Africa economy is witnessing a positive growth and poverty is showing a declining trend surely equal opportunities for has shown change in South Africa. After the equal opportunities society has been put in place has given every person freedom, secure and equal where every one has to improve the quality of his life and pursue their dreams and in which every language and culture has equal respect and recognition. South Africa became one nation with one future, living together under the constitution in peace, security and prosperity with opportunities and recognition for the entire rainbow nation after the implementation of equal opportunities society. And also United States America society has became both more and less equal in recent decades; following the civil rights revolution of the 1950’s and 1960’s racial segregation and exclusion were no longer legal or†¦

Rose Water Recipe

Rose Water Recipe Rose water is one of several products your can buy or make that retains the fragrance of rose petals. It is used in perfumes and cosmetics, plus it has slightly astringent properties, so it makes an excellent facial toner. Because the commercial process used to make rose water is labor intensive and requires a lot of roses, its an expensive product to buy. However, if you have roses, you can make your own rose water quite easily. Its an easy example of distillation, an important chemical separation and purification process. Rose Water Materials rose petalswatersmall pancotton balls Experiment with different types of roses, since each rose has its own characteristic scent. Damask rose has the classic rose scent, but some roses smell like citrus fruit, spices, or licorice.The resulting rose water wont smell exactly the same as the original flowers because distillation only captures some of the volatile compounds present in the petals. There are other methods used to capture other essences, such as solvent extraction and more complex distillations. Directions Place the rose petals in a small pan.Add enough water to just barely cover the petals.Gently boil the water.Collect the steam that boils off using a cotton ball. You may wish to place the cotton ball on a fork or hold it with tongs, to avoid getting burned. Once the cotton ball is wet, remove it from the steam and squeeze it out over a small jar. This is the rose water.You can repeat the process to collect more steam.Store your rose water in a sealed container, away from direct sunlight or heat. You can refrigerate it to keep it fresh longer. Large Scale Rose Water Recipe Are you ready for a more advanced version of the project? If you have a few quarts of rose petals, you can collect much more rose water using a slightly more complex home steam distillation apparatus: 2-3 quarts rose petalswaterice cubespot with rounded lidbrickbowl that fits inside pot Place the brick in the center of the pot. There is nothing magical about the brick. Its purpose is simply to hold the collection bowl above the surface of the roses.Put the rose petals in the pot (around the brick) and add enough water to barely cover the petals.Set the bowl on top of the brick. The bowl will collect the rose water.Invert the lid of the pot (turn it upside down), so the rounded part of the lid dips into the pot.Heat the roses and water to a gentle boil. Place ice cubes on the top of the lid. The ice will cool the steam, condensing the rose water inside the pot and making it run down the lid and drip into the bowl.Continue gently boiling the roses and adding ice as needed until you have collected the rose water. Dont boil off all the water. Youll collect the most concentrated rose water in the first few minutes. After that, it will become more and more dilute. Turn off the heat when you notice the condensation isnt as rose-scented as you would like. You can collect be tween a pint and quart of rose water in 20-40 minutes using 2-3 quarts of rose petals. Other Floral Scents This process works with other floral essences, too. Other flower petals that work well include: honeysucklelilacvioletshyacinthirislavender You can experiment with mixing the scents to make custom fragrances. While rose water, violet water, and lavender water are edible and safe for use in cosmetics, some other types of flowers are only good as fragrances and shouldnt be applied directly to the skin or ingested. Safety Notes This is a fun project for kids, but adult supervision is required because boiling water and steam are involved. Kids can collect flowers and squeeze liquid from cooled cotton balls.If you are using the rose water (or violet or lavender water) for cooking or cosmetics, be sure to use flowers that are free of pesticides. Many gardeners spray flowers with chemicals or feed them with systemic pesticides. For a simple fragrance project, its fine to simply rinse off the flower petals to remove any residue, but avoid using chemically treated flowers for food projects or cosmetics. Learn More Design Your Own PerfumeSolid Perfume RecipeSafety Tips for Making Perfume

“The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” Movie Synopsis Essays

â€Å"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation† Movie Synopsis Essays â€Å"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation† Movie Synopsis Essay â€Å"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation† Movie Synopsis Essay A 12-year-old boy’s recognition of the events and eventual acceptance of their implications which happened during a supposedly trip by his parents summed up the 2007 Latin-American movie entitled â€Å"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation. † With the 1970 World Cup and political situations in Brazil as backdrops, the Cao Hamburger movie reshuffled the social or cultural concepts of confusion and ordeal as viewed by a minor character named Mauro Stern played by young actor Michael Joelsas (â€Å"The Year My Parents Went on Vacation† Motion Picture, 2007). Under a scheme that they are going on a vacation, Mauro’s parents Daniel and Miriam left their son supposedly to be taken cared of by the boy’s grandfather in an Italian and Jewish neighborhood called Bom Retiro. However, it is in the couple’s desire to shield Mauro from the military-controlled ruling in their country that the boy’s destiny, in turn, was mixed-up. This was after Mauro was told by next-door neighbor named Shlomo that the former’s grandfather allegedly died from heart attack Confused where his parents â€Å"went on vacation,† Mauro ended up in the company of Shlomo, met new friends, experienced the Brazilian life and was eventually exposed and accustomed to the details of how it is like to live in a neighborhood where his parents somehow abandoned him. In a span of whole year and while his parents are â€Å"vacationing,† Mauro was left alone but fortunately survived the turmoil which beset Brazil in 1970 as he was able to acknowledge reality and how it affected his life. Mauro’s sensitive and sweet character redeemed the apparent non-originality of the movie. The performance provided by young Joelsas has proven to be an effective method in clearly conveying the isolation and uncertainty experienced by a young boy when he was left out in the middle of a strange place by his â€Å"vacationing† parents. Ultimately, the film is best manifested with Mauro’s successful realization of himself while his parent went on vacation. Reference Gullane, C. Gullane, F. (Producers), Hamburger, C. (Director). (2007). The Year My Parents Went on Vacation. Available from Gullane Filmes, Brazil.

In Dept To China Essays - Steelmaking, Agricultural Machinery

In Dept To China Essays - Steelmaking, Agricultural Machinery In Dept To China The World is forever in debt to China for its innovations. Ancient China was extreme advance and many of its discoveries are still in use today. This is what Robert Temple, the author of The Genius of China 3000 years of science, discovery and invention. The book is based on 11 main parts of Chinese innovation. Within these 11 categories, there are 3 main parts that contain the most significant inventions. Robert Temple concentrates the bulk of his examples in these three categories, agriculture, domestic and industrial technology , and engineering. Temples examples were not limited to these fields of innovation. The Chinese excelled in many other areas, including mathematics, warfare and transportation, to name a few. Although Temple wrote about eleven fields of invention, I feel that these three sections contain the greatest examples of Chinese innovation, and the debt that the modern world owes China. The first main area is the field of engineering. Within this chapter, the develo pment of iron and steel is the greatest achievement. The development of iron and steel led to other advances. By at least the 4th century the Chinese have developed blast furnaces to obtain cast iron from iron ore. This was 1200 years before the first blast furnace showed up in Europe. The reasons that the author gave to explain the reasons why the Chinese developed this technology are simple. The Chinese had access to large amounts of clay, the key ingredient in making blast furnaces. The Chinese also figured out that by adding a substance they called :Black Earth, they could lower the melting point of iron. Another major invention of the Chinese, that led to other achievements, is steel. The common belief today is that Henry Bessemer discovered the process of refining iron into steel. The fact is Chinese had developed the process to refine iron into steel in the second century BC The Chinese learned that by injecting oxygen into the blast furnace, they could remove the carbon from the iron. The Chinese called this process the hundred refinings method since they repeated the process that many times. The finished product was highly prized in China for its strength and ability to hold an edge on a sword. The Chinese would weld the steel onto weaker iron thus creating a strong edge and a superior weapon. The Chinese iron and steel workers were the best at making different types of metals into modern times. But then, no one else could have done so at the time, since iron existed nowhere else but in China. The Chinese invented the chain pump in the first century AD The chain pump allows water to the pumped from lower to higher elevations. The chain pumps were used for draining and pumping in civil engineering, but what is more important is it was used for irrigation. Irrigation allows for greater and more intense farming, thus resulting in a better crop yield. With the greater crop yields larger populations can be supported. The chain pump was exported to all part s of the world by way of visiting ambassadors and dignitaries. The first European chain pump appeared in the sixteenth century, and was a direct copy of the Chinese version. The second area of great Chinese achievement is in domestic and industrial technology. The most recognized Chinese invention is in the field of domestic and industrial technology, paper. Paper was invented around the second century BC and was used as clothing. One might not believe that paper could be used as clothing, but the paper made at that time used thicker and tougher paper fibers. Not only was paper used for clothing, it was also used for military body armor. The Chinese found out that pleated sheets of paper could stop the penetration of arrows. The paper armor was standard issue with Chinese land and sea units. Papers writing property was not discovered till about one century after its discovery. The earliest example of writing on paper was found an abandon military post. The paper found dates back to 110 AD and contained two dozen readable characters. The area that let China grow and expand was the innovations in the area of agriculture.

Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Data Mining - Essay Example What differentiates KXEN from other vendors is text analytics, sentiment analysis, social network analysis, time-series analysis, support for respectable range of statistical algorithms and support for a wide range of model quality metrics and variable selection techniques. Management Intelligenter Technologies GmbH : its main product is Data Engine which is an Interface to Lab View and Bridge View. Data engine software deals with fuzzy rules, fuzzy clustering, neural networks and fuzzy neural systems are offered in combination with mathematics, statistics and signal processing. With a wide use of computers in the industrial field, a lot of data related to industrial processes is being generated every day. In respect to this bulky data there is an urgent need for developing new mathematical methods related to modeling, optimization, decision, and scheduling that fully exploit the data. Data mining software has greatly come in handy to help engineers in the industries solve this problem through current mathematical fundamentals and algorithms of data

Peer Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Peer Review - Assignment Example Studies have indicated that most surgical patients will experience PONV even if medicines were taken for prevention. PONV is a concern that occurs in 20-30% of patients receiving general anesthesia and can be up to 70-80% in high-risk patients (McCracken, Houston, & Lefebvre, 2008). The Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA), developed a set of guidelines to provide up-to-date information for healthcare providers, including strategies to prevent or treat PONV in patients undergoing surgery (Gan et al., 2007). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) clinical change project is to introduce various practice guidelines for PONV to anesthesia providers that will enhance their knowledge and, improve customer satisfaction, which is essential for the patient’s health and well-being. Nausea can often be described as a subjective, unpleasant sensation associated with a conscious urge or need to vomit(Tinsley &Barone, 2012). Vomiting is coordinated by the vomiting center signaling input from various sources including, the higher cortical center in the brain, the vestibular portion, the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) and the gastrointestinal tract where afferent pathways are stimulated indirectly by specific neurotransmitters (Tinsley &Barone, 2012). Patients experience delays in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) for various reasons. According to Chatterjee, Rudra, and Sengupta (2011) vomiting can prolong PACU recovery time up to 25 minutes. During postoperative visits at the project clinical site, patients who have had gynecological and breast procedures have often stated that being nauseated was the most undesirable consequence of surgery, out-ranking even pain. There are several risk factors involved when evaluating a patient for PONV. These risk factors include patients with a prior history of PONV, motion sickness, non-smokers, females and the length and type of surgery (Tinsley &Barone,

Key drivers affecting health care organizations and the U.S. health Essay

Key drivers affecting health care organizations and the U.S. health care delivery system - Essay Example This paper will briefly discuss these issues, and find out how these reforms may positively affect key players in the healthcare system. One of the main drivers affecting healthcare organizations is cost. The cost of care in most healthcare organizations in the United States is considered to be the key driver affecting the manner in which most organizations operate. At the moment, countless people are not able to acquire quality medical attention due to its high cost (Garber & AHA, 2006). It is true that the cost of healthcare provision is going higher and not many people are capable of acquiring the effective and quality healthcare they desire. The second driver is the increase in need for healthcare employees. There is no question about the recent spell of reducing healthcare workers in the United States, which presents a tremendous challenge to the healthcare sector. Current and future implications of these drivers lie in the fact that patients may not get what they truly desire from the healthcare organizations or healthcare delivery systems. It is next to impossible to fully provide for a changing environment when negative progress riddles a system that is meant to cater to a large population. Furthermore, a reduction in healthcare workers means that a shortage looms in the horizon, which implies that countless other patients may receive the short end of the stick when it comes to efficient healthcare provision (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2011). One change that countless people would want enacted is the recruitment of more healthcare workers in the region. Also, a reduction in the cost of healthcare services may be a reform that most people would want to see enacted. These changes are crucial to the patient because, in the long run, they would be able to pay for the services they urgently need. Furthermore, they will not necessarily have

Personal Effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Effectiveness - Essay Example There are hundreds of skills that you developed over time, but it is even more challenging to combine which tasks you are good at and which ones you enjoy the most. The reconciliation of both will determine your strengths. I am trying to identify my weaknesses and strengths all the time in order to make the most of my career opportunities. Besides, I realize that it is easier to focus and develop your strengths than trying to eliminate weaknesses. Every time I try to engage into a new activity, I am always naturally worried that I won't have the necessary skills for a new activity or responsibility. However, after I sat down and gave a thought about the type of role that I would like to fulfill, it became easier for me to look at the skills that I already have in abundance that will be suitable for that or another activity, responsibility. I have made a whole list of the things that I am excellent or good at, then a list of things that I am not good at or do not enjoy doing them. The list of strengths and skills helps me to identify what else I can work on and I have also developed an excel matrix and time schedule of things that I would like to work on and monitor my performance. ... I have developed a matrix in Excel, which will help me to structure my developments over time and keep on track my progress. COMMUNICATION Communication is an essential part of any activity, whether it involves working with other colleagues or with customers or clients, communicating with professors, negotiating with peers, etc. It is also one of the most easily identifiable transferable skills. After I have looked on how I communicate within my existing role, it's easy to see that I need to work on a more professional style of communication that will suit work environment better. WORKING IN A TEAM Teamwork is another easily identifiable skill. Being able to work with others is an asset in any role. During the last year I have been working 5 times in a team. In two case I have been leading the team of 6 people during the business game and during one we won the first prize, which is an example of a successful team player. However, my team role tends to have a slight hint of dictatorship, which I will work on and will try to develop more collaborative approach to team negotiation ship. In my opinion, being able to choose the role within a team is an excellent asset, as in a now day's society almost in every job I will have to work in a team and it is essential to be not only leading but also submissive. Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 - Identifies strengths & development areas for members improvement - Provides development and training opportunities to others to improve performance - Gives subordinates advice and coaching to improve their technical skills - Gives honest and constructive feedback to team members to aid their development - Designs and delivers skills training in a variety of areas - Provides constructive feedback

Interview with Harold Bloom Blood Meridian Essay

Interview with Harold Bloom Blood Meridian - Essay Example Bloom implies that no one has done what McCarthy has done here in terms of portraying so distinct a version of America. Gone are the glories of â€Å"manifest destiny† replaced instead by the very real and very frightening consequences of unending expansion. The violence, of course, is an integral part of this. But, as Bloom points out, there is also a dreamlike quality to the violence that is also necessary to distance the reader from the horror otherwise no one would be able to stand the book. The distance the characters have between each other is another important aspect of this: even in mortal situations, characters such as the Kid and the Judge regard one another from afar. These are themes Bloom returns to again and again in his interview with the deeply insightful interviewer. The violent aesthetic also carries over into the characters in the book who are very compelling. Indeed, the two main characters—the Kid and the Judge—are sui generis and captivate the reader. The first is navigating a world he has not yet learned to judge properly, while the second appears to know everything and pursue only chaos and destruction. In the course of the interview, Bloom explicitly compares the character of the Judge, to the Shakespearean villain Iago from the play Othello. The Judge could well be described as Coleridge once described Iago: â€Å"a motiveless malevolence.† He appears to have no real human desire or characteristics—his only interest is violence and chaos. He has no other purpose but to cause trouble—like Iago. Also, like Iago, he refuses to explain himself or describe how he reached this point of nihilism. When he is taken away at the end of the play he concludes his role by saying, â€Å"From this point on, I never s hall speak word.† It is an open question as to whether he can’t or simply won’t explain himself. Nevertheless, the implication is that, like the Judge, he is born this way. The word has not formed

Personal Effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Effectiveness - Essay Example There are hundreds of skills that you developed over time, but it is even more challenging to combine which tasks you are good at and which ones you enjoy the most. The reconciliation of both will determine your strengths. I am trying to identify my weaknesses and strengths all the time in order to make the most of my career opportunities. Besides, I realize that it is easier to focus and develop your strengths than trying to eliminate weaknesses. Every time I try to engage into a new activity, I am always naturally worried that I won't have the necessary skills for a new activity or responsibility. However, after I sat down and gave a thought about the type of role that I would like to fulfill, it became easier for me to look at the skills that I already have in abundance that will be suitable for that or another activity, responsibility. I have made a whole list of the things that I am excellent or good at, then a list of things that I am not good at or do not enjoy doing them. The list of strengths and skills helps me to identify what else I can work on and I have also developed an excel matrix and time schedule of things that I would like to work on and monitor my performance. ... I have developed a matrix in Excel, which will help me to structure my developments over time and keep on track my progress. COMMUNICATION Communication is an essential part of any activity, whether it involves working with other colleagues or with customers or clients, communicating with professors, negotiating with peers, etc. It is also one of the most easily identifiable transferable skills. After I have looked on how I communicate within my existing role, it's easy to see that I need to work on a more professional style of communication that will suit work environment better. WORKING IN A TEAM Teamwork is another easily identifiable skill. Being able to work with others is an asset in any role. During the last year I have been working 5 times in a team. In two case I have been leading the team of 6 people during the business game and during one we won the first prize, which is an example of a successful team player. However, my team role tends to have a slight hint of dictatorship, which I will work on and will try to develop more collaborative approach to team negotiation ship. In my opinion, being able to choose the role within a team is an excellent asset, as in a now day's society almost in every job I will have to work in a team and it is essential to be not only leading but also submissive. Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 - Identifies strengths & development areas for members improvement - Provides development and training opportunities to others to improve performance - Gives subordinates advice and coaching to improve their technical skills - Gives honest and constructive feedback to team members to aid their development - Designs and delivers skills training in a variety of areas - Provides constructive feedback

Earth and space sciences Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earth and space sciences - Term Paper Example Though volcanoes are now known to be works of the Earth and its movements, and not of long-ago worshipped deities, their awesome power of destruction and even fiery beauty is still regarded with reverence by some, as much today as it was thousands of years ago. What is different, however, is that scientists now have the means and research to predict whether or not eruptions may occur. In the documentary Deadliest Volcanoes, several new research methods are explored, from the simplicity of a new generation of Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and their accompanying earth-bound sensors, to the testing of gases and water, to the harnessing of cosmic rays and drilling that goes deep below the surfaces of the planet. Alongside learning about these methods, viewers are invited on a fascinating trip to inspect some of the best and lesser-known volcanoes of the Earth. In Iceland, new generations of sensors are being explored by scientist Sigrun Hreinsdottir on the volcano Eyjafjallajokull. Though volcanoes throughout the world are routinely tracked by means of GPS as well as seismometers, the aim of the new sensors is to track the flow of magma deep underground via movements of the surface of the Earth. The theory that was tested was that magma, in flowing into a volcano, will force the surface above it to move outward, thus allowing for predictions as to the size and the force of the eruption. The new GPS sensors that have been installed to help with these predictions are so sensitive that they can measure the movement of the earth to an eighth of an inch, according to Deadliest Volcanoes. This theory was put into action when, in March 2010, though the sensors moved only centimeters a day, all sensors began to move outward from the known central crater in the volcano Eyjafjallajokull. By March 4, all sensors were showing uniform outward-motion movements, and on March 20, 2010, the volcano erupted. Contrary to movie-going belief, however, the eruption was not over qu ickly. The previous time that Eyjafjallajokull had erupted, prior to 2010, it lasted from 1821 to 1823, a full two years (Hendry). The main difference is that for this eruption, with the work of Ms. Hreinsdottir, it was able to be predicted, and a scientific theory was proved in regards to volcanoes along with the behavior of the underground magma within them, without any loss of life. Another new method of predicting eruptions involves harnessing the result of cosmic rays, or muons. In employing this method, detectors are used that will collect muons entering the atmosphere of the Earth and passing through the solid-rock formations of the volcanoes. Developed by Hiroyuki Tanaka of the University of Tokyo, the basics of his theory state that in using the muons, the density of the volcano, as well as subterranean imaging of what lies underneath the part above the surface, can provide a viable means of mapping and measuring what lies underneath, unseen to the naked eye. This method wa s hoped to be especially useful when dealing with soft-crust or thin-crust areas of a volcano that cannot be reached easily by other means such as climbing or rappelling, or when conditions made it

Preparatory Project Essay Example for Free

Preparatory Project Essay Traffic congestion in cities is a problem throughout the world. Evaluate the effectiveness of one official initiative undertaken to tackle this issue Traffic congestion is a condition on the road when traffic jams are bad and no movement is possible. The main causes of the traffic congestion are: traffic incidents, road works, weather events and constant traffic flow. It negatively impacts on the environment by causing a growth in the level of air pollution. Time wasted in traffic is the reason for delays which negatively affect stability and discipline in education, work and economy. For example, late delivers of goods to market consequently affects sales and produces losses in revenues. Eventually, because of the budget deficit business goes bankrupt. According to Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report only in the USA daily travelers lose 1 day plus 10 hours per year as a result of congestion on roads and in 2 decades average amount of congestion has increased by 380 %( Forbes 2011). Although this problem is worsening every year there are some examples when official policies struggled against this dilemma. Different municipal governments use various methods to deal with traffic congestion. For example, in the Netherlands and Mexico City local authorities applied cycling promotion. Another method to reduce congestion is road charging in special restricted areas which was implemented in Singapore, Stockholm and London. The London Congestion Charge (LCC) is one of the well-known models of road pricing, so further content of this essay will focus on it. This essay will evaluate effectiveness of the LCC program which was undertaken by municipal government of London to tackle traffic congestion using identified criteria: the improvement of public transport services, results in reducing traffic level, gained revenues and the way they were used. Firstly I will describe working principles of the LCC. Following paragraph discusses predicted and actual results of drop in traffic congestion. Then I will show how the LCC affected public transportation system. Finally, the use of gained revenues to improve public transport will be evaluated. The LCC was officially introduced on 17th February 2003 by Transport for London (TfL) under direction of Mayor Ken Livingstone (Li et al. 2012, 366). Before the official launch of this scheme studies like Road Charging Options for London in 2000 (ROCOL) were provided to get an important information on traffic levels, and it said that by implementing 5  £ charge zone and using revenues to improve transport system congestion could be reduced.(Livingstone 2004, 491-93). These are general concepts of the scheme: pay fee is 10  £; it operates from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm in working days and mostly covers area known as â€Å"Central London†. Buses, motorcycles, licensed taxis, alternative fuel, invalid-designed and emergency vehicles are not oblig ated to pay charge (Litman 2011). The zone is monitored with cameras, and symbols with signs are displayed on it to notify commuters. There are miscellaneous methods to pay it such as: internet, telephone, text messaging and through TfL. Overall, mainly due to technologies system worked properly and almost no complaints were made by commuters. However, it has drawbacks because the fee doesn’t depend on travelled distance and during congested periods the amount of fee remains same. First of all, the main priority of the congestion charge was to reduce traffic level. ROCOL predicted that after implementation there will be average decrease by 10-15 % in travelled miles. Reduction in miles thought to raise average speed from 9.9 to 11.2 mph, and drop in private car trips expected to be by 20 %.(ROCOL 2000 quoted in Leape 2006, 164 ). Overall, results were positive and met expectations. The decline of travelled distance in charged zone was about 15 % (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 1). There was a growth by 37% in average traffic speed (Litman 2011). The reduction of potentially chargeable vehicles in charged area was 27% (Leape 2006, 165). From the information below it is clear that there is a significant drop in traffic level. On the other hand, mostly all information on traffic levels comes from TFL reports, but it is the governmental organization so we cannot consider TFL as absolutely neutral institution. In addition the LCC affected congestion just inside the charged zone but not in whole London. Secondly, the priority of the congestion charge was â€Å"to make radical improvements in bus services† (Livingstone 2004, 495) and increase the number of bus users. The raise in the number of bus passengers was 18% in 2003 and 12% in 2004 and it remained same next years (Santos 2008, 192). The TFL affiliate excess waiting time with weakness of service, and it fell by 30% and 18% in first 2 years (Santos 2008, 192). The LCC caused a growth by 7% in bus speed (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 6). Moreover, extension of bus lane system and new purchased buses from revenues also improved service. It can be concluded that the development of service and reallocation of road space to busses effectively switched people to use public transport more. Thirdly, municipal government of London planned to use gained revenues to improve public transport system. The TFL predicted to gain revenues between 130-150 million  £ (Leape 2006, 169).In fact, results showed that expectations were too exaggerated: net revenues brought less than 50% of predicted sum. The key factor for failure to get more profit was that congestion charge provoked unexpected reduction in number of potentially charged vehicles. However, as it was planned, maintained money from the charge was spent on enhancement of bus networks within road safety, and to popularize walking and cycling (Leape 2006, 170). Furthermore, revenues were invested to buy new 250 busses to develop bus network system (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 7). It is obvious that incomes were used to develop transport system as it was projected. Additionally it was politically important to use money in that way to maintain support for the LCC from citizens. To sum up, in spite of political debates on implementation of the LCC, the action taken by local authorities of London generally accepted as a political and technical success. There is a significant reduction of traffic congestion in charged zone. On the other side, a decrease of traffic in this area couldn’t impact completely on congestion in all London. Revenues gained from charge were spent on enhancement of public transport which caused a popularization of the scheme. The idea of road pricing in London was politically implemented and positively accepted by public, even it is not a popular method to tackle congestion. However, there is a still big question in its efficiency to dramatically change situation on all city roads, so policymakers must think how to enhance system to reduce congestion drastically in the city. Reference list: Forbes.2011. â€Å"Escape the Cost and Lost Time of Traffic Congestion†. Accessed October 30, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tombarlow/2011/10/22/escape-the-cost-and-lost-time-of-traffic-congestion/ Leape, Jonathan. 2006. â€Å"The London Congestion Charge†. Journal of Economic Perspectives 20 (4):157-76. Litman, Todd. 2011. â€Å"London Congestion Charging†. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. http://www.vtpi.org/london.pdf Li, Haojie, Daniel J. Graham, and Arnab Majumdar. 2012. The effects of congestion charging on road traffic casualties: A causal analysis using difference-in-difference estimation. Accident Analysis Prevention 49: 366-377. Livingstone, Ken.2004. â€Å"The Challenge of Driving Through Change: Introducing Congestion Charging in Central London.† Planning Theory Practice 5(4):490-98. Accessed October 25, 2012. doi: 10.1080/1464935042000293224 Prud’homme, Rà ©my, and Juan Pablo Bocarejo. 2004. The London Congestion Charge: A Te ntative Economic Appraisal. Transport Policy 20:1-9. Santos, Georgina. 2008. â€Å" London Congestion Charging†. Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs (9):177-207.

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc This paper shall discuss about the financial management of Kingfisher Plc. This report shall include the background information of the organization which will tackle the brief history of the organizations formation and development, its mission statement, and its organizational values. The major stakeholders shall also be examined and their powers and function shall be evaluated as well. An environmental analysis of the organization shall also be conducted. The company shall also be appraised by means of a SWOT analysis. Finally, the organizations strategy shall be identified and evaluated. History of Kingfisher Plc The origins of the company can be traced back in the year 1982 when FW Woolworth was acquired by Paternoster. This deal came with a small chain of home improvement stores. This was the start of the creation of Europes biggest retail company. In 1984, the company bought the chains of Cornet electrical and the health and beauty stores of Superdrug in 1987. During the 1990s, the companys BQ continued its expansion when it opened its Warehouse style stores in the year 1994. On the year 1998, BQ merged with Frances leading home improvement retail store, Castorama. The following year, BQ opened its first store in China. The decade also marked other acquisitions such as Screwfix. The year 2000, the organization has decided on focusing its expansion on its home improvement stores. Woolsworth was demerged and Superdrug was sold towards the end of the year. On the year 2002, the remaining stakes at Castorama was acquired in order to continuously develop the home improvement chains in Europe. The organization has focused in expanding internationally such as creating new businesses in Turkey, Spain and Russia. Core businesses were also developed in the United Kingdom, France and Poland. Towards the end of the decade, the organization has a total of 830 stores and eight markets across Europe and Asia. The organizations mission statement is delivering more value for the shareholders of Kingfisher by focusing on three key priorities namely: management; capital and returns. SCC is geared towards providing an environment that encourages and gives merit to team efforts. They are committed in having consultative and participative management instead of directive management. They also encourage appropriate authority delegation and decision making on the lowest possible member of the organization. Collective effort and teamwork is being insisted. It is Kingfishers belief that a rich network of communication which is informal and open can lead into greater trust, learning and innovation. Kingfisher supports the concept of attractive compensation to a great performance. Kingfisher cultivates a set of beliefs that are shared within the organization wherein all policies and actions are based. It is believed that success is the goal for each effort and that determination in improving and innovating are constant challenges and stimuli. It is also believed that integrity, objectivity and fair play in business as well as in relationships with staff are very important. Mutual trust and respect are also very vital culture being practiced. Work in the company is perceived as enjoyable. Finally, Kingfisher believes with the perpetuity of its organization. Organizational Values The organization aims in achieving sufficient profit so that it can provide very attractive returns to is shareholders as well as financing the companys growth. For the company, profit is the organizations reward for their effort in offering the consumers the right kinds of products and services. For the long term, profit is the one absolute measure of their corporate performance. It is the organizations belief that in continually meeting their profit objective, other corporate objectives shall follow as well. Kingfisher believes that as a company is their duty in providing clients with quality products and services. The organization values that customers shall always come first. The customers interest should be the companys interest as well, and this should provide them with a long-term partnership with one another. The organization is committed in earning a preferred position with each of their clients by offering a consistently highest quality and reliability of service. Kingfisher ensures that they products always represent the best value for money. It is Kingfisher strategy in exerting its efforts only to those markets, industries and products wherein the organization can excel. Kingfisher believes in providing its people an environment wherein they can excel, develop and have growth in the company. Kingfisher considers its human resources as its most important asset. It aims in attracting people, developing them and retaining those with the highest foundations of character and competence. It does its best in providing training and opportunity to the people for development in improving themselves so that they could expand in their career opportunities. It is expected that their manpower will be full of initiative and drive and is eager in staying and growing with Kingfisher. It ensures that the people of Kingfisher get the recognition they deserve and that the people should be grateful with their accomplishments and that the company has its best choice with them. Examination of Major Stakeholders Stockholders elect the members of the board and they represent the stockholders interests in the company. Board members are at the apex of the decision making body of Kingfisher. They ensure that corporate strategies are met and are all in the interest of the stockholders. They can also do sanctions such as voting against nominees for the board of directors. Further, the board of directors has the authority in hiring, firing and compensating corporate employees. Authorities are centralized at Kingfisher. The managers in the organizations upper levels have retained the authority in making decisions. Decision making that is centralized is easier to coordinate with regards to organizational activities in order to carry out the strategy of the company. This also means that the organizations decisions are fit with the organizations objectives. In times of crisis, this decision making gives strong leadership that is focusing with one person or group. It allows a faster decision making process and a concerted response throughout the organization. Kingfisher clusters its people through groups of common expertise and experiences. This is called Functional Structure which has several advantages. First, the employees perform together and from this they can learn from each other. Employees become more productive on something that they do. Second, employees can monitor on their tasks and make sure that they are giving their best and do not let their responsibilities shrink. The result of this is that the work process becomes more effective. Most of all, the Functional Structure gives the manager a greater control of the activities within the organization. Environmental Analysis Five Forces Model and PESTLE Analysis According to Michael Porter (2009), there are five competitive forces that shape strategy. These are the established rivals; supplier power; customer power; new entrants; and the substitutes. According to Porter, customers dictate to lower the prices by playing the organization and its rival against one another. Suppliers on the other hand can hinder an organizations profit if they charge higher prices. The aspiring new entrants are armed with much newer capacities and are hungry for a share in the market can ratchet your investment in keeping Kingfisher in the market. The offered substitutes can just drive customers away. Porter has suggested tactics designed in reshaping these forces for your organizations favor. In neutralizing the power of the supplier, specifications of your organizations should be standardized so that shifting to other vendors can be easy. Customer power can be countered by expanding the organizations services so that it will be hard for the customers to leave. In tempering wars established by rivals, organizations should invest heavily with products that are different with that of the rivals. New entrants can be scared away by elevating your organizations fixed costs like increasing your organizations research and development. Threats brought about by the substitutes can be limited by offering products with greater value. Figure 1 is the PESTEL analysis for the organization of Kingfisher. Political factors such as regulations and politicians often affect an organizations strategy. This is the same as the legislative factors which includes legislation from the European Union and directives from the United Kingdom. Fortunately over almost twenty years in the business Kingfisher is able to adapt through these changes in policy. Economic trends which include world trends as well as that of the United Kingdom and homebuilding industry also affected the strategies of Kingfisher. But through the means of effective planning and execution of strategies, it was able to address the ever changing trends of these factors. Technology has always been a factor in advancements. Kingfisher was able to meet the demands of this fast paced factor. It was able to deliver a more effective service and product to its consumers. Social factors that is very important. Based on the strategies of the company their relationships w ith its stakeholders are of utmost importance. Activities in promoting and practicing corporate social responsibility were ensured to be given top priority. Finally, the environmental factors such as public opinion, cost implications and sites and locations were ensured that adherence to guidelines were followed. SWOT Analysis Kingfishers greatest advantage is its very adept experience in its line of business. Through extensive research and continuous development, it is able to produce top of the line products. With an over 100 operations all over the globe, it has a great marketing advantage over its competitors. Its greatest advantage is its workforce. Kingfisher ensures that the manpower it appoints has the advantage in handling its operations both culturally and technically. Kingfishers most valuable capability is its ability to produce great products and its marketing expertise all over the world. It is best that they would continue to do research for the continual improvement of its products towards customer satisfaction worldwide. Threats to the organizations operations are small homebuilding businesses especially in the local scenarios. These businesses would often offer cheaper prices and its managements are often run by locals that are undeniably more knowledgeable of the local market. Since the firms strength is its efficient product and very capable marketing ability, it is better to continue developing its products to address the ever changing needs of homebuilding industry. The only weakness that can be derived on this case study, based on the facts given, is its inability to train people for future succession plans. The threats are the local competitors in China which in all factors, know the Chinese market very well than anyone. It is with this given threat, that opportunities such as training more competent employees that are culturally and technologically adept should be considered. Evaluation of Organizations Strategy The article of Sveiby focuses on the very little development of strategy in firms that are not in the manufacturing industry. It also emphasised on the notion that strategies were juts formed and developed for the manufacturing industry. It was imposed on this article regarding knowledge intensive companies those in the service industry. This sector is a phenomenon of all types of companies that range from organizations that took the effort in refining and packaging their outputs. Knowledge industries are the ones in the service sector. Heavy investment in knowledge and highly innovative. An ongoing process of solving the problems of the customers by the producers is the emergence of service. Roos, G. R. (1997) came to the conclusion that standardized service or package was only appropriate on a short term base. The provider of the service is an expert while the customers want their problems to be solved by the expertise of the provider. It is therefore fitting that the knowledge in dustries know how to treat their clients as individuals. According to Morton (2010), when strategy and strategic planning is defined, it should always include as taking all the proactive approaches in evaluating all activities basing it in how well the activity moves towards the core goal of the business. More specifically, strategies are the plans for reaching a business objectives and goals. The concept of shaping strategies was discussed by John Hagel in his article Shaping Strategies. According to Hagel (2008), shaping strategies are strategies that use positive incentives in mobilizing and focusing thousand of participants to shape a specific desired industry or market. The elements that come together in this strategy are the compelling shaping view in providing focus for the participants of investments, a very power platform that will shape the economic leverage of the participants, and the shapers sets of acts and assets in communicating conviction and capabilities to potential participants. Hagel (2010) believes that shaping strate gies hold a great promise in the business world as business executives hold a greater freedom in shaping their target markets and industries during these times of high uncertainty and rapid change. For the case of the Kingfishers organization, its strategy is on focus strategy. Over the years it has developed new products engaged in businesses, merged with other companies and many other business ventures. All of these decisions are focused on what they do best to provide the consuming public with the best home improvement products and services that they can give.

pride and prejudice :: essays research papers

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Jane Austen presents many themes in her novel Pride and Prejudice. Some of these themes are relevant to today's society but none so much as the main themes pride and prejudice. There are two main themes because one usually leads to another. Coincidentally these two themes make up the title of the novel. Pride is something everybody should have. But not everybody should have too much. The amount of pride that one has in himself/herself is one of the first things one is characterized by. When Elizabeth first met Mr. Darcy and for some time after, she perceived him to be conceited, as did everyone else of her family. Mr. Darcy was not well liked too well by the Bennets for this reason. Too much pride in one's self is; too, present at the in today's society. This is usually linked to the wealth of a person. People who are wealthy tend to have an over abundant amount pride. They like to brag about their riches and show off what they have. Why do they do this? They do this to rub it in to the faces of lower class society. Overwhelming pride is just not seen in Hollywood or big cities; it is everywhere. Most commonly it is in schools. Some students tend to think it is fun to gloat about what they have, but this may lead to them being disliked by others. Nobody wants to listen to a spoiled kid! Pride can be a good thing and it should be but it may lead to some cases of the second theme of the novel, prejudice. Prejudice is viewed in all places and in all forms. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy's pride leads to the Bennet's, especially Elizabeth's, prejudice toward him. This is because Mr. Darcy is so much wealthier than the Bennets and he lets them know. He shows much prejudice against people of lower societies. Elizabeth thinks of him as a handsome, but a too good, conceited, "I'm too good for anybody," male. Even though she is attracted to him, she refuses his proposal due to her prejudice toward him. He does not help in her saying "yes" when he tells her how he sees her and her family; poor and unworthy. He even states that this proposal should probably not even be taking place due to these feelings.

Analyzing The Wind :: essays research papers

Analyzing the Wind Inherit the Wind, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Plot: †¢ Cates is thrown into jail for teaching the beginning of the world contrary to what the bible says. †¢ Brady is coming to Hillsboro for the trail. †¢ Hornbeck announces he will bring Drummond to defend Cates. †¢ Both sides choose the remaining members of the jury. †¢ Cates almost pulls out but doesn’t. †¢ Howard is called to testify. †¢ Rachel is called to testify and the end of Brady’s questioning emotionally destroys her. So Cates doesn’t let Drummond question her, loosing a big part of the case. †¢ The judge rejects all of Drummond’s â€Å"witnesses.† †¢ Drummond calls Brady to testimony about the bible. †¢ Drummond uses the bible and Brady’s testimony on is favor and turns many followers at least less biased. †¢ The court found Cates guilty and sentenced to a hundred dollars fine †¢ Drummond wanted to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. †¢ Brady while giving a speech to get his followers back died. †¢ Drummond took both the theory of evolution and the bible home. Characters: Drummond: Supposed atheist, defendant lawyer and friend of Matthew Brady. Brady: Religious leader, â€Å"lawyer† against Cates and presidential candidate. Cates: Schoolteacher accused of teaching the theory of evolution, Rachel’s boyfriend and believed the church had some wrong thoughts about some things. Hornbeck: Cynical reporter, paid all the expenses of the defendant, hated ignorance, hence he hated Hillsboro. Setting: Hillsboro, around summer of 1925, July to be exact. Conflict: The main character’s difficulties were mainly each other, or the way they saw the world. Drummond’s greatest difficulty is to open people’s minds about everything. Brady’s difficulty was to prove God or the bible right against such a powerful speaker, as was Drummond. And Cates’ conflict is to prove to everybody he has not done wrong by teaching the theory of evolution. Point of View: It is a play, so there is no point of view. Or there’s everybody’s point of view. Themes: †¢ One should always keep an open mind to new ideas, no matter how absurd they may sound. (Drummond says it all the way through the book). †¢ People with different point of views may be thinking in the parallel but seem to differ. (The bible tells the story of the beginning of the world not in the same way as Darwin’s’ Theory of Evolution does. That doesn’t mean one of them is incorrect, simply, the story is told from different points of view. The Theory of Evolution is a fact book.

Comparison of Poems the Magpies and Ozymandias Essay

In the two poems, The Magpies by Denis Glover and Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley a common theme is that of man’s immortality. In The Magpies this theme is made especially apparent through the comparison of the immortality of Elizabeth and Tom with nature’s ability to remain constant due to its continuous regeneration. Meanwhile, in Ozymandias a king has a statue built however just like him the statue does not survive and is actually left abandoned and forgotten in the desert. This theme of immortality is also shown through a range of techniques such as the structure, choice of language, imagery, movement and sounds. Likewise, this theme is illustrated through the distinctive tone of the author in each poem. The poem The Magpies has a very set structure of six four-line stanzas. In each of these stanzas the last two lines describe the sounds of the magpies, while the first two lines are about Tom and Elizabeth. The second line of each stanza also rhymes with the last line of each; â€Å"The magpies said†. For instance in the first stanza the second line is, â€Å"The bracken made their bed†. This rhyming of the lines about Tom and Elizabeth with â€Å"the magpies said† links the two together and creates the idea of the magpies watching everything Tom and Elizabeth do. Likewise the structure of the last two lines being about the magpies enhances the idea that the magpies are constant and despite the time that has passed, â€Å"the pines grew overhead† the magpies are still there while Tom and Elizabeth’s lives come to an end, â€Å"Elizabeth is dead now† The poem Ozymandias is also written in the format of an iambic pentameter and has an irregular rhyming pattern throughout. The rhyming pattern helps to link the poem together and create a sense of flow and almost lyrical rhythm. For example the first line, â€Å"an antique land,† rhymes with the third line, â€Å"on the sand†. The poem is also not broken into stanzas like The Magpies and is instead presented as a sonnet made up of an octet and a sestet. In the octet the question t hat is posed is, ‘who does the statue in the desert represent?’ as the statue is only described as â€Å"trunkless legs of stone† and a â€Å"shatter’d visage†. In the sestet this question is then answered through the quoting of the words found on the plaque on the statue’s pedestal, â€Å"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings†. The structure of this poem is interesting as in the sixth line the poem reads, â€Å"its sculptor well those passions read† however it is not until the tenth line that the man the statue is of is named. This arrangement of the poem creates the idea that although Ozymandias was the one who commissioned the statue to be built and claims it as his, â€Å"Look on my works†; it is not really his works that have survived but those of a nameless sculptor. In the poem, The Magpies the choice of language is interesting as it is very simple and straight to the point. It also has some contradictions in the features used, for example it states â€Å"Elizabeth is dead now† while when describing Tom’s declining mental state it uses the euphemism â€Å"Old Tom went light in the head†. The use of the onomatopoeia of the magpies calls, â€Å"and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle† enhances how irritable the magpie’s calls are and the repetition of this exact same sentence illustrates how the magpies are constant and unchanging. However, the very last refrain of the magpie’s ends with â€Å"the magpies say† which creates the idea that even now and into the future, the magpies will continue to live on the farm that Tom and Elizabeth left so long ago. This is in keeping with the theme of the poem which is man’s mortality as it shows how human lives are limited while nature as a whole is constantly regenerating so can outlast any individual. Unlike The Magpies, the poem Ozymandias uses much more descriptive and poetic language. For instance the country that the traveller is from is described as â€Å"an antique land†. As the reader assumes that the traveller is from the land where the statue stands this metaphor emphasises the id ea that the country has a long, rich history. Likewise, the smashed face of the statue is described as â€Å"a shatter’d visage†. Alliteration is also a language feature that is used regularly throughout this poem. For example the statue is described as having â€Å"a sneer of cold command†. The hard ‘c’ sounds illustrate that Ozymandias was not a kind ruler but one who ruled strongly over his people with very little compassion. In the last two lines of the poem alliteration is also used when describing the physical appearance of the desert such as â€Å"boundless and bare† and â€Å"lone and level†. This use of alliteration emphasises how isolated the statue is and the soft consonant sounds provoke an image of rolling desert plains unbroken by human civilisation. In the poem Ozymandias the use of adjectives to describe the size of the statue, â€Å"vast† and â€Å"colossal†, add to the irony of the piece as despite the statues immense size it is nothing compared to t he magnitude of the desert and regardless of its size it has still been forgotten. This relates to the idea of the mortality of man as although Ozymandias’ statue has survived long after his death his statue does not cause the â€Å"despair† that he hoped it would but instead is now forgotten by most and mocked by the few who have found â€Å"his works†. This also creates an idea of human perception as while Ozymandias saw the statue as threatening, the sculptor saw it as an opportunity to make a mockery of Ozymandias’ egocentric personality. In the poem The Magpies by Denis Glover and Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley a common theme is that of immortality. In both poems this idea is explored through features such as structure and the use of language techniques. The structure of the two poems were different, however each was suited to the authors purpose. For example in The Magpies the author illustrates the theme of human mortality through the comparison of the length of the lives of Elizabeth and Tom with the seemingly endlessness of the presence of the magpies. Meanwhile, in Ozymandias the poem is arranged in a sonnet which allows the author to let the poem flow despite its irregular rhyme pattern. The use of the chosen language techniques in each piece is also necessary for the emphasis of the theme of immortality. For instance in The Magpies the most significant feature is the onomatopoeia of the magpies call. As this refrain is unchanged throughout the poem it illustrates the point that despite man’s best efforts to tame nature it is often possible for a short time as human lives are limited while nature continuously regenerates. In Ozymandias the use of alliteration is essential as it allows for a greater understanding of just how isolated and abandoned the statue is. This in turn creates the idea that although Ozymandias had the statue built to immortalise himself and leave a legacy on earth as he was not the sculptor they are not really his works that remain and are remembered but those of an unnamed artist. Both these poems illustrate how people can spend their time on earth working hard to reach perfection or an ultimate goal but in the end it is often impossible and does not allow them to be any more immortal than the next person. Perhaps then people would do better to accept that their time is restricted and work with these limitations to ensure that their time is not wasted in seeking immortality or creating a useless legacy and instead doing what good they can in the short time that they are given.

How Does Television and the Media Influence Children? Essay

Media plays very a important role and has influence in virtually every aspect of our lives. It is considered as the best source to know about the happenings of world. Newspaper, magazine, radio, television and internet are the different types of media. It greatly affects our lives because media has the power to influence our thoughts. This influence is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. NEGATIVE EFFECTS Media is the most influential one for the people to resort violence. Studies have suggested that the exposure to violence on television, movies and video games make the children more aggressive, fearful, less trusting and more accepting of violence. This does not mean that they will start bringing weapons in the school but they will be more aggressive and less trusting towards their friends, teachers and siblings. Some of them may carry out same violent act that they see in the violent programs and eventually become more disposed to commit acts of violence. In the past, news about some murder, accidents etc. were used to be published in simple sentences or we can say in a way to just inform the people about a particular happening. But now all has changed. Today news is published in an exaggerated manner to attract the attention of people. This is against the ethics of journalism. So instead of being constructive, media plays a destructive role. People who read much of these news or view excessive violence on television, trust less and take the world more frightening than it is. Sex and violence in media also lead towards the sex crimes in the society. It traumatizes youngsters which result in abuse in the home, streets, towards  children etc. Some advertisements try to influence the people by telling them the importance of branded items. As a result children and youngsters become status conscious and thinks that by using these items they can show their high status in the society. To fulfill their needs or to impress others they many times go violent to get money. STATS VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA Huston and colleagues have estimated that the average 18-year-old will have viewed 200,000 acts of violence on television _(Huston, A.C., Donnerstein, E., Fairchild, H. et al. Big World, Small Screen: The Role of Television in American Society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1992.)_ 41% percent of American households have three or more televisions _(Nielsen Media Research, 2000)._ 56% of children ages 8-16 have a television in their rooms _(Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2000. Media in the Home 2000)_ Percentage of television-time children ages 2-7 spend watching alone and unsupervised: 81 _(Kaiser Family Foundation, 1999. â€Å"Kids and Media @ the New Millennium.†)_ Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence. _(Senate Judiciary Committee Staff Report, 1999.)_ Average time per week that the American child ages 2-17 spends watching television: 19 hours, 40 minutes _(Nielsen Media Research, 2000)_ Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70 _(Tashman, Billy. â€Å"Sorry Ernie, TV Isn’t Teaching.† New York Times. Nov 12, 1994.)_ Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 _(Barber, Benjamin. Harper’s. Nov 1993: 41)_ Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1,023 _(Nielsen Media Research, 2000)_ The influence of media on children extends to health related issues. Although television has the power to educate on nutrition, exercise, and a wide variety of health related issues, it can also be a negative force through images and advertisements which influence viewers to make poor food choices or to overeat. In addition, excessive television viewing can result in inactivity which further contributes to excessive weight gain and poor fitness levels. Children are specifically targeted by some advertisements and are even more vulnerable than adults to their influence. Adults must assist children in questioning and thinking critically about the messages they see on TV. Limiting television viewing time and encouraging physical activity are precautions that parents should consider. Formal essay plan Topic: Influence of media on our lives. Position: I agree that media influences our lives. Style: debate, convincingly Statements. Media is the most influential aspect for people to resort violence The power of Adverts on T.V account for obesity upon young adolescents and many older people. T.V, Magazines, Newspapers. All influencing a child with a turning of a page or a push of a button. Concluding statement It is obvious that media plays a crucial part in today’s community, though clearly it can be seen that sitting on the couch watching midnight murders influences negative aspects to our lives. Paragraph 1: Media influence on Children. Although Media has the power to educate on nutrition and conflicts; it can also be a negative strength in a wide range of categories such as health. Media influence upon Adolescents extends towards much health related issues. T.V or magazines use advertising as 30% of content .Without a doubt we are seeing an up rise in child obesity from negative influences through the media. Images and Advertisements of food retailing influence children to make deprived decisions on food. Additionally, excessive viewing of Television can promote poor health conditions and excessive weight gain. Young adolescents are the main targets to the advertising industry as their influences are more venerable that those of adults Studies show that the, Average time per week that the American child ages 2-17 spends watching television: 19 hours, 40 minutes. Over 40% of watching time is contributed to Advertising. With 56% of children ages 8-16 having a television in their rooms children are one of the Victims encased in this web. _†Cinema, radio, television, magazines are a school of inattention: people look without seeing, listen in without hearing.†_ Robert Bresson Paragraph 2: Media influences on Behavior. Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000 Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000. So instead of Media being constructive, media plays a destructive role. People, who experience much of this news or view excessive violence on television, become influenced and take the world for a dangerous and violent place. The violence and abuse experienced through media, traumatizes children and can lead to abuse in the home, streets, etc. Studies have suggested that a surplus amount exposure to violence on television, movies and serials make people aggressive, fearful, less trusting and more deceptive. To the extent, people mainly teens are smuggling weapons into schools and society.

Microeconimics Simester Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microeconimics Simester Assignment - Essay Example The factors that commonly influence demand conditions (with other things held constant) are, changes in tastes and preferences, income of people influences the demand of normal and inferior goods, changes in the size of population, weather, changing expectations and prices of other related goods such as substitutes and complements. Changes in these factors will shift the demand curve. As the demand for bio-fuels increase, this will result in a higher level of production of bio-fuels. Bio-fuel usually use both corn and sugar as inputs where the yield of these crops is utilized in the production process (Vidal n.d.) As a result of an increase in demand of the bio-fuel, a substantial rise was reported in the demand of corn. Corn is now required as a source of food as well as an input for bio-fuel production. The image shows the increase in price as a result of the increase in demand of crops. The previous demand used to be D1 which was added with the demand of crops for bio-fuels and th is resulted in the new demand curve D1+D2. This graph also shows how an addition to the demand has resulted in the increase of prices of crops to PC*. If the increased demand is not addressed by added production, then the prices rise because the market forces come into play and determine the market prices (AmosWEB n.d.). The above graph shows that the supply curve does not shift and merely extended and as a result the prices have increased. ii) Supply refers to the quantity of a product that the producers are willing and ready to produce at a given price. The graph below shows supply function. The supply function is upward sloping. This is because the greater the price, the greater will be incentive to produce more and hence the supply will increase. Changes in supply curve can occur because of a number of reasons such as change in technology, the cost of producing other goods and services such as substitutes, taxes and subsidies, changes in input costs, number of producers in the m arket and weather. Change in these factors causes the supply curve to shift. In this case, since the product under consideration is corn which is an agricultural product, it is a difficult task to enter the industry of producing corn because there is often a limitation of land availability. The optimum solution seems to improve the agricultural and conversion technology. If there is an improvement in the seed quality, then it will result in a greater yield which will increase the supply. Also, there is often wastage in the conversion process but this wastage can be controlled if a new technique and technology is introduced. This will result in added supply available for consumption and thus the overall supply increases. As the supply increases in this case, the prices of the crops will go down. Here, the image on the right shows that the increase in demand has shifted the curve towards the right, even the supply curve is shifted to the right because of improvement in production tech niques. This increase in supply is greater than the increase in demand and has helped to keep the price down despite the increase in demand. In our case, the supply of the crop has increased as a result of an improvement in agricultural and conversion technology and this will result in keeping the prices lower. iii) The bio-fuels are the new addition in the oils industry throughout the world. The formulation of ethanol has addressed the growing concerns of

Human behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Human behavior - Essay Example My family has historically believed ensuring high morality levels. For this reason, they take time to teach us some of the most basic moral principles necessary for enabling us to live a fulfilling life. This makes the day special. Some of the factors that have shaped my personal and family history emanate from high religious values. The family’s social life is based on the creation of an appropriate self-image, which has had an influence on my friendships, thereby determining my identity in society. Traditionally, the meeting we have with our family members in my grandparents’ home essentially enables us to uphold moral values, most importantly providing us with skills that enable us to take care of some of the personal differences we might be having between us. This consideration comprises of one of the aspects that have molded me into being a responsible individual. Conversely, the tradition has made it possible for the family to exercise responsibility over the lives of other members, making it possible for everyone to lead fulfilling

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks ( summary of part 2 of the book) Essay

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks ( summary of part 2 of the book) - Essay Example Due to the fact that at its peak around 20,000 test tubes a week were being produced at Tuskeegee, it was at this juncture that the idea of personhood began to be diminished within the eyes of the researchers. HeLa became less and less of a person and more of a resource and a medical material rather than evidence of an original human being that gave rise to such cells. As with previous chapters within the book, the author runs between analyzing the medical research that is being carried out on the â€Å"still living† cells of Henrietta while contrasting this with the life that her children and family she left behind experienced. Although the medical experimentation was continuing and advancing, Henrietta’s family was experiencing trauma as a direct result of the lack of a mother. The children bounced from one location to the next, at one location the 2 year old girl was sexually abused, until they finally were reunited with Bobette and moved in with her. The author juxt aposes this personal story with the fact that HeLa was beginning to experience a great deal of discussion in the media of that time as news articles began to be published. Due to the fact that doctor-patient confidentiality was becoming an issue at the time, the patient was merely referred to in the news stories as Helen L. The author further uses this personal commentary to discuss the grave site of Henrietta. She juxtaposes the fact that the tomb itself is unmarked with the fact that the only remainder of Henrietta still in this world is her children and the cells which have continued to be kept, monitored, and multiplied. Chapters 18 and 19 tell the dual stories of trouble that the scientists faced with contaminated cell lines and the personal problems that Henrietta’s children were experiencing; no doubt as a function of her early passing (Skloot 129). Firstly, the medical experiments revealed that at some point, some of the cells in question had been contaminated with ot her lines; this meant that the rigor of the research was called into question and the researchers must go back and trace the mutations as a function of this contamination. Furthermore, the author juxtaposes these research issues with the fact that Henrietta’s children began to experience major issues of their own. The book proceeds to tell the story of the way in which HeLa’s cells have been found in 18 cell lines that have been used for cancer research. This revelation is juxtaposed with the personal story of Rebecca’s meeting with the Lacks family in early 2000. As she discusses the result of the experiments and the way in which HeLa’s cells have been used, the Lacks family is angry. First they are angry at the fact that Henrietta’s cells have been taken according to them â€Å"without her consent† and second they are angry due to the fact that they believe a great deal of money has been made on the sale of her cells. As such, the family d emands a share of that money. The darker side of humanity is herein presented as the medical advancement that has been made possible through the use of Henrietta’s cells is broken down as a function of its money making potential to the surviving family members. The analysis continues to depict a family that is not only interested in the overall privacy of their family but also worried by the fact that they

Biology 206 U3IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biology 206 U3IP - Research Paper Example The last codons, UAA, UAG, and UGA, signal the STOP, the conclusion of the translation (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2000). What meaning do these mRNA codons have for protein synthesis? Explanation: Messenger RNA are the carriers of information. They form them into groups of 3 words, which identify specific amino acids that can then create a protein chain (Clancy & Brown , 2008). Did the two mutations result in a change in the final proteins? If so, describe the change. Response/ explanation: Yes, in the first mutation, eliminated the glycine and included an extra element of arginine. The second mutation was drastically different from the first. Glycine has returned, along with asparagines, but the other three positions have taken by three different sequences that are not reflective of the first sequence. In general, why might a change in amino acid sequence affect protein function? Explanation: Even a single change in amino acid sequences can affect the proteins ab ility to function. For example, the disease sickle cell anemia is caused by the change in only a single nucleotide in the DNA sequence can cause deformation in the red blood cells that can prevent it from carrying oxygen efficiently or successfully (Carter, 2004). Part II Punnett Square a. Chances (%) for healthy child, not a carrier b. Chances (%) for child that is carrier for cystic fibrosis trait c. Chances (%) for child with cystic fibrosis Fill out/adapt Punnett Square: __C____ __c___ ___C___ CC Cc ___c___ Cc cc a. Chances (%) for healthy child, not a carrier: 25% b. % for child that is carrier for cystic fibrosis trait: 50% c. % for child with cystic fibrosis: 25% Part III: Essay How do both meiosis and sexual reproduction (fertilization) produce offspring that differ genetically from the parents? Include steps in meiosis that increase variability Include the process of fertilization. Explanation: Meiosis, in a basic definition is the process of cell division that lessens the number of chromosomes in the reproductive cells from diploid to haploid, which allows for the production of gametes in animals and spores in plants. Meiosis involves 2 steps, Meiosis I and Meiosis II, which then breaks into a number of phases, including interphase, metaphase, and telephase. Meiosis provides three specific mechanisms allowing for the diversifying of the genomes of offspring. Crossing Over, which occurs during meiosis when two chromosomes will pair up and exchange segments, with non-sister, cells, of their genetic materials. This allows for greater diversity to exist. Next is Random Assortment, basically, this process occurs when the when the â€Å"orientation† of the maternal and paternal homologues, within the first portion of the meiosis I, is genuinely random. Traits can be traded at randomly. The possible result of random assortment in humans can, more than, 8,000,000, potential, combinations (Chowdhury, Bois, Feingold,, Sherman & Cheung, 2009). Fertilizat ion, with the reduction of chromosomes it allows for the â€Å"

European exploration and overseas expansion Essay

European exploration and overseas expansion - Essay Example Firstly, the Europeans had desire for wealth and power. At the onset of exploration, many of these countries were weak economically, due to wars. Those in authority felt there were vast opportunities for wealth generation in the New World (Streich 1). This prompted the leaders to fund exploration in search of gold, spices, and other trade goods to sustain their ailing economy (Streich 1). This led to scramble for colonies, and they sent the wealth back to their countries. Secondly, there was religious interest. European had desire to spread Christianity to people throughout the world to counter the influence of Muslims. They also wanted to wipe the Muslims out of their territories. Thirdly, there was an improvement in the technology. The Europeans developed sailing ships with better navigation equipments (Streich 1). This made them able to move to various parts of the world. There was also development of more accurate maps. (Streich 1). Â  The Europeans expansion and exploration had a profound effect to those involved. The effects were immediate and long term. In the short term, the Portuguese built trading sites in West Africa, and some of them made Africa their home (McCannon 250-256). Secondly, there was a discovery of the new sea routes. In the long term, the Europeans competed to establish colonies. Secondly, there was also the expansion of wealth and power. Thirdly, there was the rise of the Transatlantic Trade that involved Europe, Africa, and America (McCannon 253).

The Phoenix hospital Essay Example for Free

The Phoenix hospital Essay The Phoenix Hospital has asked me to create a computer application to replace the existing manual one. In this system patient details have to be kept and information about borrowing of equipment. Records must be kept of what equipment has been borrowed, by whom and when, and also if any equipment is not available because it is being repaired. Aim My aim is to successfully create a database for the hospital, which they can4 use on an everyday basis. The database will need to: Ability to store details of equipment. Item code to identify the item and the type of equipment.   For each piece of equipment it must find:- whether it is available, being repaired or out on loan if on loan, to whom and at what address or ward number if on loan, when is it due to be returned or the loan renewed if being repaired, when was it sent for repair   Produce a hard copy of the above information for any piece of equipment.   Equipment is lent out for a 6- week period, this can be renewed for periods of 6 weeks.   Patients may have more than one piece of equipment on loan at a particular time.   At any one time, about half the equipment will be out on loan and 1 or 2 pieces will be in for repair. Names and addresses of patients are to be invented. Ward numbers are W1- W10. At the end of each week, a full report of the location of all equipment is to be produced. If equipment is due for return or renewal during the following week, that patient will be contacted. There is a standard letter for this purpose. Design Definition of Data Requirements I need to design tables, forms and queries which will enable me to meet the above aims. Record Structure Patient Table Field Name Data Type Field Length/ Format Validation Rule Input Mask Patient id AutoNumber Long Integer Title Text 5   Forname Text 50- Surname Text 50   gender Text Loan ID Number Long Integer   Item ID Text 50 Returned Yes/No   Figure 6 Loan Table Record Structure Design of Forms Patient Form Figure 7 Design of Patient Form Equipment Details Form Figure 8 Design of Equipment Details Form Welcome Screen Form Figure 9 Design of Welcome Screen Repair Form Figure 10 Design of Repair Table Design of Reports Locations Report Figure 11 design of Locations Report Equipment on Loan at End of Week Report Figure 12 Design of Equipment on Loan at End of Week Report Security and Integrity of Data Security and integrity are very important aspects of a database. I have made sure the database is secure from hackers, thieves and from general mistakes messing up the system. Security can be done using passwords to keep out people who shouldnt access areas. There are different levels of access rights these are read-only, Read/Write and No Access. Backup can help keep hold of important data in the event of the system being destroyed. Therefore the more frequently that backups are done the better. Integrity will minimize the amount of errors going into the system. Validating data in the database will help keep it in good working order and make it easy to search for data when needed.