Monday, September 30, 2019

Online Shopping and Amazon Essay

Abstract: This paper is about the customer service that is offered at Amazon. com. Amazon is a re-tailer that offers products at a responsible price. Amazon has evolved from being an online bookstore and they have become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world where customers could find and discover anything they wanted to buy online in a more convenient way. With customer service, loyalty, and customer retention were the three important aspects of Amazon’s that it offers. Amazon has increased their sales significantly due to its high levels of customer service that they provide. In addition to consumer customers, Amazon offered marketing and promotional services for third-party retailers and web services for developers. It allowed third party vendors to sell their products on its website. Amazon is a well-known company that was founded in 1995. It is best known for selling the Kindle, offering low competitive prices, offering fast and responsible cost with shipping that is reliable. Everything could be sold online all at the click of a button. â€Å"In 2009, US-based online retailer Amazon. com, Inc. (Amazon) topped BusinessWeek’s 2009 annual list of customer service champs†(Qumer 2010). Amazon is completely a customer service company that concentrates, on making sure that the customer is happy and taking care of. Which is reflected in their company values and what they believe in. Amazon was considered to be one of the most customer-centric companies in the world where customers could find and buy anything they wanted online at the lowest possible prices. Delivering excellent customer service and offering compelling value to its customers had been the core strategy of Amazon since its inception. Amazon focuses on being loyal to their customers, when they are loyal to them they figure that in return their customers would recommend others and continue to shop with them and make future purchases. Amazon makes sure that the infrastructure is taken care of so that the retention is there. When the retention is there they will continue to grow and expand their product lines so their customers will not have to take their business elsewhere. To make sure that the customer satisfaction is taken care of they live by Sic Core Values to make things happen to make sure that everything stay in order. The first on they have is Customer Obsession: With customer Obsession they start off with the customers and work backwards to make sure that things are taken care of. Secondly, Amazon includes innovation. Amazon says that if you do not listen to your customers, you will fail and if you only listen to your customers you will fail. You have to be able to find the balance. Third, you have a Bias for Action which is living in time of unheralded revolution and insurmountable opportunity and provided that they make every opportunity count. With the Fourth thing you will find that Amazon will take ownership when it comes to building a great company. Fifth they will have a High Hiring Bar that they often ask themselves† Will I admire this person? Will I learn from this person? Is this person a superstar? All of those important questions Amazon will ask themselves when they are looking to hire you. Lastly, they have frugality, where they spend money on things that really matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. In the future I do believe that Amazon should continue to find unique ways to reach consumers to continue to win them over. Right now Amazon should continue to grow their customer base and continue to grow social media awareness and continue to post the review of the consumers who have purchased products and how they were impressed with the arrival and how they love using what they purchased. With the role of Jeff Bezos in creating a customer-centric culture at Amazon he has done an awesome job working on Amazon and making sure that they continue to grow. Jeffrey Preston known as â€Å"Jeff† Bezos was born on January 12, 1964 and is an American Internet entrepreneur and investor. He is a technology entrepreneur who has played a key role in the growth of e-commerce[5] as the founder and CEO of Amazon. com, an online merchant of books and later of a wide variety of products. Under his guidance, Amazon. com became the largest retailer on the World Wide Web and a top model for Internet sales. † Bezos, J. (2013). Retrieved â€Å"Bezos believes that if you fix the customers problems then customer loyalty will be built from that. Jeff Bezos said his main goals are to provide his own perspective to the paper’s managing staff and to ensure the financial stability of the â€Å"Post† while it experiments with ways to be profitable. Though he’ll be active in leading the plans for the â€Å"Post,† he plans to continue living in Seattle and will remain the chairman and chief executive of Amazon. com. While the â€Å"Post† purchase took many by surprise, especially given the state of print journalism, it makes sense within Jeff Bezos’ unconventional business philosophy. He has said that Amazon. com management is â€Å"willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time. † He prefers to be patient and accept losing money for several years if he believes the long-term investment is worth it. He’s also known for an approach that puts customers’ needs and desires over everything else. Lots of retailers give lip service to that approach, but Amazon. com truly incorporates that philosophy into everything it does. Jeff Bezos might not do things the traditional way, but many would point to his unconventional approach as the foundation for the incredible growth of Amazon. com. His principles of growth over profit, long-term investment, and prioritizing the customer have made Amazon. com the worldwide online retailing leader. If anyone can find a way to pump new blood into traditional journalism, it might well be him. † (Beyond. com) Amazon did understand the integration scenarios and their impact on retailers, â€Å"let’s look beyond the financials and think about Amazon’s probable thought process in the transaction: Shoes are a $40b category (online and offline) and comscore reports that online apparel in 08 was $23b. While Amazon doesn’t disclose their apparel/shoe sales, they are definitely much smaller than Zappos. Thus this creates a clear leader in the category and gives Amazon mass in a third category (media, electronics, apparel). Amazon’s CFO said on the conference call last night: â€Å"†¦ this (the Zappos acquisition) is not about synergies. This is about growing in categories that we think are interesting. † Amazon did $4m in 08 revenues in EGM (non-media categories) – Zappos’ approximately $1b in GMV grows this 20% overnight. Also, Zappos was a large competitor to Amazon’s apparel business and forced them to come out with www. endless. com to counter the threat. According to compete. com, Zappos has about 6m visitors/m and endless is stuck in the 1m range. While amazon says they won’t close this, they can definitely stop spending marketing dollars on it so there’s going to be some savings there. There are also some shipping synergies. By injecting the Zappos’ approx 10m shoe shipments into the Amazon fulfillment engine, Zappos could save as much as $1/shipment which would effectively grow their profits by 50%. I also wonder if Amazon has any interest in the Zappos robotic fulfillment system and would consider moving that into their fulfillment centers to increase efficiency. Some have suggested that one driver could be Amazon wanting to sell prime to the Zappos audience. That doesn’t make sense to me as with the Zappos free shipping model, why do you need Prime at all? I don’t think Amazon would mess around with the Zappos model and move to something like normal S+H, free with Prime. The bottom line is Amazon gets a potentially 4-win scenario here: (1) good valuation, (2) eliminate a growing competitor, (3) grow EGM 20%, and (4) cement a leadership position on a big category (shoes+apparel). With putting this move into play I would say was the might move for both companies. Zappos focused on delivering WOW through service, they embraced and drove change, Created fun and a little weirdness, they were adventurous, creative and open minded, pursue growth and learning, built open and honest relationships with communication, built a positive team and family spirit, do more with less, be passionate and determined and they were humble. All of those core values made Zappos. â€Å"(â€Å"Analysis and retailer,† 2009)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

College Transfer

Womack Rd  Dunwoody, Atlanta, GA 30338 October 9, 2012 Dear Emory University Administration: When applying to Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), my initial choice in majoring was dental hygiene. During my first summer session, one of my courses that I had to take was psychology. I realized that it was not only first true academic, but also a personal life passion. I spent my weekends reading psychology related books, experiments, and articles.I counted minutes for my favorite class to start and once it started, I used to get sucked into lectures so deep not realizing how time went by. I became aware and confidant about changing my major to psychology. Upon my second semester of my freshmen year, I learned from the administration that my school does not offer the major I am now planning to pursue. In fact, my school does not even offer bachelor’s degree. I have visited Emory University this summer and even met with some psychology professors.I was impressed of Emory’s hi ghest ranking status among the other universities in southeast region. By attending Emory, I am looking forward in hoping to expand and extend my knowledge in psychology, participate in more psychology related work, and volunteer to work and cooperate with psychology professors. My intentions for transferring are simply for the academic and educational purposes. I have met many good people and made good friends at my currents school. My professors are well educated.I originally choose GPC because it felt like home. It was neither populated, nor far from my house. However, I am willing to push myself for new environment, adventures, and challenges. My academic achievement that shows in my transcripts proves of my ability to meet the standards and readily face the challenges of Emory University. The University and its program in psychology completely match my interests. I am hoping and looking forward in attending a program and pursue my bachelor’s degree in the field of psycho logy.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis of Scene 2 of Blue Remembered Hills Essay Example for Free (#2)

Analysis of Scene 2 of Blue Remembered Hills Essay In scene 2, the audience can see a slight change of pace. This is shown through the lack of physical violence in this scene in comparison to the previous scene 1. The pace starts off as fidgety as the two seven year old boys-Peter and Willie- can barely keep still but the pace hardly reaches any faster than this through the rest of the scene. The point in which they are both laughing and giggling uncontrollably is the only real point where the pace picks up a bit. This is when the boys are both laughing about Wallace peeing on a gorse bush due to the fact that he thought it â€Å"was on fire†. The subject of Wallace visibly fastens the pace, as is evidence in many other scenes. I think the slow pace of this scene shows the actual weakness of these two boys as their dilemmas and problems at their age are partially revealed through their banter and conversation. The seemingly raw subject of Donald and the beatings he receives at home seem to strike a misunderstood chord with the two boys but they shrug off the confusion and potential sadness and envelope themselves into another situation. This awkwardness is shown in the stage directions alone as â€Å"they fall silent† and the â€Å"tension that they do not understand† is quickly broken by more childishness, and they quickly run themselves into another less sensitive subject. The moments where there is quite a fast pace in this scene is only created by the characters purposely after they are bored and have nothing else to do or interesting to say. The subject of Donald is quickly followed by a purpose running about and â€Å"swooping† around by the two boys to bring up the energy levels. The back and forth conversation about the Dandy and Beano gets quite tedious for Peter and he quickly is distracted by something else more active and exciting. The characters in this scene are still both Willie and Peter and the relationship between the boys familiarly stays the same. In the previous scene, the audience saw that Peter was dominant in the relationship and frequently craved control of it and of Willie, often with physical violence but in this scene, he no longer results to this and uses his words more to cajole Willie into telling him where the jam jars are. Willie also still seems to have the upper hand in the argument though as he knows all the information Peter wants to get. Because of this, Peter has to still be moderately controlled in how he acts towards Willie to get the location of the jam jars out of him. This unexpected control Willie has is evident as when Peter once again threatens Willie with physical violence-his fist- he sees that this may completely blow his chance of getting any information so he rethinks and offers him his Dandy. Willie is now in control as he shows to Peter that he doesn’t care and that he could buy his own comic. This under-valued control that Willie has is still present in scene 2 and similarly continues on in the play. Concluding, there is small change of pace and characters in Scene 2 but not on a large scale. The pace is slowed down visibly from Scene 1 as there is not as much playing about and fighting between the two characters. Apart from the stage directions in Scene 1 where it clearly stated if they were moving and what actions they were doing if they were talking, this was no stated in Scene 2, therefore, I have no choice but to assume most if their conversation was given mostly in stationary mode. There was no real change in characters in Scene 2 other than the fact that In scene 1, Peter was triumphant in his method of physical beating to get Willie to give him the apple and in scene 2, Willie was triumphant in his knowledge of information to keep a secret the information about the jam jars but that was only really successful because of the distraction of the squirrel. Analysis of Scene 2 of Blue Remembered Hills. (2017, Oct 05).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Nicaragua's vampire problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nicaragua's vampire problem - Essay Example Killing vampire bats is a vicious chain of never-ending diseases because of the variety of bats both harmful and beneficial. Rogers masterfully explains the confusion caused by these vampire bats by first dealing with the problem caused by these bats in the poor town of Nicaragua. He reveals how people are scandalized by the presence of these bats and how eventually the bats are killed and wiped off from the community altogether. Here Roger introduces a method of awareness by telling his readers that there are beneficial bats as well who take care of humans as they are involved in consuming insects, leading to pollination of flowers and lead to increase in forestation by throwing the seeds at different points. As opposed to the vampire bats, these bats do not transmit rabies. Roger employs another method to introduce his main purpose of the article. He informs the readers that in the process of killing all the bats, one neglects the fact that mosquito bites are even more deadly as they cause dengue fever. Killing beneficial bats hence increases the risk of another noxious disease. According to Roger the death of the various species of bats is not a positive sign. He chooses to inform the readers of this negligence in a roundabout manner so that they understand the gravity of the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

McDonald's Health (choose a topic regarding health in mcdonalds) Research Paper - 1

McDonald's Health (choose a topic regarding health in mcdonalds) - Research Paper Example McDonald’s for many decades has been leading in the fast food market thus boasting U.S’s memorable mascots, brands and products. It’s operational model and name is packaged with loyal customers as well as best industry practices for the restaurant success. McDonald’s is one of the biggest based chains leading the way to overhaul its menu by providing a waist-and heart- friendly fare. McDonald’s offers happy meals whereby one can order foods with low fat caramel rather than fries, and fruit juice and low fat milk rather than soda. If fries is a must-eat, McDonald’s makes them with healthy canola-blend oil. Additionally, customers who choose Value meals like wrap, French fries, and sandwich have an option to have a piece of fruit, salad or vegetable in lieu (Stephanie, S. (2013). On its website, McDonald’s provides reasonable advice about eating healthier foods. It particularly asks its employees to stay away from fast foods because foods like fries, soda and burger can result to weight gain. In one of the McResource articles, a post states that fast foods are readily available, reasonably priced, quick and while economical and convenient for people’s busy lifestyle, the fast foods have typically high calories, sugar, fat, salt, saturated fat, and can as well cause the risk of people becoming overweight. The McResource website offers significant information from respectable third parties regarding wellness and health among other topics. It includes experts’ information on making the right balanced choices and healthy eating. Hereby, McDonald’s provides menu options and nutrition information for customers to choose from. They serve various balanced choices including egg whites, premium wraps, real-fruit smoothies and oatmeal thus o ffering a choice of grilled chicken instead of fried with lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. McDonald’s is always committed to provide information that will

World War I's Technological innovations and its impact on modern Essay

World War I's Technological innovations and its impact on modern warfare - Essay Example Nationalism among European countries combined with growing tension and rivalries due to industrialization has led military buildups throughout the continent. Nations became aware of their neighboring nations and in response to this tension, England, France, and Russia formed an alliance which they called "Triple Entente". This alliance was aligned in preparation against Germany who allied with Austria-Hungary. Such alliances divided Europe with strict guarded borders thus the onset of an impending World War became virtually impossible to avoid. The beginning of war in Europe started when in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir of the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated. Serbia was suspected to be behind the killing. Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia but it was protected by its ally, Russia. Then Germany came to the rescue for the Austrian because they were the ally of Austrian-Hungary. Militaries from different countries came to the rescue for their respective allies and the conflict grew out of scale. In more than a month, Europe and its neighboring countries were engulfed in war. But the militaries of different nations were not perplexed. This is because each of them has their own weaponries and technology to defend themselves. British Admiral Jacky Fisher wrote in 1915 that, "The war is going to be won by inventions." Weapons never been seen before such as tanks, the zeppelin, poison gas, the airplane, the submarine, and the machine gun has nevertheless fired their way through. World War I suddenly drew upon electrical technologies that had been under development for decades. Radio has become essential for communications and its transmission of voice was developed rather than codes. Electricity also contributed on the advancement of war. Battleships or tanks, for example, did had electric signaling lamps, helm indicator, fire alarms, remote control for bulkhead doors and controlled whistles which all uses electricity. Guns and turrets and raised gun magazine ammunitions also uses electricity. Incandescent and carbon-arc searchlights became usable during nighttime navigation, long-range daytime and nighttime signaling illuminates enemy ships during night engagements. Some of the most technological advances World War I has innovated and created were meant for attack and defense. These were the following: Weapons of War: Submarines. Although they had been around for decades, submarines became powerful weapons and became potential threat to any ship that sailed in deep waters. Their torpedoes can sink any ship that would invade territorial waters and these ships have become every nation's weapons in the waters. But the use of submarines was without restrictions that in May 1915 German submarine torpedoed Lusitania, a non-combatant U.S. ship killing 1,195 people on board. From then on, allied ships and submarines were outfitted with sensitive microphones that could detect engine noise from enemy submarines and ships. They developed sonar, but its development came nearly during the end of war (Museum). Aeroplanes. Ten years before the eruption of World War I, the Wright brothers have just made a second flight of their first

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama - Essay Example First, Gilgamesh is a sacred king in the ancient Babylonian kingdom who greatly possesses the trait of â€Å"two-thirds divine† (Mitchell 10). By virtue of his god-like character, the Babylonian people fear and follow the absolute monarchy practiced by Gilgamesh, the demigod of the bygone civilization. Like Gilgamesh, Rama is a divine king in the age-old India who greatly ruled his devoted subjects with â€Å"universal or social conscience† (qtd. in Leeming, Madden, and Marlan 803). Second, Gilgamesh and Rama have sameness with respect to their journeys in finding their missions in life and/or love. On the one hand, Gilgamesh travels to varied and tortuous places in order to find the person who â€Å"can tell him how to escape death† (Mitchell 1). After his friend’s death, Gilgamesh journeys into the terra incognita which he, consequently, â€Å"suffered all and accomplished all† (qtd. in Mitchell 9). On the other hand, Rama travels to the land of h is mortal enemy in order to rescue his beloved Sita. On this way, Rama constantly remembers in the need to avoid the â€Å"sense enemies’ lust, ire and greed† (Das 69). And third, both epic heroes greatly share tragedy (Gupta 23). The tragedy of Gilgamesh lies in his failure to attain immortality while Rama’s tragedy lies in the unfaithfulness of his beloved. Both stories of Gilgamesh and Rama are, by and large, shaped by their cultures and societies.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Assignment 1 - Essay Example It changes the contract operations from paperwork such as T&C, proofs of delivery, paper invoicing, and contractual documentation to a paperless system. Contract administration becomes automatic because e-commerce is automatic and consequently reduces most manual work that slows down business operation. Evolution of e-commerce enables organizations to focus on customer responsiveness, satisfaction, and performance based on demand and supply (Smith, 2003). The Network Edge integrates infrastructures of buyer and seller that make it easy for multiple buyers and sellers to link up and interact online. E-commerce, therefore, consolidates the functionalities in the transactions the parties involved in business contracts. E-commerce enhances how procurement professionals handle legal rights and steps of creating a valid business contracts and agreements. It raises the stake by presenting accountability of integrity to lawyers, purchase agents, and negotiators. Consequently, through e-commerce integration, clients get high-quality delivery and at the correct prices. Resources and transaction velocity is another e-commerce trend that will change the rules of businesses. It raises customer expectation in levels of service and information availability through speedy marketing and advertisement. Although e-procurement does not support group purchasing for the organizations, it has numerous benefits. Technological change in the 21st century such as e-procurement addresses inefficiencies such as unnecessary buying. Unnecessary buying includes fraudulent, airheaded, and spending without proper scrutiny. E-procurement will change procurement cycle costs that are reducible through efficiency. In addition, positive changes will as well be evident in breach of already negotiated contracts. The other e-commerce trend that the business contracts will enjoy is e-sourcing. E-sourcing is a web-enabled process in which the company

Monday, September 23, 2019

Make a summery for this Interview Questions and Answers Essay

Make a summery for this Interview Questions and Answers - Essay Example The district provides a computer program called TEAMS for scheduling. The principal and the counselor mutually develop the master schedule. Different campuses take different durations to complete the master schedule. Sometimes, it is completed by the eend of the school year, but some campuses complete it a week before the students arrival on campus. Variables that influence the development of master schedule primarily include courses that can only be offered once and the teachers schedules. Such courses should not be offered simultaneously. The master schedule is finally approved by the guidance office and the principal. Factors involved in the development of master schedule when arranged in the order of decreasing importance are these; labs and specialized need courses, personnel allocations, facilities, time, and extra-curricular activities. Adjustments in the master schedule are made according to the needs of the students. Adjustments are made with mutual consensus of the principa l and the counselor. The master schedule is not affected by the peprally, early release, or special programs since these factors are linked with the special schedules. Goals are identified considering the campus needs and the budget. Goals that address the campus needs without exceeding the budget are established. The rest may be postponed. The central office starts the budgeting at the end of the year which continues till the Summer months. The actual budget is not materialized till the next school years beginning. The central office provides assistance for the budget management. The principal is helped in the decision making process regarding all matters related to the campus from the Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee. Every campus is allocated budget at the 1st of September. Budget includes different kinds of funds, travel, and staff development programs. Allocation of funds is the next step. The campus budget

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Load Sheding In Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Load Sheding In Pakistan Essay There are number of problems which exist in Pakistan,among these problem Load sheeding is the one major problem of Pakistan .There are several reasons of Load shedding.Here we discussed few of them and then its effect on the Pakistan.The first main reason of load shedding is energy crisis,these crisis are due to small number of dams or may be due to miss use of electricity or may be some other reasons also effect,a huge number of person used electricity without pay its bill so it also cause load shedding in Pakistan. In presence of load shedding progress is not possible in Pakistan.Here we also discussed about some problem which happens due to Load shedding.load shedding in pakistan essay is discussed here. The first problem which happened due to load shedding is the failure of industry in Pakistan .This effect badly on all types of industry.In mini industry there is no alternative source of electricity so when load shedding started these industries stop their work.In big industry although they have a source of electricity but if they produce electricity from their own source then its cost become very high.So due to this work is not done in any type of industry.But the mot badly effected industry is the electronic industry.So due to this no investor invest on industry in Pakistan and day by bay Pakistan goes down rapidlly. Another problem which exist due to load shedding is the business in markets due to this markets also effected, no work done mostly in night time.Although many problems occurred in day time but some business has to be done but in night time all shops in markets closed.So economically its has very worst effect on Pakistan.As every one know that students are ingredient for the progress of any country but major bad effect occurred on studies is due to load shedding, students do not decide proper time for their studies. Basically Pakistan is a agricultural country most of Pakistan economy depend on its agriculture Due to load shedding , water problem damaged the crops.There are many other aspect through which load shedding effect on agriculture.

Friday, September 20, 2019

World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion

World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion as: the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. (WHO 1986, p.11) Through discussion with the Head of Establishment and members of staff at Kirklandpark Nursery, staff wished to incorporate diet and nutrition into their room planning. They felt this would be an effective area of focus as the nursery was working towards its silver award in the Health Promoting Nurseries. Staff also informed me that what I carried out would be used as evidence towards this. One of the strategies that educators can use to promote the health and wellbeing within childrens services is the enablement strategy. This aims to ensure there are equal chances for all to reach optimum health (Naidoo and Wills, 2000:86). This strategy also helps people expand their knowledge and skills in health matters, so they can recognise and deal with health issues in their lives (Naidoo and Wills, 2009:62). Within the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) there is a significant focus on the curriculum area health and wellbeing. In the experiences and outcomes there is a section on Food and Health, which aspires children to build on their existing skills and knowledge to make better food choices for a healthier future. According to the Curriculum for Excellence:principles and practice: A poorly balanced diet can contribute to the risk of developing a number of diseases and conditions including tooth decay, obesity, certain cancers, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke (Scottish Executive 2007, p.7) With the CfEs assessment in mind, and having liaised with children and staff, I planned an experience and used the enablement strategy to promote this. Observation 5 demonstrates that children were enabled with information and knowledge about the reasons for their own health, as we discussed why healthy/unhealthy foods were good and not so good for our bodies. While confident about the general promotion of health and wellbeing, when educating the children on the causes of their own health. I initially found it difficult to explain exactly what unhealthy foods can do to our bodies. I consulted my mentor for ideas and she provided me with suggestions on how I could implement this. I strongly feel this is an area for development. The enablement strategy resembles the empowerment strategy as it requires practitioners to act as a facilitator, then step back, giving control to society (Naidoo and Wills, 2009) Adventures in Foodland is a pack which aims to direct educators in positively inspiring children to acquire a taste for eating healthily at a young age. (NHS Health Scotland, 2003). I used the enablement strategy to do this. As an educator I found this pack extremely relevant and helpful. In observation 7 the children were given control as they informed me which foods they would like to try. I listened and acted as the facilitator by purchasing the foods, helping to prepare them and then stepping back, allowing the children to be in control. The children were given the choice to try the foods which I provided them. A social learning theorist, Albert Bandura believed that children copy others who have more power than them e.g. adults (Sayers, 2008 cited in Flanagan 2004) In observation 7 I was a good role model and tried the foods with the children, which encouraged others to try as well. I also used the educational strategy. This is similar to the enablement strategy as it aims to provide people with knowledge and information, in order for them to make a choice about the way they feel about their health. (Naidoo and Wills, 2000) The educational strategy differs from the behaviour change strategy as it does not make a person change the way they do things but instead encourages change (Naidoo and Wills 2000). The National Care Standards, Standard 3.3 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Health and Wellbeing states: children and young people have opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships, hygiene, diet and personal safety (Scottish Executive, 2009). Diet and nutrition relates to this standard and links with the educational and enablement strategy I used. The children were given equal opportunities to learn about these stated in standard 3.3. In observation 7 I used a big book with the children to gather their ideas on hygiene and personal safety. I strongly believe that doing this was a useful and effective way in gathering ideas to promote the health and well-being to everyone in the setting. I explained to the children what the book would be used for, I listened to their ideas and worked in a team with all partners. I was also assertive in speaking to children about the big book, and consulting them about ideas. My mentor offered valuable feedback and encouraged me to consult more with parents and show them their childs work. A publication by Her Majestyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Inspectorate of Educations (HMIE) titled How good is our school? The Journey to Excellence promotes well-being and respect. In dimension 9 there is an aspect on promoting positive healthy attitudes and behaviours (HMIE, 2006) This links with the educational strategy I used as it encourages and provides people with the knowledge and information they need to make choices. Observation 6 demonstrates how important the educational strategy is in providing children with knowledge of a healthy balanced diet. This allowed children to think about what they eat. Some children thought differently and changed their views in a positive way. However, I found it difficult to explain what was meant by a healthy balanced diet in words that children would understand. I came across the eatwell plate after finishing the project which would have been a fantastic resource to use with the children and help further their understanding. For my continuing professional development I aim to focus on how to better myself in finding other ways to communicate with children effectively when explaining what is meant by a healthy balanced diet. Advocacy is a further strategy used to promote health and wellbeing. Advocacy means talking on out for someone, such as a child, parent or a subject matter (Hall and Elliman 2007). Advocacy is also about expanding peoples knowledge on the health matter. (Naidoo and Wills 2009) Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge aims to better the health of people living in Scotland (Scottish Executive, 2003) I used advocacy to do so by speaking out for the children in regards to their diet and nutrition. Observation 2 helped to expand knowledge among children, parents and staff regarding this. I helped change the home corner into a fruit and vegetable shop. Multi-agency working was used and I demonstrated assertiveness in putting my point across when communicating with staff about which ways to promote health and wellbeing. I also employed the enablement and the empowerment strategy when I acted as the facilitator and allowed the children to take control of the experience, as they chose which resources they wanted to go in their shop. The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 puts emphasis on health promotion being a huge part of the activities provided in schools. (Scottish Government, 2007) The 10 learning experiences I carried out played a significant part in promoting the health and wellbeing of others. I feel the enablement and empowerment strategy was successful in promoting health and wellbeing to all partners. The children were given choice and were in control. Parents were also empowered to take control and choose to take on board the knowledge provided. I involved parents by writing on the white board to inform them of what the children had been learning. This ties in with the Nutritional Guidelines for Early Years as it encourages educators to speak to parents daily to inform them what was available for snack (Scottish Executive, 2006) In observation 10 Ms grandfather told me he had never considered making fruit kebabs before but he liked the idea and intended to make them for Ms birthday party at the weekend. A further area I can improve on is building relationships with all parents. I also feel the educational strategy worked in the sense that some children made healthier choices at snack and at home. This also promoted health and wellbeing for parents as their child was influencing healthier choices at home. A few children continued to make unhealthy choices by asking for a biscuit at snack. As the educational strategy encourages rather than instructs change, this did not work well with a couple of the children/parents. If I had more time, I would involve parents and other commercial partners more, such as Sainsburyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s and deepen children and parents understanding further. My mentor also said if I had longer I could make parents more involved, by inviting them for snack and encouraging them to help out, such as taking the children to the shops to buy snack. In conclusion, I feel my ability to promote the health and wellbeing in the area diet and nutrition to service users in Kirklandpark nursery was done well considering the short period of time I had. I took account of literature, national advice and my mentors feedback. The strategies I used were effective and my findings from literature, government publications and initiatives helped me discuss this. By doing this project it has made me realise there are strategies I need to work on in order to professionally develop. WORD COUNT 1648 References Hall, D. and Elliman, D. (2003). Health For All Children (4th Edition). Oxford: Medical Publications. HMIE (2006) How good is our school? A Journey to Excellence, Livingston Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2009) Foundations for Health Promotion (3rd Edition) Naidoo, J. and Wills, J (2000) Health Promotion: Foundations for Practice (2nd Edition) NHS Scotland (2003) Adventures in Foodland, Edinburgh Sayers, S. (2008) HNC Early Education and Childcare Heinemann Scottish Executive (2007) Curriculum for Excellence: health and wellbeing principles and practice,Learning and Teaching Scotland Scottish Executive (2003) Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge, Edinburgh Scottish Executive (2006) Nutritional guidelines for early years: food choices for children aged 1-5 years in early education and childcare settings, Edinburgh Scottish Executive (2009) The National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the Age of 16; Standard 3 Health and Wellbeing World Health Organization (1998) Health Promotion Glossary Switzerland : World Health Organization

Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of C

Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of Christ Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice in Christianity, gave his own life for the benefit of others. His self-sacrifice continues to this day to be celebrated in the Catholic Mass. Through communion, or receiving the Eucharist, one is able to actively partake of the fruits of that sacrifice. But how does one follow Jesus’ example? One surely cannot strive for the same kind of physical death that Jesus experienced. Thus, practice of another form of self-sacrifice becomes necessary. To eat, to nourish one’s self is an act that is essential for human life. What could cause more pain in this life than to deny one’s self sustenance? The practice of fasting, as one form of self-denial, can serve to bring one closer to identifying with the sacrifice of Christ. This is especially evident when fasting is examined in relation to the Eucharist in the Catholic tradition. But before we continue, a distinction must be made between two different types of self-denial. To fast, and to not eat do not constitute the same act. My own personal experience while exploring the topic of fasting has deeply colored my view of the practice of fasting. Many personal interests led me to pursue the question of fasting as a form of self-sacrifice. One was my personal engagement with and interest in the Roman Catholic tradition. Another, much more personal influence is my personal relationship with food. To stop eating is one of the (unhealthy ways) in which I personally deal with stress or depression. In reading Caroline Bynum’s book on the relationship medieval women mystics had with food I was able to identify on many levels. These women, in some cases, lived for... ...5 At the request of my friend, her name has been changed, in case her mother really does have spies everywhere. 16 Nussbaum, Melissa. â€Å"Your paper on fasting.† Email to Lorena Dremel. 03/06/2003 17 Dugan, Kathleen M. â€Å"Fasting For Life: The Place of Fasting in the Christian Tradition.† Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Vol. 63 Issue 3 (Fall 1995): 547 18 Repohl, Roger F. â€Å"Hungry Together.† Commonweal. Vol. 124 Issue 3 (02/14/1997): 9-10 19 Several articles including: Orsy, Ladislas. â€Å"Holy Days of Obligation? Holidays of Celebration?† America. Vol. 166 Issue 2 (01/18/1992-01/25/1992): 28-29. Rogers, Carole Garibaldi. â€Å"Why Catholics Fast: Searching for the Tradition.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 6 (02/25/2002): 6-10. Sherry, Mary. â€Å"Fasting? But That’s So Mortifying.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 7 (03/04/2002): 21-22. Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of C Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of Christ Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice in Christianity, gave his own life for the benefit of others. His self-sacrifice continues to this day to be celebrated in the Catholic Mass. Through communion, or receiving the Eucharist, one is able to actively partake of the fruits of that sacrifice. But how does one follow Jesus’ example? One surely cannot strive for the same kind of physical death that Jesus experienced. Thus, practice of another form of self-sacrifice becomes necessary. To eat, to nourish one’s self is an act that is essential for human life. What could cause more pain in this life than to deny one’s self sustenance? The practice of fasting, as one form of self-denial, can serve to bring one closer to identifying with the sacrifice of Christ. This is especially evident when fasting is examined in relation to the Eucharist in the Catholic tradition. But before we continue, a distinction must be made between two different types of self-denial. To fast, and to not eat do not constitute the same act. My own personal experience while exploring the topic of fasting has deeply colored my view of the practice of fasting. Many personal interests led me to pursue the question of fasting as a form of self-sacrifice. One was my personal engagement with and interest in the Roman Catholic tradition. Another, much more personal influence is my personal relationship with food. To stop eating is one of the (unhealthy ways) in which I personally deal with stress or depression. In reading Caroline Bynum’s book on the relationship medieval women mystics had with food I was able to identify on many levels. These women, in some cases, lived for... ...5 At the request of my friend, her name has been changed, in case her mother really does have spies everywhere. 16 Nussbaum, Melissa. â€Å"Your paper on fasting.† Email to Lorena Dremel. 03/06/2003 17 Dugan, Kathleen M. â€Å"Fasting For Life: The Place of Fasting in the Christian Tradition.† Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Vol. 63 Issue 3 (Fall 1995): 547 18 Repohl, Roger F. â€Å"Hungry Together.† Commonweal. Vol. 124 Issue 3 (02/14/1997): 9-10 19 Several articles including: Orsy, Ladislas. â€Å"Holy Days of Obligation? Holidays of Celebration?† America. Vol. 166 Issue 2 (01/18/1992-01/25/1992): 28-29. Rogers, Carole Garibaldi. â€Å"Why Catholics Fast: Searching for the Tradition.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 6 (02/25/2002): 6-10. Sherry, Mary. â€Å"Fasting? But That’s So Mortifying.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 7 (03/04/2002): 21-22.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Ethics of Software Outsourcing :: Software Outsourcing Essays

Analyze whether the United States should outsource software development from several ethical viewpoints. Introduction Always act in your own self interest -- ex-boss Many Santa Clara computer engineering professors ask their students where they are working. I am always surprised at the great number of students who are not. If these students are representative of the Silicon Valley job market, then its outlook is bleak. Many of these students' ex-jobs have been outsourced to lower cost countries such as India and now the Philippines. Software outsourcing has been a boon for such countries, creating many well paying jobs and stimulating their economies. Software outsourcing may also be a net benefit to the United States economy while hurting these students greatly. Many people in other professions fear that the outsourcing wave will spread to their jobs. This fear has focused renewed attention on this previously software and manufacturing jobs issue. Many of today's arguments for and against outsourcing are based on ethical viewpoints. Many Americans argue that American companies should be supporting Americans or that the playing field is not level. In contrast, American companies almost invariably argue that it is their ethical obligation to maximize shareholder value. Many Indians and Indian companies argue that outsourcing has been a net benefit to America and that this trade promotes a common good. Some Americans take the opposite view, seeing outsourcing as a detriment to common good. Utility Viewpoint Outsourcing makes businesses more competitive, increasing their exports and their profits and placing more investment surpluses in their hands which can be deployed to make more jobs -- Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1) The utilitarian viewpoint states that an ethical question should be decided on the basis of the greatest good. Opponents measure utility for American workers and by implication the American economy. They argue that the loss of jobs will lead to the gutting of the middle class and the ruination of an economy based it. They point to the first net loss of American jobs in a Presidential term since Herbert Hoover as evidence. American programmers, in particular, are facing the highest unemployment rates ever measured for the group (2) despite an improving economy. American corporations in favor of outsourcing measure utility for the overall U.S. economy. They argue that outsourcing allows resources to be freed for greater innovation and that outsourcing promotes trade. These, they argue will ultimately create jobs. Opponents counter that what jobs are being created tend to be lower paying service jobs.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols :: essays research papers

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols The three dichotomous symbols in A Separate Peace by John Knowles reinforce the innocence and evil of the main characters, Finny and Gene. Beside the Devon School flow two rivers on opposite sides of the school, the Naguamsett and the Devon. The Devon provides entertainment and happiness for Gene and Finny as they jump from the tree into the river and hold initiations into the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Finny, Gene, and their friends use the Devon's warm water to play in during the carefree summer session. The Devon brings out Finny's carefree character and personality when he jumps from the limbs of the tree. Not one Upper Middler in Devon has ever jumped from the tree; Finny becomes the first. After surfacing, Finny says that jumping from the tree causes the most fun he has had in weeks. However, the Naguamsett and the Devon completely contrast. When Gene and Finny emerge from the Devon, they feel clean and refreshed. However, Gene describes the Naguamsett as "ugly, saline, fringed with marsh, mud and seaweed" (68). When Gene starts a fight with Quackenbush and falls into the Naguamsett because Quackenbush calls Gene "a maimed son-of-a-bitch," Gene surfaces from the Naguamsett feeling grimy, dirty and in desperate need of a bath (71). Much like the clean, refreshing water of the Devon and the ugly saline water of the Naguamsett, Gene's carefree attitude of the summer session vastly differs from the angry, confused attitude of the winter session. Likewise, the two sessions, the summer and winter, give a different sense of feeling toward school and life at Devon School. The summer session allows Finny to use his creativity. Finny invents blitzball and founds the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. The students let their carefree attitudes flow during the summer. Finny and Gene willingly break the rules to have fun during the summer by skipping class and going to the beach. Finny also wears the school tie as a belt to the traditional term tea. Gene feels that Finny cannot leave the room without being disciplined, but Finny manages to talk his way out of the mess. However, the winter session causes a sense of strictness. The sermons now exhort the thought of "what we owe Devon," but in the summer the students think of "what Devon owes us" (65). The masters and class leaders try to enforce continuity, but Gene realizes that resurrecting the summer session becomes impossible. Finny is not in school, no longer shall the students have their carefree attitudes, and the class officials and masters now

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Anyone Elected from Public Office is Obliged to Live

The issue of the importance of integrity over technocratic knowledge has always been an issue for public officials. In many democratic and democratizing nations, debates have ensued as to whether officials ought to live morally exemplary lives. The reasons for challenging the Confucian maxim on the benevolence of the public official have been diverse, though it could be intuited that some sort of private interest is at stake. In this paper, it shall be argued that all public officials should undoubtedly live morally exemplary lives.Before anything else, it is very important that the term morally exemplary be defined. At least in this paper, morally exemplary shall be equated to the character or trait of being able to live up to public service morality. Public service morality refers to the set of values that a public official must hold in order to â€Å"effect the ends for which the government has been instituted† (de Leon 434). As such, public service morality includes but is not limited to a high degree of responsibility, integrity, loyalty, efficiency, patriotism, modesty, and justice (de Leon 434).To be able to argue that all public officials should live morally exemplary lives, it shall be argued that this claim is most reasonable in a democratic society. Afterwards, concrete examples of national experiences shall be provided to be able to show not only the reasonableness but also the historical validity of this claim. Specifically, the experiences of the United States and of the Philippines (a former U.S. colony) shall be used to concretize the claim. We shall begin with the reasonableness of the claim that public officials ought to live morally exemplary lives.In any democratic society, the morality of a public official is always an important element. A public office is defined as â€Å"the right, authority, and duty created and conferred by law by which, for a given period†¦an individual is invested with some portion of the sovereign functi ons of the government to be exercised by him/her for the benefit of the public† (de Leon 432). As such, precisely because of the grave power and function of public office on which depends the interests of the public, a public official ought to take his/her role as nothing less than sacred and that the â€Å"violation thereof would be nothing less than a sacrilege† (Philippine 1971 Constitutional Convention in de Leon 433).Common sense would tell us that the functions and the responsibilities of public official, being equated to the very sovereign powers of the government with the purpose of putting into effect the very â€Å"ends for which government has been instituted,† demand an impeccable character. Hence, it could safely be said that the success or failure of a democracy or the democratization process of a country partly depends on the morality (or lack of it) of the persons who hold positions of trust. As such, a public official should undoubtedly live a mo rally exemplary life.History provides us with a number of examples to show the moral exemplariness of the lives of public officials mattered in the lives of nations. Actually, that corruption and moral degeneration could in fact ruin an empire is a lesson we have learned from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. It is common knowledge that in the last few centuries of the empire, the old Roman virtues started to degenerate in the Roman army. Emperors also stopped thinking of the interests of the people and plainly thought of supporting the army and maintaining a luxurious court (Perry 120). This, plus some other factors, led to the citizens’ lost of confidence and loyalty in the empire (Perry 123) which made it more vulnerable to barbarian invasions, and eventually collapse in 476 AD. Nevertheless, this powerful lesson in history could easily be given less importance by modernists so we need to turn to contemporary examples.That a democratic nation could truly be threatene d by lack of public service morality in its officials is best demonstrated by the Watergate scandal. It should be recalled that the Watergate scandal involved a number of high ranking executive officials and President Richard Nixon himself. This scandal eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon, along with an undying infamy. It would be best to recount this scandal at this point.In 1972, a group of people broke in and wire tapped the Democratic Party’s campaign headquarters in the Watergate apartment in Washington, D.C. The burglary and wiretapping eventually convicted five men who were also connected to the president’s re-election committee (Perry 828). Further investigations by the Senate eventually led to the findings that top presidential aides â€Å"planned the burglary and concealed evidence about it† (Perry 828).These top ranking executive officers were U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Counsel John Dean, White House Chief of Sta ff H.R. Haldeman, and White House Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs Ehrlichman (Encarta â€Å"Watergate†). Eventually, more illegal activities were found by the Senate Committee. These plus the original burglary and wiretapping crushed on the president himself which led to his resignation in August 9, 1974.What could be learned from the Watergate scandal? It is simply the fact that the lack of moral exemplariness of public officials bothers the citizens of a truly democratic country. Moreover, it also threatens the democratic system that works on public trust. It is this very threat that the constitutional system of checks and balances protect a democratic nation against.If the United States provides a very good example of how a democratic nation reacts and defends itself against the lack of public service morality, the Philippines will be a good example of how a nation is continuously negatively affected by the persistent lack of moral exemplariness of its elected public officials.Up to the present, the Philippines, albeit its high literacy rate of 99% (Encarta, â€Å"Philippines†) and relatively good economic fundamentals, remains behind many of its Asian counterparts. The Philippines, a tropical country with many beautiful natural tourist spots and originally endowed with abundant natural resources has an alarming rate of poverty level. What could be wrong in a country with a very high literacy rate not to mention a very good level of English, good economic fundamentals, and naturally endowed with resources? The answer seems to be homogenous: government graft and corruption.According to Transparency International, the Philippines may be considered a country with a serious corruption problem. Working on a Corruption Perception Index of 1-10, with 10 being squeaky clean and 5 being the borderline distinguishing countries with serious corruption problem and those without, the Philippines scored a 2.5. This puts the Philippines at par with Ben in, Gambia, Honduras, Guyana, Nepal, Russia, Rwanda, and Swaziland (Infoplease â€Å"The 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index†). There have in fact been a number of cases that showcase the grave problem with public service morality that the country has, a problem that viciously engenders and sustains corruption.The famous case of the Marcoses is a classic. President Ferdinand Marcos became the president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, and left his post with bitter memories of the press being silenced, civil liberties being curtailed, dictatorship, torture and vanishing of thousands of political enemies, and a huge amount of behest loans (Wikipedia, â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos†) that resulted in the ballooning of the Philippine economy and in unresolvable debts and widespread poverty. Marcos fled the Philippines in 1986 to survive a revolution. He stayed in Hawaii until he died in 1989.Marcos remained largely unpunished. This is telling of how t he Philippines cuddles the very politicians that robs the nation. Just recently, President Joseph Estrada was tried of plunder, engaging in widespread illegal gambling, and gross corruption by the Philippine Senate. In this said event, more than half of the senator-judges voted not to open a controversial envelope that is supposed to contain strong evidence against the tried president.This resulted in another revolution that led the Philippine High Court to decide, en banc, that his vice-president, Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to take his place. Up to the present time, Philippine politics is very much mired in corrupt practices, concretizing the claim that Philippine politics grossly lacks political morality. This has time and again been responsible for the poverty that many Filipinos suffer.In a democratizing nation such as the Philippines and in a highly democratic country like the United States, it has been demonstrated, both by reason and example, that the living of a morally ex emplary life by public officials is a necessity. A democracy is rightfully threatened by the lack of a certain morality and a democratizing nation is viciously plagued by it, hampering democratization to truly happen.There are some instances that might prove contrary to this claim, such as the existence of chaebols, i.e., big business conglomerates in South Korea that has some exerted political influence over public officials. This speaks of an undercurrent of corruption. Neverhtless, South Korea, a highly progressing Asian nation, has continuously progressed economically in spite of or with chaebols. But then again, it can be argued that South Korea improved not because of corruption but precisely because of the political will to punish erring public officials. A number of Korean presidents have already been tried of corruption. As such, the claim that in a democratic nation, the living of a morally exemplary life by all publicly elected officials is necessary remains valid.Works C ited:â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 17 July 2007. 20 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos.â€Å"The 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index† 21 July 2007. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781359.html.â€Å"Watergate† Encarta. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft: 2002.De Leon, Hector. Textbook on the New Philippine Constitution. Manila: Rex Books, 1987.Perry, Marvin. A History of the World, Revised Edition. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Impact of Computers in Todays Society

Computer, as the term is most commonly used, refers to the digital computer, an electronic device that makes lengthy or complicated calculations at high speeds and (except for certain small models) is also able to make decisions based on logic. A less common type of computer is the analog computer. A digital computer forms the core of a data processing system. Data processing is, basically, the organization of information into a useful form by such processes as comparing, selecting, and arranging. A very simple example of data processing is alphabetizing a list of names. Electronic data processing, or EDP, is data processing performed by a computer. Computers vary greatly in the speed at which they can perform calculations and in their ability to handle complicated tasks. Computers also vary greatly in size—from arrays of equipment occupying a large room to a slice of silicon smaller than a postage stamp. In general, small computers are referred to as microcomputers; large computers, as mainframes; and computers of intermediate size, as minicomputers. General-purpose microcomputers are commonly called personal computers. The computer ranks as one of the major technological developments of the 20th century. Beginning about 1950, it took the computer less than two decades to revolutionize the methods of business, industry, and government; to greatly advance work in the sciences; and to find wide application in such diverse fields as accounting, education, medicine, and publishing. Today, the computer industry—which includes the manufacturing of computers, the designing and marketing of computer programs, and the providing of computer-related services—is among the most important in the world. History Early forerunners of the computer were the abacus, developed in the ancient times in the Far East, and an adding machine invented in 1641 by Blaise Pascal of France. The principle of the punched card was developed about 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard, also of France. His cards were used to control the pattern produced in textiles by a loom. All of the basic principles of the modern digital computer—input and output devices, storage and arithmetic units, and the sequencing of instructions—were conceived in the 1820’s and 1830’s by Charles Babbage, an English mathematician. He completed a small computer, called a difference engine, in 1822. It consisted primarily of gears and levers and was similar to a modern mechanical desk calculator. Impact and use of computers A computer is a high-speed mathematician, file clerk, and a typist. It can perform many thousands of times more rapidly than human without error. Its many uses grow out of these characteristics. Computers are used in business to do many routine and time-consuming jobs, such as handling billing, payrolls, and inventory. Computers can be used in making forecasts of future sales figures or economic conditions. In many organizations, computers are used as word processors, simplifying the production of reports, letters, and other documents. Some organizations routinely transmit memos and other messages by means of computer linkups, a form of communication known as electronic mail. Reporters, salespeople, and other workers can produce their written work on portable computers and then transmit the work to an office via telephone lines. In the school, computers are used in many classrooms to assist teachers in instructing students. Computers are used in a variety of ways, from supplying simple drills to providing complex simulations of such processes as conducting a scientific experiments or managing a large company. In such sciences as physics, chemistry, and psychology, computers are used to monitor experiments and organize the results so that they can be interpreted more easily. In astronomy, computers perform the complicated alculations necessary for determining the orbits and relative positions of various heavenly bodies. In engineering, computers are used to help produce and evaluate the design of new products. Another use of computers is to control industrial processes. This form of control, a type of automation, has been applied to such processes as machining, oil refining, and the manufacture of chemicals. Another industrial use is to control robots used in assembly operations. Computers are essential for a variety of functions performed by government agencies. For example, computers are used by the National Weather Services for analyzing large amounts of weather data to make weather forecasts; by the Federal Aviation Administration for operating the complex equipment needed to direct air traffic; by the Internal Revenue Service for handling tax records; by the Census Bureau for compiling statistical data on the country’s population; and by the military for communication, defense, and weapons systems. In the home, computers are used for a number of purposes. A popular used of home computers is for playing video games. They are also used to gain access by telephone hook-up to networks providing a variety of information and communication services. In some homes, computers are used for word processing and for maintaining household records. It is also known to surf the web and collect various information off of the internet. Many people work off of a computer for a living. A computer can perform a virtually unlimited number of calculations, one after another, without further action on the part of the person using it. It is this ability that sets a computer apart from an ordinary calculating machine, which requires control by a human operator for each calculation. Although the computer itself deals only with numbers, it can work with information that was not originally in numerical form if that information lends itself to mathematical and logical analysis. It does so by first converting the information into numbers; it then performs calculations with the numbers and converts the result into a usable form. Although computer does not think, it does make decisions. Each decision is based on a logical pattern previously stored—by a human being—in the computer. It makes a decision by following instructions such as â€Å"If the number you are reading is 10 or less, proceed to the next step. If it is greater than 10, skip the next step. † In making decisions, the computer uses the same processes as those described in the article LOGIC.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Notes on Egypt’s history Essay

EGYPT TODAY Egypt started 5,000 years ago, and lasted for over 3,000 years, longer than most other civilizations in the world’s history. It lies between Africa and the Middle East. This ancient country holds a history of over 6,000 years. The Pyramids, the Sphinx, the tomb of young King Tut are just a few pyramids built to bury thre rich and the royal.. The majority of the population in Egypt lives in an area along the Nile River called the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta. As a result, many places in this region are extremely crowded, with several thousand persons per square kilometer. Egypt’s civilians today are mostly Ancient Egyptians, Arabs, Turks, and other peoples are blended in their ancestry. About half of the population of the Nile Delta are fellahin (pronounced fel-uh-heen), or peasants–either small landowners or laborers–living on the produce of the land. The average family of fellahin has four or five children, who start working as soon as they are able to do so. Most fellahin, especially the women, spend their lives in drudgery. The areas to the west and the east of the Nile River–the Western and the Eastern Deserts–only contain small settlements of semi-nomads–the Bedouins (pronounced bed-oo-in). They live by herding goats, sheep, and camels, or by trading–mainly with mining and petroleum camps, or with fishing communities on the coast. The Bedouins families are about the same size as the fellahin families, except that many Bedouin husbands have from two to four wives. THE HISTORY OF EGYPT GENERAL Egyptian history begins around 3300 BC. This was when the Egyptians finally had enough symbols in their writing to record history. From 3100 BC inscriptions created a way for later Egyptians. It was also the time when the pharaoh, King Menes, created Egypt by uniting the two parts of Egypt, also known as Upper and Lower Egypt, into a single kingdom. A series of strong and able rulers established a well organized government. The Sun God Re was the most loved god-figure at the time. Over time, authority began to disappear and Egypt was controlled by foreign princes. THE NILE No other civilization in the time of the pharaohs could compete with Egypt’s magnificent buildings, its wealth, or its long centuries of peace. To a large extent, this is because other civilizations did not have Egypt’s main advantage — its great river. For tens of thousands of years the focal point of Egyptian life has been the River Nile. Egypt is correctly said to be the gift of the Nile and Egypt’s two most important areas are the Delta and the Nile Valley. The Nile Delta is the heartland of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile came from a â€Å"mysterious heaven of plenty†. All of Egypt depended on the Nile for water, food, and transportation. THE PHARAOH Pharaoh simply means â€Å"the one who lives in the palace†. Egyptians addressed their pharaoh as though he were a god with several forms. They thought he was more than human and addressed him with the names of several gods. The pharaoh’s most godlike names were â€Å"son of Re† and â€Å"giver of life like Re†. The Egyptians believed that no single name could express the greatness of their ruler. They also believed by serving the gods, the king helped the sun to rise every morning and helped the Nile to flood at the end of each summer. They believed that in return for the offerings of food and water that only the pharaoh could make, the gods would feed the souls of the Egyptians after death. The pharaoh’s power was almighty and unquestioned. As a matter of fact, just touching the pharaoh’s crown or scepter, even accidentally, carried the death penalty. The pharaoh’s chief duty was to build and maintain temples to the gods. PYRAMIDS AND STRUCTURES The buildings of Egypt that were mainly built 5,000 years ago were the pyrimids. All of them were built to contain the tombs of pharaohs. In the 27th century BC, the first pyramid was built and pyramids became the most  popular way to bury royalty. They were the earliest buildings ever to be made by precisely cutting and putting together great blocks of stone. In stonework, Egypt led the world for more than 2,000 years. PICTURES AND WORDS Important Egyptians were wealthy enough to build magnificent tombs and furnish them richly with treasures, inscriptions, paintings, and statues. Egyptians did not paint images to show what people were really like, instead, a picture was a kind of diagram. To preserve the magical power of their art, the Egyptians believed they must copy exactly the style handed down through the ages. This meant that most artists painted in the same way, and the people they painted all looked the same. Tomb pictures were closely connected with Egypt’s famous picture writing, or hieroglyphs, invented about 5,000 years ago.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Project method Essay

1.Advantages of the project method 1.1Group projects enhance individualization- the difference between learners can be accommodated by encouraging them to take responsibility for a section that they have interest in or for which they have the capabilities. 1.2The projects allow learners the freedom to investigate, search for information and display self-expression, creativity and cognitive abilities. 1.3 Group projects provide opportunities for learners to work cooperatively with other learners in a team and enhance their social and communication skills. 1.4Learners are afforded opportunities to investigate and solve practical business-related problems. 1.5Learners are more likely to identify with knowledge that they have helped to collect(Mahaye in Jacobs at al 2002:231-232) Disadvantages of the project method 1.1A project does not contribute to the attainment of learning outcome may lead to a waste of valuable time. 1.2A project that is unachievable due to poor planning and definition may be detrimental to learners’ self concept and motivation. 2.Requirements for effective planning in teaching Business Studies †¢The teachers should have a good knowledge of their subject. †¢They should formulate clear aims of outcomes so that they themselves and their learners know exactly where they are going. †¢They should be familiar with the various approaches in Business Studies and also the sequence in which the material should be presented and then select the most meaningful approach and sequence. †¢Be familiar and use teaching methods that encourages effective participative learning. †¢Be aware of what teaching media are available and know when and how to use them. †¢Be able to asses learning, to maintain a high standard and to use evaluation to improve the quality of their teaching. 3.The critical outcomes †¢Identify and solve problems in which responses show that responsible decisions have been made using critical and creative thinking. †¢Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, an organization or community. †¢Organize and manage themselves and their activities responsible  and effectively. †¢Collect, analyze, organize and critically evaluate information. †¢Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical or language skills in the modes of oral or written presentations. †¢Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others. †¢Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognizing that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation The development outcomes †¢Reflect on and exploring a variety of strategies for more effective learning. †¢Participate as a responsible citizen in the life of local, national and global communication. †¢Be cultural and aesthetically across a range of social contexts. †¢Explore education and career opportunities. †¢Develop entrepreneurial opportunities 4.Factors to be considered in the choice of methods instructions †¢The learning outcome- What is the aim of a lesson? Is it to introduce new information, apply the theory in practice or revise completed work? †¢Learners needs- If the learner does not understand the work that has been explained, a teaching method should be chosen that provides opportunities for asking questions so that any obscurities and problems can be cleared up. †¢The subject contents- some subject contents are more practical while others are more theoretical. When section of the subject is extremely practical (e.g. market research) it is preferable to choose a method in which demonstrations and examples can be used to explain the subject content. †¢Learners talents and gifts- learners who are less gifted have difficulty learning hence the need for sufficient illustrations, demonstration, learner involvement and repetition. More gifted learners learn more quickly and are able to concentrate for longer periods. You should therefore choose methods that allow a learner to perform according to his/her abilities. †¢The competence of a teacher- You should know your own abilities and shortcoming. For example if you are not computer literate, you may decide to use and expert to deal with content on computer applications (emails, electronic storage and retrieval etc) if you have speech problems  you should avoid using the lecture method.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The paper based on published research will analyze an organizational

The based on published will analyze an organizational change effort - Research Paper Example During the 1970s, Samsung invested in the heavy, chemical, and petrochemical industries. The company also posed competitively for the world's textile industry, through vertical integration of manufacturing processes from raw materials to end products (Samsung, 2011). In 1978, Samsung Semiconductor and Samsung Electronics separate into two entities (Samsung, 2011). During the mid-1990s, Samsung radically changed its business through a renewed commitment to making world-class products, giving total customer satisfaction, and being a good corporate citizen – following the vision of â€Å"quality first† (Samsung, 2011). At the same decade, Samsung already offered 17 different products, such as semiconductors, computer monitors, TFT-LCD screens, and color picture tubes (Samsung, 2011). It had successfully climbed to the ranks of the top-five products for global market share in their industries and 12 others also achieved top rankings (Samsung, 2011). The 1997 financial crisi s negatively affected almost all Korean businesses. Samsung was one of few companies that grew and not so much scathed, due to its leadership in digital and network technologies and its diversified portfolio in electronics, finances, and related services (Samsung, 2011). ... Samsung now has the No.1 global market share for 13 product types, including semiconductors, TFT-LCDs, monitors and CDMA mobile phones (Samsung, 2011). The company is active in pursuing research and development (R&D) for their overall semiconductor line, such as flash memory and non-memory, custom semiconductors, DRAM and SRAM, best-in-class LCDs, mobile phones, digital appliances, and other products (Samsung, 2011). Samsung is presently one of the biggest players in the global electronics business. Samsung's flagship unit is Samsung Electronics, which is one of the world's top makers of DRAMs and other memory chips. Samsung also makes and sells various kinds of electronic gear, including LCD panels, DVD players, and wireless phones. Some of its affiliated companies include credit-card unit Samsung Card, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung SDS (IT services), Samsung Securities, and trading arm Samsung C&T Corporation. In 2009, the revenues of Samsung were $119 million, but the revenue gr owth rate actually decreased with 21% change from previous year. Samsung has 277,000 employees and has an employee growth rate of 0.40%. As stated in its new motto, Samsung Electronics' vision for the new decade is, "Inspire the World, Create the Future." It strives to constantly innovate itself through leveraging its corporate R&D center (SAIT). This paper analyzes the organizational change effort of SAIT and evaluates its leadership of change using Kotter’s suggestion on effective changes. The kind of change that happened to Samsung is that it turned its R&D operations around by aligning it with its business strategy. From there operational and cultural changes took place, which accompanies the organizational change stages presented by Kotter

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Development Efforts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Development Efforts - Essay Example Not all firms can survive without emergency managers since all face diverse perils and hazards. However, in some businesses, emergency management departments have secluded themselves from strategizing with the rest of the response system in attaining the goals of the organization. This has raised so many concerns as to whether this act is right or wrong. This dilemma may be solved based on deduced lessons from several reviews of literature. Emergency management has different response departments referred to as agencies. The leaders of the agencies perform different functions. Because the leaders have some emergency solving related jobs, they are grouped under one department. This suggests that they have some related strategies aimed at achieving a common goal. More so, in time of need, emergency managers consult each other before coming up with some decisions and tactics of solving the problems caused by disasters. The strategies should not work against each other to bring about harmony at the scene of the disaster (Belasco & Ralph, 2008). From the research on ants by the US scholars, emergency leaders may learn the importance of collaboration of the departments. In this setting, ants are not as bright as such, but they are able to tackle any task. In addition, they are more organized than other insects. They embrace the art of teamwork. Any ant may handle any job at any given time since all have the skills to handle any job. This policy should work in any emergency system. Different departments should be able to perform the duties interchangeably. In case one response system misses, any one present should be able to make informed decisions in solving certain problems. Therefore, there should be collaborative strategies in order to attain the goals of the firm (Gerber & Sims, 2005). According to Waugh & Streib (2009), important duties prior to, during and post disaster requires coordination from multi-organizational, inter-organizational

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Web Media and Web Application Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Web Media and Web Application - Assignment Example As the paper outlines the tourism service provider also aims to relate price of tourism packages with the holidays and the weather conditions. Better the weather; the higher would be the price. This would help customers to plan their travelling in a better manner and would put them in a more decisive role to effectively use the tourism services. On the other hand, tourism operator would have a competitive edge to market its packages because it is likely that on holidays if weather is good, it would attract more customers despite the package prices. The aim of this report is to plan and manage the project and identify any associated risks and ways to mitigate them. This discussion stresses that a project does not operate in a vacuum. Projects are impacted by, and have impact on, the culture, management policies and procedures of the organizations they are part of. The best project managers look for these influences and manage them for the benefit of the project and the organization. Matrix structure would be employed in the tourism service providing organization. According to Project Management Institute, matrix organization is a functional organization where expertise are grouped under areas of specialization in functional departments and a project manager separately reports to chief executive officer. Matrix organizations are either weak, balanced or strong matrices. Weak matrices maintain many of the characteristics of a functional organization and the project manager role is more that of a coordinator or expediter than that of a manager. In similar fashion, strong matrices have many of the characteristics of the project organization, and ca n have full-time project managers with considerable authority and full-time project administrative staff.  

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Theism in a Postmodern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theism in a Postmodern World - Essay Example One, religion in ancient times was in very close relation with the secular government. For example, the pharaohs in Egypt as well as the Emperors in Rome, represented deities that had to be worshiped. They also represented high priests and performed or played a part many religious customs. The Christians' refusal to except the divine nature of the roman emperor seemed as a direct opposition to the emperor's political power, and this reason prompted the Caesars to persecute the Christian faith. The second reason is the teaching of equality and the nature of the afterlife presented through evangelism. The belief that the one omnipotent God will comfort the weak and the poor and will punish the rich and merciless aristocracy represented a social idea that quickly spread through the majority of the disenfranchised population. This was seen as a possible threat to the political power of the roman emperor and aristocracy. By the beginning of the forth century, Christianity became a widespread religion in the Roman world. This forced the roman emperor Constantine to proclaim that Christianity is a free and equal religion. Constantine himself also was baptised and became a Christian. As the empire was divided, so was the influence of the church. In the West, as the political power of the Emperor diminished, the church and the Bishop of Rome, gained larger political and cultural roles in the West Roman Empire. In the East, there was an enormous influence of the church in political matter, but nevertheless, the main secular power remained in the hands of Constantinople's rulers. During the middle Ages, the influence of the Church in state matters and in culture during the period is self-evident. Despite the Great Schism in 1054, when the church was divided in Western Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, both churches retained enormous political influence. The Pope anointed Christian secular rulers in Europe, and the anointment itself presented the ruler's of Europe as rulers chosen by God himself. It also had an influence over the European continent as a whole, being the main progenitor of the Crusades, as a result of the Turkish conquests in the Middle East. As stated previously, the church and generally Christianity had a major influence on the way of life and culture in the middle ages. Paintings and other art works were exclusively of religious nature. Most literature works were connected with doctrinal law, including the writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Acquitane. Another important fact that has to be mentioned is the fact that secular laws were in close connection with canonical laws. This provided the church with means to influence the lives of everyday citizens of the European kingdoms. Practicing prostitution, homosexuality or even expressing certain scientific ideas that were opposed to the church's beliefs were punished. Most notably, the existence of the Inquisition and the witch-hunts that were performed by this church institution expressed the influence the church had over the live of ordinary people. During

Monday, September 9, 2019

Restaurant Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Restaurant Management - Research Paper Example evelopingstandard test methods and conducting scientific testing on the energy performanceof both gas and electric commercial kitchen equipment and appliances, expanding the market for energy efficient commercial kitchen technology, and working with partners in encouraging innovative and sustainable ideas, products, services and operations which would reduce harmful effects on health and environment. Food service has been in constant dynamic growth over the years. As a food service increases, the need for technology to enhance the processes of receiving goods and supplies, storage, preparation and service, rises as well. Because of this, the sales of kitchen equipment and appliances that promote efficiency in food service kitchens are in continuous growth over the years. The utilization of these food service equipment and appliances placed food service industry to a high position in the pyramid of energy consumption by industry. Energy production, especially the burning of fossil fuels, is among the topmost enhancers of environmental deterioration. In this case, reinventing food service technology, in such a way that energy consumption is in minimum without compromising the quality and performance sounds promising. The continuous growth and expansion of the food service industry should not compromise the health and condition of people and environment, hence innovations that woul d address these concerns is of crucial and vital importance. According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the term sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. In the same light, sustainable restaurants are food service providers that manage the social and environmental impact of their operations. These industries are promoting measures which address environmental and social issues such as climate change, animal welfare and food waste. Sustainable

Finance and Accounting Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Accounting Homework - Essay Example Cost is a crucial aspect, and it facilitates realization of defined results in verifiable and objective amount. The matching of this accounting concept is usually facilitated in order to ensure that there is an accomplishment of radical goals within the depreciation expense parameters. Lump sum purchases should be treated in a way that plant’s asset useful life is well analyzed in a way that reflects all the revenues imperatively in the income statement (Tsuji & Fujibayashi, 2011). Purchases that the organization exercises should be subjected in going concern assumption. This is in order to ensure that there is attainment and realization of integral goals as per the laid down accounting and finance principles and policies in the organization. Revenue recognition principle in many scenarios usually limits an organization from reflecting on mechanisms of holding any asset from the plant. Cost principle should be differentiated in various ways in accordance to the equipments in t he organization (Tsuji & Fujibayashi, 2011). 2 Factoring is an important approach in every organization cash flow spheres. Company management can opt to sell all its accounts receivable to the third party at a discounted manner for the sake of exchanging money. The third party in this case is usually any financial institution or bank. The third party which purchases all accounts receivable has to remain significant and resourceful in order for all the transactions to be viable and beneficial. Receivable factoring has been posited as a simple commercial financing (Khazeh & Winder, 2006). When a company chooses a given option the management needs to articulate on analysis of the important factor. There are various factors that should be reviewed routinely accounts receivables. Accounts receivable needs to articulate on measures on how a company can convert cash on hand. Most business entrepreneurs have business ideas that turn accounts receivables into cash (Khazeh & Winder, 2006). Th ere are various types of reasons through which company implements receivables in its accounting books. Therefore, it is usually looked as an effective asset to investors and investors. Organizations articulate on ways through which accounts receivables can be converted into cash without causing problems to business progress. Organizations have been articulating on various types of conversion that are used for implemented balance sheet. Managers in these organizations always analyze receivables in comparison with small business owners (Khazeh & Winder, 2006). 3 A contingent liability has been a potential liability, and it wholly depends on a future event that occurs. In accounting and finance, a contingent liability and loss are usually recorded through the use of journal entry approach especially where contingency is estimated and probable. There are three examples of contingent liabilities known as the lawsuits that are filed against a company, warranty of the organization and guar antee of another party’s loan (Colquitt, McCullough & Sommer, 2011). Circumstances whereby a liability and also related contingency are possible (not probable) a journal entry for the event is usually not required. Disclosure is not required in this case scenario. In approaches whereby a contingent liability has been proved to be remote, both the disclosure and the journal are not required in the accounting activity. A

Sunday, September 8, 2019

An analysis on understanding of successful knowledge management Research Proposal

An analysis on understanding of successful knowledge management techniques implemented within microfinancial institutes in India - Research Proposal Example In an organisational context, knowledge management refers to the activities concerned with capturing, processing and diffusion of knowledge for the purpose of decision making and forward planning by management. The present study examines how effective is the knowledge management in an organisation to foster innovation and enhance labour productivity within the organization. Organisations have no chance of success and growth without knowledge management in the modern information-driven economy. Today organisations are trying to become more and more innovative and competitive than their rivals in regard to their knowledge gathering and dissemination. Irrespective of the type, size and nature, organisations have acknowledged the fact that knowledge management enhances the possibilities of employee learning and productivity. It has been observed by experts that learning environment is vital in modern organisations to survive and success and knowledge management gives a platform for learning opportunities and innovative thinking. It has been proved by experts (Gibbons, 1994; Nonaka et al., 1995 and 2000; and Howells, 1996) that the very basis of innovation is knowledge sharing activities. An interactive and cooperative organisational environment is very conducive for knowledge transfer and sharing that foster employee learning and productivity (Gold et al., 2001). With this background, the present study attempts to evaluate how effective is the knowledge management system in micro-financial institutions to help in employee learning and increased productivity. Despite there are endless efforts to implement knowledge management across organisations of small as well as large among both public and private organisations, little effort has been made so far to introduce the same in the micro financial institutions in India.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Development of Economic Thought Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development of Economic Thought - Assignment Example They came up with the theory of imperfect competition revolution. They were having the socialist opinion and support the equal right mandate to be chosen. In other words, Robinson and Chamberlin tried to modify the price theory. They were having the opinion that the ideal competitive process leads to the reduction in the welfare of the state whereas imperfect competition results in the welfare of the state. By introducing imperfect competition, the variety of products increases. This results in providing people with a range of accessories. This new price approach, therefore, brings about change not only in the terms of the welfare of society but also in the approach of people(Bellante). People start paying for the wider range of products, thus resulting in the greater amount of revenues generated. Although this approach is being effectively implemented in the socialist economies of today, in the past when this approach was first introduced, it faced the number of challenges. According to Robinson and Chamberlin, this approach is not only the means of generating more revenue but also provides added benefits of more employment opportunit ies. But Lange was having the opinion that although this approach is good from the perspective of person individually, but not from the perspective of nation-building. This theory produces rapid changes in the socio-economic world and hence rapid changes thus take place in the demand of products. Therefore, job security is really reduced. Dobb was basically a 20th-century economist following Marxian political theories. Dobbin his famous book â€Å"the Development of Socialist Economic Thought† have discussed that according to the Marxist’s school of thought socialism is divided into two stages; categorized as a lower socialism stage and a higher socialism stage. The people or class belonging to lower socialism stage is those who solely depend on their income and this income comes as a part of their salary. They do not have any other  source of income. But the other stage of higher socialism results in the unequal distribution of resources(Cockshott).  

Friday, September 6, 2019

Mobile phones Essay Example for Free

Mobile phones Essay In this high-tech fast world, undeniably, mobile phones became an inevitable part of everybody’s life without any age limit. Although, it has lots of merits, in my point of view, the intense use of mobile phones among children may be discouraged because of its adverse impacts on them. To begin with, mobile phones have numerous benefits. Presently, it is not merely a simple device, which allows an easy connectivity between people. It is supporting a number of other programs such as calculators, alarm clocks, voice recorder and so on. these programs boost their academic performances, if they use it cleverly. For instance, alarm clocks in mobile phones are useful for them to woke up early in the morning or adjust the time duration to write an essay. The easy accessibility of parents and friends make them comfortable and enable them to meet any emergency or unexpected conditions. Parents also will be much relaxed, as they know their children are safe. On the other hand, these wonderful devices have negative sides also. Most importantly, the radiations from these devices are harmful for their developing brains. Researches proved that, these radiations might lead to cancers. The destruction of studies is another matter of concern. The games in the mobile phones create additions to children. Chatting and telephonic conversations with anonymous people may result in insurmountable impacts to their young minds. These contacts may indulge them in bad company and mafia especially drug and sex, spoil their future. Furthermore, easy connectivity to internet attracts them to unhealthy web sites and their total character may change. Additionally, children can effortlessly cheat their parents by convincing a false. To illustrate, if they are enjoying a television program at his friends home, they can make to believe their parents that they are on the way to their tuition class. To conclude, mobile phones are beneficial devices, if we use it sensibly. Children, as they are not mature to handle it effectively, it may leave drastic disadvantages on them. Hence, I believe that mobile phones are not favorable for children, especially if it is used uncontrolled without proper guidance and time limit.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Different Temperatures On Degradation

Different Temperatures On Degradation Abstract: This experiment was planned to study how different temperatures can affect the loss of vitamin C in orange juice stored for a fixed period of time. Equal volume of freshly squeezed orange juices with known (initial) vitamin C concentration were stored at different temperatures i.e. 10oC, 20 oC, 30 oC, 40 oC, 50 oC and 60 oC for a constant duration of 5 days. After the storage period, the vitamin C concentration for each temperature was measured by DCPIP titration and the difference relative to the initial concentration was calculated to calculate the amount of vitamin C reduced. The result of this experiment showed that the amount of vitamin C lost increases with the increase in temperature and 10oC was the best temperature that gave the least reduction in vitamin C concentration. An analysis using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient has revealed a strong positive linear relationship between the two variables with the calculated r value exceeds the critical value at 5 % si gnificant level thus, supporting the experimental hypothesis. Keywords: vitamin C, ascorbic acid, DCPIP (dichlorophenolindophenol) Research and Rationale: Vitamin C is a remarkable compound derived from one of the ascorbic enantiomers, L-ascorbate. It is a water soluble vitamin that cannot be naturally synthesized in human body.1 Therefore, it is vital to have our diet balanced with adequate amount of it every day. There are two important roles played by vitamin C; antioxidant and collagen formation.2 These two features have placed vitamin C in a class of its own as a future potential in fostering better health. A previous research regarding relationship between vitamin C and human brain has shown that vitamin C could help drugs to pass the blood brain barrier.6 This would enable brain diseases such as Parkinson to be effectively treated as artificial dopamine can be delivered directly to the brain. At the same time, the biggest challenge in bone marrow treatment i.e. getting enough cells, could possibly be solved as a recent study by Dunagqing Pei13 on vitamin C, has found that it can boost the production and pluripotency of stem cells in human body. However, Vitamin C is also known to be very vulnerable towards heat. The precursor of vitamin C, ascorbic acid, has molecular of C6H8O6. The proximity of highly electronegative oxygen atoms on the hydroxyl (OH) groups makes the hydrogen atoms to become easily detached from the structure. Meanwhile, the presence of heat causes the hydroxyl bond to break the ascorbic acid is said to undergo destruction or oxidation by losing hydrogen atoms, forming dehydroascorbic acid. Therefore, it is suggested that the rate of ascorbic acid destruction is significantly greater at higher temperature.* Diagram 1. The structure of Ascorbic Acid.7 Diagram 2. Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid.8 Most of the studies on vitamin C degradation are principally based on the effect of storage condition and period, and very few were done on identifying the degradation trend within a specific range of temperature. Previous research3, on the effect of storage methods and conditions on vitamin C retention in human milk revealed that freezing reduces the least amount of vitamin C as compared to other storage methods, followed by refrigeration which is better than cold water. Another study at Ankara University4, has shown an inverse relationship between temperature and retention rate of vitamin C in citrus fruit concentrates, while orange fruit was found to have higher retention ability than the others. Therefore, this experiment was aimed to find a specific trend regarding the effect of temperature on the loss of vitamin C. Citrus fruits (orange) were used in this experiment due to appreciable amount of vitamin C that they have, thus, increasing the reliability of the results. The results from this study can be used to illustrate how certain temperatures can cause drastic change in vitamin C hence, increasing the awareness on appreciating the effort of preserving vitamin C content in food for optimum health benefit. For instance, in agricultural tropical regions that grow citrus fruits, it becomes very vital to preserve the fruits at low temperature if possible due to higher chance of vitamin C destruction than other regions. Experimental Hypothesis: The higher the temperature, the higher the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between the different temperature and the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. PLANNING Trial: 1) Choosing the best citrus fruits: 4.2 Five types of citrus fruits were randomly chosen, namel: lemon, lime, grapefruit, Clementine and orange. The fresh juice of each fruit was obtained through cutting and squeezing. The vitamin C content for each juice was determined by titration against 1 ml of 1 % DCPIP. The titration was repeated two times to get an average volume of the juice needed to decolourise DCPIP. The result: The least volume of orange was needed to decolourise DCPIP, indicating that it has the highest vitamin C content. Therefore, orange fruit was chosen as it would give significant response towards different temperatures. 3) Determining the best storage period: Several orange fruits were squeezed to obtain fresh orange juice that would be enough for its vitamin C content to be measured on daily basis. Firstly, the initial vitamin C content of the juice was measured and 4.8 ml was needed to decolourise 1 ml of DCPIP solution. Equal volume of the remaining juice was divided into two beakers and each was stored in an incubator of different temperatures (10 oC and 60 oC). Two distinctive temperatures were chosen to allow easy comparison of the trend in each temperature. The result: The result shows no more change in volume of juice required after 5 days for 60 oC. Therefore, storage period of five days were chosen for the main experiment. MAIN EXPERIMENT Variables: Manipulated variable: Different temperatures (oC) (6 incubators were set at different temperatures of 10 oC, 20 oC 0, 30 oC, 40 oC, 50 oC and 60 oC) Responding variable: Amount of vitamin C lost (By DCPIP titration, the difference between initial and final vitamin C concentration in each juice was calculated to determine the concentration of vitamin C reduced) Fixed variables : Storage period, volume and concentration of DCPIP, type of fruits (The storage period was five days. 1ml of 0.1% DCPIP Used for each titration) Apparatus: Beakers, knife, test tubes, syringes, Parafilm, aluminium paper, incubators, mortar and pestle, measuring cylinder. Materials: Orange fruits, 1% dichlorophenolinophenol (DCPIP) solution, distilled water, 500 mg vitamin C tablet. Real Experimental Procedures: Standardizing Vitamin C Concentration: 1) A tablet of 500 mg vitamin C tablet was crushed into fine powders using a mortar and a pestle. 2) The powdery form of vitamin C was then dissolved into 100 ml of distilled water in a beaker to form 5 mg/ml of ascorbic solution. 3) 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and placed into a test tube by using a syringe. 4) 1 ml of 5 mg/ml of ascorbic acid solution was then taken using a syringe and added drop by drop into the measured DCPIP solution until decolourised. 5) The volume of ascorbic acid solution needed to decolourise the DCPIP solution was recorded. 6) The titration process was repeater three times to get an average volume. The result of titration is as follows: Volume of Juice Titrated / ml Hence, 2.5 ml of 5 mg/ml of ascorbic acid solution was needed to decolourise 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution To find a formula to calculate vitamin C concentration in orange juice, Conc. of orange juice (mg/ml) Vol. of orange juice (mg/ml) = 5 mg/ml 2.5 ml Since the volume needed to decolourise is proportional to vitamin C concentration. So. Conc. of orange juice (ml) 2.5 ml = 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (mg/ml) 2.5 ml Concentration of orange juice (mg/ml) = X 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (ml) Therefore, this calculation would be used to calculate the vitamin C concentration. Determining vitamin C loss: 10 orange fruits were cut and squeezed to obtain fresh juice. 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and placed into a test tube by using a syringe. 1 ml syringe was filled with the orange juice and added drop by drop into the DCPIP solution until it decolourised. The volume of juice added was recorded. The titration was repeated five times to get an average volume and its vitamin C concentration was calculated using the derived formula. The juice was then divided into 6 equal volumes and each placed into 100 ml beaker. The top of each beaker was sealed with Parafilm and its surface was wrapped with aluminium paper and labelled with different temperatures. The beakers were placed in six incubators of different temperatures according to the label and left for five days. After five days, the beakers were sealed off. 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and transferred into a test tube by using a syringe. The orange juice stored in 10 oC was taken by a syringe and added drop by drop into the DCPIP until it decolourised. The volume of juice added was recorded The titration was titrated three times to get an average volume and its vitamin C concentration was calculated using the formula: 2.5 ml Concentration of orange juice (mg/ml) = X 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (ml) Steps 8-10 were repeated but this time using the orange juices stored in oC, 30 oC, 40 oC, 50 oC and 60 oC. The difference between the initial concentration and the final concentration of each juice was calculated to determine the amount of vitamin C lost. Risk Assessment: The process of cutting the orange fruits required the use of knife, so it was done carefully to avoid any injury. The fruits were then squeezed very gently to minimise heat production. The juice was only prepared right before the experiment was about to be carried out. DCPIP is a strong dye which is hard to be removed so lab coat was worn. During the titration of juice against DCPIP, the test tube was not shaken vigorously to avoid oxygen from dissolving. The juice was discarded immediately after the experiment. Results: The initial vitamin C concentration: Volume Needed to Decolourise DCPIP Solution (ml) Therefore, 4.6 ml of the fresh orange juice needed to decolourise DCPIP. So, 2.5 ml Initial vitamin C concentration = X 5 mg/ml 4.6 ml = 2.7174 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  2.72 mg/ml Hence, the vitamin C reduced: = 2.72 X * x is Vitamin C concentration left. Vitamin C concentration lost in different temperatures: Statistical Analysis: Based on the result from the table, it is known that there is an obvious trend and correlation between the temperature and vitamin C loss. Therefore, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) was chosen to measure the strength of this relationship. In this method, the value of correlation coefficient, r needs to be calculated which ranges from -1 to 1. The details of its values are as follow: 0 < r à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 1 = positive linear relationship -1 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ r < 0 = negative linear relationship à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ (1750 X 3.68388) * Critical values for PMCC in appendix 1 Therefore, the value of correlation coefficient, r, using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient has shown a strong positive linear relationship between temperatures and loss of vitamin C. Hence, null hypothesis is rejected. Data Analysis: Table 4 shows the volume of the freshly-squeezed orange juice needed to decolourise 1ml of 1% DCPIP solution. The average volume was used to calculate the concentration of vitamin C present initially. Meanwhile, Table 5 shows the amount of vitamin C concentration reduced after being stored at different temperatures for five days. From the table, there is an inverse relationship between the vitamin C concentration left and the amount of vitamin C lost. There is also a huge difference in the amount of vitamin C left between the juice stored in 10 oC andt the one stored at 60 oC, which is 2.11 mg/ml. This represents 77.6% of the original concentration of vitamin C. The calculated statistical correlation coefficient, r of 0.9584 is absolutely a strong indicator to support this relationship. Graph 1 illustrates the trends and correlation between the two variables. From the graph, it can be concluded that generally, the higher the temperature, the higher the amount of vitamin C lost. 10 oC is the best temperature that gave the least reduction in vitamin C level with only 0.12 mg/ml (4.4%) decrease after five days. Meanwhile, 60 oC caused maximum drop in concentration after five days with 2.23 mg/ml (82%) of vitamin C had lost. The largest gap in vitamin C loss occurred between 40 oC and 50 oC with 1 mg/ml (37%) of increase recorded. Based on the graph, the amount of degradation at 20 oC and 30 oC opposed the general trends when 0.6 mg/ml vitamin C had lost at 10 oC which is greater than 0.56 mg/ml at 30 oC. However, the difference is so small which suggests that this anomaly might be due to several reasons: Higher rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid by oxygen in the atmosphere. False end-point titration Apart from that, the results obtained have also shown that there is only a little change in vitamin C concentration from 10 oC to 30 oC. However, drastic change in concentration started to occur after 40 oC. This suggests that orange fruits should be kept below 30 oC with better vitamin C retention at lower temperature. Evaluation: From the results of the experiment, the huge difference in vitamin C lost between 40 oC and 50oC could be explained by the presence of enzyme ascorbate oxidase in citrus fruits. The function of this enzyme is still not fully understood, but one best suggestion is that it might involve in controlling the oxidation process of ascorbic acid.12 Just like any other enzymes, when the optimum temperature is exceeded, the bonds holding the ascorbate oxidase together start to break and it is said to be denatured. Therefore, the destruction of ascorbic acid takes place without any control. Measurement of vitamin C in this experiment was done by titrating the juice against dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP). It is a strong oxidizing agent with distinctive blue colour and decolourised when being reduced by vitamin C.15 Therefore, the destruction of vitamin C by heat means that more is needed to decolourise DCPIP solution. Oxidation of DCPIP by oxygen in the atmosphere is one of the limitations of this experiment. Hence, the test tubes were not shaken vigorously during titration in order to minimise this limitation as vigorous moves can increase the rate of oxygen dissolving in a solution. The other limitation could be the side decomposition of vitamin C due to the presence of light and air. Just like temperature, ultraviolet ray from incidence light causes the hydroxyl bond in ascorbic acid to break, thus become oxidised. To reduce this limitation, the beakers containing orange juice to be stored at different temperatures were neatly wrapped with aluminium paper which is a good reflector of light and heat. The surfaced of the beakers were also sealed with Parafilm. This would prevent the entry of air and significantly reduce unnecessary oxidation of vitamin C in the juice. Several modifications can be made in the future to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results of this experiment. Iodine titration could be used as an alternative for DCPIP titration. Although this technique may require the use of more reagents, the result from the trial experiment has shown that the end point of titration is much easier to be identified. Besides, orange juice could be obtained by blending the peeled orange fruits instead of squeezing them. This ensures maximum amount of juice obtained from each fruit as well as preventing destruction of vitamin C by heat. Finally, percentage of vitamin C degraded can be used as the response variable instead of concentration. This would allow clearer illustration of the amount of vitamin C reduced for the readers and also make the comparison process easier. Conclusion: Based on the result of this experiment, it can be concluded that the higher the temperature, the greater the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. The statistically calculated r value using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 0.9584, is significantly higher than the critical value at 5% significance level thus, providing a strong evidence to support the hypothesis. Appendices: Appendix 1 The table of significance values for PMCC Sources Evaluation: Several recourses were used in providing me important information in completing this assignment. Sources 1 and 2 are books that are specially made about fruit management and also detailed information about vitamin C as well as compelling research on it. Both books were published after year 2005, so the information available is mostly up to date. Besides, I have also accessed journals available online. Sources 3 and 4 come from two well known websites for food and nutrition based journals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a trustable website with over 3100 members, publishing up to dates research related to nutrition and human. Sources 7, 8 and 9 are chemistry based websites, serving enormous information on the structures and reaction of biological compounds. Chemwiki is a virtual online based chemistry textbook, accessed by millions of people searching for chemistry knowledge. Sources 10 and 11 are websites exclusively made for vitamin C. The Vitamin C Foundation, for instance, is recognised by Internal Revenue Service, IRS in protecting vast information about vitamin C for public reference. Source 12, Scientific American magazine is a popular scientific magazine established for nearly two centuries since 1845 with more than 3.5 million readers all over the world. Therefore, there would be no doubt in reliability of the content in this magazine.