Coal to Liquid Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coal to Liquid Technology - Essay Example Although, renewable energy is an alternative it takes time and additional resources. Some countries are very poor but have coal in abundance. It therefore means that clean technology has to be found to produce energy from coal. Several methods of transforming coal to liquid are available. Some of these are low yield in comparison to others that have yields of up to 70%. The task is to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions is kept low in order to save the environment for the next generation. 2.0 Coal consumption and reserve of the world and the US According to the EIA (2012) the total coal consumption of the world for the year ended December 2010 was 7,994,703 million short tons. EIA (2012) also provides data for the year ended December 31, 2008 which indicates that the amount of coal reserves in the world was 948,000 million short tons. The tables labeled Table 1 shows comparative figures for coal consumption for those years and four (4) years prior to those years. Table 2 shows figures for coal reserves for 2008. Consumption of Coal Description 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 World NA 7,994,703 7,318,283 7,327,554 7,014,934 USA 1,003,066 1,048,295 997,478 1,120,548 1,127,998 US as a percentage of the world 13.11% 13.63% 15.29% 16.07% Table 1: Coal Consumption USA and the World (source U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) The table indicates that USA alone accounted for approximately 14.33% of the world’s coal consumption between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 the US accounted for 16%. Although the world’s consumption of coal increased in 2008, coal consumption in the US declined by a small margin. Both world consumption and US consumption declined in 2009. However, while the world consumption declined by negligible amounts (9,271 million short tons) the US consumption declined by approximately 11% (123,070 million short tons). In 2010 the US consumption increased by approximately 6% while world consumption increased by approximately 9%. The US accounted for 13% of the world’s consumption in 2010. Coal Reserves 2008 Description 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 World 948,000 USA 260,551 Table 2: Coal Reserves USA and the World – Source U.S. Energy Information Administration The table shows that in 2008 the US held 27% of the world’s coal reserves. This is a very high percentage and indicates how beneficial coal would be if a way is found to reduce its effect on the environment. 3.0 Arguments against the use of coal Many arguments have being put forward against the use of coal. They include: i. Health and safety hazard ii. Large quantities of water are used in coal mining iii. High levels of pollution (Hansen 2009) iv. Destruction of mountains v. Accidents caused from coal mining 3.1 Health and safety hazard Coal is hazardous to the health and safety of all who come in contact with it, especially coal miners. The Center for Disease Control (2012) indicates that between 1998 and 2007, 8,111 persons died from Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Most of them were male (8,010), white (7,865) and age 65 years and over (7379). Although the death rate has been declining, it is still cause for concern. A number of accidents have also resulted from inadequate safety measures as miners are left to risk their lives at some mining operations. In fact, in an article entitled Justice for Upper Big Branch, The New York Times (NYT) (2012) indicates that 29 miners died from an explosion at a mine in West Virginia.. In relation to this case a United States attorney filed fraud charges against a Superintendent of the Massey operated Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia of plotting to conceal hazards, doctor’

A considerate of contemporary management function Essay Example for Free

A considerate of contemporary management function Essay A considerate of contemporary management function of the employer-employee relationship The six journal articles that have been looked at stem from the original Locke, (1982) article. Frederick W. Taylor popularised of scientific management. The essay will discuss 5 aspects of Taylor’s ideas about scientific management and show how understandings of contemporary management functions and the employer-employee relationship have been developed from Taylor’s ideas. What was Taylor’s idea about the management? Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. The ideas about the relationship between employer and employee have been developed from a nother. Retain critical employees is important and necessary. According to the Fitz-enz(1997), the company average losses 1 million with every 10 people who is the managerial and professional employees. In addition, the total cost of least a former employee at least a year of wages and benefits, up to two years of unpaid salary and benefits. This is a huge economic loss with a company loses a number of critical employees. As a manager, we must give employees adequate physiological, safety, love, esteem. One of the advice is managers should look into a way to motivate employees to achieve a satisfactory and unmet needs through activities and exercises. Managers have a responsibility to create a suitable environment to inspire employees to their fullest potential. If no such right environment, will lead to a big difference such as lower job satisfaction, lower productivity, lower profit with a company. How to effectively improve the relationship between managers and employees? Taylor given 4 methods. (a) Scientific management: In Principles of Scientific Management (1911)Fredrick Winslow Taylor, the â€Å"Father† of scientific management utilises scientific methods to define th e â€Å"one best way† for a job to be done (b) Scientific selections. Taylor advocated selecting only first class(i.e., high aptitude) men for a given job because their productivity would be several times greater than that of the average man. (c) Money bonus. Taylor claimed that the money is what employees want most, he thinks employees should be paid from 30% to 100% higher wages for to do his job. (d) Management responsibility for training. Taylor thought that most contemporary managers should fully accept the notion that training new employees is their responsibility. My understanding about the  employer-employee relationship has also been shaped by these articles. I have learnt that (1) Scientific management can focus speed of production, low cost production and availability of an unskilled workforce. In addition, today’s use of scientific management can use time and motion studies to increase productivity, hire the best qualified employees and design incentive systems based on output. Equity theory is a theory of social comparison effect on employees. This theory appears to be very common, but it is very important. Equity theory refers to the rate of employees with their work output and input compared with others. Time input includes the time of the work, work habits, work experience, work attitude, and so on. When they found unfair, they usually can’t change the rate of others, can’t change their input, so employees will find ways to change their output. This may mean that they will reduce their work time or effort to work. Then, the manager can use the equity theory to motivate employees. Managers can use a more open system of remuneration paid for employees to understand each position and every effort should position relative to how much salary can be get. (2) Scientific selections: Everybody have their own good aspects, based on each person strengths and rational allocation of work. As a result, not only can bring effectively produce but also can make person enjoy their work. According to the Wren (1979) notes that Taylor focuses on scientific selection can promote the develop ment of industrial psychology and personnel management and other areas. (3) Money bonus: How to influence people? The most common method is money bonus. Such as up wages, bonuses, benefits. These things are the most effective way to influence the work of passion and power of a work. Through the Vroom’s (1946) expectancy theory, we can find that an employee will play his better efforts when he is convinced that his efforts would be better evaluated. And these evaluations will bring him more rewards such as bonuses, salary increases. These rewards will meet staff personal goals. Individual employee attitudes and enthusiasm in their work will determine to a large extent a companys performance. According to the Porter (1968) and Lawler’s expectancy model of motivation, this model proposes two factors that determine spending on a number of tasks energy. The first is the personal rewards from work to get. These returns will be the psychological perception of employees is their own work to be sure. The second is that these returns will be formed job satisfaction. (4) Management  responsibility for training: The staff training is an essential element of human resource management. Managers can’t ignore their training responsibilities. Understanding management system in staff training in this area can help you build an effective training system to help you prepare new employees for their work To sum up, from the six articles considered, scientific management can not only getting the most output from the least amount of inputs but also focus on those work activities that will help the company reach its goals. Taylor’s idea has shaped modern employer-employee relationships. Work is still specialised, personal are still trained. The quality of work is still rewarded in bonuses, as well as other. Reference: 1.Three chapters in The Ideas of Frederick W Taylor: An Evaluation. 2.Wren, D. A. The evolution of management thought (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley, 1979. 3.Towards a unified model of employee motivation / Darren J. Elding, Andrew M. Tobias and David S. Walk [Chichester, West Sussex, England] : John Wiley Sons, Ltd., 2006 4.Kotter, John P. What effective general managers really do / John P. Kotter Boston [etc.] : Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1982 5.Managing in the new millennium : understanding the managers motivational tool bag / Patricia M. Buhl Burlington, Iowa, etc., National Research Bureau, etc.], 2003 6.A review of employee motivation theories and their implications for employee retention within organiz Hollywood, FL : Journal of American Academy of Business, 2004

A Look Into False Memory Syndrome :: Memory Psychology Disorders Medical Essays

Memory is the mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experiences. A repressed memory is one that is retained in the subconscious mind, where one is not aware of it but where it can still affect both conscious thoughts and behavior. When memory is distorted or confabulated, the result can be what has been called the False Memory Syndrome: a condition in which a person's identity and interpersonal relationships are entered around a memory of traumatic experience which is objectively false but in which the person strongly believes (note that the syndrome is not characterized by false memories as such). We all have memories that are inaccurate. Rather, the syndrome may be diagnosed when the memory is so deeply ingrained that it orients the individual's entire personality and lifestyle, in turn disrupting all sorts of other adaptive behaviors. The analogy to personality disorder is intentional. False memory syndrome is especially destructive because the person assiduously avoids c onfrontation with any evidence that might challenge the memory. Thus it takes on a life of its own, encapsulated and resistant to correction. The person may become so focused on the memory that he or she may be effectively distracted from coping with real problems in his or her life (Loftus 1980, 1997). There are many models which try to explain how memory works. Nevertheless, we do not know exactly how memory works. One of the most questionable models of memory is the one which assumes that every experience a person has had is 'recorded' in memory and that some of these memories are of traumatic events too terrible to want to remember. These terrible memories are locked away in the subconscious mind, i.e. repressed, only to be remembered in adulthood when some triggering event opens the door to the unconscious. Both before and after the repressed memory is remembered, it causes physical and mental disorders in a person. Some people have made an effort to explain their pain, even cancer, as coming from repressed memories of incest in the body. Scientists have studied related phenomenon such as people whose hands bleed in certain religious settings. Presumably such people, called stigmatics, "are not revealing unconscious memories of being crucified as young children, but rather are demonstrating a fascinating psychogenic anomaly that springs from their conscious fixation on the suffering of Christ. Similarly, it is possible that conscious fixation on the idea that one was sexually abused might increase the frequency of some physical symptoms, regardless of whether or not the abuse really occurred.

A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams :: A Streetcar Named Desire Essays

It is the complexity of the main characters and their interactions that make A Streetcar Named Desire such a successful and challenging play. The play A Streetcar Named Desire made playwright Tennessee William's name and has deservedly since had over half a century of success. This remarkable success can be credited to the intricate characters and their interactions with each other. Sisters, Stella and Blanche have had an enjoyable upbringing on the family plantation, "Belle Reve". As the name suggests Stella and Blanche's time at "Belle Reve" was near perfect. Like all things perfect it had to come to an end. While Stella did the logical thing and left the 'beautiful dream' and married Stan, Blanche hung on to it unable to move on and face reality. Blanche comes to Stella in an unbalanced state of mind in need of her sister's aid. The impression is given that this isn't the first time Stella has been there to help Blanche through a time of trouble. As much as she needs her help and as much as she respects her, Blanche strongly disapproves of her sister's new life. Stella tolerates Blanche's continual criticism of her husband, home and friends very well. From this and many other incidents throughout the play we see what a tolerant and adaptable person Stella is. Stan and Stella's relationship is far from ideal. Stan is a violent man. On occasions he hits Stella, but comes after her to satisfy his sexual needs. This is not to say that Stella is unhappy in her marriage to Stan. She has adapted to the way of life in "Elysian Fields" where it's accepted that women have arguments with their husbands and as a result are hit by them. Eunice and Steve have a similar relationship it is normal. Despite their violent relationship Stella relies on Stan as much as he does on her. Stella really does need Stan and the security he provides, especially with a baby on the way. Even if she weren't expecting a child Stella would have a lot of trouble leaving Stan. She admits to Blanche that, "I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night†¦and when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby". From the moment Blanche first came to stay at Stella and Stan's home she posed a threat to Stan. He was used to being the only one Stella cared for, the one who ruled her.

Politics and Society Essay

â€Å"There was an old bastard named Lenin Who did two or three million men in. That’s a lot to have done in But where he did one in That old bastard Stalin did ten in.† ― Robert Conquest[->0] According to the historian Robert Conquest, Joseph Stalin â€Å"gives the impression of a large and crude claylike figure, a golem, into which a demonic spark has been instilled.† He was nonetheless â€Å"a man who perhaps more than any other determined the course of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Any adult inhabitant of this country, from a collective farmer up to a member of the Politburo, always knew that it would take only one careless word or gesture and he would fly off irrevocably into the abyss.† (The Gulag Archipelago, vol. 2, p â€Å"Fear by night, and a feverish effort by day to pretend enthusiasm for a system of lies, was the permanent condition.† (Conquest, The Great Terror: A Reassessment, â€Å"According to some reports, entire groups of men were taken in one swoop by the NKVD. ‘Almost all the male inhabitants of the little Greek community where I lived [in the lower Ukraine] had been arrested,’ recalled one à ©migrà ©. Another reported that the NKVD took all males between the ages of seventeen and seventy from his village of German-Russians. †¦ In some stories, the police clearly knew they were arresting innocent people. For example, an order reportedly arrived in Tashkent to ‘Send 200 [prisoners]!’ The local NKVD was at its wits’ end about who else to arrest, having exhausted all the obvious possibilities, until it learned that a band of ‘gypsies’ (Romany) had just camped in town. Police surrounded them and charged every male from seventeen to sixty with sabotage.† In the city of Zherinka, â€Å"‘Ivan Ivanovich’ †¦ had his wife sew rubles [Soviet currency] into his coat because the NKVD was taking all the men in his town.† (Thurston, Life and Terror in Stalin’s Russia, 1934-1941

Free Essays on Where I Stand

There is â€Å"a price to be paid,† as the clichà © goes; the best things in life aren’t for free. However, most people would debate the merit of this old saying. Whether you are buying yourself a suitable lifestyle, or considering matters of the heart, a price just may be paid even if the payment isn’t a dollar amount. Some people may think the best things in life are material possessions, but every person knows they come with a price. Sometimes this price can be very high. One may spend every penny he owns on collecting wonderful ornaments for his home, and realize that his efforts were in vain for he has no one to share them with. Or, perhaps, he finds himself in debt so far that there is no possible way to get out. Many people suffer from debt. Though it is safe to say many more people have suffered a broken heart. You cannot buy love, although several have tried, but a high price is paid for it. Women and men alike pay for their children’s lives either to spend their life working to have the means to raise them, or to sacrifice dreams they had in order to raise them. Women and men also pay for romance in way much like that of having children. Maybe they sacrifice dreams of careers, or a matching mate, no matter what the sacrifice is; they must pay for something that they want. Jennifer Lopez sang a song titled â€Å"My Love Don’t Cost a Thing†. In her music video, she portrays a woman who receives many expensive gifts from her lover because he is too busy to spend time with her. The contradiction is that her love does cost something. He has a career that consumes much of his free time and, in order to keep her he has to sacrifice his job. While it may seem pessimistic, nothing in this world is free of charge.... Free Essays on Where I Stand Free Essays on Where I Stand There is â€Å"a price to be paid,† as the clichà © goes; the best things in life aren’t for free. However, most people would debate the merit of this old saying. Whether you are buying yourself a suitable lifestyle, or considering matters of the heart, a price just may be paid even if the payment isn’t a dollar amount. Some people may think the best things in life are material possessions, but every person knows they come with a price. Sometimes this price can be very high. One may spend every penny he owns on collecting wonderful ornaments for his home, and realize that his efforts were in vain for he has no one to share them with. Or, perhaps, he finds himself in debt so far that there is no possible way to get out. Many people suffer from debt. Though it is safe to say many more people have suffered a broken heart. You cannot buy love, although several have tried, but a high price is paid for it. Women and men alike pay for their children’s lives either to spend their life working to have the means to raise them, or to sacrifice dreams they had in order to raise them. Women and men also pay for romance in way much like that of having children. Maybe they sacrifice dreams of careers, or a matching mate, no matter what the sacrifice is; they must pay for something that they want. Jennifer Lopez sang a song titled â€Å"My Love Don’t Cost a Thing†. In her music video, she portrays a woman who receives many expensive gifts from her lover because he is too busy to spend time with her. The contradiction is that her love does cost something. He has a career that consumes much of his free time and, in order to keep her he has to sacrifice his job. While it may seem pessimistic, nothing in this world is free of charge....

Free Essays on Courting Vs. Dating

Courtship - the act of wooing Woo - to ask in marriage; to court, to solicit eagerly; to seek to gain. You ask, â€Å"What in the world is Courtship?† Let me start by saying it is our country’s dating problem solution. Not too long ago, Christian parents along with their youth had realized the need to re-map the route to fruitful, God-ordained marriages. The result has been a push particularly among homeschoolers, to return to the more biblical principals of courtship. Simply defined, courtship is a reformed version of dating under the supervision of parents between a man and a woman who are ready to marry in the near future. In consumer terms, contemporary dating is the equivalent to window-shopping and courtship is shopping w/ cash in hand under the direction of experienced buyers. The term used is not important. What’s important is that courtship bypasses the pitfalls of contemporary dating and provides a much safer, smoother ride to the union of man and wife... not teen girl and teen boy. I mean let’s face it! The first major problem of dating is that it has very little to do with marriage. The purpose is to just have a good time. All right! Dating may be the best thing that could have ever happened for you to find your spouse... PLEASE count yourself very blessed. Because I’ve noticed a pattern in dating that, I’ve seen in marriages. Dating much consists of finding a person whom you want to have a good time w/ and them breaking off the relationship, back and forth, back and forth, etc. Which results in hurt feelings, disappointing parents who thought â€Å"you both look right for each other† (but, are they right for each other?). Good old Webster’s Dictionary defines the word â€Å"break† as to separate into parts w/ violence or suddenness; to collapse or give way; to change suddenly. Where did we lose the thrill of true romance, the excitement of planning for marriage, the anticipation of a family’s wholehea... Free Essays on Courting Vs. Dating Free Essays on Courting Vs. Dating Courtship - the act of wooing Woo - to ask in marriage; to court, to solicit eagerly; to seek to gain. You ask, â€Å"What in the world is Courtship?† Let me start by saying it is our country’s dating problem solution. Not too long ago, Christian parents along with their youth had realized the need to re-map the route to fruitful, God-ordained marriages. The result has been a push particularly among homeschoolers, to return to the more biblical principals of courtship. Simply defined, courtship is a reformed version of dating under the supervision of parents between a man and a woman who are ready to marry in the near future. In consumer terms, contemporary dating is the equivalent to window-shopping and courtship is shopping w/ cash in hand under the direction of experienced buyers. The term used is not important. What’s important is that courtship bypasses the pitfalls of contemporary dating and provides a much safer, smoother ride to the union of man and wife... not teen girl and teen boy. I mean let’s face it! The first major problem of dating is that it has very little to do with marriage. The purpose is to just have a good time. All right! Dating may be the best thing that could have ever happened for you to find your spouse... PLEASE count yourself very blessed. Because I’ve noticed a pattern in dating that, I’ve seen in marriages. Dating much consists of finding a person whom you want to have a good time w/ and them breaking off the relationship, back and forth, back and forth, etc. Which results in hurt feelings, disappointing parents who thought â€Å"you both look right for each other† (but, are they right for each other?). Good old Webster’s Dictionary defines the word â€Å"break† as to separate into parts w/ violence or suddenness; to collapse or give way; to change suddenly. Where did we lose the thrill of true romance, the excitement of planning for marriage, the anticipation of a family’s wholehea...

AP World History Review 5-Step Study Plan

AP World History Review 5-Step Study Plan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's difficult to know where to start when studyingfor the AP World History test. The few months you have to study for the class are dwarfed by the thousands of years of history covered by the curriculum. The good news is that the AP exammainly asks you to look at long-term trends rather than minute details, so it's not as daunting to review for as you might think. In this guide, I'll give a brief overview of the test content, lay out a template for a successfulAP World Historyreview plan, and provide some essential study strategies for making the most of your prep time. What’s on the AP World History Exam? The AP World History Exam covers five themes that stretch across six historical periods.For links to notes that go through all the content, you can visit my article that deals specifically with AP world history notes. The Themes Are: Theme 1: Interaction Between Humans and the Environment Theme 2: Development and Interaction of Cultures Theme 3: State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict Theme 4: Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems Theme 5: Development and Transformation of Social Structures The Historical Periods Are: Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations, Before c. 600 B.C.E. Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies Period 2: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies, 600 B.C.E. - 600 C.E. The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions The Development of States and Empires Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication and Exchange Period 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions, 600 - 1450 Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange Networks Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and Their Interactions Increased Economic Productive Capacity and Its Consequences Period 4: Global Interactions, 1450 - 1750 Globalizing Networks of Communication and Exchange New Forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion Period 5: Industrialization and Global Integration, 1750 - 1900 Industrialization and Global Capitalism Imperialism and Nation-State Formation Nationalism, Revolution, and Reform Global Migration Period 6: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, 1900 - Present Science and the Environment Global Conflicts and Their Consequences New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society, and Culture Here’s a chart that shows how much each historical period will show up on the multiple-choice portion of the exam: Historical Period Percentage of Multiple Choice Questions Before 600 B.C.E. 5 600 B.C. - 600 C.E. 15 600 - 1450 20 1450 - 1750 20 1750 - 1900 20 1900 - Present 20 Note that eighty percent of the multiple-choice section will ask about events in world history that occurred after 600 C.E. There’s a lot of information packed in here. How can you actually start reviewing for the AP test? In the next section, I’ll give you some advice on how to create a study plan that will get you the best score possible! This represents your progression towards a 5 as you go through the review plan. Hopefully, you'll end up less arrogant than the dude on the tallest pillar, though. He needs to tone down the attitude. AP World History Review Plan Here's a step-by-step review plan for the AP World History exam that will get you on the right track with your studying. Step 1: Take and Score a Diagnostic Test The first step in your review should be taking a full practice test to see where you’re scoring on the AP scale.Based on your scores, you can set a goal for yourself and make study plans that fit with the amount of work you need to do to improve.When you take this test, you should adhere to the time guidelines set by the real exam: 55 minutes for the 55 multiple-choice questions 50 minutes for the four short-answer questions 55 minutes for the document based question 35 minutes for the long essay questions It’s a challenge to write this fast, so you should get used to it as soon as possible.Also, circle any multiple-choice questions where you weren’t entirely sure of the answer. Even if you get them right, you should still review the content. If you find you’re in the lower range for a certain AP score, you should continue to work on your skills even if you’re satisfied with that score.The curve tends to get tougher over time, so the calculator givesa slightly inflated score estimate. Step 2: Analyze Your Mistakes After you take and score your test, go through your mistakes and detect any issues you had with the material.Categorize your mistakes by era so that you can get a better idea of what you need to study.Note any patterns that occurred. Were you especially rusty in one geographic area? Did questions dealing with particular themes give you the most trouble?Take this step very seriously because it will get you on the right track with your studying going forward! Step 3: Study Relevant Content Areas Now that you’ve gone through your mistakes, it’s time to dive back into your notes and review whatever you forgot.Work your way through all the gaps in your memory that manifested themselves on the test.Make sure that you’re absorbing the information and not just reading it over.Follow the tips in the previous section on looking for larger themes, and check in with yourself after each section of notes to make sure what you learned didn’t fall out of your brain immediately. Step 4: Essay Dress Rehearsal The next step before taking another practice test is to do a little essay rehearsal.I'll reemphasize the importance of practicing essay writing skills in the upcoming strategy section, butI also think they warrant their own step in the study process. Just knowing the information won’t guarantee you a high essay score if you write too slowly or aren’t prepared to connect specific examples with trends and themes.Take a look back at your first test, and note the strengths and weaknesses of your essays.Try to write new essays (or essay outlines) that improve on your original essays and would score higher based on the AP guidelines. Step 5: Take Another Practice Test Finally, take another practice test to see whether all that studying paid off!If you find that you’re happy with your new score, you can take a break and just do a few light review sessions before the test. If you’re still unsatisfied, you can repeat the study process again using the results of this test. If you find that you haven’t improved from the first test, you need to reexamine your study methods and your analysis of incorrect answers.You may have been distracted during part of the process or read through your notes too quickly without understanding them on a deeper level. Attention to detailis key if you want to see big improvements! Here’s an estimate of the timeline for these five steps: Step 1: 3.5 hours Step 2: 1 hour Step 3: 2 hours Step 4: 2 hours Step 5: 3.5 hours That’s a total of around 12 hours for one cycle ofthis process.It’s well worth your time to go through it at least once if you’re dedicated to earning a great score! Twelve hours is but a blink of an eye compared to the whole of human history! Try not to think about that too much. AP World History Review Tips and Strategies These are three of the most important strategies to keep in your back pocket as you review. Check out this article to findadditional study tips for AP World History! Strategy #1: Don’t Try to Memorize Everything The main thing you should know about AP World History, before you start reviewing, is that you’re not expected to memorize tons of specific dates or the names of every ruler of every empire in history.Don’t fill up valuable space in your memory with minute details that most likely won't come up on the test. You should have a good idea of how major events have progressed chronologically in each region throughout history, but there’s no need to get into the nitty gritty of less prominent names and places.Study the same way you might read Lord of the Rings (I assume you’ve done this if you’re truly a nerd):Skim over the insane names of minor characters and places that are peripheral to the main storyline, but hold onto key details that will allow you to make logical sense of the plot as you progress through the book. Strategy #2: Look for the Themes A strong understanding of the five themes and the ability to connect them to events throughout history is the key to doing well on this test.As you study content, think back to how the themes might play into the reasons for shifts in political dynamics, cultural developments, or other trends.This can help you to come up with supporting examples to use in your free-response essays.The essays will ask you to explain changes over time and compare different societies.The course themes are great jumping-off points for your essays that will help you explain how events are connected and why societies have adopted different values or political systems. Strategy #3: Practice Essay-Writing Skills I want to doubly emphasize the fact that the free-response section is your most challenging obstacle to a high score on AP World History. Twoessays in an hour and a half is no easy task, even for the best writers!That’s why it’s critical to practice plenty of essays before you sit down to take the real test. If you’re short on time, you don’t have to practice full essays. However, you should at least write a thesis and then outline how you would support it with specific examples.For the DBQ, which many students find to be the most challenging question on the test, look at questions from past exams, and think about how you would weave together your analysis of all the documents.Here’s some more information on the DBQ and what you need to include in your answer to get a high score. Just be thankful that you don't have to read the original documents. Most of these things are so illegible that I wouldn't be surprised if we were completely wrong about certain parts of our history. Conclusion Reviewing for AP World History doesn't have to be a super stressful experience. Despite the fact that the exam covers a huge amount of content, it's also pretty forgiving if you happen to forget some of the minor historical players. Themes and long-term trends are the focus of both the course and the exam. To recap, this is the process I recommend for conducting your review: Step 1: Take and Score a Diagnostic Test Step 2: Analyze Your Mistakes Step 3: Study Relevant Content Areas Step 4: Essay Dress Rehearsal Step 5: Take Another Practice Test As you go through these steps, some strategies to keep in mind are: #1: Don't Try to Memorize Every Little Detail #2: Look for the Themes #3: Practice Essay Writing Skills Regularly As you do more practice and start to get used to the format and content of the test, you'll see that a 5 is definitely within reach if you put in a strong effort! What's Next? If you're taking AP World History as an underclassman, you're probably still planning out the rest of your high school schedule. Read this article for advice on which AP classes you should takebased on your school's offerings and your goals for college. Are you bummed that your high school doesn't offer an AP class that you're interested in taking? Learn more about AP self-studying so you can decide whether it'sthe right choice for you. You may end up taking SAT Subject Tests in addition to AP tests if you're applying to very competitive colleges. Check out this article for the inside scoop on which type of test is more important for college applications. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

International Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Terrorism - Essay Example In addition, U.S. intelligence reports say that Hezbollah cells operate in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Despite Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to periodically shell Israeli forces in the disputed Shebaa Farms border zone. Jihad is a spiritual war fought for the cause of preserving religion. It has a great significance in the lives of Muslims. Like any language, Arabic has unique words which have a particular meaning which cannot be translated precisely. The best translation known for such a word is the following: a sincere and noticeable effort (for good); an all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good. Jihad as presented in theQuranand any ofthe other scriptures implies the striving of spiritual good. Thereby Jihad can not be called as a terrorist activity it is simply a tool for safeguarding the religious rights. This Jihad particularly involves change in one's self and mentality. It may concern the sacrifice of material property, social class and even emotional comfort solely for the salvation and worship of 'God alone'. As a result, one who practices Jihad will gain tremendously in the Hereafter. Question 3 (Osama bin Laden and rise of Al-Qaeda) Osama bin Laden is key role player in this world. He is the leader of a small organization working at a massive scale. He is considered to be the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance in 1979 and became a commander in the guerilla wars against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. After that war ended, bin Laden founded a loose organization of pro-Islamic terrorists known as al-Qaeda. Bin laden has been the main source of terror in the US. After the Soviet... The researcher mentiones that Hamas is that it is a militant antipeace process organization, bent on Israel's total destruction and the establishment of a Palestinian State - an Islamic theocracy - in Israel’s place. Hamas has been actively involved in breaching peace for the Palestinians how ever its initiative are against Israel and they show themselves as the global enemy of Israel thus threatening to remove the state of Israel from the map. Hezbollah is a Lebanese umbrella organization of radical ‘Islamic Shiite’ groups and organizations. It opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah, whose name means â€Å"party of God,† is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people, according to the Terrorism Knowledge Base. Osama bin Laden is key role player in this world. He is the leader of a small organization working a t a massive scale. He is considered to be the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance in 1979. The researcher then concluds that it is hard to negotiate with such organizations as they are strongly religious and no one can make an extremist understand easily as the extremist will do anything in order to prove his right and worth. As far as bin Laden is concerned, he is from a tribal family which again makes him a rigid man, a man of principles, which he will never forego who emphasized his desire to secure the withdrawal of U.S.

Should nurses (CRNAs) be able to administer anesthesia without doctor Essay

Should nurses (CRNAs) be able to administer anesthesia without doctor supervision - Essay Example ving gone through four year training and earned a degree in nursing, taken another two years in clinical training and worked in the field more than a decade, Clifford on his own was still not set to handle the unexpected dire situation. The training he underwent as a nurse had only equipped him with the skill to administer medicine, work the equipment, and ensure the smooth working of the procedural anesthesia delivery. In the recent past there has been a growing call for nurses (CRNAs) to be allowed to administer anesthesia without doctor supervision. This new development emanates from the 2001 changes made on regulations governing Medicare and Medicaid that allowed states to opt out of the requirement that CRNA be supervised. According to supporters of the move, the removal of the existing requirement works to increase access to health care, particularly for the people in the rural areas. Today, states such as Colorado have already embraced this new idea. This work argues out the p oint that it may be dangerous to allow CRNAs to administer anesthesia without the supervision of doctors. First, compared to physician anesthesiologists, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) training is limited especially when it comes to understanding medical response, medical diagnosis, and the ultra-complex operation of human body system. As in the case of Clifford, many nurses are likely to tense when faced with situation where such systems are under the influence of a drug induced coma, thus endangering the patient’s life (Kahana, 381-383). Supervisory doctors or physician anesthesiologists typically depict higher knowledge when compared to that acquired by CRNAs. This training places them in a better position to make on-the spot medical decisions frequently required when handling adverse situations in the operating room. The decisions include those made in the whole perioperative experience to even those depicted in the life-threatening circumstances. This is not

Chinese shadow banking and how it affects other countries Essay

Chinese shadow banking and how it affects other countries - Essay Example IMF is of the opinion that shadow banking is existent around the globe, and the same practice has both practical and negative implications on the countries that choose to embrace the form of banking. China has been on the frontline to embrace the shadow banking. As seen in the research conducted by Suzuki, the improvement of shadow banking among the Chinese was set to ensure that China’s economy is transformed to an extent that the country would avoid a massive downturn (35). This aspect, as the author indicates, is linked to the fact that China’s shadow banking was linked to direct finance where the investors directly incurred the costs and risks of procuring primary securities supplied by different firms in the capital markets (Suzuki 36). The author continues to accredit the success of China’s shadow banking to the support of the political sphere (Suzuki 38). Through the political good will in China, shadow banking is said to have revolutionized China’s economy to a positive side and even placed China at a better place to compete with other countries on the regional level. The success of shadow banking as Suzuki indicates, has seen its success thanks to governments control on the chief economic resources such as the loans given by the banks (38). From the International Monetary Fund’s research, China has been rated as the fifth in regard to FSB rating (74). Going with these statistics, China has reported growth in terms of GDP with its bank credits expanding with the day. This will indeed have impacts on other countries in terms of trade with other countries such as Malaysia that has recorded an increased household debts as well as Thailand that id recording debts since 2007 (International Monetary Fund 77). From these statistics, it is almost obvious that China’s shadow banking has helped China compete strongly with other partners in the global market and even outdo some of the

Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009 Research Paper

Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009 - Research Paper Example The research "Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009" examines how this year’s GDP compares with last year’s GDP both in real and nominal terms. Moreover, based on the limitations of national accounting it is discussed whether GDP provides valuable information for measuring economic activity over time. The table in appendix 1 shows the nominal GDP in billion dollar terms, its annual growth rate, GDP deflator with base year 2005=100, real GDP in billion dollar terms and its growth rate from 1950 to 2009.Real GDP is calculated as the ratio of nominal GDP to GDP deflator. The whole data is collected from the Federal Reserve Bank of St: Louis Economics Research Section. The table shows that both real and nominal GDP have been decelerating at annual growth rate of 1.74 percent and 2.6 percent respectively. 9 big expansions and 10 big recessions can be seen for nominal GDP from figure1. 13 big expansions can be seen from the above figure3. 9 recessions can be counted. The growth has been more or less stable in the last 20 years as compared to 1960-1990 since the peaks and troughs are comparatively low in this period. Figure 2 and figure 4 shows the forecasts for nominal GDP and real GDP growth till 2015. They show highly decelerating growth rates of -2 and -4 percentage respectively for real and nominal GDP growth rates. Though the national accounts system and GDP statistics in USA have been considered as the most developed in the world, many economists have raised serious objections regarding treating GDP as an appropriate measure of economic activity over time.

Barker v. Wingo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barker v. Wingo - Essay Example Of the six Manning trials, four emerged erroneous prompting new trials. On February 1963, Barker’s trial was scheduled after finding Manning guilty of the murders. Two more trials were done for Barker, who tried to have his case dismissed for having been denied speedy trial right. This was rejected and he was convicted and issued with a life sentence. Barker’s appeal for the decision finally ended up at the Supreme Court. Any inflexible rule cannot determine the constitutional right of the defendant to a speedy trial, but an ad hoc balancing basic can be used instead where the conduct of the prosecution is weighed against the defendant’s. The court decided that the defendant was never denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial. In the case, after establishing that no serious prosecution prejudice existed and that the defendant never wanted speedy trial, the court concluded that Barker’s constitutional right to a speedy trial was not violated. Barker delayed to object the delays until after their occurrence. When a defendant has the intention of having a speedy trial, he has an obligation to actively invoke it. The Court decision was thus on

Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009 Research Paper

Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009 - Research Paper Example The research "Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2009" examines how this year’s GDP compares with last year’s GDP both in real and nominal terms. Moreover, based on the limitations of national accounting it is discussed whether GDP provides valuable information for measuring economic activity over time. The table in appendix 1 shows the nominal GDP in billion dollar terms, its annual growth rate, GDP deflator with base year 2005=100, real GDP in billion dollar terms and its growth rate from 1950 to 2009.Real GDP is calculated as the ratio of nominal GDP to GDP deflator. The whole data is collected from the Federal Reserve Bank of St: Louis Economics Research Section. The table shows that both real and nominal GDP have been decelerating at annual growth rate of 1.74 percent and 2.6 percent respectively. 9 big expansions and 10 big recessions can be seen for nominal GDP from figure1. 13 big expansions can be seen from the above figure3. 9 recessions can be counted. The growth has been more or less stable in the last 20 years as compared to 1960-1990 since the peaks and troughs are comparatively low in this period. Figure 2 and figure 4 shows the forecasts for nominal GDP and real GDP growth till 2015. They show highly decelerating growth rates of -2 and -4 percentage respectively for real and nominal GDP growth rates. Though the national accounts system and GDP statistics in USA have been considered as the most developed in the world, many economists have raised serious objections regarding treating GDP as an appropriate measure of economic activity over time.

The Last Five Years Have Seen a Major Push for the Use of 3Tesla in Essay

The Last Five Years Have Seen a Major Push for the Use of 3Tesla in Clinical Settings - Essay Example Benefits of 3T over old system have been discussed in detail further in the essay. 3T has provision for excellent imaging results of human body structures such as brain, abdominal organs, all the bony parts and abnormal masses (cancer). In addition, some complicated procedures such as diffuse tensor imaging (DTI) and MRI spectroscopy can also be administered easily with 3T (Haines & Quaddy, 2010, pp1-3). There is a scope of using many RF coils array for faster image processing in 3T. Basic physics of MRI and nuclear spin Here is a glance at the basic physics of MRI and correlation with nuclear spin. Magnetic field is a force generated by the electric currents or magnets. This force attracts other metallic and magnetic objects towards the field. Nucleus of the atom has magnetic properties. All the nuclei provide chemical information together throughout the magnetic field. Atomic chief constituents are proton, electron and neutron. They start revolving in an angular momentum. This is c alled as nuclear spin. This spin is suggestive of the direction of movements in magnetic field (James, 1998, pp1-31; Machann, Schlemmer&Schick, 2008, pp63-70). When two atoms come together in pair, they do not demonstrate a spin. However, in some nuclei, there are uneven number of protons and neutrons. These types of nuclei will have intrinsic angular momentum. In other incidences, when the unpaired nuclei spins are put in the magnetic field the magnetic field of the nucleus and surrounding field react with each other. These reactions are explained with Larmour frequency equations (James, 1998, pp1-31; Machann et.al., 2008, pp63-70). These nuclei momentums align either parallel or anti parallel with the surrounding magnetic field based on the law of quantum physics. Hence, this creates energy difference among the spins that in turn allows transition in between the states. Nucleus consumes energy and goes into excitement phase and further resting or relaxation phase. This relaxation period is important for calculation, as it indicates that any system requires equal time to go into relaxing phase after equal time of exciting phase throughout the magnetization. Total sum of the energy from every step transition is equated along with signal spatial frequency domain and spin density. This signal from spatial frequency is expressed into density in real place for the formation of MRI image (James, 1998, pp1-31; Machann et.al., 2008, pp63-70). Following picture shows the sample of 3T scanner machine with large bore. Picture curtsey- (Haines & Quaddy, 2010, pp1-3) Advantages of going to higher field Higher field means better imaging in shorter time. Transformation of scanning machines from1.5T to 3T also has many positive aspects: 1) SNR (Signal to noise ratio) The major advantage of using 3T technology is to have increased SNR, i.e. signal to noise ratio. â€Å"The FDA limits SAR by anatomical site based on the potential effects of heating† (Stafford, pp 1-5). SNR is almost double in 3T imaging. Raised SNR would certainly improve the image quality far better than before. In addition to this, higher SNR reduces the image acquiring time that helps in many ways such as reduced image producing time helps decrease the incidences of artefacts, especially motion. Many times posture of the patient for imaging makes him/her uncomfortable. Hence, reduced image acquisition time is quite helpful. 2) Spectral

Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Example for Free

Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Carly Fiorina was hired in Hewlett-Packard as Chairwoman, CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard in 1999 but before that, she earned recognition being one of the most powerful women in America.   Her career in H-P was a combination of ups and down leaving the company with a lot more controversy. Carly Fiorina’s performance at HP caught the attentions of the people in America and the world. Was CEO Carly Fiorina an example of internal or external succession at H-P and why? Carly Fiorina’s appointment in Hewlett-Packard is an example of external succession because she was not a former H-P employee or member of the board; her expertise and renowned popularity made the H-P Board to hire her service.   Specifically, her achievements at Lucent and ATT impressed the executives of H-P, which at that time was at a point of â€Å"downslide† (Boldman Deal, p. 111), who thought that Fiorina could bring â€Å"drastic action and new leadership to shake things up† (ibid). Describe the changes made at Hewlett-Packard under CEO Fiorina. Carly Fiorina obviously was really smart and an innovator as evident in her achievements in her former companies.   However, her true ability was tested in Hewlett-Packard that left her torn-apart caused by the consequences of the massive scale she imposed on H-P.   She succeeded in some ways and failed in some aspects. Nevertheless, Fiorina made three changes in HP in her six-year term that greatly affected the HP culture according to Craig (2008).   First, she redirected the spending of the company from â€Å"nurturing employees to financial performance† (Craig) that resulted to growth in earnings and revenues during her term.   Secondly, she changed the reward system given to employees from profit-sharing to an incentive program.   The last change she made was restructuring the whole company by merging similar units to one resulting to having only four units from the original 84 units.   Reduction of smaller independent businesses of HP resulted to job losses of many employees but improved the communication and internal transaction of the company. Likewise, the merging of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq caused Fiorina’s strategy brought more negative consequences than positive ones.   Though she got what she expected, but the fact that people were hurt by her aggressive action they all retaliated against her.   Unbelievably, only during her term that HP experienced so many job losses and employee apprehensions. These changes damaged the company as employee dissatisfaction grew further until 2005 and the stock reduced by half while its competitors such as Dell and IBM continued soaring high. What is your opinion of what ultimately happened to her at HP, as illustrated by the second article? Fiorina lost her credibility at HP which was contrary to her previous achievements she made prior to her appointment at HP.   I think she was overwhelmed by the shining glory of her achievements during that time that she promoted herself rather than the company’s future.   She failed to understand what the company really needed; instead she went on her way without fully analyzing what correct actions to take. Basically, she relied to herself totally that she never noticed the cultural forces that raged against her.   She lost her focus as many turned into opposition to her plans; in the first place, she never got to the heart of the problem of HP that she misunderstood many of the remarks and words of expectation she received at the time she was appointed at HP. How would you describe the most recent succession that occurred at H-P? External succession with Fiorina was the first attempt made by the company and I think that experience gave them a great lesson to ponder on because the succession brought chaos to the company, which was opposite to what they expected.   HP was quite stable though some downslides occurred already when Fiorina was hired in 1999.   Fiorina was appointed as chairwoman in order to enhance further its competitiveness in the market but her leadership style did not meet the expected changes that she promised to them. In the first place, HP became irrational by associating the success of Fiorina at ATT and Lucent to Hewlett-Packard.   It failed to see competent and able leaders within the company who could replace the parting person.   Getting the right person for a very sensitive position must be done with care. Monk and Wagner suggested that in line with succession, it is important that a company create a succession plan that â€Å"incorporates every level of the organization† (2008, p. 174). The succession plan will guide the company in cases like Fiorina. Conclusion In the case of Carly Fiorina in HP, it is appropriate to assume that succession must be according to the plan and besides the company must set a ruling regarding succession.   Fiorina could be the right person in HP but the lack of clear vision and orientation of the culture and expectation of the company; she developed her own approaches that only harmed the people in the company.

Artificial Intelligence in Web Design

Artificial Intelligence in Web Design Richard RoÃ… ¡ko Abstract—This paper deals with a new trend in web design and that is to introduce some degree of artificial intelligence into the task of designing a website. One of the first companies that came up with implementation of this idea id thegrid.io, which we will be mostly discussing in this paper. We will take a deeper look as to what does in fact artificial intelligence means in this connotation and how is it implemented throughout thegrid.io system for automated web design. Keywords— GSS, webdesign, grid, SEO, performance I. Introduction When it comes to using artificial intelligence in any sphere of, technical or other, we always have to be careful with this notion, as it can get quite misleading as to what is really the power behind that or other action supported, derived from, or even controlled by artificial intelligence. The web is an increasingly popular platform and as such, a great amount of attention is being payed to it and its content. Web is, of course, populated by websites and these are so diversified in the matter of their content, that it would be really hard to classify them in any sensible way. Each one of these websites, however consists of two main parts, that are responsible for the operation of the portal as a whole. These are backend and frontend. When the web first started to be commercially available, the presentation side of the websites, i.e. the frontend was not of much, if any concern whatsoever. The idea behind the styling of the web was built around other popular media, newspaper. The syntax for writing the main components of pages (HTML) still resembles the organizational structure of the newspaper articles with headings divided into different levels, paragraphs and many other article-related styling. Back in these days, there was almost no styling aside from breaking the websites into different sections. Internet back then was used for almost entirely different purposes than it is now and hence, there was no actual need of doing anything more with the presentational side of the web. All of this changed, however, when non scientific people started to become familiar with internet and first commercial solutions started to appear. New language, that was supposed to make the web look much better arose and its name was CSS. CSS stands for cascading style sheets and basically, it allowed the designers to style the content of the website much more accurately. CSS is still widely used nowadays, even though designers and programmers today tend to use many other style pre-processors, but the core always stays the same. Web always continues to evolve and while its users, most of the time, do not care about the action behind the scenes, which is essentially the core of the whole site, they do care about the appearance on the other hand. That is the reason, that great amount of time and resources is put into the frontend and UI of the websites nowadays. The design of the website, its look and feel, the interaction with the user, feedback it gives, these all are very important factors to consider in the process of web development. Hence, the web designer profession is becoming increasingly sought and picked by many people and companies alike. What is going to happen when we introduce artificial intelligence to this process? It could have an enormous impact on the job market, if we consider that it could be one of the first steps in the process of automatizing web design and that is always risky, even to consider. This is also one of the topics we will discuss in this paper. II. TheGrid.IO The company behind thegrid.io are comapring it to the movie Her to some degree. It was a movie about a perfectly voice-recognizing computer personal assistant, that was also able to simulate emotions and basically behaved as a human being. On their website we can see, that they state, that now She can do webdesign for you as well, referring to her ability to analyze the content of the site and adapt the design to it. They describe the basic principle behind the algorithm as an engine, that is measuring and analysing the content of your website constantly and changing it and designing it everytime it detects a change in the purpose of the site. The idea behind all of it, is to provide a personal computer-driven and automated webdesigner for every webdeveloper. Fig.1 thegrid.io landing page / index [1] As a proof of concept, in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) part of the website you can find out, that thegrid.io website was actually built using thegrid.io system itself. This fact immediately caught attention of many web developers and web designers and upon researching the public HTML and CSS of the website, we find a few interesting facts. The website is generally pretty heavy. That doesn’t mean it is just really long, which it is in this case, but nevertheless, if a user scrolls down the whole page, he downloads roughly around 100 MB, which is quite a lot considering the lightweight trends in today’s world of web development. Interestingly enough, the load time of the website actually measures pretty good. If we take a closer look at the HTML, we can see, that the styles and javascripts are inlined, which is quite unorthodox, but seems to work here and it might be one of the reasons the site is loaded optimally even though its load is pretty strong. As Austin Wolf wrote for medium.com, the website is somewhat self-indulgent and it is really long. Fig. 2 thegrid.io performance test [2] From the given statistics we can deduce, that the webpage as a whole actually performs quite well against all expectations, which renders the system really ambitious. Thegrid.io website has a few notable sections, like FAQ, team and info for possible investors. It even contains an e-commerce part with a possibility to opt for a subscription, that is currently set at 25 â‚ ¬ / month. It is very important to note, that the algorhitms and AI behind this automated webdesigning project is still under heavy development, so all the results and test we can do for now might differ from the actual performance by the ready and commercialy available application. But this pre-research can still give us an interesting view of what it might look like once it is available to public. At this stage of development we can only guess how does the analysis of the content on the website actually work, but it good to know, that the whole company has a very transparent and open-minded point of view when it comes to licensing and sharing resources online. The team behind thegrid.io have the ambition to share source code of each and everyone of the websites that will be created on github in public repositories for others to be inspired and reproduced. We have no information as to what licensing is going to look like yet. Another interesting fact about the whole ecosystem of thegrid.io is, that they not only offer you to make your website autodesigned, they can also handle the domain registration and the hosting for your website. And what is even more interesting, they plan to make this available for the same fixed monthly fee. This suggests, that their ambition is to make user’s businesses go online in a matter of hours for a decent price and maintain it for them without requiring them to have any prior knowledge of the web or any other technologies that accompany it and to instead, let them focus on the content. This whole service is then complemented by many other small features, like scraping the web for mentions of your brand and automatically generating a press release section for your page, or for your brand. This, of course, from the technical point of view, could be quite heavy on the resources, but from what we can observe as of the current state of the application, the tema behind thegrid.io proves to be quite apt at responding to heavy scripts challenges that may arise throughout the course of developing a website. Fig. 3 GSS templates [3] GSS is what we could call grid’s replacement of CSS, or templating engines as a whole. In the history, there were a few tries on taking out the programming out of the webdesign process by introducing some or another form of GUI for this creative process. None of these were actually extremely popular and thegrid.io promises to change that. What they base their strategy at is the fact, that they reverse engineer the process of all these systems. Whereas these former were built on allowing the users of the system design the layout, or pick some template, or predefined parts of a website and then let them fill it out with their content, thegrid.io reverses this and just lets the user type in the content into a blank website canvas and lets their system analyze the content and based on that creates the most suitable desing, that works well with content of the webpage. III. Issues With a project this ambitious and possibly this proportional, there is a lot of skepticism that is arising from many directions towards it. In this chapter we will discuss some of the categories of remarks thrown at the development team. We can also try to approximate their possible solution to these problem and the way they might address these issues in the future release version of thegrid.io system and its automatic web design algorithms. A. SEO SEO stands for search engine optimization. Let us first take a quick look at what that actually means. SEO is actually the process of increasing the exposure your site gets when searched for a similar topic using a search engine (such as https://duckduckgo.com/, or https://www.google.com). This process focuses on the visibility of the unpaid results and is related to as generating organic or natural traffic. If SEO is done correctly on a website it can lead to an immense increase of traffic, that is generated without further action needed from the side of the developer, or the programmer. In the past, SEO was solely thing of text search, but as we push into the future, there is a rising trend of optical character recognition and optical image recognition, which allows the users to search for their desired topics by images, or even sounds. These trends are also affecting the SEO as a whole. As stated before, if SEO is done correctly, it can lead to making the page appear generically much more often in the results of the search engines. To optimize a site for search engines and index the page proper way many techniques are employed. SEO experts start by editing the actual content of the website, then they can also edit the raw HTML of the webpage in order to increase the actual relevance to the content of the page. There also is a number of, so called, external techniques for increasing the SEO rank of a website. This include promoting the website, construction of backlinks, or inbound links, that lead back to the SEO optimized page and paying for written PR articles. Implementation of SEO as it is really difficult and requires constant effort, involvement and implementation of the new trends in this field as it is. In order for it to be precise and to work well, it needs to be thought of constantly, while creating new content and updating the old one as well. In today’s overcrowded web environment, it is very important to make your site stand out in any possible way and SEO is becoming increasingly popular in addressing this problem. The team behind thegrid.io relies on filters to take care of many web designing aspects. They act as the entry point to any and every grid.io powered application. Fig. 4 one of many others grid.io marketing strategies As we pointed out before, SEO is all about conforming your HTML to your content and that is where filters come in place through the grid.io algorithm. Filters serve in filtering your raw HTML. Since SEO is basically translating the HTML wrapped around the specific parts of your content to let search engine scrapers index and â€Å"get to know† your content better basically. The way we can speculate these probably work is, that they scrape the content of your articles, items, or any other elements and then parse it into meta tags probably via the URL. As we saw from the example page they built, it is probably using some kind of SPA (Single Page Application) framework, but it most likely is not one of the popular ones, quite possibly it is their own internal one, since doing SEO on a SPA could prove troubling, as for reloading just the parts of your html including the content which is relevant to the specific asynchronous change in the scope of your application. These are just theories and speculations based on what is publicly available as of the moment of writing this article. B. Performance Performance is one of the most important factors to consider as it influences the feeling of quality. Impact of the page speed on the traffic, conversion and satisfaction is huge. According to Aragon [5] in her article on crazyegg.blog about SEO, company Amazon found out, that for every 100ms their page loaded quicker they got about 1% of increased revenue overall, which is a truly tremendous impact. Other big companies are reporting the same findings, which only goes to show, that performance could be a huge deal breaker when it comes to thegrid.io as well. One of the elementary aspects when it comes to minimizing the page load is to minimize the number of HTTP requests. If we refer to picture [2], which states that there is exactly 123 HTTP requests on thegrid.io page when it first loads. This number is pretty high and suggests, that there is a place for optimization of these standards in order to make the page load faster. Other techniques might include caching the resources on the site (storing them permanently if they are present on more than a few sub-sites of the website in order to reduce server load). In this field, thegrid.io got and F, referring to [2] once again, which is suboptimal to say, at least. When it comes to compression of images, the best choice here is to go with JPEG or PNG formatted images. But as thegrid.io states, the content uploaded to the website is entirely in the hands of the user, the grid just analyses it and styles the content around it accordingly. So the performance when working with images is entirely in the hands of the user. As far as we are concerned there is no information yet as to some auto convertor of images or anything similiar, but it would definitely make sense for thegrid.io to implement such a functionality as this can have a great impact on the overall load speed. With all that being said, the overall experience of the grid.io created website is pretty good and slightly above average in our opinion. If they really relied on their own algorithm when creating their presentational site, it is safe to assume, that the team already have a very stable and delivering product, which displays quite a potential when it comes to delivering apps with an optimal user satisfaction. C. Design The actual design of the websites created with thegrid.io is one of the fields that we can not measure objectively even if we would have more templates, or filters, as they prefer to call it at the grid, because design is pretty objective. From the teaser screenshots we can however see, that the design have all the modern practices, such as flat design and minimalism in their scope and portfolio and they tend to generally cling into this direction. Another big issue could be the responsiveness of manufactured designs. In the world of today’s web, if a site is not responsive and potential client base is expected to view and interact with a website on a device other than a computer, it is almost 100% expected for the site to be responsive (meaning, the site is stretching and adapting to different screen sizes dynamically). One of the main points of the responsive web design is to actually adhere to the content and style it according to it, not according to HTML elements, or anything else on that matter. With this in mind, thegrid.io is promising its users a responsive experience on all devices ranging from smartphones, through netbooks up to 4K capable retina big displays and smart TV’s. Other issue that comes to mind that has to do with design is the fact, that users often tend to want to personally add their touches to the design. And that is something that is impossible to be done automatically or with any kind of algorithm, since it depends on the feelings, emotions and personal tastes of the user. It might seem though, as thegrid.io is not targeting such people and are basically more into helping people kick start online presence of their brand and as such, this functionality, or the ability to meddle into the code of the applications might not be needed for most of their customers. Still, in the final version of the product they might introduce such a functionality and it would be really interesting to see how this plays out in the end. Other issues that might arise are the ones concerning originality of such designs. Of course, every website is different when it comes to content, but there could be many, e.g. e-shops dealing with cosmetics imported from France. How could an automated engine handle such a challenge? We do not know that yet, as the service is still in a stealth mode when it comes to unveiling the principles of its internal mechanics, but it is definitely something to consider and take into account. IV. Similar projects As of right now, thegrid.io seems to be the only one that introduced some degree of machine learning (or artificial learning as the call it) to web design and it seems to be really promising and interesting. V. Conclusion Thegrid.io is one of a kind applications that in summary should be able to give us the ability to create websites on the fly, without any prior knowledge, with an easy-to-no learning curve whatsoever and that styles itself around the content scanned. That is a very bold idea, but if executed properly and after implementing precautions could help people digitalize their brands very easily. References TheGrid.io landing page snippet [online]. Available: https://www.thegrid.io/ Thegrid.io performance test, conducted by Austin Wulf, on 28.12.2014 [online]. Available: https://medium.com/@austinwulf/the-grid-io-builds-incredibly-slow-websites-24ca1980c8f2 GSS templates used in thegrid.io [online]. Available: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/artificial-intelligence-platform-the-grid-looks-like-the-future-of-web-design-1.2117158 Thegrid.io marketing strategies [online]. Available: https://www.thegrid.io/ K. Aragon (2013, Nov 12). 10 ways to speed up your website – and improve conversion by 7%, [online]. Available: http://blog.crazyegg.com/2013/12/11/speed-up-your-website/

Apply Chain Management vs Traditional Mananagement Systens Essay

A. Approach The use of information technology by firms that want to gain competitive advantage has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. Large and small firms have been utilizing information systems to connect their internal business functions and the company’s activities to stakeholder such as suppliers and customers. (FORMAN WEB 13). Supply chain management and customer relationship management are some of the many systems used by firms to accomplish the aforementioned functions. Before comparing Supply Chain Management and customer relationship management systems to Tradition Systems, a brief description of Supply chain management and the activities it involves is fully warranted. This brief easy attempts to compare and contract SCM and CRM systems to traditional management systems in terms of approaches , efficiency, cost saving, and firm profitability. Jiambalvo (2010) describes supply chain management as,† the organization of activities between a company and its suppliers in an effort to provide for the profitable development, production, and delivery of goods to customers.† (P, 15). Sunil & Peter further describe ( ) supply chain as, â€Å"consisting of all parties involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. The supply chain includes not only the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and even customers themselves. Within each organization, such as a manufacturer, the supply chain includes all functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request. These functions include, but are not limited to new product development, marketing and operations, distribution and finance, and customer service.†(P... ...in saving costs for firms that effectively implement the systems. Alan and et al.(2009) state that, â€Å" full-scale implementations lead to system-wide inventory optimization, which in turn leads to cost improvement associated with inventory balances and turns.†(See Page 21 for note). Mikko & et al (2002) conducted a study of the cost reduction benefits of SCM and found that,† the sharing of demand information in supply chains typically increases the performance of the supply chain by increasing availability and reducing inventory related costs.† That other major distinctions between the two systems and traditional management systems is that the former need a small amount of date input and out put to perform sophisticated and complex functional, while the later takes and produces data in a large amount. A. profitability

The Definition of Success :: Definition Essays

The Definition of Success 'One has achieved success who has lived well and laughed often.'; This quote seems to sum up what is meant by success. If you are able to laugh often and much then you have definitely achieved happiness. The idea of living well, though, is a very broad statement. In order, then, to define success in relation to this statement, we must first define what it means to live well. There are three levels of success, in my opinion: societal success, personal success, and academic or professional success. If someone can achieve all of these three levels of success, they are someone who has lived well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Societal success is something that is attained by aspiring to reach your own goals and dreams in cohorts with the goals that society has for us. Societal success also has a lot to do with the natural tendencies we as humans posses. The typical societal goals that we would naturally have for ourselves would be to meet someone, fall in love and get married. We are also apt to identify having good friends with having achieved socially. We have achieved societal success, typically, if we have met the right person, lived happily, started a family and raised our children well. A part of societal success is also to learn to treat people well; to practice the 'golden rule.'; We need to fill these goals that society has for us and attempt to achieve societal success in order to fill our need to belong to society and fit in as an every day, functioning member of society. We also realize the personal goals and dreams that we set for ourselves in this pursuit of conformity. A chieving this civic success, as you might call it, is only a small part of our venture to living well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal success is also a big part of living well. 'There is only one success . . . to be able to spend your life in your own way, and not to give others absurd maddening claims upon it.'; This quote by Christopher Morley describes what is really meant by personal success. Personal success has to do with being happy. One can only be truly happy if they are happy and secure with themselves. Personal success is about being yourself and not being afraid to do so. It is about not letting others dictate your life or make you feel that you have to change who you are.

Laughter the best medicine Essay

A good sense of humour is one of the most important tools in your self-care kit. In fact, studies show that laughter affects both your body and your mind. Laughter is also readily available, free, has no side effects, and you don’t have to worry about overdosing. Moreover, it’s good for everyone around you too. And laughter can relieve stress, boost your immune system and even change your perspective on things. Stress relief. Laughter lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate and helps your muscles to relax. It counteracts your body’s stress response by lowering the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine, adrenaline and dopamine. In addition, it releases â€Å"happy chemicals† in your brain, leaving you with a sense of well-being or even euphoria. Increased immunity. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of killer T-cells. This means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects and immune sup pression caused by stress. Pain relief. Laughter increases the production of natural painkillers, thereby improving our tolerance to pain. Muscle relaxation. Laughter exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterwards. It even provides a good workout for the heart. According to the late Dr Laurence Peter, author of The Peter Principle, the bigger the laugh, the lower the tension and the more long-lasting the relief. Perspective. Humour gives us an entirely different perspective on our problems. By viewing a problem a little more light-heartedly, it becomes a challenge instead of a threat, and your body won’t react with a stress response. This gives us a sense of mastery and control over our environment, which helps us cope with adversity. Distraction. Laughter diverts our attention away from our negative feelings like guilt, anger, and stress. Improved social interaction. Laughter is contagious. If you laugh, people laugh with you, even if they donâ⠂¬â„¢t always know what you’re laughing about. It connects us to those around us, and can even be used to ease interpersonal tension – crack a joke during your next heated argument and see the tension melt away. back to top How to lighten up Raise your laughter level with the following strategies: Surround yourself with humour. Watch a funny movie, read a humorous book or a comic, or listen to your favourite stand-up comedian. When you’re stressed at work, take ten minutes to read jokes on the Internet or listen to something silly on your iPod. Laugh with a friend or colleague. People tend to laugh more in social situations, so share the funnies with a friend. It will strengthen your relationship and the contagious effects of laughter may mean you’ll laugh more than you otherwise would have. Look for humour in everyday life. Why wait to â€Å"look back on it and laugh†? Find the humour in every situation, even the stressful and unpleasant ones, and enjoy a good giggle now. Laugh at yourself. Poke fun at your own behaviour and idiosyncrasies. As the saying goes, â€Å"Laugh at yourself and the world laughs with you.† Comedian Bill Cosby once said, â€Å"If you can laugh at it, you can survive it†. With the improved immune system, reduce stress ed, better coping ability and positive attitude that comes with laughter, you can survive almost anything too.

Proposal of Divorce

Proposal: Divorce The topic I will be discussing in my paper is on Divorce and the affects it has on the household. To me this topic is significant because my parents were separated. Although they were never married, it seems as though the affects of divorce are similar. In society, this topic is significant because today, divorce happens all the time. It seems as though it is just as popular as getting married. When divorce is brought to society’s attention it is looked at many different ways.Some people analyze it as a good thing. â€Å"If they weren’t truly happy, then its best to go their separate ways†. Other viewers in society such as priests and ministers tend to take a different view. â€Å"They were brought together by God. They took a vow; ‘Until death do we part’, and although it’s not a sin, it is looked down upon†. Different views on the topic of divorce seem to have one idea in common: the affect it has on the household.Di vorce is a very tough process and can be very strenuous on the kids in the family. While researching this topic I plan to go to a church group that may help deal with the issues involved in divorce. I also plan on investigating the different organizations that help the family and kids recover from the separation of their parents. Online, there are studies and research done on the affects that a divorce has on the family that I will be taking a look at.Throughout the duration of writing this paper I plan to research my topic as much as possible. Research can take up to a matter of days or weeks. However, this paper does have a deadline and I am sure I will not achieve 100% of the information that an actual research might use. I will research this topic as much as I need to for as long as I can to get an accurate reading on the topic of Divorce and the affect it has in the household. Because I am the only researcher for this topic, there will be a lot to do.This includes: gathering ge neral information, going to different places that help kids of divorced parents, pull all the information together and write a paper that explains the effects that divorce has on the household. I feel that this paper will help those around me look at divorce in a different way. Some may change their view, while others may stay the same. I just have to get the facts on both sides and present it to them so that people can truly understand the effects that divorce has on a household.

Anthropology, psychology, history, sociology, education, political Research Paper

Anthropology, psychology, history, sociology, education, political science, gender studies, economics, legal studies - Research Paper Example The word slum connotes an area where no ethnic community dominates. Poverty levels are high in slums, barrios and ghettos. It should be noted that not all African- American and Hispanic neighborhoods are poor. Discussions of underclass associate the residents of those inner cities with certain types of behaviors and attitudes. Excessive focus on poorest inner cities can redirect attention from the broader structural aspect of poverty. As a result they may fail to see the important contributions to reducing poverty that straightforward measures like Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can achieve. Painting a picture of obstinate poverty in inner cities can cause hopelessness among policy makers Most alarming social evils in the society, ranging from use and sale of illegal drug to violence, take place in the inner cities of America. Even though today poverty in the inner cities of America is still a major concern, most Americans do not talk about it. However, when asked about poverty directly, many people will admit that poverty, especially in inner cities of America, is still a major concern. Poverty is a complex phenomenon which is hard to define. It is also difficult to differentiate forms, causes and consequences of poverty. Further, many people do not agree why poverty is a problem in America. Neither do they agree on the causes or consequences. It is therefore difficult to agree on a solution. There are those people who believe the poor are responsible for their condition. Mostly, people who feel the poor are responsible for their circumstances are the middle and upper income earners. They believe the poor can change their circumstances by working hard. This class of Americans feel poor people should not receive welfare benefits from the government. The middle and upper class Americans are careful to avoid working, living or even driving through the inner cities. Inner cities

Finance Essay on risk management and investment

Finance on risk management and investment - Essay Example Different methods of analysis, reconstruction will be used. The process will involve majorly looking at the different kind of risks inherent in the portfolio and determining ways on how to reduce the risk. Executive Summary The investor seeks to come up with a well-structured portfolio that will serve him the purpose of better returns in the future. The investor has identified seven stocks namely: Barclays, BP, Lloyd Banking, European FTS, ISHARES CHINA, EFTS CMOD SECS, MSCI BRAZIL, and TUI TRAVEL. The investor intends on investing in stock shares as his major line of returns. The portfolio seems diverse as it entails stocks from different regions. The shares are all have a fair volatility ranging from a minimum of 4% -13%.This is a major strength in the portfolio as the investor will be least faced by shares that are quite elastic. However, in my view, the investor poses as one who is a traditional investor. He selects only share stocks and avoids investing in other securities such as bonds. There arises a risk in investing shares; one can never tell the exact time to sell them off as predicting when such shares will appreciate becomes a hustle. At the same time, all these companies issue out dividends. For investor companies, investors prefer that they maintain their levels of dividends so that such monies can be used in investing in other opportunities that would profit the company. In reconstructing the portfolio, I t will involve looking at the risk levels associated with the different kind of stocks and look into eliminating the least favourable ones either through statistical analysis or by going by what the market proposes. While analysing the portfolios past performance, it will entail looking at how the individual stocks performed. Our portfolio is composed of equity based investments. This will entail looking at how the individual shares performed in the industry and across other stocks. In our case, our cut-off date will be on January 1 ,2020 for th e purpose of buying stocks. Barclays With Barclay’s stock, the return on equity has decreased significantly over the years from 23.41% to 5.65% in year 2009 through to year 2011.This means that the company has been making low returns over the years or has very high operational costs. At the same time, the company could be having very high equity levels. The price per share for the company is quite low at 2.51, meaning that it is not a very favourite stock among investors or alternatively, the investors foresee a likelihood of the prices going up. It’s good to note that the company’s volatility is a bit high at 10%.This means that the stock is likely to affect a large investor upon any change in the market conditions. The earnings per share has also increased over the years from 25.1 to 35.9 from year 2010 to 2012.This is a very positive remark for the investor as over the years they experience value for their money. The stock also pays out dividends to its share holders at the end of every financial year. This would be a good indication to a normal investor who looks into trading with shares. However, for the investor’s portfolio this would not be a positive move as the investor would view the company as failing in investment decisions. Usually, investors prefer companies that look to invest their funds in the most profitable investments, companies that can manage to increase their asset base too. The company floats only 87% of its shares and has an

Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Questions - Essay Example rom varied functional disciplines and development processes of a product for team tasks without necessarily removing them from positions of operations. Contrary to most organizational structures, matrix management utilizes both product and functional departments to establish a dual authority system. Matrix method segments authority into two, both of project and of functional areas. Each employee is answerable to two supervisors. The first supervisor is a functional one who oversees the workers related to a particular area of function. The second supervisor must be overseeing either a specific or a temporary project. Matrix organization structure has various advantages to the organization. Sharing of experts and equipment across projects of the organization gives room for efficient use of resources. Secondly, it allows formal coordination of projects and products across all the functional departments. In addition, sharing of information is efficient because employees meet and interact with many people, enhancing speedy decision processes. Furthermore, employees enjoy motivation and self-esteem due to autonomy and self-management opportunities that matrix organization presents to them. However, matrix organization also has a few limitations that may at times make it unpopular (Gido and Clements 448). The matrix structure method poses tough forms of organization alongside complexities of its structures. It also creates tough battles and conflicts between departments since they share resources. Consequently, the management of the organization may fail to establish accountability on its resources. In such circumstances, there is easy measurement of employees’ performance leading to increased accountability. Secondly, divisional organization leads to project departmentalization hence leading to the expansion of the company. In circumstances where divisional side is subordinate to the functional side, there is an achievement of efficient labor specialization, which

Grand Met case, on horizontal integration Essay

Grand Met case, on horizontal integration - Essay Example So it is becoming more important for the business managers to redefine the strategies based on the situations in the market and direct the company to attain great success. GrandMet integrated horizontally and also diversified their business by merging with several companies that are either related or not related to the business. That was done in order to acquire the strategic resources that were important for the smooth operation of GrandMet. In this study the strategic choices of Max Joseph and his team would be analysed from the inception of GrandMet, so that the approaches applied for making the strategic decisions can be understood. Apart from this the reasons for choosing the strategies would also be evaluated and scrutinised so that the feasibility of the strategies can be discussed and decisions can be taken regarding the capabilities of Max Joseph and his decision making abilities. External Environment and Internal Strategic Capabilities In order to make strategic choices in the increasingly competitive environment, the firms have analysed the threats and opportunities according to the strategic management process. An analysis of the economic environment which includes the direction and the characteristics of the economy in which the firm is operating or competing has to be analysed. As far as the macro environmental aspects are concerned, GrandMet engaged themselves into the business of fast moving consumer durables (FMCG), which customers required everyday and the rate of repurchase in such cases are also high. So it can be said the choosing the FMCG market was due to the huge potential in this sector (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson, 2012, p. 13-15). However, the fact remains that the FMCG market is dominated by few major players, who are considered to the best brands and they have also got well established distribution channels or supply chain, corporate system, are financially stable and have a sustainable position both economically and strategically. These features of the major players, such as Pepsi Co., or Bread Inc., in the FMCG industry were a major threat for GrandMet. Moreover, the FMCG market is extremely competitive and the customers have various choices, substitute products, and complementary products, which also gives the customers high bargaining power. This also leads to the increase in competitiveness and reduction of the profit margin of the companies or marketers. Customers are also afraid or reluctant to change or try out new products, which are an aspect of psychology or consumer behaviour, so it is also difficult to make the customers switch to a different brand. Only when the company can make sure, as to how the preferences or the taste of the customers’ changes and how it can be changed, the objective of offering new products or services would be successful (Bamford, and West, 2010, p. XVI). The market share of GrandMet was high and the sales figures of the company were higher among the global operati ons in the industry. In the year 1991, the sales of the company were around $14.771 billion, while the asset value was $17.648 billion. There were around 13.8 million employees in the company. On the basis of the sales report of 1991, GrandMet was in the 5th position among the British companies and 78th among the large corporations in the world. Apart from this, the CEO of the company Max Joseph