Saturday, August 31, 2019

Black People and Samuel L. Jackson Essay

Who is she today and what is her occupation? President of brown university Where was she born? When? Grapeland TX1940 What did her parents do?How many people were in her family? They were share croppers14 What was her life like as a little girl? Explain in several sentences. Also, include the specific details of sensory imagery she uses to enhance her description. She was a step out of slavery There were hundreds of people living in it A bucket with syrup a biscuit and bacon grease in it When did Ruth’s life shift, or change? How did this shift change her life? Be specific, and include details. 1950s they joined the vast migrations of African Americans to big cities She moved to Huston TX Explain the term sharecropping. Use a section of Ruth’s own words to complete your description. Where in turn for slavery they got a little amount of money from the slave holder Explain the term Jim Crow South. Use a section of Ruth’s own words to complete your description. â€Å"don’t ever talk back to a white person, if your on the sidewalk and you encounter a white person step off the side walk and let them pass and we dare not break the rules for fear of what would happen† Interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson Web address: http://video.pbs.org/video/2227535116 HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. Where did he live as a child? Explain his early life in a few sentences. They lived in three segregated neighborhoods. The color of their skin determined what they could do and what schools they could attend where they could work and with whom they could socialize. It bonded them together culturally. SAMUEL L. JACKSON Where did he live as a child? Down town Chattanooga Tennessee When did he leave, and why? By his 18th birthday, and to attend moorhouse collage Describe his childhood home? Embed a quote into your answer. Include sensory imagery for your answer. The black community was very small. Describe his family, and explain how he felt about them. Who said, â€Å"Segregation could impose many limits, but it couldn’t completely crush all of our dreams†? *Remember: when you use exact words and phrases, use proper documentation.

Friday, August 30, 2019

ABC, Inc. Case Study Analysis Essay

Carl Robins, a junior recruiter for ABC, Inc, with only a limited amount of experience, commendably retained 15 new employees in April. The newer employees were hired to work for Monica Carrolls, the Operations Supervisor. Carl Robins set up new recruit’s orientation to begin 06- 15 with the objective of having the new employees working by July. On 15 of May. Monica Carrolls called Carl about fixing several issues for the new employees, such as policies, drug tests, and manuals. He stated to Monica that everything would be in place and it would all be completed by the deadline. When Carl started reviewing June, the new employee file, He found numerous of issues. Some applications were unfinished, drug screenings were not done, and orientation manuals were not completed and missing pages, while the room for training had been held in reserve for technology services. Issues When Carl’s had his first recruitment training, he encountered many difficulties that need to be brought to the senior recruiters to resolve these issues. Incomplete employee applications Mandatory drug screening was not arranged Employee transcripts were not on file Inadequate orientation manuals Shortage of orientation manuals, Resource scheduling conflicts. Carl has to address the issues at hand in order to have the new recruit’s working by July, so he must move expeditiously. He must move swiftly in order to inform the new employees and make it stat that they finish their employment applications and confirm his or her transcripts on file. Subsequently, Carl has to arrange appointments through the clinic for all  the new recruits for the obligatory drug screen and have the results sent over right away. At this point, Carl must evaluate the orientation manuals to its entirety and make sure there are a substantial amount of copies for all the recent recruits. Carl has to harmonize with technology services to come up with a solution to share the training room. If that is not feasible, Carl must find another fitting location for the new hire training class. These issues seem like simple problems with quick and easy solutions, but clearly show problems with the current hiring process that need to be addressed to keep similar issues from arising in the future. An entry level recruiter should work directly with more experienced recruiters during the first recruitment process. Skill, putting forth the effort, and practicing will go a long way in overcoming these types of issues. ABC, Inc must develop a helpful to do list or procedure to follow for hiring new employees. It must be explained to the employee and the recruiter exactly what must be completed before and after the hiring process. The checklist should cover not only hiring procedures, but also in-processing and merging into the company. ABC, Inc also needs to develop a training center; with company policies, orientation manuals, and other training materials should be complete and readily available at all times. In the intent of saving money and breathing space, it is suggested that at least one physical copy of each reference should be available, while digital copies are kept on file and can be easily apprehended when necessary. Company management solution should be established to p revent spare reservations for the same resources. This can be a simple database or reservation system that is easily accessible by all employees who will be responsible for scheduling resources. Findings/ Considerations ABC, Inc’s efforts to hire new employees, handling and attempting to solve these problems could raise more problems. Foremost, easy solutions could entail a significant financial investment to get the new employees hired on time. For instance, the clinic may charge extra for last minute drug screens or for expediting the results. If the orientation manuals cannot be reproduced internally or the training cannot be conducted on company  property, the cost of out-sourcing would be much higher than normal. Proper implementation of the long-term solutions may also incur some initial expense; however the increased efficiency will be a great benefit to ABC, Inc in the long run. It is also important to note that an inefficient and complicated hiring process may eventually detract from the company’s image and ability to attract worthy employees Conclusion As stated previously, this was a relatively easy problem to fix, however it exposed deeper issues and could present a significant expense to ABC, Inc to resolve all the problems in time to meet the July goal. It is recommended that Carl Robins and ABC, Inc take the initiative to implement all of the short and long-term goals. In doing so ABC, Inc will insure that this problem will be eliminated in the future. References Case study www.Studymode.com Case study analysis Comm215 www.writework.com Writing a Case study Analysis http://college.cengage.com/business/resources/casestudies/students/writing.ht

Memo †Investment Recommendation for Centagenetix Essay

After looking over the material regarding Centagenetix, I have a recommendation as to whether or not MPM should invest in Centagenetix. I realize that we have spent a great deal of time and resources on this project already, and that Harvard Medical School is anticipating that this deal will go forward. I also realize that backing out of the deal now could reflect badly upon MPM and upon you, but my recommendation is that MPM invest in Centagenetix at this point. The main reason is that if Centagenetix is actually able to create a product to increase human longevity, there are some major questions and concerns about first getting this product to market, as well as what conditions this product might carry for measurable efficacy and if the market will be willing to accept them. I will discuss other considerations shortly but I think that is itself a potential deal-breaker. Let us first consider the New England Centenarian Study (NECS). While it is a worthwhile and interesting study, w ith good correlations between family members and a sample pool large enough to provide preliminary findings, it still has some weaknesses. The two major ones being how geographically centric it is and the size of it. Scientists who study aging have long argued that environment and lifestyle play the largest role in longevity, but Centagenetix is setting out to see if that is incorrect: if there is in fact a heritable gene (or genes) for longevity. It would seem that in order to provide a strong argument that the study reaches beyond environment, there should be more samples from areas beyond the eight towns around Boston that the NECS used. It could also be a problem that the majority of the centenarians used had no history of smoking or obesity and were generally small in stature. Granted that using these samples, they found a linkage on chromosome 4, but this does not seem to match the homologous zones for longevity in the previously studied model organisms. There are possible correlations on other chromosomes that track with those model organisms, but the patent that they filed is for the 10 million base pair region on chromosome 4. I am also concerned that the first attempt to scale the study to a larger population resulted in a noteworthy decrease of the linkage’s strength. Scaling it up further restored the statistical strength of the linkage, but the overall strength and valuation of the IP remains in question. We also need to consider the possibility that this 10M bp region will contain genes that other groups are already studying and that the patent is not strong enough to survive a challenge. It is possible that these longevity genes will be related to insulin receptors or free radical management: two areas that several groups or companies are already studying. How strong will the IP remain when there is competition for these hypothetical genes? If that is the case, the company’s major resource will be its SNP datab ase of centenarians, which will cost at least another $10 million to get to a functional state, plus more money to expand and maintain it. I have not seen any market analysis as to how much companies will pay for access to such a database. While Millennium has a somewhat similar model, they are much more pro-active in what they offer their clients, and that is what arguably drives their profits. The database will be valuable, but just how valuable is an important question. We need to know what the likelihood is that building such a SNP database will turn a profit, who specifically would be interested in paying for its use, and how much they would pay. In addition, would Centagenetix receive any royalties or payments for products based off findings from that SNP database? These are important considerations, especially if the possibility exists that the SNP database will have to support the company for any protracted amount of time. There remains a conflict-of-interest issue with Tom Perls and Harvard. If he can be enticed away from Harvard, the study that the company is based on will potentially no longer be available. Perls will be a key founding member of Centagenetix, and is expected be motivated and incentivized to work hard. Without a stake in the company, it remains unclear if that will happen. We also need to consider that if Perls does leave Harvard, will BIDMC still allow Centagenetix the use of the NECS, or should we re-consider the proposal from Whitehead to buy them out? The value of the IP revolves strongly around the NECS and Dr. Perls’ work. There needs to be a much clearer sense as to if or how these issues will be resolved, or else MPM might own a major stake in a company that will require a much larger investment to restore the IP we have assumed they already have. Finally, I want to return to my main point: Aside from a SNP database, what is at the end of the Centagenetix pipeline? Let us assume that they do find a gene or several genes that directly relate to longevity and are not in conflict with another group or company, that they can find the function of these genes, and eventually develop a product built on that discovery. Presumably, the function of this product would be to increase longevity in humans. How would they run clinical trials for this, and how long would they take? If the measure of success is how long someone lives, might not the trials take far longer than is feasible for us to provide funding? Assume that they get past pre-clinical trials; will the FDA even allow such a product to be tested? I th ink that we need to know more about how the FDA would approach such a product, as it seems like the regulatory hurdles for this will not be what most pharmaceutical companies are accustomed to. They are not trying to treat or effect a disease state, but rather to increase longevity. Granted that Ponce de Leà ³n spent much of his life searching Florida for the Fountain of Youth, and that a product like this will appeal to the general public, there is likely to be some serious regulatory and clinical trial hurdles to get it there. We also need to consider how the medical community and public will react to such a product. It seems likely that, given how many of the subjects from the NECS lived relatively healthy lives, the product will have some stipulations about health for maximum efficacy. If the public is required to not smoke, or be obese before this product will work for them then that will significantly affect adoption. In addition, how would the medical community respond to so mething with claims of increasing longevity? I think it would be highly skeptical and cynical. There will be difficulty in both convincing doctors to prescribe it, as well as getting payers to compensate for it. This will presumably be a product that patients will take for the rest of their lives, meaning there will likely be a struggle for both adoption and compliance. The only real gauge of such a product will be how long someone lives, and it will be challenging to demonstrate proof that any increase in longevity is a direct result of Centagenetix’s product. Significant market research needs to be done that considers the varying scenarios for adoption and lifestyle changes, to see if the market size is as big as one would expect it to be. In closing, I acknowledge that other products may come out of Centagenetix that are related to actual disease states or physiological processes. It is possible that they will develop an impressive and profitable drug that is related to the longevity of the patients of the NECS and be yond. Heck, they may even discover the cure for cancer. Even so, there are far too many unknowns and uncertainties in this proposal. The strength of the IP is in question. The availability of the NECS and even Dr. Perl is uncertain. What an end product looks like and what sort of market exists for it. How much more money it will take if they need to build a SNP database to remain in business, or if they have to do another NECS-like study of their own. The risks and uncertainties are sizeable, and the question about actual market size is significant. I do not think that MPM should invest in Centagenetix at this point.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The WARN Act and Notice of Termination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The WARN Act and Notice of Termination - Essay Example Ultimately, a criminal indictment was filed by the DOJ. At first, the indictment was sealed, meaning private, and Arthur Andersen continued a vigorous defense. There was some negative publicity and some rather minor business losses; however, the indictment was later unsealed and Arthur Andersen experienced mass client defections and staggering financial losses. At is in this case is a decision by Arthur Andersen to send a notice of termination to 560 employees. In response to these layoffs, many employees joined a class action in Federal District Court in which they alleged that Arthur Andersen violated the WARN Act. The purpose of this Act is to compel certain large employers to provide advance notice to employees, 60 days in this case, when the company plans plant closings or mass layoffs. The plaintiffs, therefore, argued that because the notice provisions of the WARN Act were not complied with, a fact not in dispute, that they were entitled to back pay and other damages. Arthur Andersen conceded the lack of a 60 notice, but argued that they were innocent by virtue of an exception to the WARN Act. More specifically, they argued that they were not required to comply with the notice provisions because they made the decision to lay off employees based on events which were not reasonably foreseeable.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

For or Against the thesis of The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein Term Paper

For or Against the thesis of The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein - Term Paper Example This was supposed to be a boon to the mankind, but is slowly turning out to be a bane. Lately, many researchers and experts have raised doubts over the positive impact of these technologies. One such argument is raised by Mark Bauerlein (2009) in his book â€Å"The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Dont Trust Anyone Under 30)†. The main thesis of the book is clearly stated in its subtitle: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Dont Trust Anyone Under 30). Bauerlein (2009) argues that the Millennials (generation born in 1980’s and 1990’s: age group of 12 – 30 years) have access to more technology and information than any other generation in the past, but they fail miserably to use that technology and information. They have failed to use the advents of the digital age to expand their knowledge and skills. Instead, the digital age seems to have contracted their knowledge and skills. This paper is an agreement with the above thesis and is aimed at proving the thesis right. The paper argues for the thesis of the book: â€Å"The Dumbest Generation†. The argument is supported by the numerous peer-reviewed articles. One of the main reasons that Bauerlein points out which has resulted in the poor state of the millennials is the fact that the digital media is intrinsic in nature. Books have been one of the main tools of passing on knowledge through the generations. But today’s under 30’s generation do not read books at all. Veteran English teacher Kelly Gallagher has pointed out that there is a widespread lack of interest in reading among students. Students read very less and as a result have no ability to comprehend what they read. As a result of lesser reading, there is a gap in the prior background and knowledge that the students posses. Hence, they are able to read what’s on the page but fail to understand or comprehend what it is.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Discussion Question Week 2-1D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Question Week 2-1D - Essay Example This difference between research questions and hypotheses can also be comprehended with the help of a simple example: Research Question – What percentage of people living in Ireland prefer cold-coffee over conventional coffee? Hypothesis – On average, 50-60% of population living in Ireland prefer cold-coffee over conventional coffee. Therefore, in one sense, research hypothesis is an assumption made by the researcher in response to a formalized research question, which helps in the assessment of researcher’s personal knowledge and approach on the subject over which study is intended. Further, it is not always possible that a research hypothesis is proven to be the right answer for the research question by results of study, and in this case, researcher explores the reason why his/her generalizations got wrong. 2. Extraction of Research Question from Hypothesis: Example 1: Sample Hypothesis: The effects of changing climate will have no contributions in Malaria pene tration into Alaskan population.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Mythological Archetypal Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mythological Archetypal Criticism - Essay Example In â€Å"The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter†, the use of the third-person point of view is generally predicated on the author’s sense of detachment; Lawrence seems to have decided that it is far better to allow the readers themselves to interpret the vicissitudes of the storyline, rather than pass some judgments or at least to provide a characters’ background. This in itself makes the narration rather complicated, yet, at the same time enables the reader to better understand the motivations and aspirations of the characters in question. Mabel’s brothers are depicted in the way that might be familiar to the readers of Lawrence’s â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Scarlet Letter†. They are superficially strong and confident, looking disdainfully upon their apparently uncomely and awkward sister. Nonetheless, in the course of further narration it is revealed that they are indeed weak and, in the words of the author himself, ‘ineffectual’. Despite their boisterous appearance and haughtiness, they are in fact insecure and cannot even conceive how their situation may be ameliorated. Their supposed association with ‘regal horses’ is a false one, as they are in fact closer to the dogs that try to snatch the food out of their table. The animal imagery, in general, plays a great role in the narrative. Just in the beginning of the story, the appearance of great draught-horses, with their servile readiness to follow their masters’ orders, is a direct parallel to the characters’ meek acceptance of their fate. The image of the dog (a ‘bull-dog’, in Mabel’s case) may, in its turn, be construed as a symbol for fear before the unknown fate. It is characteristic that it is no longer associated with Mabel, as she is depicted to be more resolute in the late parts of the story. Nevertheless, it is the rebirth/resurrection mythological archetype that is most significant here. Mabel and Ferguson are

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discourse Community Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discourse Community Analysis - Research Paper Example A discourse community can be defined as a group of individuals or people with common texts and practices whether a group of social network users or group of academicians (Boreczky &Wyclif's 34). Members of a discourse community usually use both verbal and written communication to express their feelings emotions and interest and these will be understood and acted upon by their audience. Communication among mothers is one that is often characterized by the use of abbreviations and other non-verbal symbols that is clearly understood within their social cycles. The kind of abbreviations used while communicating depends on various factors like age, location, and experience that one is undergoing. Understanding the abbreviations and the nonverbal signs used by mothers requires one to have interest and remain abreast with the current dynamics and changing terminologies. One of the common abbreviations used by mother is BM which is used to refer to the breastfeeding mothers. The abbreviation is common amongst mothers who are breastfeeding or used by other women when referring to mothers with young babies. Women who undergo pregnancy tests also prefer using the abbreviation BFN standing for the big fat negative. The abbreviation is also prevalent amongst mothers who intend to pursue a pregnancy test to enable them to know their status. The term is normally used to help confine the communication amongst themselves in order to preclude others from being privy to such information, especially at the earliest stage. To describe the menstrual cycle experienced by women, mothers have mostly used the abbreviation AF- Aunt Flo. The term is largely common amongst mothers and women during their menstrual cycle. Most mothers feel shy to have unintended individuals to be privy to their menstrual cycle except for those they are considered very close with.  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Not Specified Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Not Specified - Essay Example as in the case of the European Union), on the basis of conventions like the English Common Law, and on theocratic basis (as in the case of Islamic nations). This essay examines the legal issues vis-Ã  -vis management of engineering organisations in an advanced democratic country like the UK. It is appropriate, at this stage, to put forth the argument concerning the topic. Legal issues may be irksome for effective management of engineering organisations but there is no gain saying the fact that the legal rules provide a definitive and helpful background for professional management. The existence of a body of established law helps in smooth running of an organisation and conducting of its business in a predictable manner. Irksome laws and legal rules are certainly there, if viewed from the narrow perspective of a few organisations or a few managers but in the final analysis, one realises that laws evolve with the collective wisdom of the society and hence are to be accepted in the larger context. For example, the safety, health and environmental laws or corporate governance laws may appear to be intrusive, irksome and expensive to implement. But it is proved time and again that in the ultimate analysis, compliance is more economical than paying the price of damages or clean up costs. The prime examples of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (Pratima, 1998) of the Union Carbide or the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Bligh Reef near Alaska (Thinkquest) testify to this harsh reality. Engineering organisations are formed to provide goods and services in exchange for a consideration, usually payment of money. This simple definition points out the stakeholders involved in the process of setting up and running of engineering organisations. They can be identified at the broad level as the employees, customers, vendors, investors / financial institutions, and the statutory authorities. All engineering organisations are legal entities, separate from the promoters or owners. To this extent,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Exploring the Literature and Finding Studies Assignment

Exploring the Literature and Finding Studies - Assignment Example knowledge gaps or the questions being asked related to theories, and the appropriate methodologies necessary in the investigation of the underlying issues. An efficient literature review is characterized be wide information searches that are presented in the form of a paraphrased critical analysis (Jesson and Lacey, 2006; May and Holmes, 2012; Cleary, Hunt, and Horsfall, 2009). The two databases that I will use to complete my literature review are Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed. CINHAL abstracts and indexes numerous nursing, biomedical, allied health and consumer information sources (Kim and Yu, 2011; Cleary, Hunt, and Horsfall, 2009). The literature is presented in the form of books, dissertations, acts and educational software. PubMed database is operated by National Library of Medicine (NLM), USA. It acts as a source of free archive providing journal literature on biomedical and life sciences (Lu, 2011; States et al., 2009). Standard searches are conducted through entering the key details of the subjects into the search windows (Chang, Heskett and Davidson, 2006). Comprehensive search requires entry of detailed understanding of the subject being researched on and requires the inclusion of more specific information such a names (Chang, Heskett and Davidson, 2006; Lu, 2011). Comprehensive searches are best con ducted by specialists or

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Is strong character enough to guarantee ethical practice in a Essay

Is strong character enough to guarantee ethical practice in a profession - Essay Example Aristotle argues that character ought to be consistent over time, as well as coherent at all times. A person of good character enforces virtues and values through appropriate dispositions and emotions. Aristotle asserts that character is a matter of what one likes doing, therefore, good character is manifest in doing the right thing while having the right desires and emotions. He asserts that strong character involves values, the readiness to act on them, and ability to take the appropriate action in a particular situation (Hartman 78). Bayles proposes three central features and three secondary features that define a profession. The central features are extensive training; the training involves a significant intellectual component, and that the trained professional upon qualification has the ability to provide an important service to the community. The secondary features are credentialing where members are certified or licensed as a qualification for practice (Bivins 76). The other feature is the existence of a professional organisation that strives to advance the goals of the organisation as well as improving the economic status of members. Lastly, most professions stress autonomy among their members as a precursor for a successful professional career. Consequently, professionals must act professionally by observing the dictates of professional behavior including ethical imperatives. When professionals act this way they gain respect from society and peers. Building on the works of Aristotle and Bayles, this paper explores the importance of a strong character in ensuring ethical practice among professionals (Bivins 76). Ethical codes are systematic guidelines meant to shape the behavior of professionals regarding the morally accepted values and beliefs. However, codes do not provide absolute or complete rules that are free from conflict and ambiguity. Since codes do not provide

Weibo And Chinese Society Essay Example for Free

Weibo And Chinese Society Essay The new media, different from television, magazines, books or paper-based publications, is a new form of mass communication, which contains technologies that enable digital interactivity. For example, websites, video games, Internet all belong to the new media. Currently, the new media is becoming increasingly popular and sharply changing people’s life. The advent of Weibo in China is one of the most prominent examples, which is also the topic I am going to analyze in this passage. Chinese Weibo, similar to twitter used worldwide, is a micro blog, by which people can post words, pictures and videos on the Internet. The general public or the organization can create their own account easily and share things with their followers so they can communicate freely with each other. Some celebrities and government officials also own weibo accounts and in this way, weibo helps to create a two-way communication between famous people and Chinese Internet users. Research showed that people spend at least one hour per day checking Weibo messages on their cellphones or on their laptops, while spend only fifteen minutes on reading newspapers. It is very common in current Chinese society to see people using weibo every day to check the latest news, share daily life, or chat with friends, etc. 1 Nearly fifty percent of the Internet users in China have Weibo accounts and use it regularly. Among these people, most of them are from the younger generation who are more open-minded to the new technology. This paper consists of two parts. The first part aims to understand the effects weibo has made ten years from now on Chinese society. The second part talks about Chinese government policy and the progress China has made reflected by the proliferation of weibo. Speaking of the impact of this new media, weibo has impressively changed the traditional mass media. Prior to the turn of the century, only journalists with an official degree can be reporters and public news, which they thought were newsworthy. However, in nowadays, with the advent of weibo, the general public can be the first one to reveal something important happened around them by posting weibo using only forty Chinese characters. Sometimes these posts can be the sources of the news on next day’s newspaper. For example, on March 2013 a man robbed a store and fell down on his way running. This accident was firstly recorded by a citizen who happened to pass by in that neighborhood. Then he quickly posted this on weibo and called the police. Immediately, this post was reposted thousand times and known to many people in this city. Later on, the newspaper bought the pictures taken by the weibo user and published as the next day’s headline news. In this way, the general public is helping professional journalists find newsworthy things happened around them and change the traditional humdrum way of publishing. 2 In addition, the extensive use of weibo is acting like a supplement of paper- version reports. Every famous news agency has their own weibo accounts, whenever there was an influential news, there would be a short post to give people a brief introduction of what happened. Also, weibo can be a place where the journalists post updates in a continuous event. For example, when the missing airplane MH370 accident happened this year, every progress the rescue group had made was posted through weibo. While we were waiting anxiously for the latest news–if there were survivors, how was their family numbers, where was the plane, what caused this crash, etc. several news agencies post the latest contents immediately when there were new discoveries. The general public simply need to refresh their weibo to look for the latest news, which makes it more convenient and quickly. The advent of weibo also has tremendous impact on the daily life of the general public. Firstly, weibo users can follow official accounts based on their interests–what kind of news they care about most, which celebrities they esteem and want to know more about. For instance, a person likes sports might follow soccer players and other sports news related accounts. A person cares about health might become a fan of Chinese Healthy Diet on weibo. In this way, the weibo users can conveniently receive information specifically 3 what they want to know by using the Internet. Moreover, by reposting these weibos, weibo users can share the interested news with other followers and show the support for the original weibo user. Besides that, weibo users can also follow private accounts, which consist of one’s family members, friends and co-workers. Even if people cannot meet each other every day, they can still keep in touch and let others know what happened in their life by posting weibo. In the current society, weibo is a good communication tool to help promote the interaction between people who are busy working or studying every day and cannot meet each other because they live far away. My own example can best illustrate this point. I study abroad, which means I can only meet my family members and friends once a year. But I regularly post on weibo about what I have learned, what I have done, how I feel, etc. My friends can like or comment on my posts so we would not feel so far from my life in a remote country. The use of the micro blog also provoked great repercussion on the whole society, especially on the political field. Since a two-way communication between government officials and the general public was built up based on the proliferation of weibo. Almost every civic servant in China has their weibo account and is required to post their weekly work publicly. If Internet users have problems with the policy or officials’ behaviors, they can comment under the post or send a private letter 4 through weibo. It is the government officials’ duty to reply in time to the citizens and explain every action they take until the askers receive a satisfied answer. Making sure that the general public has a clear understanding of what the government is doing is a task for government officials through their communication on weibo. It is also common for people to show their support to certain policy or government officials through the use of weibo. Due to the impressive influence it has on the whole society, once a post was sent by a civic servant or a department in the government, it would be repost at once by thousands of Internet users who advocate this proposal. Therefore, with the power of the weibo users, it is easy to distinguish if an action or policy by the government is welcomed to the public in society. On the other hand, weibo can dramatically help to supervise the political system  and other charitable organizations. Before the proliferation of weibo, it is relatively hard for the public to directly oversee the behaviors of the authorities and social groups. This kind of supervision is mostly achieved by the specialized department set up to keep an on the behaviors of the government officials. However, nowadays, people can freely post anything they discovered in their daily life and keep an eye on the celebrities what they have posted through weibo. The weibo users also supervise the misbehaviors of government officials in political field and urged the related to investigate. 5 Two examples happened in 2011 and 2012 Chinese society can best help to explain this point. In 2011, a weibo user with the account number Meimei Guo posted several micro blogs about her Maserati and big houses. And her title was the manager of the Chinese Red Cross, which was revealed in her weibo profile. This made the weibo users pretty confused: where did all her money come from? How can she afford such luxury? With more and more people paying attention to this young girl with such unusual background, the Red Cross was forced to response to this issue. Although that this organization clarified it had no connection with Meimei Guo, the public do not think that is the real truth. Also, the Public Security Bureau began to investigate the relationship between Meimei Guo and the Red Cross. Specially, they suspect this so-called manager had improper relationship with the chairman of the board, so she could have access to the money people donated to the Red Cross and used it for big houses and Maserati. Later after the Meimei Guo affair, the Red Cross was mistrust by the public for a long time and was required by the relevant department to reveal its budget to the society and become completely transparent. Another case happened in 2012 was triggered by one picture taken by a weibo user in a car accident scene. The post on weibo showed that in this kind of 6 occasion, the government official was smiling instead of grieving for the hurt people, which made the general public angry. Afterwards, this official was severely criticized by the people on weibo. People even found out all his other pictures taken in different occasions to see if he was eligible to be a civic servant. Eventually, people found that in many pictures, he wore different costly watches, which were not accordance with his income earned from his job. With more and more people doubted the sources of the money, relevant department began to investigate in this case. They found out that a large amount of the money of his fortune was from corruption. This official used the convenience of his position to make money for a long time so he had money to afford expensive watches and big houses. As a result, this official was â€Å"sent â€Å"by the weibo users into prison. Of course, the spread of weibo is a two-edged sword,which means it can also exert negative effects on society. For instance, there is a group of people who open weibo accounts only to sell products, which makes the Internet environment full of commercials. It is difficult to regulate these commercials because it is hard to tell if the product is of good quality based on the limited information weibo posts can provide. Also, the freedom people possess when they use weibo makes the online environment increasingly complex. Diverse people holding totally different opinions can equally and freely express on weibo. On rare cases, immoral people purposely release fake news to the public in order to tarnish others’ reputation or cause a society panic. The general public might get confused based on the complicated information they receive. 7 There was once a water company being framed by a piece of news in Beijing Daily. It reported that the water from Nongfu Company was not clean and could not achieve the water standard in China. Later on, this news was posted by several weibo users without testing its accuracy. Along with the spread of this breaking news all over the weibo environment, this company got stuck in trust crisis and had a significant decline in monthly sales. Thousands of Internet users showed their anger and disappointment to this water company and the news was reposted in a large scale. However, when Nongfu Company went to test its water in the Quality Supervision Bureau, the result showed Nongfu water was clean and had achieved the water standard. It turned out the news was distorted and afterwards misused by the weibo users. This example showed that it is equally easy for both the truth and fake news spread out through weibo and the latter would absolutely damage the social order to some degree. The spread of Weibo and its effects can be the introduction of the second part of this paper, which explains the Chinese society progress and the government policy. Because of the significant impact weibo exerts on Chinese society, the government has taken specific measures to regulate the weibo environment. Moreover, the policies, being increasingly flexible and allowing for more freedom, can reflect the Chinese progress in recent ten years. Fifty years ago, Chinese people were not used to freely speak in the public at all, nor were they allowed to criticize the government officials and the policy. In my 8 father’ generation, people who dared speak out the actual evaluation of one policy might even end up being caught into prison because they were considered too aggressive. Almost every thing they said or did was under the guidance of the government. People did not have a way to express their thoughts, not to mention giving advice to the government. Obedience blindly might be the best words to describe the people living in that period. However, in the new era, with more rights are given to the general public, people are changing their mind accordingly. They begin to say something in public instead of stubbornly listening to the authority. Weibo is an excellent tool to help achieve this transformation within this background. With the advent of weibo, people are having a channel to easily express themselves. They can set up an account and apply their personal design to the home page. They can post words and pictures. These weibo contents do not limit to their daily life about what they have done and how they feel which are mainly shared with their friends and family members. Weibo users can also use the micro blog to comment on recent events happened in China and in the international scale. For example, after the plane crash MH370, many weibo users criticized the inappropriate behaviors of the Malaysia government and airplanes. Another example would be the lawsuit in 2011. The driver, whose father is Gang Li–a government official, was interrogated in court because he triggered a car accident, which caused one people dead and one people severely injured. Hundreds of weibo users posted on Internet their complaints because they thought the court was treating this criminal inequity due to his special social 9 status. This case reflects a big progress which not only means the government is giving more freedom to people, but also means people are more willing to discuss the current affair and becoming the masters of their own country. Still, I cannot deny that there are restrictions on weibo use. Offensive words and pornographic contents are definitely not allowed to exit on Weibo. Besides, the regulation on political field is relatively strict compared to the policies used to regulate the Internet in other countries. However, even if there are certain amount of restrictions on the contents people can post, it is too a large degree progressive compared to before. The limitations are primarily in political area, especially when the reputation and safety of central government were threatened by aggressive speech on weibo. If happened, the relevant accounts might be suspended and the posts would be deleted as soon as being found. Moreover, this weibo user might even be arrested if the post had caused a severely negative effect within the whole society. This is a comparatively strict punishment compared to the policies made on pornographic or fake news. To the latter one, the account might still be used. Only the specific weibo contains pornographic or violence contents would be deleted by the administrator. The policies in sensitive period in China, (for example, when minorities groups were trying to split China) are harsh compared to that in normal times. The government is controlling weibo environment to stop the rumors, which aim to cause social panic. During that special period, Internet users even cannot post 10 weibos including sensitive words such as â€Å"split of China† †The independence of Tibet† or the names of the sensitive characters in the political fight. All in all, Chinese society is making progress in the new millennium, not only in terms of economics, but also in political and cultural area. The policy and laws enacted by the government guarantee freedom and democracy to the public. Chinese people’s minds are opening to the world and becoming more autonomous accordingly. They use weibo to share their life, enjoy the rights they are accorded to help master the country. It is not possible for the social organization or government to block a piece of news they do not want the public to know any more. With the extensive use of weibo, all the information around them and directly affect them would spread quickly and has a significant effect within the whole society. People have already stepped into a new era with the extensive use of weibo and the old days will never come back.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID): Effects

Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID): Effects Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are inhibitors of prostaglandin, they have several key therapeutic effects, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic (reduces fevers) and analgesic. NSAIDs prevent the synthesis of prostaglandins; theses are made from the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX) which supports inflammation, pain and fever, there are two cyclo-oxgenase COX-1 and COX-2. NSAIDs block the enzyme COX thus reducing the amount of prostaglandins and therefore reducing inflammation, pain and fevers. The main mechanism of action of NSAIDs is the inhibition of enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX). COX converts the fatty acid arachidonic acid into endoperoxide, prostaglandins and thromoxanes. The prostanoids have many physiological functions such as protecting the gastrointestinal tract, renal, homeostasis responses, platelet aggregation, contraction of uterine smooth muscle etc. There are two isoforms of COX, COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 produces prostaglandin that support platelets and protect the stomach therefore has the most adverse side effects. COX-2 is inducible and found is inflammatory conditions and some types of carcinoma. Some drugs only inhibit COX-2 which reduces adverse effects that are associated with COX-1, such as the irritation of the stomach lining. Prostaglandins have numerous tasks to play as mediators of inflammation. They enhance the action of histamine and other natural compounds causing vasodilatation and increasing vascular permeability to fluids. These two factors re sult in the symptoms of inflammation. As well prostaglandins they relay pain messages to the brain. This journal article supports my essay on NSAIDs  [i]  Salicylic acid and salicylates, obtained from natural sources, have long been used as medicaments. Salicylic acid was chemically synthesized in 1860 and was used as an antiseptic, an antipyretic, and an antirheumatic. Twenty-five years ago, it was proposed that the mechanism of action of NSAIDs was through their inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis. Since then, there has been general acceptance of the concept that these drugs work by inhibition of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX), which we now know to have at least two distinct isoforms: the constitutive isoform, COX-1, and the inducible isoform, COX-2. COX-1 has clear physiologic functions. Its activation leads, for instance, to the production of prostacyclin, which when released by the endothelium is antithrombogenic and when released by the gastric mucosa is cytoprotective. COX-2, discovered 6 years ago, is induced by inflammatory stimuli and cytokines in migratory and other cells. It is therefore attractive to suggest that the anti-inflammatory actions of NSAIDs are due to inhibition of COX-2, whereas the unwanted side-effects, such as irritation of the stomach lining, are due to inhibition of COX-1. Drugs that have the highest COX-2 activity and a more favourable COX-2: COX-1 activity ratio will have a potent anti-inflammatory activity with fewer side-effects than drugs with a less favourable COX-2: COX-1 activity ratio. The identification of selective inhibitors of COX-2 will therefore lead to advances in therapy. NSAIDs are highly lipophilic substances, adsorption occurs through the gastrointestinal tract, as NSAIDs are weak acids they are less ionised in the gastric juices and therefore are absorbed by the mechanism of ionic or diffusion tapping. Most NSAIDs are given as oral tablets or capsules; others are given by injection to avoid gastric irritation. The main use of anti-inflammatory drugs is in the treatment of pain resulting from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition of connective tissue especially within the joint capsule; it may be described as an autoimmune disease, whereby the bodys own immune system starts to destroy the synovial membrane. This may lead a complete destruction of the joint. Osteoarthritis is due to a mechanical damage to the joint which leads to degeneration of the articular cartilage the hip joint is commonly affected. Prostaglandins are found in the hypothalamus are involved in raising the temperature of the body during infection, therefore NSAIDs are useful in inhibiting prostaglandins and reducing body temperature, this is called antipyretic . Most prostaglandin inhibitors are acidic drugs that can directly irritate the gastric mucosa. Prostaglandins in the stomach lead to a decrease in gastric secretions; therefore, inhibiting the synthesis of prosta glandins leads to an increase in sections which may lead to ulcers. Aspirin is an irreversible inhibitor of COX-1 but has adverse side an effect, most side effects of NSAIDs is related to their action on the gastrointestinal tract. In the stomach prostaglandins are normally involved in the protection of the gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach) against the corrosive actions of the gastric acid; prevention of prostaglandin synthesis by NSAIDs therefore remove this protection and make the stomach open to irritation and ulceration. NSAIDs themselves are irritant chemicals which have a direct effect on the gastric mucosa. Other Problems of NSAIDs such as aspirin have an effect the kidneys, because the role of prostaglandins in the maintenance of blood flow to the kidneys, NSAIDs often cause kidney damage and disorders of salt and fluid balance. This article shows the adverse effects and mechanism of NSAIDs on the gastrointestinal tract. Mechanisms of gastrointestinal (GI) injury NSAIDs injure the gut by causing topical injury to the mucosa and systemic effects associated with  mucosal prostaglandin depletion derived from COX-1. The systemic effects of NSAIDs appear to have  the predominant role. Because of that the use of enteric-coated aspirin preparations and parenteral or rectal administration of NSAIDs in order to prevent topical mucosal injury has failed to prevent the development of ulcers. Topical injury The acidic properties of most NSAIDs (included ASA) initiate mucosal damage. These weak acids remain in their non ionised lipophilic form in the highly acidic gastric environment. These conditions favour migration into surface epithelial cell, where NSAIDs are dissociated into the ionised form that traps hydrogen ions, inducing mucosal injury. Systemic effects NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX), a key in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins. There are two isoforms, COX 1 and COX 2. Traditional NSAIDs (tNSAIDs) and ASA inhibit both isoforms. Selective NSAIDs (COXIBs) spare COX 1 and primarily inhibit COX 2. COX 1 isoform is expressed in most tissues, producing prostaglandins that play an important protective role in the gut by stimulating the synthesis and secretion of mucus and bicarbonate, increasing mucosal blood flow and promoting epithelial proliferation. When NSAIDs inhibit this enzyme create a gastric environment that is more susceptible to topical attack by endogenous and exogenous factors. Besides, the inhibition of the COX 1 blocks platelet production of thromboxane, which increases bleeding when an active GI bleeding site is present .On the other hand, COX2 isoform is induced inmost tissues in response to inflammatory stimuli. Prostaglandins derived from COX-2 can be generated at the ulcer margin and appear to play an important ro le in ulcer healing through triggering the cell proliferation, promotion of angiogenesis and restoration of mucosal integrity .This isoform is the primary target for anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore selective COX-2 NSAIDs while having little to no effect on COX-1 should result in effective pain relief with reduced adverse GI effects. This COX2 hypothesis has been challenged by data from animal studies. Wallace et al reported that inhibition of both COX-1 and COX-2 is required for NSAID-induced gastric injury in the rat. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was first isolated in 1829 by Leroux from willow bark. It can cause irreversible inactivation of cyclo-oxygenase, acting on both COX-1 and COX-2. Aspirin has many pharmacologic effects for example it has antipyretic action it reduces fevers and is rapidly effective in febrile patients, yet has little effect on normal body temperature. It has many effects on the body; prostaglandin PGE2 is produced in the brain and causes the temperature regulatory centre in the hypothalamus to raise the body temperature, Aspirin inhibits PGE2 production so body temperature falls. Aspirin also has anti-inflammatory action, during inflammation, prostaglandin and other arachidonic acid are produced and contribute to the pain, swelling and tissue damage, and aspirin inhibits the production of arachidonic acid thus reducing inflammation. It is a very good anti-inflammatory effects it helps in condition for example the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The ability of aspirin to control pain occurs both through a peripheral and central action when aspirin inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins in inflamed tissue, and it prevents the prostaglandin from sensitising the nociceptors, by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis in the brain. Aspirin is also thought to also modify transmissions in the pain conducting pathways. Aspirin has other analgesic effects which is usually effective for low- to moderate-intensity pain. Integument pain is relieved better than the pain from hollow visceral areas. Relief of pain occurs through both peripheral and central mechanisms. In the peripherally, it inhibits the synthesis of PGs in inflamed tissues, thus preventing the sensitisation of pain receptors to both mechanical and chemical stimuli. Also in the centrally, the analgesic site exists in close proximity to the antipyretic region in the hypothalamus. Its analgesia action is not associated with mental alterations, such as hypnosis or changes in se nsation other than pain. EFFECTS OF ASPIRIN ON PROSTAGLANDIN SYNTHESIS Both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes are inhibited by aspirin, but not by opioids, acetaminophen, or tramadol. The active site of both enzymes appears to be at the end of a long, tubular channel in the molecule. Aspirin block arachidonates entrance to this channel (as seen in picture below). Aspirin does this by irreversibly acetylating a specific serine molecule (serine 530 for COX-1 and serine 516 for COX-2) When blocked by aspirin, COX-1 becomes completely inactive. COX-2, on the other hand, converts arachidonate to 15-R-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-R-HETE). Neither enzyme is capable of producing prostaglandin H2, the necessary precursor of prostaglandin and thromboxane synthesis. Aspirin causes damage to the gastric mucosa partly by inhibiting the formulation of prostaglandins that protect stomach wall from gastric acids. Aspirin in addition has Gastrointestinal effects such as It can cause epigastric distress, nausea, and vomiting by irritating the gastric mucosal lining and stimulating the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the CNS. It may cause a dose-related gastric ulceration, bleeding, and erosive gastritis because of inhibiting the formation of PGE2, which inhibits gastric acid secretion and has a cytoprotective effect. Salicylates-induced gastric bleeding is painless and may lead to an iron deficiency anemia. Aspirin is used in restricted situation for the symptomatic relief of fever. Because of an increased incidence of Reyes syndrome in children who previously were given aspirin for the relief of viral fevers, it is now recommended that a child with any fever be given paracetamol instead, if medication is required. It is useful as analgesics for certain categories of pain, such as headache, arthritis, and dysmenorrhea. It remains the standard, first-line drug in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, and can provide relief of symptoms in acute rheumatic fever. Some clinicians recommend small daily doses of aspirin for prophylaxis of thromboembolism, stroke, or myocardial infarction because of its antiplatelet activity. Some adverse effects of aspirin when uses in large repeated dosages are headache, mental confusion, lassitude, and drowsiness, tinnitus and difficulty in hearing, hyperthermia, sweating, thirst, hyperventilation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Contraindications Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticoagulants should be avoided in all patients with liver disease because of the risk of altering platelet function, causing gastric ulceration and bleeding. NSAIDs have also been implicated in precipitating renal dysfunction and vericeal bleeding in patients with end-stage liver disease. Although COX-2 inhibitors may cause a lower incidence of bleeding complication, currently they are avoided in patients with liver disease as their still pose a risk. Paracetamol is an analgesic agent. It does not have ant-inflammatory or anti-platelet activities, but it is a useful analgesic in febrile illnesses such as influenza. As paracetamol has no anti-inflammatory properties it does not inhibit prostaglandin thus have no affect on the gastric mucosa. As an analgesic, paracetamol is best taken on an empty stomach for fast action, as it gets absorbed faster. As it is not associated with Reyess syndrome, it is the preferred analgesic in the symptomatic treatment of children with viral infections. The mechanism of action of paracetamol is now thought to be via COX-3 inhibition. This enzyme is present in the brain and spinal cord and is selectively inhibited by paracetamol. Paracetamol has no action on COX-1 and COX-2, thus does not have any gastric side effects. The central action of paracetamol explains it antipyretic effects and its lack of other peripheral adverse effects associated with NSAIDs. Paracetamol has few adverse side effects as it is tolerated by the stomach because inhibition of prostaglandin in the periphery is weak; allergic reactions and skin rash sometimes occur. Heavy, long term daily use may predispose chronic renal disease.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The American Airlines and US Airways Merger

The American Airlines and US Airways Merger Mergers and acquisitions correspond to the definitive changes for businesses. In the contemporary business environment, they are increasingly being adopted to enhance competition through increased performances. Similar organizations merge hence their long-term survival in the competitive environment (Weston, 2014). Typically, mergers and acquisitions result in organizational economic development. The companies involved grow their market share and capacity thus expanding on investment portfolios to facilitate risk reduction. They smooth the progress of entering new markets, adding up to shareholders value and offer better economies of scale. At this perspective view, nearly all publicly traded companies have experienced a major acquisition at some point in the United States, so did the American Airlines and US Airways in 9th December 2013. Both companies operate under the same radar of airspace business. The American Airlines and US Airways merged to form American Airlines Group, Inc. as a publicly traded airline holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The target company was American Airlines. American Airlines maintained 72% of the company while US Airways took the rest 28%. The majority of the shares were distributed to US Airways shareholders and American Airlines previous creditors. This merge upshot the largest airline globally with 336 locations in 56 nations worldwide, over 6,700 daily flights, more than 100,000 employees and an operating revenue of $40billion. As yet, American Airlines Group, targets to take the delivery of over 600 new aircrafts including a minimum of 500 narrow-bodied and 90 wide-body international flights (American Airlines News, n.d.) Examine the circumstances that resulted in the merger or acquisition for the selected company. Speculate on two (2) reasons why the resulting decision to merge or to acquire / be acquired was made. Circumstances that resulted in the merger of American Airways and US Airways The foremost circumstances which lead to America Airlines and US Airways merger from an abstract point of view sets from the financial problems. US Airways was an American Airlines creditor according to a bankruptcy court filing stated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It had already undergone through more than a decade of losses and retrenchments. The management team had considered a stand-alone restructuring plan before. It also revealed that American Airlines looked forward to merging with another airline and US Airways presented the potential fit. Secondly, both companies had similar operations. These incidents gave rise to possible workable and potential merger action which materialised in the end as they both agreed to a merger. Reasons that resulted to the merger The first reason as to why the resulting decision to merge was made was the fact that the merger would create a book balance by absorbing out the bankruptcy court filing after appropriate paybacks and other payments. Henceforth, the merged company would operate in financial freedom achieved for the long-term outcome. Operating together with the pooled cost of capital would lower operational costs and realize increased returns than if the two companies functioned separately (Weston, 2014). It would be cheaper for both American Airlines and US Airways to internally invest and eye for expansion of its businesses and operations. Acquiring new aircrafts and other related assets would be cheaper because of the united bargain purchase. Secondly, American Airlines and US Airways would result in a horizontal merger that would form a strong pillar to achieve a competitive edge in the global scale. This would lead to achieving additional value in airline operations and business on the international market. The projected synergy value, would direct the combined companies to forms that could yield higher revenues, lower expenses and the overall cost of capital (Cooper, 2014). The merger and acquisition of the companies would give the merged parties an edge over their rivals in terms of business opportunities. After the merge, they would exploit the emerging trends in the market together. This would also assist in gap filling of the partys weakness and upbringing of significant strength paramount for dominance in the airline industry. These reasons moved American Airlines and US Airways to make the decision to merge. Assess the significant positive (or negative) effects of the merger or acquisition. Provide at least two (2) examples of those effects now that the merger or acquisition has been completed. Effects of the merger Completion of the American Airlines and US Airways contributed to a number of significant positive effects. The major key benefit was power consolidation and control over the market. This facilitated the entry into new markets and larger shares in the existing market. It improved economies of scale which corresponded to acquisition of more assets in the form of aircrafts (Cooper, 2014). Sharing taxes increased monetary leverage making them utilize much of its benefits by saving costs (Ulijn, 2013). As a result, the combined airline company offered more convenient schedule to travel plans with access to more destinations around the world. Their combined fleet continued penetration to operate more routes with the largest fleets of airbuses throughout the world connecting more people and promoting diversification of global businesses and multicultural. For instance, it is already operates 336 destinations in more than 50 countries in the world. Currently, the combined company employs ov er 100,000 people across the globe (Cooper, 2003). Merging the two airlines resulted in the formation of a strong union of a well organised customer service than before. The union undertook to oversee systematic arrangement in cases of bankruptcy hence giving workers more power to negotiate and maintain their wages. It lifted off workers suffering during the past years. Upon completion of the merger, it provided better benefits and compensation for the combined airlines employees. In addition, employees are significantly benefiting from being part of a leading international company with stronger financial foundation and competitive platform for greater long-term career opportunities as well as more employment opportunities. However, the merging of the two companies had some negative effects as well. Their combination composes them to behave like a monopoly because of operating in the similar industry. Monopoly meant less competition and higher prices. Setting high flight prices due to lack of competition hurts the travellers and other service consumers. This lead to frequent lawsuits from the opposing bodies, this is disruptive to the thriving business (Cooper, 2003). The merge of American Airlines and US Airways implied a combination of similar operational functions together with over capability. Most of the US Airways employees faced frictions by the internal competition and had to be retrenched hence the company ended up losing some of their skilled workers. Labor difficulties continued because of the bankruptcy which resulted in frozen pension and reduced benefits. For instance, the Labour Law still follows up in determination of fair terms. Examine the organizational structure that has resulted from the merger or acquisition. Analyze the major differences between the resulting company and the original two (2) organizations. New Organisational Structure Consequence to the Merger The organisational structure consequence to the merger involved positional shift amongst the personell. Doug Parker, the pre-existing head of the US Airways became the C.E.O of the merged company while Tom Horton became the outgoing. He became the chairman of the new companys board of directors. Derek DeCross maintained his role as the vice president of the global sales for the new American Airlines. President Scott Kirby held the same role at the new American Airlines. The rest of the organisational structure was a blend of positions that retained the most competitive human resource (Cooper, 2003). Difference between the resulting Company and the Original Ones There is a remarkable difference between the original company and the merger. This is attributed to the consideration that American Airlines was known to be traditional in terms of business promotion and conduct while US Airways was known to be less formal and transparent. The resulting new American Airline is a strong blend of their difference in culture, formality and transparency. American Airlines served 277 destinations while US Airways served 193 destinations. The new American Airline combined this number to form several more destinations connecting the world. The resulting company, therefore, formed a more stable structure that comprised of a bigger operational group than the original companies (Ulijn, 2013). Initially the original companies operated domestically but their alliance gives them power to function internationally paving way to global dominance. Determine whether or not the human resources management practices of the company were modified to reflect the outcome of the merger or acquisition. If no changes were necessary, speculate on the reasons why they were not. Provide a rationale for your response. Modification of Human Resource Management Practices The human resource management practices of the company made adjustments to reflect on the outcome because this area proved a big challenge prior to the merger. Profit-sharing and performance incentives, direct compensation, retirement options and benefits packages were all upgraded and updated. They consolidated much of their training at the primary hub and at the new headquarters so as to provide the most comprehensive hands-on skills necessary for the processes of the merger. This went down to drive supervisors and managers at both airlines tasked with ensuring that employees focused on their jobs during the drawn-out airline merger. The initial combined leadership team was made to consist of US airways employees, but the split became more levelled in the managing and supervisory ranks (Cooper, 2003). The Human Resource department was rearranged such that it had US Airways on the communications side. More so, the US Airways had already snagged Chris Kelly Singley away from Delta; the best communication corporation group, to be the managing director of communication, very vital tool in the merger procedure. Chris was planned to technically work for US Airways where she would play a very important role in joining the American Airlines US Airways communications departments to support the new airline. From Kelly, the team was broken down to serve the airport functions geographically where the hub Vice Presidents would remain unchanged on the organisational chart. Regional carriers leaders were fetched from American while one cargo boss took over the similar position. Hector Adler was tasked to run the in-flight group at the new American Airline just as was the case back at US Airways. It was arranged that from US Airways, David Seymour would lead the maintenance group while someone fr om American Airlines would take care of base maintenance (Cooper, 2003). The rest of the unmentioned human resource team such as engineering and finance remained in their positions so as to enhance their responsibilities in the combined company. Rational for modification Modification of the human management practices had to be factored in to provide an organised platform for workflow and a better transition for the employees who had to leave work. The combined company needed the best practices for human resource functions as they are a fragile component of merger and acquisitions. Strategic decisions had to be centralised to one company. These practices were changed to reflect on the promotion fairness during working under a complex merger. Without the modifications in the practices, employees benefits for the combined company would be difficult to handle. References American Airlines News. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://hub.aa.com/en/nr/pressrelease/american-airlines-us-airways-merger Cooper, C. (2003). Advances in mergers and acquisitions. Vol. 2. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Ulijn, J. (2010). Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquistions: The influence of cluture on successful cooperation. Cheltenham, UK [u.a.: Elgar. Weston, J. (2001). Mergers and Acquistions. Blacklick :: McGraw-Hill Companies, The.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Recommendation For Recycling Water In Florida Essays -- Recycling Water

Recommendation For Recycling Water in Florida Contents Abstract................................................2 Executive Summary.......................................3 Introduction............................................4 Methods.................................................4 Results.................................................5 Basic background information on water reuse in Florid...5 Reclaiming Waste Water in Florida Uses for reclaimed or reused water......................7 Conclusions.............................................7 Recommendations.........................................7 References..............................................7 Abstract "Recommendation for Recycling Water in a Florida Pilot Plant" The water shortage problem has affected all of us in one way or another. Either through the mandatory restrictions or the increased price of water, or even the ever increasing occurrence of sinkholes, the evidence of a water shortage is everywhere. Since we need water to survive, and there are no alternatives to support life on this planet, we must find a way to keep up with our ever increasing water demand. This report presents the water shortage problem that is occurring in Florida. This report will familiarize you with the problem and explain the other uses currently being employed in Florida. This report also explains the procedure, as well as a recommendation including the site and costs involved, along with a short background on the proposed procedure. I recommend that the recycled project be funded and allow the pilot plant to meet the ever increasing demand for water in Florida. Executive Summary The water shortage problem effects us all in one way or another. Either through the mandatory restrictions or the increased price of water, or even the ever increasing occurrence of sinkholes, the evidence of a water shortage is everywhere. Since we need water to survive, and there are no alternatives to support life on this planet, we must find a way to keep up with our expanding water demand. I feel that the only viable option is to recycle the water we are using. By recycling the water, we will be able to drop ... ...und choice therefore is to reuse the water readily available to us. We have the technology accessible to use to make this a viable option and I feel we should pursue this option. This would almost completely alleviate any water shortage we have, since all the water we use would be recycled back into drinking water, thus relieving the demand to pump more and more water from an already over used aquifer. Recommendation I recommend that the funds be made available for the pilot plant to be put into effect, and allow us to take the next step in water reuse in Florida. The new plant will drastically reduce the amount of water now being pumped from the ground, thus reduce the sinkholes and alleviate the water shortage problem. I feel the small investment is more than worthwhile and will be recouped in a year's time. I would like to start this project and bring this new technology to light and begin a new generation of water treatment. References Young, Harley and David York (1996, November). "Reclaimed Water Reuse in Florida and the South Gulf Coast." Florida Water Resource Journal, pp. 32-35.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Life and Writings of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Authors

Edgar Allan Poe is a famous poet from the 1800. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents were David and Elizabeth Poe. David was born in Baltimore on July 18, 1784. Elizabeth Arnold came to the U.S. from England in 1796 and married David Poe after her first husband died in 1805. They had three children, Henry, Edgar, and Rosalie. Elizabeth Poe died in 1811, when Edgar was two years old. Giordeno also mentioned, â€Å"She had separated from her husband and had taken her three kids with her. Henry went to live with his grandparents while Edgar was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John Allan and Rosalie was taken in by another family. John Allan was a successful merchant, so Edgar grew up in good surroundings and went to good schools† (Giordeno). Before Poe became a writer he was enrolled in the army at eight teen years old, but he did not stay long her was soon dismissed. Poe was very poor while he was living and did not become famous until after his death in 1849. He is most famous for writing border line horror stories and poems. Some of his most famous poems are The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Pit and the Pendulum. In The Raven Poe discusses many different literary terms. The three that stand out the most is symbolism, tragedy, and beauty. In The Raven Poe uses symbolism. One way he demonstrates symbolism is the bust of Pallas. Poe explains about the bust of Pallas when he says, â€Å"Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -Perched, and sat, and nothing more† (Poe l41-l42). Courson thinks that the bust of Pallas symbolizes intellect, â€Å"Then Remorse enters, and fixes itself firmly on his mind, ‘the bust of Pallas,’ the emblem of intellect.† (Courson) However, Za... ...emy of American Poets, 2012. Web. 12 Jan 2012. Smith, Dave. "Edgar Allan Poe and the Nightmare Ode." Southern Humanities Review 29.1 (Winter 1995): 4-10. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 117. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Wardrop, Daneen. "Quoting the Signifier 'Nevermore': Fort! Da!, Pallas, and Desire in Language." ESQ: A Journal of the American Renaissance 44.4 (1998): 274-299. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Timothy J. Sisler. Vol. 54. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Zayed, Georges. "The Symbolism of the Poems." The Genius of Edgar Allan Poe. Cambridge, Mass.: Schenkman Publishing, 1985. 127-136. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 117. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Winning the Micro-War: Prevention and New Drugs

Humans are engaged in a â€Å"micro-war† with bacteria, and we are losing.   Bacteria represent one of the most adaptable organisms on the planet primarily due to their propensity for adopting genetic mutations.As with all evolutionary mechanisms, most mutations are either harmful or neutral; they do not provide a comparative advantage to the mutated organism.   Other times, however, a mutation will counteract a new and damaging environmental pressure and the organism will become well-equipped to survive and pass on its genes.This is precisely the problem with antibiotic resistance in bacteria: human antibiotics present a new environmental pressure to the highly-adaptable micro-organisms, and some develop an ability to survive through mutation.   That threat is magnified by the horizontal spreading of resistance through plasmid transfer and replication (â€Å"Extending the Cure†).   To mitigate the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria, three paths must be pur sued: prevention and development of new drugs.Because antibiotic resistance arises primarily as an evolutionary response to environmental pressure, antibiotic resistance can be avoided by minimizing the introduction of antibiotics and using them only when truly needed.   When antibiotics were first introduced, they were seen as a panacea—and rightly so, as they quickly and effectively treated diseases that had previously been deadly and widespread (Lewis, FDA).Unfortunately, however, this enthusiastic adoption of antibiotics has led to a dangerous over-reliance on their use.   For example, many dermatologists not only prescribe antibiotics for mild acne, but they also make the mistake of frequently rotating between antibiotic types.   As the data show on the Essential Biology website, rotation does not decrease the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Essential Biology).   In fact, 10.7% of patients in the resistant group were found to be housing resistant bac teria, as compared to 7.7% in the control group—indicating that antibiotic rotation may actually exacerbate the problem rather than solve it (Essential Biology).   Furthermore, this method may be particularly harmful because it raises the possibility that a colony of bacteria may develop into a so-called â€Å"superbug† by gaining resistant properties against multiple antibiotics (â€Å"Breeding the Superbug†).Conversely, reducing the number of antibiotic prescriptions is effective in limiting the number of antibiotic-resistant strains.   Finnish researchers proved this correlation in a study where they tracked the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria while they reduced their prescriptions of Erythromycin (Essential Biology).As the data in the bar graphs demonstrate, prevention through reduced prescription of antibiotics seems to stem the tide of resistant bacteria: by prescribing fewer antibiotics, doctors were able to more than have the percentage o f resistant colonies from a peak of 19.0% in 1993 to a low 8.6% in 1996—a dramatic reversal (Essential Biology).However, preventative measures will only slow down the development of resistance and will not in fact solve the larger problem.   To really gain ground in mitigating the effects of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers will continually need to develop new antibiotics that are capable of killing off resistant strains of bacteria.This is where careful regulation of antibiotics could save lives: if these â€Å"last lines of defense† are prescribed for everyday usage, the effectiveness of a doctor’s arsenal will be reduced and modern medicine may be powerless to stop treatable illnesses from becoming killers (â€Å"Extending the Cure†).If, on the other hand, doctors limit the usage of antibiotics to times when they are truly needed and researchers continue to develop new, more effective antibiotics, we will be able to minimize the ill-effects of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and win the â€Å"micro-war.†Ã‚   Our health depends on it.Works Cited:â€Å"Breeding the Superbug.† Allianz Knowledge Online (Ed. Valdis Wish). Electronic article.http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/safety_security/health_pandemics/hospial_infections_mrsa.html. Accessed 3 November 2008.Essential Biology. â€Å"You Decide: What Can We Do About Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria?†Online interactive lab. Pearson Education.http://wps.aw.com/bc_campbell_essentials_3/47/12139/3107664.cw/index.html.Accessed 3-6 November 2008.â€Å"Extending the Cure: Policy Responses to the Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance.†Executive summary. â€Å"Extending the Cure† online publication.http://www.extendingthecure.org/downloads/ETC_EXSUM.pdf. Accessed 5November 2008.Lewis, Ricki. â€Å"The Rise of Antibiotic Resistant Infections.† Electronic article. United StatesFood and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/fea tures/795_antibio.html.Accessed 4 November 2008.

3D Animation Research

Introduction The Computers have revolutionized the practical technologies in our daily lives. T.V, microwaves, phones, air-conditioning and almost every other technology uses computer technology in some form or another. Similarly, it has influenced the art, creating a new line of digital artists. Animation; the visual story-telling art, was born when the art met the technology. Animated filmmaking and visual storytelling are grown into multi-billion dollar entertainment need. The leading animation firm Pixar's intern experiences page states:†One day, we had lunch with Ed Catmull, the President and Co-Founder of Pixar. He told us that we are and always will be a storytelling company. Our job is to make timeless stories that inspire people, make them cry and make them laugh. We are not here to just make a quick buck†¦ [Pixar] is much more than just a cool place to work. It is a place where you can live out your childhood dreams of storytelling and filmmaking, and know that your hard work is inspiring people of all ages, all over the world.†According to Dave Kehr- â€Å"Animation, the art of making inanimate objects appear to move. Animation is an artistic impulse that long predates the movies†. Animation has existed for over one hundred years and is not limited just by computer animation. The computer acts as a tool for artists to develop creative ideas. Paintings, drawings, sketches and initial 2D Photoshop computer graphics are the styles which lead to 3D animation. In Adobe Photoshop, scanned sketches are manipulated by adding or removing layers, blending until the desired artistic look is acquired. Initially, storyboards and low-resolution 3D characters are created to eliminate the possible problems and to enhance the design in the process. Once the story is finalized with scene details, characters and sets, the 3D work of the animated project can begin. Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Avid Softimage XSI and Houdini are some of the software that artists use to refine the work. At the end of the animation process, the final sets of images are rendered. These images are played together in sequence at a rate of 24 frames per second to create the final animated film.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Implementation of assessment for learning

Although as instructors we use many pupil activities and learning methods in our schoolroom instruction, all pupils in the category do non to the full achieve the larning aim of the lesson. Therefore, appraisals may be employed for the intent of measuring pupil attainment, be aftering future work, delegating pupil classs and comparing public presentation. There are many types of appraisal that we use for this intent. Summative, formative and ipsative are some of the appraisals that are normally used among the instructors. Summational appraisal is an appraisal which is often used at the terminal of a lesson or a peculiar period for ‘summarizing the accomplishment position of a pupil ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 120 ) . Although it gives us feedback about the pupils ‘ capable cognition, sometimes it is excessively late therefore action can non be taken to better the acquisition of the pupil. More seriously instructors continue without truly detecting the existent reverse of the kid, therefore the demand of a more effectual rating tool arises. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a ) province that â€Å" Assessment for larning † which is besides known as â€Å" Formative Appraisal † is one of the cardinal factors that helps the pupils to better their criterion of accomplishment. The chief focal point of this essay is how assessment for larning can be used in an effectual manner in mathematics lessons. First I will briefly define appraisal for larning. Then I will supply an overview of the chief stairss involved in the execution and the attacks to better the quality of appraisal for acquisition and eventually this paper will concentrate on the alteration of the function of the instructor and the pupil. The thoughts in this essay are aimed at bettering the quality of mathematics learning by utilizing appraisal for larning in the most effectual manner.2. Definitions of Assessment for Learning/ Formative appraisalAppraisal for acquisition is defined by a figure of research workers over the past old ages. Sadler ( 1989, p. 120 ) defines appraisal for larning as an appraisal that ‘ is concerned with how judgement about the quality of pupil responses ( public presentations, pieces, or plants ) can be used to determine and better the pupil ‘s competency by short-circuiting the entropy and inefficiency of trial-and -error larning ‘ . Tunstall & A ; Gipps ( 1996, p. 389 ) besides takes a similar position by proposing that formative appraisal is a ‘process of measuring, judging or measuring pupils ‘ work or public presentation and utilizing this to form and better their competency. In mundane schoolroom footings this means instructors utilizing their judgements of kids ‘s cognition or understanding to feed back into the instruction procedure and to find for single kids whether to reinterpret the task/concept, to give farther pattern on it, or travel on the following phase ‘ P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 2 ) explains the basic qualities in this appraisal as: ‘an appraisal activity can assist larning if it provides information to be used as feedback by instructors, and by their pupils in measuring themselves and each other, to modify the instruction and acquisition activities in which they are engaged. Such assessment becomes formative appraisal when the grounds is used to accommodate the instruction work to run into learning demands ‘ . He elaborates further and says that appraisal for larning occurs several times in every lesson therefore it is an â€Å" built-in and intimate portion of a instructors day-to-day work † ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 2 ) In the visible radiation of the definitions given above, appraisal for acquisition can be described as a procedure of judgment and measuring the pupil public presentation and supplying feedback for the betterment of the acquisition procedure. The feedback is used to measure and modify the instruction techniques to run into the acquisition demands, so that the instructor can judge the pupil ‘s cognition and make up one's mind on the following measure to better the pupil competences.3. Execution of Assessment for larningConsciously or unconsciously instructors continuously assess their pupils while learning. But for proper opinion to be made and for the opinion to be helpful in the learning procedure of the pupil, the appraisal needs to be done in a peculiar mode. It is of import to place the cardinal factors in execution of appraisal for larning for it to be productive. Therefore the execution procedure is divided into four subdivisions: scene and sharing ends, roll uping ground s, construing grounds and make up one's minding the following measure. Each subdivision is non reciprocally sole but for easiness of elucidation I have separated them.3.1 Setting and sharing endsWhen be aftering the lesson it is the instructor ‘s duty to put clear learning ends ( aims ) . Harmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) larning nonsubjective may be a short phrase or a sentence. It is so a challenge for the instructor to put out aims because she needs to take into history the course of study, scrutiny course of study and the pupils ‘ anterior cognition. Most significantly the aims need to be shared with the pupil every bit good. In making so both the pupil and the instructor acquire a clear image of what should be attained by the terminal of the lesson. It is of import to follow up the aim and it makes it easier for the pupils to measure their advancement of attainment. Lee ( 2006, p. 45 ) notes that ‘it is of import that the acquisition aims are shared with students an d that they are discussed in the start, during and at the terminal of the lesson, and that the students can mention to them during the lesson ‘ . This gives the pupil the chance to supervise themselves as they progress. Puting clear aims is of import for the instructor every bit good. P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 91 ) points out that the instructors are cognizant of what they want the pupils to larn, they are able to happen ‘what the ‘gap ‘ was between the province of the pupils ‘ current acquisition and the acquisition end and to be able to supervise that spread as it closed ‘ . It is of import to put command ( larning ) ends instead than public presentation ends. P. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a, p. 22 ) reveals the consequences in a survey done with the 3rd and 6th classs mathematical job work outing. Newman and Schwager ( 1995 ) did this survey where one group was given the end of larning which had emphasised on the apprehension of the method of work outing the job ( ‘this will assist you to larn new things ‘ ) whereas the other was given public presentation ends where the chief importance was finishing many jobs right ( ‘how would you assist us to cognize how smart you are and what sort of class you will acquire? ‘ ) . When the two groups were compared the public presentation end pupils showed maladaptive inquiring forms. Therefore when larning ends are given, the kids concentrate more on get the hanging the larning facet instead than obtaining the concluding replies. Yorke ( 2003, p. 488 ) provinces that pupils who work to larning e nds, would recognize failure as undertaking information ‘to be assimilated or accommodated ( utilizing Piagetian nomenclature ) , whereas for kids working to public presentation ends it was a oppressing blow ‘ . Harmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) as aims are broader and frequently generic, it can be broken down in to simpler stairss and made more specific to the lesson. These stairss are called success standards. Success standards should be planned in progress by the instructor by closely analyzing the standards the pupil should get the hang. In another case the instructor could acquire the pupils to research and discourse the acquisition aim and acquire the kids to partake in puting up the success standards so that the pupils have ownership of the success standards. When the pupil progresses along the list, get the hanging each success standard they bit by bit achieve the acquisition nonsubjective and most significantly they are cognizant of their acquisition advancement. It helps the pupils to construct up their assurance in acquisition, particularly in mathematics as get the hanging one mathematical subject would affect get the hanging in a series of mathematical operations and processs beforeha nd. ‘Pupils in cognizing what they are larning, how good they are larning and that they are larning and hence are of import in assisting the students know that they are successful scholars ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 49 ) . Lee ( 2006, p. 47 ) gives an illustration of utilizing larning aims and success standards in learning Pythagoras theorem. Learning nonsubjective Success standards To larn about Pythagoras ‘ theorem To larn more about the usage of Pythagoras ‘ theorem I know what a right angle trigon agencies I have: Carefully drawn three different right angled trigons drawn a square against each side, doing certain each angle is a right angle found the country of each of the three squares and set them in a tabular array inquire one other individual for the countries of their squares and put those in my tabular array found a relationship between the country of the squares and stated it utilizing algebra. I know what a square root is I can: State Pythagoras ‘ theorem and cognize which sides of the trigon the missive refer to Use it to cipher the hypotenuse of 5 different right-angled trigons with different orientations use it to happen a short side of 5 different trigons use it to happen the tallness of 2 isosceles trigons. As it is shown in the above illustration the aim of larning Pythagoras ‘ theorem is rather general and it is larning oriented. By interrupting down the aims into success standards it is made more specific to the lesson. The kids foremost learn what a right angled trigon is so draw squares on each side. Then they would happen the country of each square, put them in a tabular array and obtain informations from other pupils as good. Then they would happen the relationship between the countries and eventually come up with the algebraic look. At the terminal of the lesson the pupils can reply the inquiry whether they have mastered the Pythagoras ‘ theorem by mentioning to the success standard. As an illustration: Do I cognize what a right angled trigon is? What have I learnt about Pythagoras ‘ theorem? Harmonizing to Lee, the acquisition undertaking is achieved by get the hanging a sequence of success standards. Students can construe the standards in different ways. Wiliam ( 2005 ) supports this position by stating that ‘the words do non hold the significance for the pupil that they have for the instructor ‘ ( p.29 ) . He suggests that the pupil should be given clip to believe and discourse as to what the ‘criteria ‘ truly average. Therefore, it is really of import for the instructor to cognize whether the kids are deriving the needed cognition at each phase or whether they are able use the cognition in a different environment. One manner we can get the better of this is by acquiring them to make some illustrations at the terminal of the success standards. For illustration: which one of the trigons make a right angled triangle? A- 6cm, 8cm, 10cm B- 3cm, 2cm, 4 centimeter C- 5m, 12m, 13m When this sort of a inquiry is given, the pupils can utilize the cognition of Pythagoras theorem to reply so that the instructor gets a feedback as to whether they have mastered the standards. However, naming out the standards may restrict the cognition gained by the pupil to a specific way and degree. It may be more appropriate to allow the pupil experiment with the information and happen their way of acquisition, giving them the autonomy of make up one's minding the bounds so that some pupils may be able to larn more than the listed standards. For an illustration: the instructor could inquire them to look into whether Pythagoras theorem is valid for semi-circles drawn on the sides of the trigon. Then widen it to different forms such as isosceles trigons, Pentagons etc. Then steer the kids to research so that they could come up with a broader thought of the theorem.3.2 Roll uping groundsThe instructor needs to hold a elaborate cognition of the abilities and the ‘developmental demands ‘ of the scholar to help the pupil to ‘move to the following phase of their development ‘ ( Harris, 2007, p. 253 ) . Teachers must be after the lesson good because in formative appraisal, the accent is on ‘how I am traveling to learn this and what are pupils traveling to larn? ‘ instead than on ‘what am I traveling to learn and what are the students traveling to make? ‘ ( P. Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, & A ; Wiliam, 2002, p. 19 ) . It is besides of import to research the pupil ‘s thought before reasoning that the pupil ‘understood ‘ because really frequently what kids ‘understand ‘ is non the same as what the instructor intended to learn. Thus ‘assessment is the span between learning and larning ‘ and choice inquiries give instructors this ‘window into believing ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) . In two inquiries used in the Third International Mathematics and scientific discipline survey ( TIMSS ) , though the inquiries were similar the success rates were different. In Israel, 88 % of the pupils answered the first inquiry right, while 46 % answered the 2nd right, with 39 % taking response ( B ) . The ground for this is that many pupils develop a construct that ‘the largest fraction is the 1 with the smallest denominator and vice-versa ‘ . Although this leads to the right reply to the first inquiry, it does non take to the right reply to the 2nd inquiry. Furthermore if we add 46 % and 39 % it is really near to 88 % which provides grounds that many pupils who got the first inquiry right may hold used the wrong scheme. Therefore, a pupil replying a inquiry right does non ever intend that the pupil perceptual experience matches the instructor ‘s. Thus the inquiries should be good planned and rich in substance. However a ‘rich inquiry ‘ would non mer ely supply what the pupil can make, but besides what needs to be done following, to broaden or intensify understanding ‘ ( p23 ) . Item 1 ( success rate 88 % ) Which fraction is the smallest? a ) a†¦Y6 B ) a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  degree Celsius ) a†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" vitamin D ) a†¦Y2 Item 2 ( success rate 46 % ) Which fraction is the largest? 4/5 B ) A? degree Celsius ) 5/8 vitamin D ) 7/10 ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 21 ) Wiliam ( 2005 ) describes the resolution of the undermentioned brace of coincident equations: 2a = 24 a + B =16 Many pupils found this hard and the instructors might reason that the kids need aid in work outing equations in this kind, but it was found that the trouble was non with the accomplishments but their beliefs that each algebraic missive stands for a different figure. Thus it is of import to utilize inquiries that ‘reveal unintended constructs ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) if we intend to better pupils ‘ mathematical thought. Lee ( 2006 ) notes that inquiring inquiries that enable pupils to believe and research so that misinterpretations of the constructs are revealed is an of import portion of appraisal for acquisition. Children should be encouraged to listen to the thoughts of others and ‘support one another to develop a common apprehension ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) . Challenging inquiries should be given so that pupils would hold to believe a great trade and take hazards when replying. Lee states that even when inquiries could be answered rapidly it can be explored at length by the altering inquiring manner. For illustration: alternatively of inquiring, â€Å" Are all premier Numberss uneven Numberss? † which requires a yes/no reply, the instructor can border the inquiry as a statement – â€Å" All premier Numberss are non uneven Numberss † – and inquire the pupils to discourse in little groups before showing the grounds and their decision to the category. It is of import that the pupils know that their part is ‘valued as an of import measure on the route to understanding ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) so that everyone contributes to the treatment. I feel treatments are really utile particularly in higher categories as it gives them the autonomy to research loosely in that subject while believing critically ; moreover the cognition gained by this type of acquisition is long lasting. Torrance & A ; Pryor ( 1998, p. 18 ) defines rightness of the responses in relation to classroom direction as ‘ maintaining the lesson traveling along instead than a narrowly constructed impression of a ‘correct ‘ reply ‘ . This indicates that the pupils no longer necessitate to be afraid to give incorrect replies but need to show their ideas. By looking at the account of the reply whether right or incorrect both the instructor and the pupil will be able to place the perceptual experience of the pupils and whether there are any misconceptions. Furthermore this type of larning would ‘focus on students ‘ acquisition and non acquiring through the content at any cost ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 52 ) . In pattern this could be really hard from the instructor ‘s point of position as the course of study is fixed and syllabus demands to be covered within the given clip. Particularly in scrutiny categories, instructors have the load of completing the cour se of study and rewriting as schools are more interested in bring forthing good consequences. P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 33 ) point outs that Rowe ( 1974 ) had looked at the effects of addition in ‘Wait clip ‘ . She had found that ‘answers were longer, failure to react reduced, responses were more confident, pupils challenged and/or improved the replies of the other pupils and more alternate accounts were offered ‘ . Lee ( 2006 ) suggests that its more appropriate to name this ‘think clip ‘ and provinces that ‘no hands up ‘ unless you want to inquire a inquiry creates an ambiance where everyone contributes and listen to the others. Another manner to increase the engagement of pupils is to inquire them to ‘brainstorm thoughts ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) , group treatments and promote pupils to explicate their ain inquiries and inquire each other ( Harris, 2007 ) . As most pupils are non used to this pattern in schoolrooms they need to be bit by bit trained to experience comfy to voice their sentiment and carry out treatments. Particularly in lower categories instructors would necessitate to work hard to acquire the ‘climate right ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) . All this needs a great trade of readying. Wiliam ( 2005 ) states that in most Anglophone states, instructors spend most of their readying clip taging books entirely and in some other states the bulk of the lesson readying clip is spent in be aftering how new subjects could be introduced, which context and illustrations can be used. However, in Japan most of their readying clip is spent on working together to invent inquiries to measure the success of their instruction, through ‘the procedure known as ‘lesson survey ‘ ( Fernandez & A ; Makoto, 2004 ) ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) . It is of import that instructors have a set of rich inquiries and would be more utile if they portion them among the other instructors of the school. As an illustration: simplify ( if possible ) : 2a + 5b ( where you do non anticipate to acquire the same as the reply ) , which fraction is the largest 3/7 or 3/11 ( whether the pupils are able to choose larger fraction of two ‘ordinary ‘ fractions ) ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 23 ) . However, a rich inquiry is a type of a inquiry that would turn to common misconception and enable the pupil ‘s thought and researching ability. Although holding a set of rich inquiries is of import, the instructors need to rethink and regenerate them each clip they plan the lesson and most significantly change them suitably as the lessons proceed. I think no instructor can to the full be after a lesson because different kids could react otherwise to the same inquiry. Therefore, depending on the pupils ‘ responses the instructor needs to make up one's mind the following measure to shut the spread.3.3 Interpreting groundsP. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a, p. 16 ) provinces that ‘feedback between those taught and the instructor, and this is entailed in the quality of their interactions which is at the bosom of teaching method. The nature of these interactions between instructors and pupils, and of pupils with one another, will be cardinal determiners for the result of any alterations ‘ . This shows the importance of quality feedback irrespective of the beginning ( instructor or equal ) . Sadler ( 1998 ) states that the ultimate purpose of feedback should be to do the pupil an independent scholar therefore peer appraisal and self assessment gives great chance. In this subdivision I will discourse how feedback can be given in an effectual manner by instructors, equals and the scholar himself.3.3.1 Teacher feedback‘Feedback to pupils should concentrate on the undertaking, should be given on a regular basis and while still relevant, and should be specific to the undertaking ‘ ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998a, p. 8 ) . Feedback is non formative if it is non understood, can non be used by the scholar to better their acquisition or given at the terminal of a faculty as it is excessively late be used. Therefore, it is more utile if the pupils are given the chance to read the written remarks in category, so that they can do any farther elucida tions. Furthermore, the instructor should follow up as to happen out whether the pupil has taken remedial steps. If non sometimes pupils may non take any action. Butler ( 1988 ) conducted an experimental survey about the nexus between intrinsic motive and the type of rating given to the pupils. This involved 48, 11 twelvemonth old Israeli pupils who were divided into three groups. Butler gave three different feedbacks to the learners- classs, remarks and a combination of both classs and remarks. The survey showed that the group who were given remarks gained important betterment. Furthermore, the other two groups showed a diminution in the acquisition ( tonss ) . This non merely revealed that giving remarks is the best manner of supplying feedback, but when remarks are combined with ‘normative feedback ‘ ( classs ) it eliminates the good effects of the remark every bit good. ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998a ) Harmonizing to Wiliam ( 2005 ) when pupils get a higher mark they do non see a demand to read the remark whereas when they get low tonss they do non desire to read the remark as they are de-motivated. When pupils are given Markss it affects their self-esteem furthermore there is no indicant as to what they have/have non achieved or what remedial action demands to be taken. Wiliam ( 2005 ) illustrates another survey done by Butler ( 1987 ) where pupils were given remarks, classs, congratulations and no feedback. It revealed that the pupils who received remarks had improved, whereas those who received classs or congratulations made no more advancement than those who did non have any feedback. The questionnaire given to the pupils revealed that the pupils who got remarks had higher degree of task-involvement, whereas those who got classs or congratulations had well higher ego-involvement. Therefore, if classs or congratulations are given we would merely be able to ‘increase the sense of ego-involvement without increasing accomplishment ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 25 ) . When look intoing approximately congratulations, research workers found that feedback could hold inauspicious effects if it is focused on ‘self-esteem ‘ or ‘self-image ‘ ( congratulations or classs ) ( Wiliam, 2005 ) . Although congratulations can increase motive, it is necessary to keep congratulations throughout to keep the motive which is instead hard thereby praising can do inauspicious effects on a pupil. However, Wiliam ( 2005, p. 26 ) provinces that Brophy ( 1981 ) has pointed out that the quality is more of import than the measure of congratulations ; ‘teachers praise is far more effectual if it is infrequent, believable, contingent, specific and echt ‘ . I feel that a pupil who is gifted being praised for his born endowment can hold a negative consequence on others, particularly on the less able pupil ‘s self-esteem. Therefore, feedback has to concentrate on what can be done to better instead than how good they have done. For feedbac k to be formative it should ‘contain a formula for farther action ‘ ( p28 ) . As an illustration: alternatively of noticing ‘good ‘ or ‘well done ‘ , it would be more appropriate for a instructor to compose a remark as ‘ Susan, you have got the right thought here approximately seeking to explicate your regulation. Think: does it use to all trigons? ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 45 ) . This remark helps the kid to travel a measure frontward. This does non intend the more feedback you get the better it is. Wiliam ( 2005 ) provinces that Day and Cordon ( 1993 ) looked at the acquisition of a group of pupils where half of the pupils were given a ‘scaffolding ‘ when they got stuck and the other half was given a complete reply. The pupils who received the ‘scaffolding ‘ learned more and retained the cognition longer than those who received the full reply. As an illustration: The instructor can scaffold the pupil by inquiring ; What type of a trigon is this? 5cm 13cm What theorem can be used to happen the sides of a right angled trigon? Ten cm How make you utilize the Pythagoras ‘ theorem to happen a shorter side?3.3.2 Peer-assessmentPeer-assessment is appraisal of pupils by their equals, supplying information that will assist them to travel on to the following measure. One manner that peer-assessment can be done successfully is by acquiring the pupils to measure and tag the work of others. As they know they are taging the work of another, they take involvement and duty in making so. Furthermore, when there are dissensions about the reply they discuss and come to understandings. Lee ( 2006 ) states that pupils are honorable and ambitious and accept unfavorable judgment by one another than with the instructor. I have experienced that pupils sometimes while traveling through another individual ‘s account or method may broaden their apprehension of the construct or even challenge and argue to turn out or disapprove with their ain co-workers. As an illustration: Measure the angles of the trigon given below utilizing a protractor. a angle a = 32a? ° angle B = 43a? ° angle degree Celsius = 65a? ° B degree Celsiuss If a pupil is taging the work of a co-worker he might discourse with his equal that when adding all three angles they do non add up to 180a? ° and that angle degree Celsius is an obtuse angle therefore it can non be 65a? ° . They would happen through treatment that the pupil has measured the exterior angle alternatively of the interior angle when mensurating the angle degree Celsius of the trigon. They would together mensurate the angle degree Celsius so that the pupil learns his error. Geting pupils to work in groups is another scheme that promotes peer-assessment which helps them to develop communicating accomplishments as they talk and portion their thoughts. Particularly when they discuss about the aims and what has been done and what needs to be done, it helps them to develop accomplishments needed for self-assessment ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . Training pupils how to discourse schemes with others, linguistic communication to utilize when they critique the work of the others ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) and how to construe feedback so that they can link it to their hereafter work, is every bit of import as supplying information ( Sadler, 1998 ) . They besides need to be trained to mention to success standards and place what has been done and what needs to be done. I feel that peer assessment demands close monitoring and preparation as it can impact another individuals ‘ self-pride. Particularly when covering with low winners unless they are comfy they might experience their work is been compared and evaluated against another which in return may do adverse an consequence.3.3.3 Self-assessmentHarmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) Self-assessment is an of import signifier of appraisal which engage pupils to speak about their ain acquisition which makes them self-critical and independent. As instructors it is of import that we train the pu pils to understand what they are meant to larn. However, harmonizing to P. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998b ) , most pupils are incognizant of the acquisition aims, but if they are cognizant of their marks ( aims ) , ‘their ain appraisal become an object of treatments with their instructors and with one another ‘ ( p10 ) . Geting the pupils to reexamine their ain work and enter their advancement is a method of self-assessment. Therefore, the pupil becomes ‘independent and confident scholar ‘ ( Brookhart, Andolina, Zuza, & A ; Furman, 2004, p. 214 ) . Lee suggests that inquiring the kids to make up one's mind the degree of assurance in their work as good manner of developing self-assessment accomplishments, particularly in lower categories. ‘Traffic visible radiations ‘ and ‘thumbs up ‘ method can be used to acquire the pupils to measure their assurance degree. If the pupils are confident about the construct they use green or hitchhike up, if they are still diffident gold or thumb horizontal or if they are really diffident ruddy or hitchhike down. When they are more comfy they might state â€Å" I ‘m traveling a spot ruddy on this † so that the instructor can take remedial steps easy. Through experience I feel that this is a really good method as the pupi ls can describe troubles without being noticed by other equals. This besides minimizes the distraction of the other scholars. Geting the pupils to measure exemplar pieces of work which contain common misconceptions or mistakes would assist the pupil to understand how to measure their equals and their ain work. For illustration, pull a graph with an inconsistent graduated table on the y-axis and secret plan points severely ( Lee, 2006 ) . When the pupils start discoursing about the graph they non merely understand the construct but ‘develop communicating accomplishments and math vocabulary ‘ ( Brookhart, et al. , 2004, p. 214 ) .3.4 Deciding on the following measureIn a traditional schoolroom, appraisal is used as a ‘tool for the control or alteration of behaviour, for wagess and penalty ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 141 ) , but in a schoolroom where formative appraisal is practiced, appraisal is used to measure the spread between the ‘present place ‘ and the ‘desired end ‘ and to understand ‘the manner to shut the spread ‘ ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998b ) . The instructor guides the pupil in taking the following measure, but finally the pupils ‘become independent of the instructor and intelligently prosecute in and supervise their ain development ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 141 ) . If the pupil has non understood the construct, the instructor spends more clip or even seek different attacks to do certain that the pupil to the full understood the construct. In an case where everyone has mastered the construct the instructor can inquire the pupil to make up one's mind what needs to be done following to make the following acquisition standards. However, with clip pupils become more independent in make up one's minding what the following measure should be to eventually achieve the aim. However, in a existent schoolroom this is non an easy measure for the instructor. The degree of attainment and single demands would be different from one kid to another. Particularly in a schoolroom with a big figure of pupils it would be a great challenge for the instructor. Monitoring the degree of attainment, make up one's mind the following measure that would drive each kid in category towards the mark and eventually covering the course of study within the given clip frame would so be a great challenge for the instructor. Therefore, holding group and whole category treatments, equal and self appraisal would cut down the load on the instructor. 4. Changing the instructor ‘s function Formative appraisal makes the teacher move off from being dominated by the completing of the course of study to being a facilitator of pupil acquisition. Teachers think of the content to be taught as a series of larning ends instead than a series of activities to be completed at any cost ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . The instructor ‘s duty is to assist the pupils to shut the spread between the current province and the learning end while constructing their apprehension. P. J. Black ( 2003 ) states that in the King's-Medway-Oxfordshire Formative Assessment Project ( KMOFAP ) research, instructors were prepared to learn two tierces of the course of study as this is a clip devouring procedure, but in a existent category room instructors do non hold the autonomy to make up one's mind, but alternatively they are compelled to cover the whole course of study. Therefore, instructors may confront practical issues due to the nature of the course of study. Especially instructors who have been in the profession for many old ages may happen these inventions hard to accept and understand moreover they consider this as extra work to their day-to-day instruction. To get the better of this state of affairs instructors should non pattern this method of learning in add-on to the normal instruction, but should be pattern as a portion of the normal instruction. They could besides pattern this method bit by bit taking subdivision by subdivision of the course of study so that they eventually become comfy to learn the whole course of study utilizing the method. Therefore, this would take clip for the instructors to set and pattern this method of instruction. The pupils are encouraged to discourse and show mathematical Ideas. Lee ( 2006 ) states that instructors look at a schoolroom as a ‘discourse community ‘ which means they portion common ends, that there is information and feedback and that everyone understands the mathematical linguistic communication. Students are stimulated to speak and believe and the instructor guides them in these rich treatments. However, these treatments could take to the revelation of constructs. Therefore, a instructor should hold a good cognition of the topic for him to research the thoughts confidently. A instructor should non take a lesson or subject in isolation, but alternatively he should see it as a whole topic so that the treatment would associate the countries that had already been done or would be finishing in future. P. J. Black ( 2003 ) states that the instructor ‘s outlooks change with the pattern of formative appraisal. They believe that the pupils ‘ degree of ability is non fixed but that it can be improved with some support and counsel. Therefore, if a pupil finds a subject hard alternatively of believing that the pupil can non understand because of some familial lack the instructors give them clip or think of a different attack. As an illustration: work out 3ab-5ab In a traditional schoolroom if a pupil fails to reply this inquiry, the instructor would mention the inquiry to another pupil who is capable or inquire a simpler inquiry which does non affect a negative reply from that pupil, presuming that he is non capable. But when formative appraisal is practiced the instructor would remind the pupil ; state me how to work out 3 – 5? and assist the pupil so that he would eventually come up with the solution. The other major alteration of the instructor ‘s function is that the control of the lesson is besides in the custodies of the pupils. Teachers every bit good as the pupils are responsible to make up one's mind what needs to be done to achieve the end, how long they would pass on the subject and what activities they would prosecute in, therefore, the pupils become self-restraining. ‘I was concentrating on the misss understanding and non on their behavior. I frequently found that one time the apprehension was at that place, the behavior followed ‘ a instructor ‘s remark in Lee ( 2006, p. 96 ) . I have frequently experienced that the kids become restless and non prosecute in the lesson when they do non understand or when they are non occupied. When they all contribute and actively take part in a lesson they become self-restraining and as they know that their part is valued it enhances their self-esteem.5. Changing the pupils ‘ functionThe pupils ‘ function has changed from being a ‘passive receiver of cognition offered by the instructor ‘ to an ‘active scholar ‘ in the acquisition procedure who will ‘take duty for and pull off their ain acquisition ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 97 ) . The pupils are expected to show their thoughts, think and raise their sentiments, assess themselves and their equals an d make up one's mind on remedial steps. This is non an easy alteration from the pupils ‘ point of position. All pupils may non be comfy in showing thoughts due to talking troubles or mathematical linguistic communication jobs. Another issue is the trouble in accepting the unfavorable judgment by others. Therefore, as a start the instructor can promote them to discourse group wise and so continue to category treatments. The pupils should understand that incorrect replies and misconceptions are of import as they give the chance to widen acquisition ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . Students are frequently used to listen to the instructor and they are non use to believing critically, therefore they find it hard to believe and show thoughts. As an illustration: ‘Would your mass be the same on the Moon? ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005 ) Explain whether ‘1 ‘ is a premier figure. In these above inquiries the pupils are promoted to believe without the instructor giving the replies. However, this is one other major alteration in the function of the pupil where they sometimes might experience that the instructor is non a good instructor as he does non give out replies and they are so used to the inactive function. Therefore it takes clip and pattern for the pupils to acquire used to it, but so it is a worthwhile measure.6. DecisionIn this essay I have discussed of import points that need to be focused in utilizing appraisal for larning efficaciously in a mathematics schoolroom. As this appears to be one of the most powerful ways of learning through measuring the pupils, as instructors we need this to be embedded in our day-to-day mathematics lessons at all category degrees. However, I feel the fixed lengthy course of study which needs to be covered is a big barrier in practising this scheme. Teachers are compelled to cover the whole course of study because the pupils sit for the standard trials. Furthermore instructors have no authorization to make up one's mind on the course of study they would learn. Therefore, even if they pattern formative appraisal and continue easy in some lessons they might hold to hotfoot through some other subject. Therefore, whether it is practical to learn the whole course of study or whether certain subdivisions can be omitted demands to be researched and discussed by educationalists. Most of the schemes that are used ( oppugning, supplying feedback, measuring ) are non wholly new to instructors, but in appraisal for larning they are used in a more productive and effectual mode to assist pupil larning. Particularly in countries like oppugning, instructors may develop the accomplishments needed with experience and with clip. However, as instructors are used to the function of accountant it will non be easy for them to let go of and allow the pupils to command the acquisition as it is a great challenge for the instructor. However to be effectual these schemes need a great trade of pattern and instructors have to organize their ain ways that suit them and their pupils. Finally this method may make pupils who think, proctor and buttocks themselves and their equals and who are capable of working towards their end with the consciousness of their advancement.