Artificial Intelligence for Speech Recognition Essay

ABSTRACT: When you dial the telephone number of a big company, you are likely to hear the sonorous voice of a cultured lady who responds to your call with great courtesy saying â€Å"welcome to company X. Please give me the extension number you want† .You pronounces the extension number, your name, and the name of the person you want to contact. If the called person accepts the call, the connection is given quickly. This is artificial intelligence where an automatic call-handling system is used without employing any telephone operator. Artificial Intelligence (AI) involves two basic ideas. First, it involves studying the thought processes of human beings. Second, it deals with representing those processes via machines (computers, robots, etc).AI is the behavior of a machine, which, if performed by a human being, would be called intelligent. It makes machines smarter and more useful, is less expensive than natural intelligence. Natural Language Processing (NLP) refers to Artificial Intelligence methods of Communicating with a computer in a natural language like English. The main objective of a NLP program is to understand input and initiate action. The input words are scanned and matched against internally stored known words. Identification of a keyword causes some action to be taken. In this way, one can communicate with computer in one’s language. One of the main application of AI is speech recognition system is that it lets user do other works simultaneously. The speech recognition process is performed by a software component known as the speech recognition engine. A speech recognition system is a type of software that allows the user to have their spoken words converted into written text in a computer application such as a word processor or spreadsheet. The computer can also be controlled by the use of spoken commands. As we can’t design electronic device which recognizes everyone’s voice, based on that it is divided into speaker dependency and speaker independency. The working of the system involves ADC, comparison of this binary version with the stored words. The limitations for this are: must be completely trained by the user, most successful for those competent in the art of dictation. It is applicable in blue eyes technology, telephone applications like travel booking, financial account information, in military for controlling of weapons. By considering all the above factors it differs from other technologies as it produce written text from the user’s dictation, without using, or with only minimal use of, a traditional keyboard and mouse. This is an obvious benefit to many people who, for any number of reasons, do not find it easy to use a keyboard, or whose spelling and literacy skills would benefit from seeing occur. Speech recognition will revolutionize the way people conduct business over the Web and will, ultimately, differentiate world-class ebusinesses the Web, decreases fatigue and created its own path across various fields. INTRODUCTION: Evidence of Artificial Intelligence folklore can be traced back to ancient Egypt, but with the development of the electronic computer in 1941, the technology finally became available to create machine intelligence. The term artificial intelligence was first coined in 1956, at the Dartmouth conference, and since then Artificial Intelligence has expanded because of the theories and principles developed by its dedicated researchers. Artificial intelligence, also known as machine intelligence, is defined as intelligence exhibited by anything manufactured (i.e. artificial) by humans or other sentient beings or systems (should such things ever exist on Earth or elsewhere). With the popularity of the AI computer growing, the interest of the public has also grown. Applications for the Apple Macintosh and IBM compatible computer, such as voice and character recognition have become available. Also AI technology has made steadying camcorders simple using fuzzy logic. With a greater demand for A I-related technology, new advancements are becoming available. Inevitably Artificial Intelligence has, and will continue to affecting our lives. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Effort to develop computer-based systems: that behave like humans: learn languages ï‚ § accomplish physical tasks use a perceptual apparatus With the development of practical techniques based on AI research, advocates of AI have argued that opponents of AI have repeatedly changed their position on tasks such as computer chess or speech recognition that were previously regarded as â€Å"intelligent† in order to deny the accomplishments of AI. They point out that this moving of the goalposts effectively defines â€Å"intelligence† as â€Å"whatever humans can do that machines cannot†. A speech recognition system is a type of software that allows the user to have their spoken words converted into written text in a computer application such as a word processor or spreadsheet. The computer can also be controlled by the use of spoken commands. Speech recognition software can be installed on a personal computer of appropriate specification. The user speaks into a microphone (a headphone microphone is usually supplied with the product). The software generally requires an initial training and enrolment process in order to teach the software to recognize the voice of the user. A voice profile is then produced that is unique to that individual. This procedure also helps the user to learn how to speak to a computer. WORKING: The user speaks to the computer through a microphone, which in turn, identifies the meaning of the words and sends it to NLP device for further processing. Once recognized, the words can be used in a variety of applications like display, robotics, Commands to computers, and dictation .The word recognizer is a speech recognition system that identifies individual words. Following are a few of the basic terms and concepts that are fundamental to speech recognition. Utterances Pronunciations Grammar Accuracy The speech quality varies from person to person. The grammar used by the speaker and accepted by the system, noise level, noise type, position of the microphone, and speed and manner of the user ¶s speech are some factors that may affect the quality of the speech recognition. The computer must be trained to the voice of that particular individual. Such a system is called Speaker-dependent system. Speaker-independent system can be used by anybody, and can recognize any voice, even though the characteristics vary widely from one speaker to another. SPEECH DEPENDENT WORD RECOGNIER: The normal speech has a frequency range of 200 Hz to 7KHz. Recognizing a telephone call is more difficult as it has bandwidth limitations of 300Hz to 3.3KHz.As explained earlier the spoken words are processed by the filters and ADCs. The binary representation of each of these words becomes a template or standard against which the future words are compared. These templates are stored in the memory. Once the storing process is completed, the system can go into its active mode and is capable of identifying the spoken words. As each word is spoken, it is converted into binary equivalent and stored in RAM. The computer then starts searching and compares the binary input pattern with the templates. It is to be noted that even if the same speaker talks the same text, there are always slight variations in amplitude or loudness of the signal, pitch, frequency difference, time gap etc.Due to this reason there is never a perfect match between the template and the binary input word. The pattern matching process therefore uses statistical techniques and is designed to look for the best fit. The values of binary input words are subtracted from the corresponding values in the templates. If both the values are same, the difference is zero and there is perfect match. If not the subtraction produces some difference or error. the smaller the error the better the match. SPEECH INDEPENDENT WORD RECOGNIZER: The search process takes a considerable amount of time, as the CPU has to make many comparisons before recognition occurs. This necessitates use of very high-speed processors. A Large RAM is also required as even though a spoken word may last only a few hundred milliseconds, but the same is translated into many thousands of digital words. It is important to note that alignment of words and speeds as well as elongate different parts of the same word. This is important for the speaker- independent recognizers. APPLICATIONS: HEALTH CARE: Speech recognition is used to enable deaf people to understand the spoken word via speech to text conversion, which is very helpful. Speech recognition is especially useful for people who have difficulty using their hands, ranging from mild repetitive stress injuries to involved disabilities that preclude using conventional computer input devices. (HAND FREE COMPUTING). MILITARY: speech recognizers have been operated successfully in fighter aircraft with applications including: setting radio frequencies, commanding an autopilot system, setting steer-point coordinates and weapons release parameters, and controlling flight displays. TRAINING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS: Training for military (or civilian) air traffic controllers (ATC) represents an excellent application for speech recognition systems. TELEPHONY: Speech is used mostly as a part of User Interface, for creating pre-defined or custom speech commands. LIMITATIONS:   It needs to be completely tailored to the user and trained by the user. It is often set up on one machine, and so can create difficulties for a user who Works from many locations, for example from school and home. It depends on the user having the desire to produce text and be able to invest the Time, training and perseverance necessary to achieve it. It is most successful for those competent in the art of dictation CONCLUSION: Speech recognition had prevailed and achieved tremendous results in different field’s .I t made our interactions with the computer easier than earlier. This technology had reduced the difference between human-to-human and human-to-machine interaction. FUTURE TRENDS: It would yield better results: When it was made noise resistant. Understand our emotions User friendly as accent of a machine differs from human’s It must be portable to use irrespective of the device. REFERENCES: www.seminoron .com www.edu.org www.ibm .com www.dragonsys.com

Bahrain Bay Essay

1. What are Bahrain Bay’s four foundational philosophies, and how might they be used as marketing tools? The first is aesthetics, a dedication to state-of-the-art architectural designs that create a modern image of this real estate project. From a marketing perspective, the artistic designs are the key edge of Bahrain Bay’s buildings. The second is community. Rather than marketing each building individually, Bahrain Bay seeks to maintain unified community for its residents and business people. It extends beyond the traditional concept of marketing a service into place marketing, where an integrated community is born. This is supported by the digital technologies and infrastructures. The third is social equity. The Bay offers a wide range of opportunities for all. It believes to serve its stakeholders. Bahrain Bay promises a quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors alike. The fourth and last philosophy is tomorrow’s environment. By employing top-notch technologies and ecologically sound infrastructures, Bahrain Bay is environmentally friendly, sustaining a city for generations to come. 2.What would you see as Bahrain Bay’s mission?  Bahrain Bay is a stunningly presented collection of waterfront residential, retail, and commercial developments, representing a unique new focal point in Bahrain. 3.What is the MIPIM, and why was it important far Bahrain Bay to target as potential customers, investors, developers, and retailers? MIPIM is the world’s foremost real estate trade show, held on a yearly basis. It brings together the most influential real estate professionals to explore major international property development projects, connect with potential partners, and strike deals over 4 intensive days. Bahrain Bay had to promote their project, in a setting that gathers would-be investors, real estate professionals, who are their ultimate potential customers. 4.Why might the Kingdom of Bahrain be an attractive location for overseas investors? Because its stable rather booming economic status as a major financial and commercial center, as well as many rising projects like Bahrain Investment Wharf, Bahrain Financial Harbor, Bahrain City Center and many others.

Which Meaning of Compensation Seems Most Appropriate from an Employee’s View: Return, Reward or Entitlement?

Which meaning of compensation seems most appropriate from an employee’s view: Return, reward or entitlement? Compensation and Benefits remain as an invaluable tool to attract, motivate and retain qualified candidates. Compensation refers to the wages and other non-financial forms of compensation that an organisation pay to employees for the work they do. Compensation can be given out to employees in the form of pay, incentives, and benefits for performing their job. A total compensation and benefits package aids the organisation in increasing and maintaining the individual’s and team’s morale, encourage motivation towards peak performance, achieve internal and external equity, and increases employees’ loyalty to the organisation. When employees see compensation as a form of entitlement, they might feel that this compensation is unconnected with their accomplishment. Compensation systems are meant to attract, retain and motivate employees. When employees see their compensation as a form of entitlement, the motivation effect ceases. Employee reward and recognition programs are one method of motivating employees to change work habits and key behaviours. Employee reward systems refer to programs set up by a company to reward performance and motivate employees on individual and/or group levels. They are normally considered separate from salary but may be monetary in nature or otherwise have a cost to the company. Reward systems may be used as a tool to lure top employees in a competitive job market as well as to increase employee performance. Though employee recognition programs are often combined with reward programs they retain a different purpose altogether. They are intended to provide a psychological—rewards a financial—benefit. Although many elements of designing and maintaining reward and recognition systems are the same, it is useful to keep this difference in mind, especially for small business owners interested in motivating staffs while keeping costs low. In designing a reward program, a small business owner needs to separate the salary or merit pay system from the reward system. Financial rewards, especially those given on a regular basis such as bonuses, profit sharing, etc. , should be tied to an employee's or a group's accomplishments and should be considered â€Å"pay at risk† in order to distance them from salary. By doing so, a manager can avoid a sense of entitlement on the part of the employee and ensure that the reward emphasizes excellence or achievement rather than basic competency. Merit pay increases, then, are not part of an employee reward system. Normally, they are an increase for inflation with additional percentages separating employees by competency. They are not particularly motivating since the distinction that is usually made between a good employee and an average one is relatively small. In addition, they increase the fixed costs of a company as opposed to variable pay increases, such as bonuses, which have to be â€Å"re-earned† each year. Finally, in many small businesses teamwork is a crucial element of a successful employee's job. Merit increases generally review an individual's job performance, without adequately taking into account the performance within the context of the group or business. Types of Reward Programs include: Variable Pay, Bonuses, Profit Sharing, Stock Options, Group- based reward systems, Bonuses are generally short-term motivators. By rewarding an employee's performance for the previous year, they encourage a short-term perspective rather than future-oriented accomplishments. In addition, these programs need to be carefully structured to ensure they are rewarding accomplishments above and beyond an individual or group's basic functions. Otherwise, they run the risk of being perceived of as entitlements or regular merit pay, rather than a reward for outstanding work. Proponents, however, contend that bonuses are a perfectly legitimate means of rewarding outstanding performance, and they argue that such compensation can actually be a powerful tool to encourage future top-level efforts. Recognition Program While most employees certainly appreciate monetary awards for a job well done, many people merely seek recognition of their hard work. For an entrepreneur with more ingenuity than cash available, this presents an opportunity to motivate employees. Cash is no longer the ultimate motivator. Non-cash awards tend to be more effective; the exception was rewarding increasing sales. Non-cash awards programs would work better than cash in such cases as reinforcing organizational values and cultures, improving teamwork, increasing customer satisfaction and motivating specific behaviors among other programs. One problem associated with many compensation systems is the lack of employee involvement. Though it has been stated that reward in most cases has more motivation, attraction and retention effects, it might not be so for some employees.

Marriage Gone Wrong Spills Over to WorkView in a new window Assignment

Marriage Gone Wrong Spills Over to WorkView in a new window - Assignment Example ording to the US employment and labour laws, external harassment of an employee, not only possesses a security threat to him or her but to the whole company employees (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman). Thus, it is would be prudent for the company to develop human resource policies (protocols) that could be useful in handling situations like this. These policies are expected to be in compliance with the federal laws and the state laws of the particular state in concern. Some of the policies that could be applied in this particular situation include: As the employee in this situation had clearly put it to her supervisor, the situation in this case is personal. The simplest way to tackle this issue is for the employer to personally talk with the employee. To achieve this, a trusted member of the management team, like her supervisor, could be invited to the meeting in order for her to talk freely without feeling that her personal boundaries, as well as her constitutional rights, are being violated. Through this, the employer may be able to understand her attitude in the workplace and even officially refer her to relevant authorities who handle matrimonial issues. However, this protocol proves less effective especially given the fact that the husband’s audience in the meeting is not guaranteed. In order to avoid unnecessary chaos in the workplace, the supervisor, having been informed of the situation, should immediately alert the security department of the company of this employee’s situation. It is usual that some employees in a company usually feel demystified in the company to the extent that they feel their personal issues may not be addressed. This could be a reason as to why the employee, in this situation, felt that her supervisor should not bother telling anyone of her problem. However, her confrontation with the husband could generate a general disturbance to the company that could lead to even the arrest of the employer on allegations of improper security

Bus330 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bus330 - Essay Example 3,413,649,001 $3,533,126,716 $3,656,786,151 $3,784,773,666 $3,917,240,744 $4,054,344,170 $4,196,246,216 $4,343,114,834 $4,495,123,853 $4,652,453,188 $550,000,000 $569,250,000 $589,173,750 $609,794,831 $631,137,650 $653,227,468 $676,090,429 $699,753,595 $724,244,970 $749,593,544 $775,829,318 $802,983,344 $831,087,762 $860,175,833 $890,281,987 $921,441,857 $953,692,322 $987,071,553 $1,021,619,058 $1,057,375,725 $1,045,000,000 $1,081,575,000 $1,119,430,125 $1,158,610,179 $1,199,161,536 $1,241,132,189 $1,284,571,816 $1,329,531,830 $1,376,065,444 $1,424,227,734 $1,474,075,705 $1,525,668,355 $1,579,066,747 $1,634,334,083 $1,691,535,776 $1,750,739,528 $1,812,015,412 $1,875,435,951 $1,941,076,209 $2,009,013,877 $250,000,000 $258,750,000 $267,806,250 $277,179,469 $286,880,750 $296,921,576 $307,313,832 $318,069,816 $329,202,259 $340,724,338 $352,649,690 $364,992,429 $377,767,164 $390,989,015 $404,673,631 $418,837,208 $433,496,510 $448,668,888 $464,372,299 $480,625,329 $264,199,034 $273,446,000 $283,016,610 $292,922,191 $303,174,468 $313,785,574 $324,768,069 $336,134,952 $347,899,675 $360,076,164 $372,678,829 $385,722,588 $399,222,879 $413,195,680 $427,657,528 $442,625,542 $458,117,436 $474,151,546 $490,746,850 $507,922,990 $44,199,034 $45,746,000 $47,347,110 $49,004,259 $50,719,408 $52,494,587 $54,331,897 $56,233,514 $58,201,687 $60,238,746 $62,347,102 $64,529,251 $66,787,774 $69,125,346 $71,544,734 $74,048,799 $76,640,507 $79,322,925 $82,099,227 $84,972,700 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $117,351,933 $126,683,001 $236,340,656 $246,336,328 $256,681,850 $267,389,465 $278,471,846 $289,942,111 $301,813,834 $314,101,069 $326,818,356 $339,980,749 $353,603,825

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Motivation - Essay Example Like other doctorate students, I joined the Walden University to pursue a doctorate in Business Administration-Healthcare Management. After my undergraduate studies, I thought that I had obtained all the knowledge that I needed to survive in the real world. However, I later realized that a single degree was not sufficient for me to handle the emerging and dynamic challenges of life. I realized that there were many concepts that were unfamiliar to me, and my desire for continued physical and intellectual stimulation was still hot in my mind. Further, there was a strong need to push myself beyond the limits by breaking through the challenges of doctorate education, and strengthen my coping capacities because education can become frustrating at times. According to Mujtaba et al. (2006), the comprehensive dissertation process and the complex exams are the climax of doctorate degrees. They consume a substantial amount of a student’s time and resources before successful completion. Doctorate studies increase the job potential of an individual  by orienting a student to research of high education, and business language and vocabularies (Mujtaba et al., 2006). Business administration course is a comprehensive field, which has many vocabularies and conceptual language that only experts can understand. Healthcare management is another complex field that requires people who are highly trained and competent professionals to run the activities in this field. My chief motivation for pursuing a doctorate in this field was the increasing demand for effective management of healthcare resources. This will ensure that citizens of this nation receive high quality health services, which will facilitate a decrease in the number of deaths caused by poor management. During the course of my study, I expect to gain sufficient insights into administrative concept like strategic planning, strategic production, distribution and

A Conceptual Model for Evaluating Segments Research Paper

A Conceptual Model for Evaluating Segments - Research Paper Example (1992), the evaluation matrix proposed by Sarabia (1996) and the strategy-aligned fuzzy MADM model proposed by Ou et al. (2009). All three models have departed from the traditional notion that statistical measures can be used to evaluate segments and have embarked on a more flexible and subjective (to the firm) or firm-specific approach to the segment evaluation. It is suggested by the analysis that a synthesis of these three models can potentially produce a holistic tool for evaluating segments; a tool which considers both the internal and external forces and which incorporates the firm’s specific needs. Introduction The evaluation of market segments is one of the most critical aspects in the entire segmentation analysis, given that the segments that are eventually selected by firms need to be attractive, measurable and substantial (Beane and Ennis, 1987; Sarabia, 1996). Segmentation is crucial because it provides a direction for marketing strategies to be developed; on the b asis of segmentation firms design specific marketing activities targeting clusters of the market which are share some degree of homogeneity and which are likely to respond in a similar manner to marketing incentives (Jonker et al., 2004). According to Wind (1978) and Ou et al. (2009) segmentation should be not only approached through statistical measures which only provide a picture of the differences between various segments, but more consistently should be approached through subjective measures as well, which denote the essence of the judgements of the decision makers and as Sarabia (1996) stresses, the distinctiveness of each firm (and each firm’s needs). Thus evaluation of segments becomes of crucial importance because it shows on the one hand the attractiveness of each segment identified but this attractiveness is measured by incorporating the specific-firm aspects as well. In this paper, three models for evaluating segments are presented and assessed in terms of their s trengths in an attempt to synthesize a theoretical framework for segment evaluation. Different Approaches to Market Segmentation Market segmentation is treated differently by many academic researchers and scholars. According to Beane and Ennis (1987) the existence of various approaches towards market segmentation reveals the different viewpoints on the subject. Market segmentation is often viewed as clustering the markets in an attempt to identify segments which can be profitable for business, but is also often viewed as simple categorization of the consumers in groups with no essential meaning attached to them. Segmentation can be treated on the basis of geographical data, psychographics, demographics and behavioural data. Other treatment of segmentation may be based on purchase occasion or even benefit clusters (Beane and Ennis, 1987). The different approaches to market segmentation eventually affect the marketing practices of firms in that they illuminate different dimensions of the customer base or the target segment. For example, a demographic segmentation may be useful in products for which consumption is largely dependent on the demographic data of the market, but unequally neglects other elements of the target market which may also have a close relevance to the consumption. According to Allenby et al. (2002) there are two primary differences in the treatment of market segmentation: the ‘ex ante’ and the ‘ex post’; the ex ante approach indicates an exploration of the drivers behind the consumers’ behaviour while the ex post approach indicates an investigation of the responses of the consumers’ behaviour in the various marketing offerings. In general the different market segmentati

Market governmnet and orgainzations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market governmnet and orgainzations - Article Example The company’s board of directors’ decision to fire the CEO was not prudent since it led to the disintegrating of the entire board team. Merging with another firm and coming up with unique services would an ideal way out for the beta corp. company. The radical approach is quite pragmatic. The government’s decision to keep the company afloat is important in ensuring that all the obligations of the company are met. In the event f failure to meet such obligations, normally, the citizens that had subscribed to the insurance scheme would suffer losses. This would increase lead to depreciation in the economic growth, as the citizens would be struggling to bear the loss of insurance investment. The mixed liberal theoretical dimension also offers a good perspective of the situation. The government needs to keep the company afloat to ensure that all the company obligations are met. However, on the same note, the company ought to put in place a good and compete team of board of governors to oversee the management process of the company. Firing of the company’s CEO may not have been a prudent idea, but it offered a perfect chance for the government to appoint new members into the team of the board of directors. Such a team would develop a strategy to efficiently maintain the company and keep things working perfectly. According to this perspective, the board of directors appointed for this company ought to competent and capable of critically analyzing a situation in place. The board members should be people with experience and skills on the management of companies of this nature. The members should be professionals capable of making independent decisions. Ideally, the board must fulfill its primary role of strategic planning for the company. Such plans should be made on long term basis, and should be aimed at uplifting the company and making it emerge among the topmost companies. The radical approach may also adopt a

Developmental Relations Among Mind, Brain and Education Essay - 5

Developmental Relations Among Mind, Brain and Education - Essay Example This research tells that according to Debbie Zambo, the 1990s saw the burgeoning of neuroscience due to the technological advances. The continued development of technology saw neuroscientists learn more and discover things they had not discovered earlier. They learned a lot about the brain and its functions. This is attributed to the tasks they have performed over time. Technological innovations have definitely helped us a lot in many ways in our daily lives. However, they also have their challenges. The technological innovations in neuroscience have their own challenges that are more evident in education. There is an attempt by neuroscientists and other involved stakeholders to translate a once specialized field that was filled with technicalities. There are findings that can be translated into data that is comprehensible to teachers in their teaching, especially teachers of young children. The relation between these two fields has led to what is known as educational neuroscience. I t is the intersection between education, the mind, and the brain. It has become more common in the materials read by teachers, the curriculum used to teach them and the products they buy. One of the links drawn between neuroscience and education is that information on neuroscience has the power to help teachers learn how children learn, think and regulate themselves. However, the same information also has the power to alter the nurturing and teaching of children. The other link between the two is that it enables the teacher to learn about the different brain structures and their functions. This, in turn, helps the teacher in understanding how different and unique the brains of children are, and how this translates to the actions they take. The education practice engrosses the brain and the link between the two has various challenges.

Salem witch trials Essay Example for Free

Salem witch trials Essay In the commentary, â€Å"Do Video Games Kill†, Karen Sternheimer brings to light an interesting and incredibly controversial subject; are video games to blame for youth gun violence? She maintains that due to many biased opinions; political, religious and advocacy groups, the media have failed to provide ample information to the public resulting in the inability to form an educated opinion, in turn causing a mass hysteria resulting in tougher security guidelines in schools, stricter juvenile laws and far less personal and parental responsibility. An incredibly popular first person shooter video game, Doom, is ripe with gratuitous violence. So much so that it has been blamed for several mass shootings, perpetrated by middle-class, white, young-adult males. The media, politicians, advocacy groups as well as the FBI are steadfast in claiming that the only rational explanation is that of the individuals falling prey to the aggression inciting video game. In short, the violent video game made them do it. One might be reminded of the Salem Witch Trials, where no educated explanation can be derived, those which cannot defend themselves, no matter how far-fetched the reasoning, is the obvious answer. Religious and political dogma has run rampant. The media have created unnecessary fear and moral panic to legitimize their personal agendas under the guise of â€Å"protecting children†. More often than not, alternate explanations are not even taken into consideration. Depression, poverty, ignorance, self deprecation, bullying, violent home life are seldom cited and when cited are not explored in depth. The justice system in nearly every state has revised its juvenile justice laws to increase their penalties in many ways; however, the Supreme Court deemed juvenile executions unconstitutional, which in turn created even more fodder for the paranoid masses.

What is the Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet?

What is the Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet? In this essay I am going to analyse act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet to work out why it is the turning point of the play. I will analyse the characters; historical context; the structure of the play; the main characters and the language used by William Shakespeare. I will also analyse how Shakespeare built up tension within the audience. I have read the play and have watched the original movie directed by Zeffirellis and the modern version directed by Lurhmann. By watching both the traditional and the modern version I now have a clearer interpretation of the message that Shakespeare wanted to put across. It is acceptable for the play to be modernised as it gives the message to a different audience in a way that they can understand. Both of the versions were unique but they still carried the same message which is that love is blind and that although there are many different types of love, they can all lead to disaster. The genre of the play is a tragedy and this is clearly shown throughout the play especially in act 3 scene 1. The Capulet and the Montague families are both feuding. They are fighting because Romeo had gate-crashed the Capulets party; he gate crashed the party because he was hoping to see Rosaline, who he wanted to see as he thinks he loves her. Romeo has the personality of any other teenager and is prone to getting into fights. The weather was to blame for many of the fights as it was extremely hot and this was making many people agitated, so maybe if the weather was cooler Mercutio would not have been as argumentative and the fight would never have started. Also, if Romeo had not gate-crashed the party Tybalt would not want revenge. Also, if Romeo had stayed with Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio would have just fought to let out their anger and nobody would have died but Romeo turned up just at the wrong point which meant Tybalt stabbed Mercutio. Romeo did not want to fight; in fact his original intention was to stop the fight and this was because he was now related to Tybalt so he did not want to hurt one of his relatives but he could not control himself after Tybalt had killed Mercutio and ended up fighting with Tybalt. Before the fight Romeo says to Tybalt Either thou or I must go with him and he is trying to implement the fact that Mercutio has only just died and one of them must join him. Even if the fight had not taken place and Romeo had not killed Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet would still not be able to live happily as the two families would still be fighting and would not agree with their marriage. Benvolio says The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, And if we meet them we shall not escape a brawl, For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. This is very much foreshadowing what is to come as the minute the two families meet a fight does start. Benvolio highlighted twice that the weather was very hot and this was because Elizabethans believed the heat made men angry and they thought that there was even more of a chance that there would be a fight as the weather was hot. In the eyes of the audience this was the start of things to come as this was the start of the turning point of act 3 scene 1. This tells the audience what would happen if the two families meet but what the audience do not know is that the two families do meet which would have built up tension in the audience. The way that Shakespeare puts Mercutio in the fight is showing that act 3 scene 1 is the turning point of play. This is because it is completely changing Mercutios character as he is always harmless and full of life and would never get into a fight, and would certainly not start one. This change to Mercutios character affects the play greatly because if there was no fight Mercutio would not be killed, which would of not triggered the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. This would then mean that Romeo would not be banished as he would not kill anyone. This would change the outcome of the play dramatically as Juliet would know where Romeo was and they could put a plan together to decide what they were going to do next. Before Mercutio died he said A plague aboth houses! By saying this he was wishing the worst luck on both of the families as they are both as much to blame as each other for the fighting and all of the fall outs over the years. Shakespeare had used the plague as this was something that was spreading throughout the time the play was written and if a family caught it their future did not look good. This was also dramatically foreshadowing the future of the two families as even though the audience didnt know it, this is what was going to happen; both families were going to have a great loss. Romeo is another character that Shakespeare dramatically changes throughout act 3 scene 1 to show that this scene is the changing point of Romeo and Juliet. One way that Shakespeare uses Romeo to show that this scene is the turning point is in the change in his attitude. At the start of the play Romeo just wants to be left alone as he his thinking about Rosalyne, and then there is a point at the party where he gets back to his normal self and then falls in love with Juliet and this changes his thoughts and personality dramatically as he changes his views and thoughts on the Capulet family. He realises that if he wants his marriage to be successful he needs to make friends with Juliets family. But by the end of act 3 scene 1 this has changed completely and Romeo ends up killing Tybalt who was Juliets Cousin, a Capulet. This is what completely changed the outcome of the play as Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt which ends eventually in Romeo and Juliet both dying. This is why Romeo was the main cause for act 3 scene 1 being the turning point of the play. Throughout act 3 scene 1 Shakespeare uses very dramatic and powerful language. One example of this is when Tybalt says thou art a villain this is aimed at Romeo. At the time the play was written this was intended as a very serious insult and was like calling him the lowest of the low an extremely bad person. Shakespeare uses this to show that this point in the play is changing the rest of the play. By Tybalt saying this to Romeo it is making it look as if all of the problems are caused by Romeo and he is the cause of the pain and suffering. This shows us that Romeo has changed; he is not seen as the one who stays away from the fights and wants to stop them happening; he is now seen as one of the people to start them. Another example of Shakespeare using dramatic language is when Romeo says But love thee better than thou canst devise. He said this to Tybalt and he meant that he loves Tybalt in a way greater than he could imagine meaning he is now related to Tybalt as he is married to Juliet, Tybalts cousin. This is dramatic irony in the play as the audience knew that Romeo is married to Juliet but no one else does apart from the Nurse and Friar Laurence. By Romeo saying this it is showing how the marriage was affecting the lives of everyone. The marriage was the reason that Tybalt killed Mercutio as if Romeo had not of been with Juliet he would not have left her and interrupted the fight which would not have caused Tybalt to stab Mercutio. Romeo says My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt. In my behalf; my reputation staind. Romeo is saying that Mercutio has been killed on his behalf. This is because the Capulets wanted to have revenge for Romeo gate crashing their party. This is the reason the fight started and if there fight had not have started Mercutio would not have been killed. So because of this Romeo is now blaming the death of Mercutio on himself even though it is clear that it is not his fault as he didnt turn up until the end of the fight. This is another way that we are shown act 3 scene 1 is the turning point of the play as all of the characters feelings and thoughts keep changing dramatically throughout act 3 scene 1. The stagecraft of the play is another way that act 3 scene 1 was shown as the turning point to the play. One way that this was shown was the way that Shakespeare showed someone being stabbed. The actor would wear a pigs bladder under his clothes, this would be full of blood and when another actor touched this with their sword it would burst and the blood would come out making the actor look as if he had been stabbed. This was very gory but very effective making the audience believe the actor had actually been stabbed. This was used in act 3 scene 1 when Mercutio was stabbed and would have dramatically affected the audiences mood and feelings this would have been because they would have felt as if the actor had really died and it would have affected them as they would of felt as if they had just watch someone die. This would have also entertained the audience as the Elizabethans loved blood and gore and would be something that they would want to see in a play. In conclusion, Act 3 scene 1 has many reasons that show it is the turning point to Romeo and Juliet and this is shown by Shakespeare using the way the characters feelings and thoughts change throughout the act 3 scene 1. Also the way that Shakespeare used dramatic language to change the thoughts and tension in the audience. The fight between Tybalt and Mercutio completely changed the outcome of the play this was because this fight led to Tybalt killing Mercutio which led to another fight between Tybalt and Romeo which ended with Romeo killing Tybalt. This then meant Romeo had to be punished and this is done by banishing him from Verona which meant when Friar Laurence and Juliet made a plan for them to live together, the details dont get to Romeo and in the end they both end up killing themselves which lead to the play ending as a tragedy. So if the fight in act 3 scene 1 had not taken place the ending to the play would not have been so sad. This is why act 3 scene 1 is definitely the turning point to the play as it seriously changed the rest of the play. I have analysed the language used by Shakespeare and how he used language to change the mood of the audience and show that act 3 scene 1 is the turning point in Romeo and Juliet. I have also analysed the way that Shakespeare used characters and stage craft to show this. After analysing these points I think without act 3 scene 1 Romeo and Juliet would not be a tragedy as it would not have ended in the way it did.

Importance of Monitoring Blood Pressure

Importance of Monitoring Blood Pressure Why should we monitor high blood pressure? In this essay the reasons why we monitor high blood pressure will be discussed. In order to do this it will first be necessary to explain what blood pressure is and what we mean by high blood pressure. The implications of having high blood pressure will be considered followed by how and why it should be monitored. Both the social and economic implications of high blood pressure and it’s monitoring will be assessed. Blood pressure is the measure of the force the heart uses to pump blood through the arteries. NHS Choices. (21/07/2014). These arteries manage the flow of the blood by controlling its speed and direction. Blood pressure depends two things; how forcefully the heart pumps the blood and how narrow or relaxed the arteries are. Gill. S, Kristensen. SD. (08/02/2011). High blood pressure is caused when blood is forced through the arteries at an increased pressure. Artery walls have tiny muscles which allow them to become narrower or wider. The narrower the arteries the less space there is for the blood to flow and the harder the heart will have to work. The muscles in the artery wall react to the flow of blood by working harder, which makes them grow bigger. The wall then becomes thicker reducing the space for the blood to flow through. When the heart has to pump harder to push the blood through narrowed arteries the blood pressure rises. If an artery becomes blocked or bursts, the part of the body that the blood was going to will be deprived of energy and oxygen and will be damaged or die. In this instance the pressure of the blood causes the damage. Fullick. A (2008). Arteries can become damaged in other ways. They can become hardened (atherosclerosis) as a result of fat, cholesterol and other substances building up in the walls of the arteries. Hence life style can be a major contributor in high blood pressure. If an individual is overweight, smokes, eats too much salt, doesn’t exercise enough and, or consumes too much alcohol they will be susceptible to high blood pressure. In addition, if a person has relatives with high blood pressure, has a history of cardiovascular disease, or is of African or Caribbean descent they are more prone to it. Finally, as a person gets older so does their chance of getting high blood pressure, as the blood vessels become stiffer and less flexible. NHS Choices. (04/07/2014). Having continued high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) increases a persons risk of many serious illnesses, for example; cardiovascular disease, stroke, embolism, aneurysm and kidney disease, to name a few. Approximately one in five people in the UK suffer from hypertension. Gill. S, Kristensen. SD. (08/02/2011). However many of these aren’t aware, as there are not always obvious symptoms. For this reason it is sometimes known as the silent killer. NHS Choices. (04/07/2014). In some instances, with continued levels of very high blood pressure, individuals may display persistent headaches, blurred or double vision, nosebleeds and shortness of breath. The only way to know if a person has a problem with their blood pressure is to get it measured. The NHS recommend that every adult should have their blood pressure checked every 5 years. NHS Choices. (04/07/2014). The chart opposite shows the different levels of blood pressure and at what point they are considered low, normal and high. This chart is suitable for adults of any age as, although a persons blood pressure might change with age, the levels at which the pressure is considered high, normal or low do not. Blood Pressure Association . (2008). When taking a person’s blood pressure there are two readings. The top number is the systolic blood pressure. This is the highest pressure when the heart beats and pushes blood around the body. The bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure. This is the lowest pressure when the heart is relaxed between beats. Low blood pressure is anything less than 90/60. Ideal blood pressure is between 90/60 and 120/80. Readings up to 140/90 mean that the blood pressure is a little high and should be reduced slightly but anything over 140/90 is an indication of high blood pressure. Only one of either the systolic or diastolic numbers has to be higher than it should be to indicate that a person has high blood pressure . Blood Pressure Association . (2008). If blood pressure is 120 diastolic or below the risk of cardiovascular disease as a result of blood pressure is minimal but as it rises up to 140 diastolic the risk doubles and then by 160 over it doubles again. For every 20mm diastolic i ncrease the risk of death from cardiovascular disease doubles. Blood Pressure Association. (2008). Figures published by Public Health England in November 2014 showed that diseases caused by continued high blood pressure cost the NHS over  £2bn every year and monitoring accounts for 12% of all GP visits.  £850 million could be saved over a period of 10 years if overall blood pressure was reduced. In addition, over the same period of time, if 15% more people were diagnosed, a further  £120 million could be saved. Finally, if another 15% currently being treated controlled their blood pressure more effectively, another  £120 million could be saved. Public Health England. (2014). However, the act of measuring blood pressure is problematic. The whole process of going to visit a G.P to have your blood pressure monitored can in itself increase blood pressure. This is commonly known as the white coat effect; where a blood pressure reading is higher when taken in a medical setting than when it’s taken at home. This may be because patients are more nervous in such settings. It is reported that such an increase may occur in as many as 25% of those diagnosed with high blood pressure. This can lead to improper diagnosis of high blood pressure. NHS Choices. (24/08/2011). NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) reports that this effect is more common in pregnancy and with increasing age. McManus. R et al (2011). Thus other methods of monitoring are being considered more widely. One of these methods is ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM). This is where blood pressure is measured for up to 24 hours. A small digital blood pressure monitor is se cured around a patients waist and connected to a cuff at the top of their arm. It is small enough not to affect daily life and can even be used when asleep. It measures the blood pressure at regular intervals over 24 hours, so a doctor is able to get a clear idea of how a patient’s blood pressure changes throughout the day. It avoids the problem of misleading spikes in blood pressure because a patient is feeling anxious about being tested. Pickering found that 21% of 292 patients with borderline high blood pressure actually had normal daytime readings. These patients were defined as having white coat hypertension, and they were more likely to be female, younger and to weigh less. Pickering. TG et al (1988). Staessen undertook a similar study and found that more patients measured by ABPM stopped treatment than those measured in a medical setting. Staessen. JA et al (1997). Therefore the benefits to large portions of society who might be able to stop taking drugs as a result of mis-diagnosis could be quite substantial. ABPM is, however, expensive. In 2011 NICE released the findings of a study that found that although it was the most accurate method of diagnosing hypertension, it was also the most expensive. However, the savings made as a result of reduced cost of drugs and GP visits meant that it was still the most cost effective means of measuring and confirming diagnosis. McManus. R et al (2011). Staessen also found that drug intervention could be reduced and that blood pressure and overall general health was improved as a result of treatment based on ABPM reading. Staessen. JA et al (1997). Therefore the social and economic benefits of ABPM would appear to be wholly worth the cost. However, Law, Wald and Morris Law. M, Wald. N, Morris. J. (2003). suggest there are problems with restricting the measurement of blood pressure purely to those with high blood pressure. They argue that although blood pressure is an important cause of stroke and heart disease it is not a good screening test to distinguish who will or will not develop them. They claim that most strokes and coronary heart disease occurs in people who do not have high blood pressure (only 10% of people with the highest blood pressure experience less than one third of all strokes and one fifth of all coronary heart disease events) and that older people with average blood pressure have a substantially greater risk than younger people with high blood pressure.They suggest that the term hypertension intimates that blood pressure is a disease in itself, rather than an indication of more serious problems and that monitoring with a view to reducing high blood pressure ignores those whose blood pressure might be relatively normal or borderline but whom for other reasons may develop stroke or heart disease. They found that lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke whatever the starting blood pressure. They suggest that the main method of screening should be to identify all those with a history of stroke or heart attack. They further suggest that there is little point in measuring blood pressure after a first event as subsequent deaths account for about half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease. Surprisingly, Law, Wald and Morris suggest that changes in diet and lifestyle have only a limited effect in reducing average blood pressure, although they do acknowledge that a major reduction in the salt content of manufactured foods by the food industry would have an impact. They argue that blood pressure lowering drugs are the only way to ensure substantial reductions in blood pressure. As such they suggest that blood pressure reducing drugs should be given to all those identified as susceptible to heart disease or stroke, including those over a certain age, regardless of the level of their blood pressure. The impartiality of Law, Wald and Morris findings are questionable as they see medication as the only way forward. It is not clear if their research is funded by a pharmaceutical company and care would need to be taken when relying upon their findings. They give no credence to the social benefits of life style changes, for example general well being from a reduced diet or alcohol intake, as well as the benefits brought about from the socialising aspect of exercise. Their recommendations also take no account of the reluctance of otherwise healthy individuals to a lifetime of drug taking. As highlighted by Honigsbaum, Honigsbaum. M.. (2012). who, at the age of 47, living a healthy life style, rejected the notion of having to take pills for the rest of his life. Honigsbaum is an example of those in Law’s study, whose life style did not suggest a problem with high blood pressure but whom had a genetic pre disposition to the condition. In conclusion, it would appear that there is consensus of agreement that high blood pressure is a major world health problem and that monitoring is essential. However, there is still a lot to be done in terms of education about lifestyle and adoption of values that underpin this, for example encouragement of healthier lifestyles and for the food industry to take take responsibility for a reduction in salt in manufactured foods. There is further a growing body of agreement that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is the most effective in terms of diagnosis and as such the higher costs are justified. In addition, questions remain regarding how to identify those with pre existing or inherent predisposition to cardiovascular disease who may not have high blood pressure. References Gill. S, Kristensen. SD. (08/02/2011). High blood pressure (hypertension). Available: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/hypertension.htm#ixzz3QISs6hUI. Last accessed 30/01/15. Blood pressure association . (2008). What high blood pressure (hypertension) can do. Available: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourbody. Last accessed 30/01/15. Blood pressure association . (2008). Blood pressure chart. Available: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressurechart. Last accessed 30/01/15. NHS Choices. (21/07/2014). What is blood pressure?. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/what-is-blood-pressure.aspx. Last accessed 30/01/15. NHS Choices. (04/07/2014). High blood pressure (hypertension). Available: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Blood-pressure-(high)/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last accessed 30/01/15. NHS Choices. (04/07/2014). High blood pressure (hypertension) Symptoms. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Blood-pressure-(high)/Pages/Symptoms.aspx. Last accessed 30/01/15. NHS Choices. (24/08/2011). High blood pressure to be tested at home. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/08august/pages/high-blood-pressure-test-home.aspx. Last accessed 30/01/15. Pickering. TG, James. GD, Boddies. C, Harshfield. GA, Blank. S, Laragh. JH.. (1988). How common is white coat hypertension?. National Institute of Health. 259 (2), 225-8. McManus. R, Jowett. S, Barton. P, Hodgkinson. J, Mant. J, Martin. U, Heneghan. C, Hobbs. R.. (2011). Cost-effectiveness analysis – blood pressure monitoring for confirming a diagnosis of hypertension. Hypertension. 1 (1), 446. Staessen. JA, Byttebier. G, Buntinx. F, Celis. H, OBrien. ET, Fagard. R.. (1997). Antihypertensive treatment based on conventional or ambulatory blood pressure measurement. A randomized controlled trial. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and Treatment of Hypertension Investigato. National Institute of Health. 278 (13), 1065-72. Law. M, Wald. N, Morris. J.. (2003). Lowering blood pressure to prevent myocardial infarction and stroke: a new preventive strategy. Health Technology Assessment NHS RD HTA Programme. 7 (31), 3. Honigsbaum. M.. (2012). Home truths about high blood pressure. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/jan/08/high-blood-pressure-mark-honigsbaum. Last accessed 30/01/15. Fullick. A (2008). Edexcel AS Biology. Essex: Pearson Eduction limited. 18-33. Public Health England. (2014). Tackling high blood pressure from evidence into action. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/375985/20141018_Tackling_high_blood_pressure_-_FINAL_INCL_LINK_CHANGES.pdf. Last accessed 30/01/15. 1

Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

Electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection, firing squad, hanging, guillotine, and garroting. When you hear these words what do you think of? Do you feel frightened? When some hear these words they tend to say, " Oh they deserve it". In the court system that is not always the case. The question you always have to ask yourself is what did the accused do and do they deserve the death penalty? What is bad enough to deserve death? Are their certain crimes that do and then some that do not? Almost every culture through out history has relied on the death penalty and capital punishment and justified as a necessary tool to maintain order. The only thing that changed throughout time were the crimes deemed punishable by death and the methods used to kill those found guilty. Some of the other countries' laws of capital punishment seem so barbaric. In ancient India, executions were sometimes carried out by having an elephant crush the condemned's head. Executions used to be public spectacles. In ancient Persia, one method of execution involved being eaten alive by insects and vermin. In the middle ages, methods of execution included chopping off limbs, stripping off the condemned person's skin, boiling in oil, drawing and quartering (cutting the persons innards and then tearing the body into four pieces), burning at the stake, and crucifixion. In 1692, a man refused to testify aft er his wife was accused of witchcraft and was " Pressed " to death. The sentence was carried out by lying him on a stone floor, placing a board over him, and piling stones upon the board. Benjamin Rush, credited with the beginning the movement to abolish capital punishment in the U.S, declared in 1792 that reform, not retribution, should be the goal of punishment. The Bible authorizes executing those who show contempt on their parents, walk without permission on sacred ground, practicing sorcery, sacrifice in foreign gods or who prostitute themselves. In the Bible Exodus 21:12 it says, " Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death." Electrocution in the modern era. Electricity causes biological damage through both heat and electrochemical havoc. The electrical current itself abolishes the function of organs and tissues such as the brain, nerves, and heart by overwhelming the fragile bioelectrical basis of the metabolism. The voltage applied is... ...icans that some states have strict death penalty laws while others employ long, complicated legal procedures that make it almost impossible for a criminal to be executed? Samuel Hand, The North American Review, December 1881 wrote an article titled Deserved Retribution. It said, Capital execution upon the deadly poisoner and the midnight assassin is not only necessary for the safety of society, it is the fit and deserved retribution of their crimes. By it alone is divine and human justice is fulfilled. Robert Rantaul Jr., Report to The Legislature, 1836 wrote an article titled Death Penalty Unnecessary. It said, It is not necessary to hang the murderer in order to guard society against him, and to prevent him from repeating the crime. If it were, we should hang the maniac, who is the most dangerous murderer. Society may defend itself by other means than by destroying life. Massachusetts can build prisons strong enough to secure the community forever against convicted felons. You may have been close minded about capital punishment before you read my paper and if you were you still probably are, but the one thing I hope you saw were all the sides and views of capital punishment.

Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- Papers Harpe

Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The mockingbird is a major symbol in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Harper Lee chose the mockingbird for both the title of her book and as a symbol in her book. I believe she selected it because the mockingbird is a creature that is loved by all for its singing and mocking, for which it gets its name, and how it never intends to harm anything or anybody. Atticus Finch says to Jem, but remember it?s a sin to kill a mockingbird.? Whereupon Miss Maudie explains, ?Your father?s right, mockingbirds don?t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don?t? eat up people?s gardens, don?t nest in corncribs, they don?t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That?s why it?s a sin to kill mockingbirds.? In the book, the mockingbird symbolizes Arthur ?Boo? Radley in the novel. Both Boo and the mockingbird do no harm and are never anything but pleasant to others. Boo left gifts for Jem and Scout in the tree, such as gum, two indian head pennies, two carved soap figurines, and a pocketwatch. He also mended J...

The ways in which urban area rapid population growth has led to economic, social and environmental problems

Cairo, in Egypt, is an urban area that has the problem of a rapid population causing for its economic, social and environmental systems. Cairo's population has grown by 10 million people in 30 years, causing multiple problems because of its rapid ness, due to rural-urban migration and natural increase. Because of large numbers of migrants entering the city from the countryside, housing became a large problem, as these people are too poor to afford housing on the outskirts. Instead, most move into the medieval parts of the city where blocks of cramped two-roomed apartments provide cheap housing. However, this is often too expensive, especially for those that have only just become economically independent, therefore, extra storeys have been created on the flat roof tops in slums. It is because of this high-density housing, as well as pollution and sewerage systems and many other problems that have cause health hazards. With such a large city already, disease is prone to everyone and is likely to be airborne in most areas, with few doctors and a lack of medicines. Because there are so many people in the city there are few job vacancies, especially for those lacking in simple skills other than farming. As a result, 35% of the population only work full-time, most working informally. Especially in the medieval areas, the streets are full of market stalls and informal businesses, for example, washing pots and selling jewellery. This could lead many of the people into a vicious cycle as in this line of work they may receive little work, therefore they could not afford anywhere to live, by they are not skilled enough to get a higher paid job. Also read this  Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy The problem with the jobs are that they are very labour intensive and in return you get a low and irregular wage because you may sell lots of products on one day and non on the other. However, the population is growing so rapidly that there is simple not enough housing and a job for everyone, and no one wants to live outside the city in the new developments. The environmental problems caused by the rapid growth of the city are that a large amount of the pollution is created, whether it be industrial, caused by the waste from things dropped in the streets and the refuse tips used to burn anything that is not recyclable, whereby they are being overused because there is too much waste, or noise from the many motor cars that are not designed to fir in the narrow, unplanned streets. Another environmental problem is that there is a poor sewerage system. There was a very small sewerage network built in the 20th Century which cannot cope with such a large amount of people now, therefore what systems there are, are breaking down, causing the streets to flood in dirty water, causing more disease. There is also a poor water system, with both poor quality and quantity. As the demand for water grows, the amount of it decreases, as it cannot be supplied as fast as it is needed. Many problems have been caused by such a rapid population growth within Cairo, however, there are some solutions to help slow this down, for example, stopping rural-urban migration by providing better facilities in rural areas, like a clean water supply.

Machete Season

3) Discuss the idea of forgiveness and guilt in Machete Season. In your paper, analyze how the men discuss the idea of guilt how they understand the concept of forgiveness. Consider: How do different men in the group understand guilt and forgiveness? Do the men feel guilt? Are you surprised by their sense/lack of guilt? Why are you surprised? How does Hatzfeld treat this topic? Philosopher Paul Ricoeur posed the question, how â€Å"can one forgive someone who does not admit his guilt? (Hatzfeld 195) Whether this admission of guilt is enough to be forgiven or not, the â€Å"sincere† taking of responsibility for one’s actions is an absolute minimum in striving for forgiveness. Ricoeur’s question becomes especially relevant when discussing the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, in which the Hutu perpetrators, who killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsi, are now seeking forgiveness for their actions. In Machete Season by Jean Hatzfeld, a close-knit gang of such Hutu genocide p erpetrators was interviewed concerning their role in the genocide as well as their views concerning regret and forgiveness.While a majority of those interviewed admit their guilt in killing the Tutsis, their lack of remorse makes  their apologies and actions largely  unforgivable. This insincerity can be seen through their selfish concerns and motives, emphasis on receiving forgiveness from God rather than those victimized, and vision of a return to a completely unaffected future. Prior to assessing the sincerity of their regret and apologies, we must see to what extent they believe themselves to being responsible.These men cite several key recurring justifications for their actions. The first is the intoxicating anti-Tutsi environment created by the Rwandan President’s death being blamed on the Tutsis. These men claim that the consequent emotion led to many of them being â€Å"carried away in a tumult, an uproar, a commotion†(215) and resorting to violence. This t urbulent environment also made accepting orders more intuitive, and Joseph-Desire goes as far as disclaiming â€Å"responsibility for his actions† as he was â€Å"simply following orders†(171).And while these factors were claimed to have helped them initiate these murders, the progression of the killings was accredited to the â€Å"approval† and â€Å"satisfaction† of surrounding people, until they just â€Å"got used to killing†(23). It is clear that these mass murders in many ways believe that they were not responsible for the thousands of deaths, an ignorant attitude made clear through Joseph’s â€Å"stupid, odious, and untenable†(171) demeanor when in trial.Yet, despite minimizing their participation and blaming others, an overpowering â€Å"egocentrism†(240) arises in these interviews and these killers describe themselves as much more than â€Å"simply peripheral figures† in the genocide. A great contradiction betwe en their described roles and their denial of responsibility is thus created, one that highlights the naivety of these men. With these poor attitudes combined, the base for a sincere feeling of regret and remorse is already diminished. Despite this naive belief in innocence, the perpetrators still are willing to offer apologies to the victims.Alphonse highlights the necessity of a â€Å"proper truth from the offender, a sincere request†(204) in a proper apology. The irony is, this is exactly where Alphonse and his fellow killers’ apologies fail. The sincerity of their apologies are thwarted with the same naive and untenable thought processes exemplified by Joseph. The first of such weaknesses arises in the clearly self-centered and selfish motives for asking for forgiveness. Rather than viewing the apology as a mean to help support those affected, many of the prisoners view it as a way to alleviate their own situations.As Hatzfeld describes, these apologies are in many ways a â€Å"selfish act† because it facilitates the â€Å"diminishing of his offence and, thus, his punishment, even his guilt†(199). This is made clear in many of the interviews when discussing forgiveness, as the conversation often shifts to the discussion of the prisoners own problems such as Fulgence’s â€Å"shivery†(157) when thinking of his â€Å"prison future†, Elie’s dreams void of â€Å"the killed people†(162) but rather consisting of a return to his â€Å"house†, and Pio’s desire to â€Å"assuage my memory†(160).Asking for forgiveness becomes a means to getting out of prison sooner, returning to family and friends sooner, and finally, to ease their own nightmares rather than concern for the victim’s own families, futures, and mental states. Comments like â€Å"He asked for forgiveness of everyone at his trial, and he still got a heavy sentence†(203) reflect the naive and selfish attitude t hese killers have, not understanding the â€Å"extraordinary effort†(199) needed to forgive such horrific crimes.This selfishness is also reflected in to whom they are addressing, the next weakness in the sincerity of their apologies. Rather than asking the victims for forgiveness, the most effected by their actions, many of these prisoners seem to be more worried about receiving forgiveness from God, and protecting their own futures. Fulgence epitomizes this attitude when he claims that the perpetrators must â€Å"give a little something to those who have suffered. And leave God the too-heavy task of our final punishment†(193).While the victims are the most effected by the events, Fulgence believes they only need a â€Å"little† compensation, and rather, focuses forgiveness on what will become of him. Pio also reflects this selfish attitude admitting his fear of â€Å"punishment-here below or up above†(160) and later goes on to say that he only sees â₠¬Å"God to forgive me†(207). Forgiveness involves two people, the culprit and the victim, however, the prisoners seem to only factor in themselves, made clear in the proliferation of first person pronouns such as â€Å"our† and â€Å"me† as demonstrated above.The ineffectiveness of this one-person methodology is made clear when viewing forgiveness from the eyes of a survivor, Gaspard, who claims, â€Å"Real regrets are said eye to eye, not to statues of God†(163). The perpetrators clearly do not acknowledge the role of forgiveness in the lives of the victims, whether to help cope or as simple as a gesture, a view that again tarnishes any sincerity in there apologies.With the ultimate power in the hands of God, these mass killers seem to view the return to a completely ordinary life until judgment as tangible, and focus much of their narratives on their own futures. They feel their actions can simply be forgiven and forgotten by â€Å"succeeding next timeâ € (163) and thus overlook any need to sincerely redeem themselves in the present. The transient nature of their guilt can be seen when Fulgence boldly admits, â€Å"I thought wrong, I went wrong, I did wrong†(157), and yet, soon after asserts, â€Å"those dead people and those acts of killing do not invade my dreams†.He clearly lacks remorse, as the horrors caused by his atrocious actions apparently no longer cross his mind. This unregretful attitude is again affirmed through his belief that these same horrific actions are so easily forgotten when he claims, â€Å"Time has punished me for my misdeeds and can allow me to begin an ordinary life†(192). Again, â€Å"my†, â€Å"I†, and â€Å"me† are consistently seen, showing the egotistical nature of the perpetrators, even when discussing the future.Over and over again, the victims’ futures are disregarded and rather, the perpetrators look forward to â€Å"get soccer going again†(160), to â€Å"work without hearing another word, except talk about crops†(193), and to reunite with one’s â€Å"wife and house†(162). Through these aspirations, it becomes clear how little responsibility they feel for their actions. In the end, many of these views and attitudes tarnish the sincerity of the perpetrators desire to forgive, making it that much harder for survivors to try and reconcile with the events of the genocide.While these trends are apparent in many, if not most, of the prisoners interviewed, it’d be unfair to assign this lack of insincerity to every Hutu involved. On occasion, members of the gang do show glimpses of genuine concern, even to the extent of writing letters to victims from prison. However, if these accounts do show anything definite, it is the clear difficulty in apologizing and forgiving after genocide, the first step in any hope for true reconciliation.

Back to the Dreamtime

â€Å"Back to the Dreamtime† wrote by H. Q. Mitchell showed that a teenage Aboriginal boy, Richard, who was a boy raised in white Australian society, however he never forget to claim himself as an Aboriginal. Therefore, he never give up to find his father’s burial ground. Richard, his brother, and his best friend on a journey of self-discovery, mystery and adventure through the Australian outback. In this novel â€Å"Back to the Dreamtime†, there are several main characters, but I would like to choose Richard and Tom to show the relationship between two of them in this novel.Richard and Tom are full of respect, they do a lot of things together, adventurous, reluctant to separate with families, and also helpful and obedient children. Richard and Tom are same ages brother, even though Richard was adopted by Tom’s parents, that’s means that they are not natural brother. They showed their respect to each other in this novel. Tom respect Richard and trea ts Richard as his biological brother. He also respects Richard as an Aboriginal and accepted him. Richard respects Joe and Sonya, even though they are only their adoptive parents.Besides, Richard and Tom do a lot of thing together. For an example, they were playing cricket together in the backyard and cleaned the attic together, so that they found the aboriginal carving on the attic. The most important is Tom went together with Richard to find his father’s burial ground. This showed that they prefer do a lot of thing together. Furthermore, both of them are adventurous. They are courageous to find Richard’s father’s burial ground without bring along with their parents.This showed that they have the spirit to adventure. Moreover, they brave to face the challenges and do not fear anything that may be will happened on them. In addition, they reluctant to separate with families. After Richard had found his father’s burial ground, he should leave with Tom and B radley, however Richard decided to stay at Hermannsburg Mission to help with odd jobs around. Tom showed his reluctant to leave his brother Richard. Richard also reluctant to leave his families so he asked Tom to take care himself hen he was waved goodbye to him. Last but not least, Richard and Tom are helpful and obedient children. Tom showed his helpful when he helped Richard to find his father’s burial ground at Uluru. It can be proved by when Richard said to Tom â€Å" I couldn’t have done this without your help. Thank you for your support. † They are obedient children because they listened to their parents when their parents asked them to clean the attic, they cleaned the attic without any objection. This showed they are obedient.In conclusion, I learned a lot of moral value between Richard and Tom. They are same ages brother but they don’t have many argument. In this condition, they showed love to each other. Moreover, Tom helped Richard to find his father’s burial ground with his sincere heart. Richard also get along very well with his adoptive families. The theme I learn in this novel is love is powerful. Richard’s parents, Sonya and Joe was worried about Richard. But they still allowed him to go to Alice Springs because they know it is important for him.

Fitzgerald’s use of diction in The Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, uses a specific choice of words along with selection of detail to develop the characters of Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. This essay will cite specific examples that correspond to Fitzgerald’s use of diction and details. Although this passage does not emphasize on Tom Buchanan, his character is developed through the use of literary techniques. Tom’s character speaks three times during the course of this scene, and all three times his words make him sound as if he is superior to everyone. † ‘It’s a bitch,’ said Tom decisively. ‘Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.’ â€Å"(Page 28) In this quote, diction and a specific choice of words is apparent through the use of the word ‘decisively.’ Using this word creates the feeling that Tom is authoritative and commanding. This citation also serves as an example of Tom’s mannerisms throughout the novel. He speaks to an elderly person with contempt by telling him that he is wrong and that he should buy ten more dogs with the money he gives him. A parallel can also be drawn between Myrtle and the dog in that he looks at the dog in the same degree of importance as Myrtle. Tom’s lack of patience can also be seen in his retort to the old man’s answer. Another citation, which serves to magnify Tom’s superiority over others in the novel, is when Nick tries to leave Tom and Myrtle. â€Å"No you don’t,† Tom interposed quickly. â€Å"Myrtle’ll be hurt if you don’t come up to the apartment. Won’t you, Myrtle?† (Page 28) Yet again, this citation serves to demonstrate Tom’s commanding personality. More specifically, he answers for Myrtle as if she couldn’t have answered herself. As a result of Fitzgerald’s effectual use of diction and word choice, the passage is able to effectively develop Tom’s character. Tom’s domineering and forceful persona is further enhanced in this passage through the demonstration of his gestures and dialogue. Although Tom does not play a major role in the selected passage, his persona is greatly shaped through the author’s use of language. Much of this chapter is dedicated to the augmentation of Myrtle’s character. The author uses imagery, dialogue, and diction to create her personality. The use of imagery is seen in the beginning of the passage: â€Å"She had changed her dress to a brown figured muslin, which stretched tight over her rather wide hips†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Page 26) Myrtle’s actions also have a lot to say about her character. An example was when she â€Å"let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one.† (Page 27) This type of behavior serves to contrast her true lifestyle of being married to a poor and hard working garage man. â€Å"Is it a boy or a girl?† she asked delicately. (Page 28) This citation from the passage builds onto Myrtle’s sensitive side. It also shows that she cares about the unimportant sides to life and is very materialistic. â€Å"Mrs. Wilson gathered up her dog and other purchases, and went haughtily in.† (Page 28) This quote, along with many others made in this selection make great use of adverbs to create the character of Mrs. Wilson. The use of the word ‘haughtily’ adds to the arrogant character that she displays. This again contrasts her true lifestyle and emphasizes her dual personality. Other adverbs that were used in this passage to characterize Myrtle were: eagerly, enthusiastically, delicately, and earnestly. All of these adverbs in one sense or another characterize Mrs. Wilson’s actions and character. Accordingly, the author’s language uses imagery, adverbs, and actions that create her arrogant and contrasting personality. In conclusion, F. Scott Fitzgerald effectively employed diction and selection of detail to develop the characters of Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. He did this by using various literary techniques and parts of speech to emphasize the character’s personality. For example, he uses imagery, irony, adverbs, dialogue, actions, adjectives, and mannerisms to bring out the arrogance of Myrtle and indifference of Tom Buchanan. Thus, the author properly uses diction and selection of detail to serve the purpose of developing the characters of Mrs. Wilson and Tom Buchanan.

Unit 3 Proposal designs Discussion Research Paper

Unit 3 Proposal designs Discussion - Research Paper Example This is important for the grant seeker, because he or she will be able to quote a reasonable amount of money, in which the organization can afford to give (Karsh and Fox, 2009). The grant seeker can quote a large amount of money that the organization might be unable to provide. For example, an institution such as the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation gives from a few hundred to millions of dollars in terms of grants. On this basis, a grant seeker might not be limited on the amount of money that he or she will ask (Gregory, 2013). Another issue that the grant seeker needs to analyze is the mission and vision of the organization. In seeking sources of funds, the grant seeker has to look if the funding organization under consideration provides funds for the activities or services that it engages in. For example, a grant seeker whose mission is to serve people in the agricultural field cannot seek for funds in an institution that provides funds for religious activities such as the Mustard Seed Foundation. It is a guarantee that the Mustard Seed Foundation won’t approve of their requests (Moore, 2010). However, if he or she applies for funds from institutions such as the Melinda and the Bill Gates foundation, chances are high that he or she may get the funds. Another issue to look at is the application process, and the period upon which the applications are made. For example, the Monsanto fund requires that all funds must supported by a realistic goal, and it must have the descriptions of the project. This is in case the grant seeker needs to achieve success in his or her application. The Monsanto Fund is so serious about the quality of an applicant’s proposal, to an extent that it has given some tips on how to write a good application/proposal (Zunz, 2012). Roberts identifies the mission and vision of an organization as an issue that he will consider when choosing a source of fund. This is an issue that I will also consider, and this is because an

Introduce a Company into Spain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduce a Company into Spain - Essay Example Figure 1: Predicted Mall Distribution Space in Spain The product will be distributed through a long distribution channel whereby several middlemen will link the retailer with producers of different commodities. Although this kind of distribution channel may raise the price that the consumers will pay for the products, it will be essential to use it because the supermarkets will deal with a multiple of products and hence may not get time to deal with all the logistics of individual commodities – this role will be left for the suppliers. All in all, the market is concentrated in the hands of few, and it is these domineering stores Coles is expected to compete with, which means that the competition will be quite stiff. The right media will be chosen to ensure the marketing plan is successful. Therefore, the communication channels will be based on their ability to convey the right message to the target audience in the most effective means. Coles will develop communication channels largely through direct mail, television, radio, as well as the internet. These channels will be used to show consumers how they will benefit by shopping from Coles supermarkets. The products that will be sold by Coles will also act as a channel of communication with the consumers. The Supermarket stores will serve as sources of instant information regarding the sales, available products, location of in-store products and methods of getting out-of-stock items. Generally, the supermarket will exploit channels such as addressable media, interactive media, and mass media. Coles will apply pull strategy, which involves the customers dynamically looking for the company’s products while the retailers requesting for goods in response to direct consumer demand. This strategy will require Coles to establish a strong brand in Spain, which will be achieved through mass media promotions among other strategies of similar nature. In this view, when the supermarket identifies a certain prod uct that the consumers require, the management will ensure it is stocked – this means that the supermarket will be charged with the responsibility of creating the demand while the supply channels will ensure that this demand is met. Coles will adopt a competition-based pricing strategy, whereby the setting of prices will be based on what the rival supermarket are charging (Cannon and Morgan 19). Business Review Coles supermarkets have operated for more than 90 years in Australia. The company has very rich history of Australia especially because it was founded by the founders of Australia’s retail industry. Coles founder, George Coles, after studying best practices in retailing from the US went back to Australia in 1914 and opened stores in Melbourne, Collingwood and Smith Street. The company opened its first supermarket in 1960 in North Balwyn, Victoria. By 1973, Coles had managed to open stores in all the capital cities of Australia (Armstrong and Kotler 56). BI-LO is a chain of supermarket owned by Wesfarmers, which was previously known as Coles Group. BI-LO changed name to Coles Supermarkets during 2006 and 2007 when they attained 180 chains of stores. Following a poor performance of stores which had been converted

Preparing for competition in a network utility - final assignment Essay

Preparing for competition in a network utility - final assignment - Essay Example For assessing this abuse, the relevant market needs to be defined. In this essay, the test to define relevant market called SSNIP test is discussed with reference to two closed cases under OFT. This essay is organized as follows. Second section discusses the economic theory behind competition, section 3 discusses the Competition Act 1998, Section 4 discusses the cases ,section 5 discusses the analysis and findings and section 6 concludes the essay. According to economic theory, competition and antitrust law are supposed to maximize allocative, productive and dynamic efficiency (Economides, 2004).However, in the case of network industries, due to their special features, economic regulation is established as an alternative to competition and antitrust law in many of these industries(Economides, 2004). The complimentarity of network industries to each other and the increasing returns to scale in consumption effects of these industries called network effects are tow distinguishing features of network industries. Due to the network effects of these industries, contrary to the law of demand for traditional industries, the willingness to pay for last unit will be higher here(Economides,1996; Brenan,2000). The following are the main special features of the network industries that arise due to the network effects. The first is the possibility of making money from both sides of a network. Second is the existence of externalities in the market which means incomplete internalization of benefits by the market. Third is the high speed market penetration in network industries compared to the other industries. Fourth is the very high market share and profit inequality for markets with strong network effects. Fifth is the possibility of maximisation of social surplus by monopoly. Sixth is that it is not necessary for the existence of anti competitive acts to create

Anne Bradstreet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Anne Bradstreet - Essay Example Apart from the tough living conditions, Anne Bradstreet led a challenging life, always keeping up with the demands of being the mother of eight children and the wife of a Puritan Governor. She had to uproot her household on numerous occasions and move to even more distant, uncivilized and unknown areas so that her husband and father could increase their properties and gain even more political power in their colony. Even though Anne Bradstreet's father was a very powerful, prominent leader of the Puritan community, he inspired his daughter to become a poet. Thomas Dudley was amazingly encouraging of his Bradstreet's literally appetite and never opposed her desire to either learn or write; she was very educated for a woman of her times. So it is very understandable why she dedicated so much of her best work to him, "her "Quaternions," or poems on groups of four: the four elements, the four humors, the four ages of man, the four seasons of the year, and the four monarchies-the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman" were all him. (Martin 14). This could be the key reason that despite the severe demands of Puritanism, Anne Bradstreet was the first woman poet to have her work published in the New World. Her first publication, "The Tenth Muse Lately sprung up in America, By a Gentlewoman in those parts" was not recognized for best poems and it was published in 1650 by Steven Bowtell. Her brother-in-law, Rev. John Woodbridge had taken a manuscript of her poems to London, in 1647 and had them published without her authorization. Many think the reason he did this was to prove that females could be educated, write and published without coming into direct competition or becoming inferior to men. Bradstreet was caught wholly off-guard and was a little embarrassed too, not by her work itself but simply by the publication of it. It is best explained in her own words: "I cast thee by as one unfit for light, Thy visage was so irksome in my sight; Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could: I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw." (Millier and Parini 4). However by 1666 she was already hopeful of publishing a second edition. No such manuscript exists but the 1678 publication of "Several Poems", "By a Gentlewoman in New England . . . Corrected by the Author and enlarged by an Addition of several other Poems found amongst her Papers after her Death" shows the feminist poet at the height of her literally best. Bradstreet lived in a society where they needed their religious beliefs to survive the rigorous stress of the New World; their concrete faith dictated that God had a plan for everyone was what got them through. While Bradstreet's faith was absolute, there were times when she struggled to keep faith. In her spiritual autobiography addressed to her children, she confesses that on occasion she wondered about the truth of the Scriptures and questioned the existence of God and His plans. "I never saw any miracles to confirm me," she says in her autobiography and adds, "and those which I read of how did [I] know but they were feigned." (Lonsdale 185). She ultimately quelled her fears and subdued her doubts not through theological reasoning but through a poet's spirit. Initially Bradstreet's writings were not

Insider Trading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insider Trading - Essay Example A corporate officer, for instance, who uses information known to him, but not to the public, to purchase or buy securities is generally guilty of insider trading. Exceptions may be allowed for certain transactions which are immaterial or which are reported the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. It must also be noted, however, that the concept of insider trading extends beyond corporate officers and insiders in the technical sense. It also includes people who provide tips to outsiders. This secondary portion of the definition ensures that the primary subjects of the law, corporate officers and fiduciaries, cannot escape punishment by secretly providing information to outsiders and non-fiduciaries (Insider Trading, 2006). The causes of insider trading are quite easy to understand. To illustrate, a corporate officer knows when the value of the corporation is going to increase or decrease. Perhaps there are secret negotiations for a takeover in which share prices are going to increase. He can sell his securities in order to maximize his profits or minimize his losses.

MERCOSUR and FTAA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MERCOSUR and FTAA - Essay Example DP, climbed from $650 billion to $990 billion, and direct foreign investment soared from $2.6 billion to $20.24 billion.†(Merco Press 2006)It is the fourth largest integrated market after the European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and ASEAN. Despite the setbacks like devaluation in Brazil and Argentine crisis hindering the sustained growth of the sector, the bloc continued to move forward. However the trading block has to face crucial tests with in connection with the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). This paper envisages bringing out the features and issues that makes the relationship between the block countries and the developed nations a difficult one especially in the political and economic sphere. MERCOSUR the â€Å"Common Market of the Southern Cone’ was formed by the Treaty of Asuncion and consists of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay with Chile and Bolivia becoming associate members. â€Å"Its purpose is to establish a common market which would include the free movement of goods, services and factors of production, the elimination of customs duties and non-tariff restrictions, the establishment of a common external tariff and the adoption of a common trade policy, the coordination of positions in regional and international economic and commercial for a and the coordination of macro economic and sectoral policies amongst the member states in the areas of foreign trade, agriculture, industry, fiscal and monetary matters, foreign exchange and capital, services, customs, transport and communications and any other means that may have been agreed upon† (Malcolm Rowat, et al. 1997) There were several factors connected with the member countries which have stood in the way of the growth of MERCOSUR. While there was a possibility for building up regional integration for the clustering less developed smaller countries around a more developed and larger neighbouring country, this advantage could not be taken by MERCOSUR. This

The presentation for nursing research PowerPoint

The for nursing research - PowerPoint Presentation Example Even though the author does not directly communicate a research question for the study, this can be deduced from the research objective and the title. The research question would therefore be, ‘what are the effects of alcohol consumption on sexual behaviour of young women, between 16 and 24 years?’ The article also lacks a research hypothesis but this can be implied from the research question and the research objective. The implied null hypothesis is the statement that alcohol consumption does not affect sexual behaviour of young women between, 16 and 24 years (McMunn, 2008). The article’s literature review is explorative and establishes sufficient background information for the research. It for example explores literature on alcohol consumption by age and gender to identify a specific interest in young women, and impacts of alcohol on their behaviour. The review’s findings are also consistent with existing literature that the group of women between the age of 16 years and 24 years are heavy drinkers. The literature review is therefore comprehensive enough to identify the research problem (Plant, 2009). Strengths and weaknesses of sampling procedures The research applied simple random sampling approach, based on attendance to a given care facility. This is defined by the fact that the young women who attended the facility were a sample of the entire population of women of the particular age group. Simple random sampling has a number of strengths and weaknesses in its application in a research. One of its major strengths is its simplicity that allows a researcher to implement a research design with ease. It therefore offers no technicality that may further induce inefficiency in the data collection process (Ellison, Barwick and Farrant, 2009). The sampling design also has the ability to be used even without a prior knowledge of the target population by the researcher. This also facilitates its ease of application (Aday and Cornelius, 2 011). Simple random sampling also has the strength of eliminating bias in sampling as the each element in the sample space has equal chance of being included in the sample and the researcher lacks control on specific members of the population to be sampled. In the case for instance, the research was limited to those women who attended the facility and the researcher could not study other women who did not register for the facility’s services (McMunn, 2008). The applied sampling procedure also has a number of limitations. While it is simple to apply, it may fail to generate a representative sample. Especially in cases where the target population has identifiable sub groups. Consequently, the applied sampling approach, simple random sampling, may not be suitable for making inferences. This is because in differentiated subgroup and in case the random approach only selects members of a few sub groups, then the generated results would be limited to such groups and not the entire p opulation (McMunn, 2008). Another weakness of the applied approach is the fact that it might not yield efficiency in sampling. This is a consequence of the possibility of a non representative data, especially in a quantitative research (Aday and Cornelius, 2011). Simple random sampling is also a weak approach in a time series research as well as in handling data whose