Module 2 Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 2 Review - Essay Example Through the internet, there has been the introduction of online trading where buyers and customers can meet and exchange. The platforms allow consumers to purchase their most preferred products, and receive home deliveries from the supplier (Delone and McLean 2003). Information systems also allow businesses and companies to advertise their products on the internet. In this way, the organizations widen their market coverage, reaching a larger portion of the market. The company thus improves its sales, and overall profitability, which results to growth of the organization. The internet plays a major role in ensuring timely deliveries and supply of products, both from the supplier and to the customers. Previously, organizations relied on post offices, where sending price lists, inquiries and other documents was tedious and time consuming. Through the internet revolutionary, these organizations have been able to optimize their just in time operations, offering faster services to the customers. Online trading and money transfer have helped boost the participation of the internet in bettering companies’ market performance. Through these avenues, organizations can process their deliveries fast and reach their customers on time. The internet also offers GPS locators and maps, which help the supplier locate his or her customers easily and deliver immediately. The internet also enables organizations to order for inventory easily, and on demand periods. For this reason, organizations have little or no wastes owing to the ease of ordering products. The companies can process their orders online, choosing their preferred combinations and paying over the online platforms. Therefore, organizations do not require to make prior purchases, which are not sure sales in the highly volatile market. They can order when demand rises, whereby just on time deliveries have been made

South Korea and New Zealand Relations Essay Example for Free

South Korea and New Zealand Relations Essay New Zealand continues to stand with South Korea†. When New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says â€Å"stands with,† he is signifying the key element to the positive diplomatic relations between New Zealand and South Korea that have existed for fifty years: New Zealand standing ‘side by side’ with South Korea. He emphasises that New Zealanders do not stand higher than Koreans or over them as an insignificant racial group, but instead, he defines the fifty-year long diplomatic friendship as one of equality and unity, with mutual respect between Kiwis and Koreans. Commerce has always been essential to maintaining the diplomatic alliance between New Zealand and its fifth largest trading partner, South Korea. New Zealand exports products such as dairy, beef, fruit and seafood, and imports cars, electronic goods and machinery from South Korea. Both countries have mutually benefited from this successful trading developed over the last five decades, with advantages to natives and foreigners in South Korea as well as New Zealand. The diplomatic relationship between these two countries, is no longer merely a window for safe trading, but is now considered a stable friendship whereby according to South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, Kwang-shik Choe â€Å"peoples are freely travelling back and forth, becoming friends in the genuine sense. † The exchanges between Kiwis and Koreans across the Pacific Ocean have also been greatly expanded, allowing both countries to establish new campaigns such as student exchange and working holiday visas. So, what now? How can we improve our relationship even further? As they say, communication is a â€Å"two-way street. † In order to maintain and advance the friendship between New Zealand and South Korea, both cultures need to be open-minded and welcoming. This can be accomplished in several ways, for example by integrating schools and commercialising Korean entertainment here in New Zealand. This integration is important because it will strengthen the sense of ‘standing with’ one another, as Koreans embrace their assimilation into Kiwi life. I believe New Zealand can improve diplomatic relations and embrace the Korean culture more fully by offering Korean language as a school subject. New Zealand offers countless educational opportunities, both academic and social, to a diverse range of multicultural students. It is thus common for schools to offer languages such as French, German and Japanese. However, most New Zealand schools do not offer Korean. Because New Zealand’s second largest source of foreign students and sixth largest source f overseas visitors is South Korea, we ought to offer students the chance to study the Korean language and culture within our schools. In this way we will afford the 32,000 Koreans in New Zealand the chance to feel accepted by the Kiwi community as well as allowing Kiwis to gain a deeper understanding of their Korean neighbours, embrace their culture and learn their native language. Every year, hundreds of young Korean students are sent to New Zealand to improve their English. Once Kiwis no longer see the collective Asian races as one, but instead embrace Koreans as distinct individuals, our international students will stop isolating themselves and only mixing with â€Å"their own kind†. I believe that when New Zealand schools offer language programmes and student exchanges, both Koreans and Kiwis will make huge strides towards social integration and will stand side by side as equals, as John Key envisions. The saying â€Å"music unites the world† is completely true in regards to the relationship between New Zealanders and South Koreans. I believe that diplomatic relations between our countries will further improve when New Zealanders fully embrace Korean entertainment. Recently, the Hallyu wave has crashed onto our native sands and left a deep imprint on the hearts of Kiwis. Korean artists like Super Junior, U kiss, EXO, and Infinite etc. unknowingly promote themselves in New Zealand, and are loved by thousands of fans all over the country. The New Zealand Summer Kpop festival brings people who love the Korean culture, food, music and film, together in the one thing that unites us all Korean Pop. When Kpop is fully commercialized on local radio and television, the astounding talent of SM, JYPE and Mnet, for example: IU, Yesung (Super Junior) and Dong Bang Shin Ki, will be enjoyed by all Kiwis. No longer will fans feel rejected or be accused of having an â€Å"Asian fetish† if they prefer non-English music. I believe that radio stations like ZM and The Edge should promote Kpop daily so that Kiwis and Koreans can be exposed to both cultures, instead of isolating the Korean community by creating a separate Korean radio station. Also, Korean bands should play at Big Day Out along with the other nationalities that express their patriotism by their live performances. Music allows people to leap over language barriers. Therefore, in order to promote cultural relations with South Korea, it is important for Korean and Kiwi music to inter-weave equally at all levels, without prejudice, enabling us all to enjoy something familiar while learning about something completely different. I believe that the long-standing friendship between South Korea and New Zealand is strengthening and developing, as indicated by the figures of exchanges between the trading industry and the social advances to date. Above all, I believe Koreans need to be acknowledged into the community not identified by race, but by their character and the cultural and life lessons that they bring with them across the Pacific Ocean. I believe that if New Zealanders truly ‘stand with’ their Korean friends and neighbours, more open to embracing each other’s cultural uniqueness and overcoming the language barrier; our nations can prosper and deepen the existing friendship. As a beginner learner of Korean, a lover of Kpop, cuisine and dramas, I intend to â€Å"stand with South Korea,† in hopes of bringing the two nations together and continuing the strong friendship for another 50 years.

The Search for Quark :: essays research papers

What exactly is Quark? Quark: a fermion which is believed to be one of the fundamental constituents of matter. All quarks have a fractional electric charge1. This pretty much means quarks have  ½ spin (rotate two full rotations to get to place it started), apply to Pauli Exclusion Principle, is one of the things that make up all matter, and its electric charge is a fraction. There are three different colors of quark; red, green, and blue. The colors always up to white. Also there are three different kinds of antiquark; cyan, yellow, and magenta. Quarks are at least 330MeV. Quarks were first proposed in 1964. It was named quark by Caltech theorist Murray Gell-Mann. He named them that from a quotation in a novel â€Å"Three quarks for Muster Mark, Sure he hasn’t got much of a bark †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 Gell-Mann said all mesons, baryons, and hadrons are made of quarks. He also said they are made of three types of quarks (up, down, and strange). That makes a total of nine types of quarks. George Zweig called them aces. Not many people believed in it at this time. From 1968 to 1973 MIT bombarded protons and neutrons with electrons. Electrons ricocheted off protons and neutrons as if it hit a hard, tiny object. The hard object was a quark. Over the years experiments and researches have led to a lot of indirect evidence that quarks exist. Despite all this indirect evidence they could not find a single free quark. No particle detector detected one. This led to a lot of non believers. As more proof has been shown that quarks exist it became more popular and less doubted. Chapter 1: Over coming Skepticism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Doubters did not believe in quarks. They thought of quarks just as a math equation that could explain a couple of things. They had good reason. The quark was never found free or even revealed itself. That was until 1974 when two discoveries occurred at the Brookhaven Laboratory and Stanford. They had found a new particle. Stanford called it the psi and Brookhaven called it the J. The new particle had to be a new kind of quark. Two years later Harvard theorist Sheldon Glashow named the new particle the charmed quark. This discovery shattered any doubts about the quark being real or not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discovery also shattered the bootstrap model theory. This theory said that protons, neutrons, and other particles were the smallest units.

1980s Essay -- essays research papers

This report is to inform you on the decade of the 1980s. People’s jobs, income, ideas, opinions changed so much from 1980 to 1989. Fewer Americans belonged to labor unions in the 1980s. In 1980 there were nearly 21 million union members; that number had declined to 17 million by 1985. The most important â€Å"aspect† of a job for the majority of Americans was a â€Å"feeling of accomplishment, beating out high pay by a better than 2 to 1 margin.† In the mid-Eighties, 88% of Americans said they were satisfied with their jobs. In spite of this, less than 40% expected to remain in their current job for more than five years. Most Americans didn't think it would be difficult to get another job. This â€Å"indicated general optimism† about the economy and the job market in the mid- and late-Eighties. In the late Forties, Americans went to the movies an average of at least twice a month, but by the 1980s, people only went to the movies an average of five times a year. About 67% of Americans attended a play or a live theater performance at least once a year, and 60% attended a concert or other musical performance. In the 1980s the majority of Americans believed sex education should be taught in public schools. 85% of people who voted were for this. That included 68% of all â€Å"born-again Christians†, 80% of Republicans, and 77% of â€Å"rural people†. One reason that people wanted sex education in schools was that Aids was causing a sense of panic among the general public. Also they felt that if sex education were not available there would be even more unwanted teenage pregnancies. A few years after the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade, 60% of Americans supported legalized abortions. But by the 1980s that had decreased to 50%. Some Americans compared abortion with murder, and felt that the fetus should have rights. On the other hand, some feared that if abortions weren't legal, more women would die from complications with illegal abortions. But most Americans said they could support a woman's decision to have an abortion if her life or mental health were in danger, or if she had been the victim of incest or rape. And while both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were opposed to abortion, and Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's â€Å"goal† was to overturn Roe v Wade, three-fourths of all Americans were convinced that abortion would never be made illegal In 1981 there were 2,422,0... ...xually transmitted diseases, AIDS in particular. Of the 11 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported in America in 1987, only 15,000 were AIDS, while there were 500,000 cases of herpes and 1,800,000 cases of gonorrhea. However, since AIDS was 100% fatal, it was the main concern, and by that year, 50,000 Americans had contracted it, with 73% of these being homosexual or bisexual men, 17% intravenous drug users, and 4% heterosexuals. Only 6.6% of AIDS victims were female. In 1987 there were 63,542,000 children under the age of 18 in this country. Many lived with only one parent. A decade-long National Family Violence Survey revealed that severe violence against children was declining during the 1980s. This was due to tougher penalties against abusers, and the increased likelihood that child abuse would be reported   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1987 to 1989 statistics showed that there was a slight change in employment rates, personal income, birth and death rates. This year was full of energy with new and exciting invention such as the car phone and better TVs and computer. Although AIDS is still a growing academic, research for finding a cure is still under way.

The Crusade: Unjustified Attack on Muslims

The Crusade, or the â€Å"Holy War† was a medieval military expedition between the Europeans and the Muslims. Their main goal was to conquer the Holy Land, as it will give the conqueror prosperity. Pope Urban II was known for starting the First Crusade which begun in 1096 and lasted till 1099. Within this period of time, chaos and destruction was unavoidable. With both sides having their own schemes of conquer, this resulted to be an endless blood striving battle for control. Despite the clever tactics of the Christians, their attacks toward the Muslims were unjustified. Christians believed that the Crusades were justified because of multiple reasons. Being one of the most powerful religions back then and today, they were well known for their strong devout beliefs. They believed that it was God’s will and their duty to attack the Muslims (Crusaders Capture). This leaded into a more in depth theory that the Crusaders took caution of. Those who failed to achieve their duties serving God, â€Å"He will condemn [you]† (Muslim Belief). Furthermore, the Crusades believed Pope Urban II’s speech. All who die by the way, whether by land or sea, on in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. †(Littell). In exchange for their faith, â€Å"†¦in your coming you will find your reward in heaven. † (Littell) Thus, this convinced them to believe and become attentive to all their activities so they will not displease God for they did not want to face any consequences. It was also an encouragement for Chr istians to confirm their decisions of battling against the Muslims since it gave them hope to think for all that is worth, it was a justifiable action. The Muslims believed that the Christians were unjustified. Firstly, Jerusalem was a holy land to the Muslims, for Muhammad visited a temple that was located there. Their main goal was to protect their land from barbaric vengeances. As for Muslims, they also had their own God. Following the same concepts as the Christians, they relied and trusted the one and only God, Allah. â€Å"There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. † (Juma) For those who disbelieve God, their punishment will be to receive devastation as well as to fail their mission, returning home defeated and worthless. If a Muslim monarch failed to please their people, they were sentenced for slavery (Beha-ed-Din). People were punished if they did not succeed their commission towards warfare. Convinced by this conjecture, the Muslims were cruel towards the Christians. Their religious beliefs were the main reasons for the Crusades. Both parties, especially the Muslims, had confidence towards their God and it angered the Muslims that the Christians did not believe their one and only Allah. For those who believed in Allah: â€Å"He will help you firm your feet†(Translation). The Muslims trusted these messages therefore it motivated them into satisfying both their nation and religion but left them unjustified due to the Christians. Following this premise, the Crusades were inequitable. By considering the concepts above, it clearly shows that both had different intentions from its many viewing points. However, Muslims tend to show an unrighteous side towards the affects that the Christians had constructed. The Muslims indicated a strong will of unjustification towards its attacks. In 1187, Saladin once more triumphed Jerusalem and most of the Holy Land. Hearing its news, Richard the Lion Heart began the Third Crusade to vanquish the city once and for all. Arriving in 1191, he massacres and held the Muslims as prisoners. Saladin feared that his approaching plans of conquer would definitely cause his empire to collapse therefore, he offered agreements. Nonetheless, Richard stated an execution to be held for the Muslim defenders. Their agreement never worked out accordingly. Richard) In addition, the Muslims had a better rebuttal for ruling Jerusalem. Muhammad had conquered the â€Å"Holy Land. † The Christian power was being dissolved at that time and the Muslims had a period of peace. This is significant because it explains how the Muslims came to occupy the land before the Christians had. They later came back and declared war to regain the city they thought to be theirs also intended to weaken Muslim forces. (Translation) Lastly, the Western scholars in dicated bias towards the Christians leaving this unjust to the Muslims to a greater extent. They â€Å"highlighted the Christian desire to rule the Holy Lands† (Juma). This clearly proves that the Muslims were unsatisfied with this situation. To conclude this, the statements and opinions declared in the previous paragraphs are all debatable from both sides. It is agreeable that they have influential arguments that can take place. The Christian had their own purposes of attacking while Muslim’s motives were to keep the land. To come to a respectable factor, both sides had the same ideal objective. To make what they believe in that was right just. Muslims believed that it was an injustice act that the Christians did. During the period of time, many events occurred that obstructed and caused hardship towards the unlucky. Today, this phenomenon has struck the society into an influence of warfare. This is important because we are able to take notices of what the history had left us either benefiting us in either a positive or negative way. Humans can easily use this as an advantage as well as a weapon towards today’s society.

Free Essays on Terror Strikes America

Terror strikes America Since the â€Å"Attack on America† the world has been in grievance and in shock. Our conception of America has been we are the biggest, the best, and the most powerful in the world. But since terrorism has killed thousands of people and sent our country into devastation we have doubts about how our great country is going to react. As a nation we are feeling anger towards the perpetrators responsible for this, as well as sadness for those lives lost and for their families. America has been the leading world power for decades. September 11, 2001, America was struck by terrorism. Terrorist hijacked four commercial airliners, with the intent to kill as many people as possible. They steered and crashed two planes into each of the World Trade Centers in New York City, as well as one plane into part of the Pentagon in Washington. The two towers were soon crumbling down on top of the rescue workers and the innocent victims still inside the buildings. The other plane was wrecked into farmland in Pennsylvania after the passengers on board called their loved ones and found out what was happening. They soon rushed the hijackers with the intent to hopefully save many more lives, while giving up their own. It is the heroes on that plane, and the rescue workers willing to die for the unimaginable and unselfish love for the integrity of American humanity. Although our country is in turmoil, we have come more together now then ever before. Our rescue workers are still working night and day after two weeks to find the lost loved ones. They are tearing through two buildings that took over two years to build, and taking them down with buckets. Since the tragedy began, all the families and loved ones that lost friends, and parents, and children have not gave up hope. But yet still have the undeniable fact that they have to come to deal with. They have put their prayers in God and have posted pictures and lit candle... Free Essays on Terror Strikes America Free Essays on Terror Strikes America Terror strikes America Since the â€Å"Attack on America† the world has been in grievance and in shock. Our conception of America has been we are the biggest, the best, and the most powerful in the world. But since terrorism has killed thousands of people and sent our country into devastation we have doubts about how our great country is going to react. As a nation we are feeling anger towards the perpetrators responsible for this, as well as sadness for those lives lost and for their families. America has been the leading world power for decades. September 11, 2001, America was struck by terrorism. Terrorist hijacked four commercial airliners, with the intent to kill as many people as possible. They steered and crashed two planes into each of the World Trade Centers in New York City, as well as one plane into part of the Pentagon in Washington. The two towers were soon crumbling down on top of the rescue workers and the innocent victims still inside the buildings. The other plane was wrecked into farmland in Pennsylvania after the passengers on board called their loved ones and found out what was happening. They soon rushed the hijackers with the intent to hopefully save many more lives, while giving up their own. It is the heroes on that plane, and the rescue workers willing to die for the unimaginable and unselfish love for the integrity of American humanity. Although our country is in turmoil, we have come more together now then ever before. Our rescue workers are still working night and day after two weeks to find the lost loved ones. They are tearing through two buildings that took over two years to build, and taking them down with buckets. Since the tragedy began, all the families and loved ones that lost friends, and parents, and children have not gave up hope. But yet still have the undeniable fact that they have to come to deal with. They have put their prayers in God and have posted pictures and lit candle...

The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry The WritePass Journal

The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry Introduction The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry IntroductionPRINCIPLE:PRECAUTIONS:REQUREMENTS: REFERENCES:Related Introduction AIM: to determine the stoichiometry of the complex formed between iron(III) abd 2-hydroxybenzoic acid(salicylic acid) in aqueous solution by visible using job’s method of continuous variation. PRINCIPLE: The principle involved in UV/Visible spectrophotometry is that when a molecule is bombarded with electromagnetic radiations the electrons in the last energy shells get excited by absorbing that radiation and there is a transition between different energy levels. As the amount of light absorbed by the solution is directly proportional to the amount of the solute present and the concentration of the solution can be determined. UV/visible spectrophotometry depend on the ability of the substance to absorb light. In these spectrophotometry methods the solution of unknown concentration is compared with a set of solutions of known concentrations and this gives the concentration of the unknown solution. This method usually involves the use of metal complexing agents such as di-sodium EDTA, iron (III) for various purposes (such as masking agents). 2-hydroxybenzoic acid combines with iron (III) forming a coloured complex. This complex is then using a UV/visible spectroscopy. The method employed in this experiment is the Job’s method where different proportions of metal and reagent are mixed with a fixed molarity. The absorbance readings are taken for the series of solutions prepared and a graph is plotted between the absorbance and the mole fractions of the metal and reagents. This UV/Visible method can only be used if the complex formed is coloured. In this experiment Fe(III) and salicylic acid combine to form a blue complex which can be detected spectroscopically at 525nm with distilled or de-ionised water as an indicator. PRECAUTIONS: All the glassware was thoroughly cleaned using distilled water in order to avoid contamination. Avoid the contamination of salicylic acid solution by fe(III). REQUREMENTS: CHEMICALS: Iron nitrate,2-hydroxy benzoic acid(salicylic acid),Distilled water APPARATUS: Two 5cm3 pipettes, ten 10cm3 volumetric flasks INSTRUMENT: Dual-beam visible spectrometer 1-cm path length glass cells (cuvettes) PROCEDURE: Prepare solutions of iron (III) ammoniun nitrate   and 2-hydroxy benzoic acid with distilled water and each having a concentration of 2103 mol dm-3(slightly heat salicylic acid) using appropriate amount of each in 75cm3 of water in a beaker. Transfer each solution to a 100cm3 flask and dilute to the mark with distilled water. Nine solutions of the iron (III) complex of 2-hydroxy benzoic acid were prepared by mixing the acid solution and iron (III) complex in 10cm3 volumetric flask using different burettes as per the following scheme. Volume of acid/cm3 Colume of fe(iii) cm3 Mole fraction of acid,x 1 9 0.1 2 8 0.2 3 7 0.3 4 6 0.4 5 5 0.5 6 4 0.6 7 3 0.7 8 2 0.8 9 1 0.9 Absorbance of each of the above solutions and the original Fe(III) solution was measured at 525nm. CALCULATIONS: Calculation of   the amount of Iron (III) nitrate required: Concentration of solution prepared = 2103 Molecular weight of Iron (III) nitrate   = 404 gm/ mol Amount of Iron (III) nitrate required for 100 ml = No. of moles Ãâ€" Mol.wt Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 2 Ãâ€" 10-3 Ãâ€" 404 Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 0.0808 gm Similarly, To calculate the amount of 2-Hydroxy benzoic acid (Salicylic acid ) required to prepare s soluton of conc of 2103: Molecular weight of Salicylic acid = 138.12 gm /mol Amount of Salicylic acid required for 100ml = No. of moles Ãâ€" Mol.wt Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 2 Ãâ€" 10-3 Ãâ€" 138.12 Ãâ€" 100 1000 =0.02762 gm Absorbances of prepared solutions when measured at 525nm under a UV spectrophotometer: Volume of acid /cm3 Volume of Fe (III) / cm-3 Mole Fraction of acid , X Absorbance at 525 nm Corrected absorbance Ac 1 9 0.1 0.3441 0.304 2 8 0.2 0.5726 0.5325 3 7 0.3 0.9220 0.8819 4 6 0.4 1.1955 1.1554 5 5 0.5 1.4464 1.4063 6 4 0.6 1.3720 1.3319 7 3 0.7 1.0028 0.9627 8 2 0.8 0.7129 0.6728 9 2 0.9 0.3861 0.346 Original Fe(III) 0.0401 RESULT: Calculation of molar absorbtivity of Fe(III) using beer-lambert’s law: Where, A = absorbance, â‚ ¬Fe. = molar absorbitivity of Fe(III) b = path length, C = concentration of the solution. à ¨Ã‚   â‚ ¬Fe = 0.0401/10.002 =  Ã‚   20.05 CORRECTED ABSORBANCE FOR EACH OF THE 9 SOLUTIONS: We have, Ac = A – [Є Fe (1-x).b.c] Where, A is uncorrected absorbance for each of the solutions. Є Fe = 20.05 X= Mole fraction b = Path length (1 cm) c = Molar concentration (2 Ãâ€" 10-3 mol dm-3) PLOT OBTAINED FOR CORRECTED ABSORBANCE (Ac) AND MOLE FRACTION(x): From the above graph the value of x from the intersected portion of the graph was found to be Stoichiometry of the Fe(III) / 2-hydroxy benzoic acid complex, Fe(HB)n by evaluation of n by following expression: X= n/1+n à °Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.5 = n/(1+n) = 0.5(1+n) = n,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¨   0.5= 0.5*n  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¨ n=1 DISCUSSION: Structural formula of Fe(III)/ 2-hydroxybenzoic acid. Fe+3 In the above structure the Fe+3 molecule reacts with the lone pair of electrons present on the oxygen molecule. It is necessary to correct the absorbance readings as the absorbance’s obtained also include the radiation absorbed by the Fe+3 molecule and the concentration obtained from uncorrected absorbance would be inaccurate. Also these corrections bring about significant difference in the final value as we can see the difference between both the values is 0.05(approx).   The point of intersection gives us the volume of reactant mixture required to obtain the maximum absorbance. While the graph plotted against mole fraction and absorbance initially gives a straight line it reaches it shows a curvature at the end as it reaches saturation point and after this point there is a decline in the absorbance by the solution. Hence the graph of mole fraction against absorbance gives a curvature between linear portions. Alternative procedures for establishing the stoichiometry of a metal complex are as follows: Fluorescence spectroscopy Gas-Liquid chromatography Slope ratio method. REFERENCES: -. (2010). Manufacturer Opens up about Japanese Honeysuckle Extract . Available: google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/storage/salicylic%2520acid.jpg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1276889856661imgrefurl=http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.. Last accessed 25/03/2011. Bauer Christian OReilly (2008). instumental analysis. -: Allyn and Bacon,Inc.. 154. skoog west holler (1996). analytical chemistry. 7th ed. kentucky,USA: Saunders College Publishing. 557.

Understanding String Literals in Ruby

Understanding String Literals in Ruby String objects hold ordered sequences of bytes, typically characters, usually to form pieces of human-readable text. Theyre a very common object type in all programming languages, and Ruby has a number of high-level and a few low-level ways to create, access and manipulate String objects. Strings are most often created with a String literal. A literal is a special syntax in the Ruby language that creates an object of a specific type. For example, 23 is a literal that creates a ​Fixnum object. As for String literals, there are several forms. Single-Quotes and Double-Quoted Strings Most languages have a String literal similar to this, so this may be familiar. The types of quotes, (single quote, apostrophe or hard quote) and (double quote or soft quote) are used to enclose string literals, anything between them will be turned into String objects. The following example demonstrates this. But there are some differences between single and double quotes. Double quotes  or soft quotes enable some magic to happen behind the scenes. Most useful is interpolation inside strings, useful for inserting the value of a variable into the middle of a string. This is achieved by using the #{ †¦ } sequence. The following example will ask you for your name and greet you, using interpolation to insert your name into the string literal thats printed. Note that any code can go inside the braces, not just variable names. Ruby will evaluate that code and whatever is returned it will attempt to insert it into the string. So you could just as easily say Hello, #{gets.chomp} and forget about the name variable. However, its good practice not to put long expressions inside the braces. Single quotes, apostrophes, or hard quotes are much more restrictive. Inside of the single quotes, Ruby will perform no interpolation or escape sequences other than escaping the single quote character and backslash itself (\ and \\ respectively). If you dont intend to use interpolation, its recommended to use single quotes more often than not. The following example will attempt to interpolate a variable inside of single quotes. If you run this youll get no error, but what will be printed? The interpolation sequence was passed through uninterpreted. When Should I Use Single and Double Quotes This is a matter of style. Some prefer to use double quotes all of the time unless they become inconvenient. Others would rather use single quotes unless the interpolation behavior is intended. Theres nothing inherently dangerous about using double quotes all of the time, but it does make some code easier to read. You dont need to read a string when reading through code if you know there are no interpolations in it  because you know the string itself wont have any side effects. So which string literal form you use is up to you, there is no real right and wrong way here. Escape Sequences What if, in a string literal, you want to include a quote character? For instance, the string Steve said Moo!  wont work. And neither will Cant touch this!. Both of these strings include the quote character inside of the string, effectively ending the string literal and causing a syntax error. You could switch quote characters, like Steve said Moo!, but that doesnt really solve the problem. Instead, you can escape any quote character inside the string, and it will lose its special meaning (in this case, the special meaning is to close the string). To escape a character, prepend it with the backslash character. The backslash character tells Ruby to ignore any special meaning the next character may have. If its a matching quote character, dont end the string. If its a hash sign, dont start an interpolation block. The following example demonstrates this use of backslash to escape special characters. The backslash character can be used to remove any special meaning from the following character but, confusingly, it can also be used to denote special behavior in double-quoted strings. Most of these special behaviors have to do with inserting characters and byte sequences that cannot be typed or represented visually. Not all Strings are character strings  or may contain control sequences intended for the terminal, and not the user. Ruby gives you the ability to insert these types of strings using the backslash escape character. \n - A newline character. The puts method does this automatically, but if you wish to insert one in the middle of a string, or the string is destined for something other than the puts method, you can use this to insert a newline in a string.\t - A tab character. The tab character moves the cursor over (on most terminals) to a multiple of 8, so this is very useful for display tabular data. However, there are better ways of doing this, and using the tab character is considered a bit archaic or hackish.\nnn - A backslash followed by 3 numbers will denote an ASCII character represented by 3 octal digits. Why octal? Mostly for historical reasons.\xnn - A backslash, an x, and 2 hex digits. The same as the octal version, only with hex digits. Youll probably never use most of these, but know that they exist. And also remember that they only work in double-quoted strings. The next page discusses multi-line strings and an alternate syntax for string literals. Multi-Line Strings Most languages dont allow multi-line string literals, but Ruby does. Theres no need to end your strings and append more strings for the next line, Ruby handles multi-line string literals just fine with the default  syntax. Alternate Syntax As with most other literals, Ruby provides an alternate syntax for string literals. If youre using a lot of quote characters inside your literals, for example, you may want to use this syntax. When you use this syntax is a matter of style, theyre usually not needed for strings. To use the alternate syntax, use the following sequence for single-quoted strings  %q{ †¦ }. Similarly, use the following syntax for double-quoted strings  %Q{ †¦ }. This alternate syntax follows all the same rules as their normal cousins.  Also,  note that you can use any characters you wish instead of braces. If you use a brace, square bracket, angle bracket or parenthesis, then the matching character will end the literal. If you dont want to use matching characters, you can use any other symbol (anything not a letter or number). The literal will be closed with another of the same symbol. The following example shows you several ways to use this syntax. The alternate syntax also works as a multi-line string.

Risk Management and Insurance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Risk Management and Insurance - Assignment Example Many families have children from previous marriages, whom they would want to incorporate into their estate plan. Many parents want to ensure the financial security of all their children. For families with a nucleus set- up, with no children from previous relationships, it is very easy to distribute the estate appropriately, but in blended families, it is a bit complicated. Therefore, an effective estate plan, designed and managed by an estate planning advisor, can enable families to find financial direction and avoid unnecessary taxation (Taylor, 2002). Since 2013, both the gift and estate tax use the same rate schedule. Additionally, gifts in life can affect the bequest’s taxation at death. The taxable estate at death and taxable gifts given during a lifetime are taxed at 40%, but the tax is only imposed on bequests and gifts above substantial lifetime exclusion sums and moderate exclusion amounts on an annual basis. The generational skipping tax is an additional tax property, where property passed from a grandparent to a grandchild and or future successive generations, through a trust or will, results in the imposition of a tax. The tax can also be passed on to individuals who are 37.5 years younger than the original owner. The tax was developed and implemented in order to ensure that estate taxes were no longer evaded. Wells states that AB trusts and their portability are also discussed, with regards to estate tax exemption. Since 2011, federal estate tax exemption can be transferred between married couples and they can be able to utilize federal estate tax exemptions via AB Trusts (Wells, 2011). The second to die life insurance highlights the affordability of the policy with regards to estate planning. To develop the policy, a second policy is set up between a married couple, however, neither one of them is able to collect a payout in the event that one of them dies. Privatizing the fund could be used to counter the burgeoning fiscal burden. This measure is not very popular due to its negative implication on the future benefits of current workers, coupled with the stock market losses experienced in recent years.Increasing the payroll tax cap has also been suggested as a reform measure. The current cap is $ 106,800 annually, but by increasing the cap, higher wage earners will pay larger portions of their wages to the system and help in closing the deficit. However, this measure has redistributive tendencies that are not very popular. Â  

Project Procurement Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Procurement Management - Assignment Example Which contract type should be used by ABC Consulting? A. Purchase Order B. Cost plus Fee C. Fixed cost D. Time and Material 3. Joe’s Plumbing Ltd. is planning to buy ten business grade laptops for $1,500 each from a leading computer supplier. Which type of contract will generally be used in this case? A. Purchase Order B. Cost plus Fee C. Fixed cost D. Time and Material 4. A bookstore is getting 200 computers and a POS system installed from a vendor. The vendor will be paid the costs involved and a 10% incentive. Which contract will be used in this case? A. CPPC B. CPIF C. CPFF D. Fixed Cost 5. Sophie is a Project Manager. She is coordinating a bidder conference to allow vendors to get clarification on the work that needs to be performed. Which phase of Project Management is in progress? A. Conduct Procurements B. Plan Procurements C. Administer Procurements D. Close Procurements 6. A significant difference between independent estimates and proposed pricing from respondents to an RFP could mean that: A. The independent estimates are most likely incorrect and the proposed pricing correct B. The SOW was not adequately defined C. The prospective seller either misunderstood or failed to respond fully to the SOW D. b or c E. a or c 7. Which of the following are examples of indirect costs? A. Salaries of corporate executives B. Salaries of full-time project staff C. Overhead costs (such as building rent and office equipment) D. a and b E. a and c 8. Which of the following contract types places the greatest risk on the seller? A. Cost-plus-fixed-fee contract B. Cost plus-incentive-fee contract C. Time and Materials contract D. Fixed-price-incentive contract E. Firm-fixed-price contract 9. Which is not an element of procurement management? A. Purchasing B. Expediting C. Acquisition D. Marketing E. C and D 10. Requesting the submission of proposals from sellers to perform work is the avenue for acquiring most projects. The proposals, when submitted, must contain specific items to obligate or bind the tendering organization. The most important item is? A. A complete description of the work to be performed B. The list of legal terms and conditions C. The signature of a corporate officer of the seller D. A statement of work that describes how the work will be accomplished E. A firm price for the complete work to be performed 11. _____ is a formal invitation to submit a price for goods and / or services as specified. A. Bid response B. Request for quotation C. Intention to bid D. Invitation for bid E. Request for proposal 12. Payment bonds are often required by the contract and require specific actions under the stated conditions. Payment bonds are specifically designed to ensure payment of ______ by the prime contractor. A. Insurance premiums B. Weekly payrolls C. Incremental earned value charges D. Subcontractors, laborers, and materials E. Damages for accidents caused 13. Some contracts are not completed because the contractor or vendor fail s or refuses to complete the contractual conditions of a signed agreement. This situation is called a______ for which damages can be assigned. A. Breach B. Stop-work C. Flawed contract D. Contract in situ E. None of the above 14. The project manager is responsible for all the activities within a project and interfaces with external functions, all of which consume his time. Therefore, when a contract administrator is assigned to the project, the project manager ________ the contract. A. Does not need to

PICOT research question created and abstracts to support Assignment

PICOT research question created and abstracts to support - Assignment Example RESULTS: Baseline and six-month quality of life measures did not correlate with recorded arrhythmias. However, perceptions of diminished general health correlated significantly with symptoms of exercise intolerance, lightheadedness/dizziness, palpitations and chest pain/pressure. By multivariable logistic regression, more severe perceived episodes, symptoms of exercise intolerance and lightheadedness/dizziness were independently associated with diminished quality of life. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings of this study indicate that symptomatic  heart failure  patients suffer from poor quality of life and that interventions are needed to improve quality of life and decrease symptom severity. Nurses who care for  heart failure  patients play an essential role in symptom evaluation and management and could significantly improve overall quality of life in these patients by carefully evaluating symptomatology and testing interventions and educational programmes aimed at improving quality of life (Hickey, et al., 2102). METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of 318 patients with chronic systolic HF recruited in 48 German primary care practices, we evaluated the patient-reported European HF Self-care  Behaviour  scale (EHFScBs) assessments (range 12-60, where lower scores indicate better self-care). Potential determinants included socio-demographic (e.g. age, living status), clinical (e.g. NYHA class, LVEF, NT-proBNP levels, co-morbidities), behavioural (e.g. smoking and alcohol intake), psychosocial (SF-36 scales and KCCQ domains, e.g. quality of life and self-efficacy) and  depression  status (PHQ-D), plus previous health care utilisation. Mixed regression modelling was applied. RESULTS: Patients had a mean (SD) age of 69.0 (10.4) years and were 71% male. They had a good overall EHFScBs score of 24.7 (7.8) (n=274). In the final regression model (n=271), six determinants were retained (ÃŽ ²; descriptive p-value):

United States school counseling program Term Paper

United States school counseling program - Term Paper Example School counseling is not a new concept; it has been in existence since long; however, it is also true that school counseling at elementary and middle level is a later development as compared to high school and college counseling.Academic counseling, vocational guidance and other forms of school counseling are offered in most schools these days for the students who need it. According to the Education Encyclopedia (2011), school counselors facilitate communication between students, teachers and parents while striving to make learning process a positive experience for all parties involved. This paper will provide a brief history and evaluation of the school counseling program specifically at elementary and middle high school level offered to students in the USA, focusing on the roles and responsibility of a school counselor. History of School Counseling In USA:Though existence of informal school counseling, where the teacher played the role of counselor is centuries long, almost as long as that of education itself; the history of formal school counseling can be traced back to the beginning of twentieth century. In the pro social reform movement period, when child labor was at its peak, counseling was introduced in many schools of USA, but this was mostly vocational counseling which aimed at transforming people in the workforce into productive members of the society (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). During its first half, the 20th century faced two world wars. Two noticeable events occurred in the post war era that cleared the way for counseling in schools as we know it today (Yau, 1988). One was the establishment of American School Counselor Association in 1950 and second was inclusion of aid for counseling in guidance in the national defense education act in 1958 (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). In 1970’s the focus of school counseling was further expanded to engulf the special needs department. Special needs students also fell under the department of school counselor as per the Education for all handicapped children act in 1978. The ASCA has also developed a set of national standards for school counseling program, which serves as a guide for all school counselors regarding their role and responsibilities (Sabella, 2006). Importance of School Counseling Professional school counseling helps in maximizing student success via promotion of a safe and supportive learning environment (ASCA, 2009). According to Gysbers (2003), identity issues, problems pertaining to academic learning, peer pressure, drugs and changing or disturbing family relationships are a common part of students’ daily lives in the USA today. The role of counselor is therefore very important. The school counselor not only identifies the students in need of assistance, but also serves to rectify the problems and help the students in solving their issues. This is attained via expanding communication channels and introducing the students to effective life coping strateg ies as per the requirement. 2. ROLE OF A SCHOOL COLUNSELOR A review of available literature was conducted in order to find out the current trends and issues in school counseling in the USA and to explore the roles of a school counselor in America. The ASCA have carefully developed a national model for professional school counselors to follow. This model is typically based on four areas, namely: foundation, delivery, management and accountability (ASCA, 2011). The element of foundation in the model points out that the counselors are to develop a philosophy in their work and then to follow it. Ideally, counselors create a mission statement in collaboration with that of the school they are working at to create a supportive environment for the students that encourages learning. Delivery refers to the provision of required and expected services by the counselor to the staff, teachers, students’ and parents. Management also falls within the realm f counseling. As per the national

Pathophysiology of Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

Pathophysiology of Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease - Research Paper Example Alzheimer’s is normally classified into three different groups; Early onset, Late onset and familial. This paper analyses the dimensions of late onset Alzheimer’s. Pathophysiology of "Late Onset" Alzheimer's Disease It is estimated that more than 4.5 million people in America alone experiencing Alzheimer’s currently. Doraiswamy et al, (2009) have mentioned that Alzheimer’s can occur even at the age of forties or fifties (Doraiswamy et al, 2009, xvii). However, about 90% of the Alzheimer’s disease patients are victims of "Late Onset" Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's victims of more than 65 years of age are normally included in the category of Late Onset" Alzheimer's. Only 10% of Alzheimer's victims are below the age of 65. Normally people below the age of 65 suffers Alzheimer’s because of Down syndrome. This type of Alzheimer’s is known as Early onset Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, "Late Onset" Alzheimer's disease is caused by hereditar y and environmental factors. A third type of Alzheimer’s is known as Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). In the case of FAD patients, the disease is caused by family history or hereditary. ... It has the ability to recollect everything in the distant memory while facing problems in recollecting information stored in the recent memory. Bonda et al. (2010) pointed out the imbalances between mitochondrial fission and fusion of cell proliferation as the reason for Alzheimer’s. â€Å"Specifically, the dynamic balance of fission and fusion in AD is greatly shifted toward fission, and, as a result, affected neurons contain abnormal mitochondria that are unable to meet the metabolic demands of the cell†(p.181). It should be noted that fission is the process of breaking of cells whereas fusion is the process of combining cells. Both fission and fusion are necessary body mechanisms to maintain good memory. However, in the case of patients with Alzheimer’s fission mechanism occurs more while fusion mechanism occurs less. As a result of that cell proliferation procedures will be troubled and the communication though neurons become defective. It should be noted tha t neurons are responsible for sending instructions from the brain to different parts of body. This communication process may become defective because of the imbalances in fusion and fission. Risk Factors Advanced age is the primary risk factor for AD; risk doubles every 5 years after the age of 65. Additional risk factors include having a first-degree relative with AD; Down syndrome; head trauma; certain environmental exposures, including metals, infection, and toxins; decreased estrogen levels; and mutations in the APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, or APOE genes. Cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance), depression, and certain lifestyle choices (e.g.,

United States school counseling program Term Paper

United States school counseling program - Term Paper Example School counseling is not a new concept; it has been in existence since long; however, it is also true that school counseling at elementary and middle level is a later development as compared to high school and college counseling.Academic counseling, vocational guidance and other forms of school counseling are offered in most schools these days for the students who need it. According to the Education Encyclopedia (2011), school counselors facilitate communication between students, teachers and parents while striving to make learning process a positive experience for all parties involved. This paper will provide a brief history and evaluation of the school counseling program specifically at elementary and middle high school level offered to students in the USA, focusing on the roles and responsibility of a school counselor. History of School Counseling In USA:Though existence of informal school counseling, where the teacher played the role of counselor is centuries long, almost as long as that of education itself; the history of formal school counseling can be traced back to the beginning of twentieth century. In the pro social reform movement period, when child labor was at its peak, counseling was introduced in many schools of USA, but this was mostly vocational counseling which aimed at transforming people in the workforce into productive members of the society (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). During its first half, the 20th century faced two world wars. Two noticeable events occurred in the post war era that cleared the way for counseling in schools as we know it today (Yau, 1988). One was the establishment of American School Counselor Association in 1950 and second was inclusion of aid for counseling in guidance in the national defense education act in 1958 (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). In 1970’s the focus of school counseling was further expanded to engulf the special needs department. Special needs students also fell under the department of school counselor as per the Education for all handicapped children act in 1978. The ASCA has also developed a set of national standards for school counseling program, which serves as a guide for all school counselors regarding their role and responsibilities (Sabella, 2006). Importance of School Counseling Professional school counseling helps in maximizing student success via promotion of a safe and supportive learning environment (ASCA, 2009). According to Gysbers (2003), identity issues, problems pertaining to academic learning, peer pressure, drugs and changing or disturbing family relationships are a common part of students’ daily lives in the USA today. The role of counselor is therefore very important. The school counselor not only identifies the students in need of assistance, but also serves to rectify the problems and help the students in solving their issues. This is attained via expanding communication channels and introducing the students to effective life coping strateg ies as per the requirement. 2. ROLE OF A SCHOOL COLUNSELOR A review of available literature was conducted in order to find out the current trends and issues in school counseling in the USA and to explore the roles of a school counselor in America. The ASCA have carefully developed a national model for professional school counselors to follow. This model is typically based on four areas, namely: foundation, delivery, management and accountability (ASCA, 2011). The element of foundation in the model points out that the counselors are to develop a philosophy in their work and then to follow it. Ideally, counselors create a mission statement in collaboration with that of the school they are working at to create a supportive environment for the students that encourages learning. Delivery refers to the provision of required and expected services by the counselor to the staff, teachers, students’ and parents. Management also falls within the realm f counseling. As per the national

Tourism Marketing Information and London's Image Management Dissertation

Tourism Marketing Information and London's Image Management - Dissertation Example The paper is also going to look at how London as the selected tourist destination has been managed to maintain and improve its image all over the world. This study has been developed on the basis of previous researches conducted on the role played by marketing information and management on the image destination. It was realized that tourist information sources and proper destination management play a significant role when it comes to destination image. This empirical research was carried out to examine the relationship proposed by the paper. The findings show that there exists a positive relationship between marketing information and proper management with destination image. The marketing information is related to London’s accessibility, its culture, its operating intermediaries, its people and its weather. The management of a tourist’s destination as well as the marketing information has to take into consideration what is expected by the tourists and the stakeholders a nd what is delivered. To show this, primary data was collected from selected areas in London and a qualitative analysis done to analyze the content from the viewers. In addition, secondary data was collected from different sampled blogs after which the information was equally analyzed. The findings of the study show that there is a positive correlation between reliable marketing information and proper destination management with destination image. Table of Contents Table of Contents i List of figures v List of Tables vi Appendix vii Acknowledgements viii Declaration of Originality ix Executive Summary x Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Objectives and Aims 4 1.3 Research Motivation 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1 Background of London Tourism Market 10 2.2 Tourism Marketing Information 11 2.2.1 Importance Of Information 12 2.2.2 Areas for Information Generation 14 2.2.2.1 Sources Of Information 15 2.3 Image Management 20 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 27 3.1 Research The ory and Research Strategy 27 3.2 Data collection 28 3.2.1 Primary Research Method 28 3.2.1.1 Questionnaire 31 3.2.2 Second Research Method 34 3.3 Qualitative Content Analysis 36 3.3.1 Analysis of the Questionnaires 36 3.3.2 Analysis of the Blogs 37 3.4 Credibility, Validity and Reliability 39 Chapter 4 Findings 42 4.1 Findings of the Research 42 Chapeter 5: Discussion 50 5.1 Discussion of the Research 50 Chapter 6: Conclusion 56 6.1 Conclusion of the Research 56 6.2 Limitations And Future Recommendations 59 REFERENCES 61 List of figures Figure 1 9 List of Tables Table 1 35 Table 2 44 Table 3 46 Table 4 47 Table 5 48 Table 6 49 Table 7 50 Appendix List Appendix A 111 Appendix B 112 Appendix C 113 Appendix D 114 Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank my family for the support, sacrifice and encouragement during the completion of my dissertation. My family stood out as a strong pillar during the many months of juggling family with school. I would also like to express my s incere gratitudes to my poarents who remained confidence in me and my abilities Second, many thanks go to my supervisor whose guidance and patience helped me to take each step of this journey. Lastly, I would like to thank my RA’s and my friends who went to great lengths to help me in gatheruing the data required to complete this study Thank you deeply to all of you! . Declaration of Originality MASTERS DISSERTATION SUBMISSION FORM Student’

The Action of President Johnson Essay Example for Free

The Action of President Johnson Essay â€Å"The Action of President Johnson were far more important to the Civil Rights Movement than that of President Kennedy in the years 1960 to 1965† Explain what you agree or disagree with in this view. (24) President Kennedy was slow to help blacks during his short time in power during 1961 to 1963. Due to him having a close electoral victory he was hesitant to help blacks as he would become less popular amongst the whites, although he had a lot of power to do so anyway. Civil Rights legislation simply was not part of Kennedys agenda, he did use the power of the executive to back up Brown v. Board of education, but he supported no legislation to enforce or extend Civil Rights. However Kennedy had been so shocked by the number of blacks employed that he put pressure on the civil service to employ blacks. Even Kennedy himself promoted 40 blacks to top positions within the White House. However down south the situation was harder to change and Kennedy had to balance morality and practicality as he didn’t want to lose white southern voters. He’d been most helpful with his symbolic gestures by inviting more blacks than any other previous President. His group the EEOC also didn’t have much impact amongst the blacks but left a lasting impact by reminding employers of their obligations. In President Kennedys last attempts of the Civil Rights Bill to help black workers and blacks to use their vote; however the bill got stuck in congress. Johnson did not deviate from the Kennedy agenda significantly while serving the remainder of Kennedys term, but after getting elected in his own right vigorously pursued Civil Rights legislation, and got most of his Civil Rights legislation enacted into law before the new Congress had gotten their chairs warm. It only passed congress once President Johnson who came into power after Kennedy’s assassination continued to try and push the bill through although told it would affect the 1964 presidential election; Johnson insisted that discrimination was wrong. He’d had a vision of the ‘Great Society’, with an end to poverty and racial injustice. In conclusion Kennedy could be seen as someone who calculated his approach to racial problems, only helping blacks when forced to do so. The Civil Rights Bill which had been handed to congress by Kennedy was an important step to the civil Rights movement and although it was passed during Johnsons power it’s unsure if it was due to the sadness over Kennedys assassination, because of Kennedys efforts with the congressmen, or because of President Johnson.

Training on Performance of Employees in Etihad Airways

Training on Performance of Employees in Etihad Airways This research project aims to investigate the impact of training on the employees of El Etihad, a well known airline based in the Middle East with operations across the world. 1.1. Overview Training and development play very important roles in the enhancement of individual abilities and professional advancement of organisational employees (Gerber Lankshear, 2000). Numerous changes have occurred in the global economic and business environment since the end of the Second World War. Such changes, which have intensified in nature and scope since the 1980s, include rapid advancement in technology, the dismantling of physical and economic barriers between nations, the development of instantaneous methods of communication across long distances, and sharp reduction in costs of international travel (Gerber Lankshear, 2000). The phenomenal increase in international travel is an integral part of globalisation and has in turn led to immense churning in the airlines industry (Craig Douglas, 2000). The airline industry has witnessed the emergence of numerous new airlines across the world, even as well established and once famous airlines have had to close down. Whilst new airlines like Ryan Air and Easy jet have come up in the UK, numerous new airlines have sprung up in China, India and the Middle East. Such growth in the airline industry has resulted in intensification of competition, segmentation of customers, and the emergence of low cost airlines and chartered trips (Craig Douglas, 2000). Etihad is one such airline, which was established in 2003 in Abu Dhabi and has in a short period of time grown significantly both in operations and in sales. Operating in an intensely competitive environment, the organisation needs to improve its sales and operational efficiencies in order to break even and become fin ancially viable (Craig Douglas, 2000). It is widely recognised that with all other things being equal, the competitive advantage of organisations, both in production and in service sectors, is determined by the quality of organisational employees and the levels of customer service (Eaton, 2001). The role of employees is especially important in service sectors like hotels and airlines, where individual customer satisfaction is often dependent upon the quality of service provided by organisational employees. All modern day airlines, big and small, recognise the importance of employees and their role in the achievement of competitive advantage and organisational growth (Eaton, 2001). Airline employees, both on the ground and those who fly, are chosen with great care and trained continuously and intensely in order to improve operational efficiencies, customer service and competitive advantage. 1.2. Aims and Objectives This research project aims to determine the role of training of employees in Etihad airlines on the organisational efficiency, customer service, and competitive advantage of El Etihad Airlines. Its objectives are as under To examine the role of training in improvement of organisational efficiency and competitive advantage of organisations. To investigate how training can improve the performance of employees in the airlines sector. To investigate and assess the ways in which training can help the performance of employees at Etihad Airways 1.3. Research Questions The research questions for this project are framed as under: Research Questions 1: What are the organisational advantages of training? Research Question 2: How can such advantages improve the performance of employees in the Airlines sector? Research Question 3: How can training improve employee and organisational performance at Etihad Airways? Research Question 4: How will such improvement impact the operational and financial performance of Etihad Airways? 1.4. Terms and Definitions Terms and Definitions Details Epistemological Approach The approach of knowledge Quantitative and Qualitative Methods The two main methods of social research Population The group of people or things under study in research projects Sample A small portion of the population that is expected to have the attributes of the larger population 1.5. Limitations of Study This study will be limited by the amount of information accessed during the course of investigation of primary and secondary sources. Whilst extensive efforts will be made to obtain relevant information, it is very possible that some facts that are relevant may not be unearthed. Such inadequacies could limit the final analysis and results of the project. 2. Literature Review Etihad Airways Etihad Airways was established in July 2003, through the proclamation of a royal decree by Sheikh Khalifa, the President of the UAE. Etihad is the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, and offers air travel within country and to numerous other global destinations (iloveindia.com, 2009). It is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. The company is yet to post a profit and has faced difficult times in the wake of the global economic downturn of 2008 (iloveindia.com, 2009). Competition in the Airline Industry The airline industry has faced very challenging times over the course of the past decade and continues to face multifaceted and tough situations. The industry suffered extremely in the days after the September 11 attacks, when worldwide drops in air travel compelled a number of celebrated airlines, counting the likes of Swissair, to seal operations because of enormous operational and financial losses (Yousfi, 2008). The huge hike in fuel costs in recent years, which in 2007 shot up to more than 140 USD per barrel and now floats between USD 70 and 75 per barrel, is adversely affecting the operations and finances of all passenger airlines. The airline industry, globally, has suffered losses worth billions of dollars in recent periods and expects to make a nominal profit of 0.05% in 2011 (Yousfi, 2008). Etihad has not just been adversely affected by adverse global environmental circumstances but also by competition from strong Middle East airlines like Qatar Airlines and Gulf Air. The o rganisation faces extremely strong international and local competition, and is finding it difficult to break even and thereafter make profits (Yousfi, 2008). Training and Development Training and Development constitutes the overall organisational strategies and policies that are adopted by organisations for helping employees to improve their individual and collective organisational abilities and skills (Adiele, 2009). Training initiatives aim to build workforces with better ability in order to allow organisations and employees to attain their objectives for customer satisfaction and service. Training represents all the activities that are taken up, both by organisations or individually by employees, to improve employee performance in existing or associated areas of employment (Adiele, 2009). Training in organisations comprises of two important segments, i.e. internal training and external training (Vemic, 2007). Internal training is provided within the organisation. Such training can be classified into off-job and on-job training, on-job training standing for the improvement of skills through the actual participation of workers in their jobs and off-job training standing for learning enhancement through observation; either in class rooms or in the work place (Vemic, 2007). External training represents training that is arranged outside companies, mostly by consultants and professionals (Vemic, 2007). Need for Training and Development Employees need to be trained for various reasons. Whilst staffing of employees is carried out on the basis of their overall suitability for the jobs expected of them by way of educational background and achievements, prior training and working experience, changes in work place and environmental conditions, as well as alterations in work requirements, often require employees to enhance their skills (Lowson, 2002). Training needs could arise because of reasons like (a) the inculcation of fresh technologies and work processes, (b) alterations in manufacturing, service or other work processes, (c) the need to prepare employees for additional responsibilities, (d) the need to prepare workers to take on improved responsibilities, (e) the need to develop their awareness about environmental and business circumstances and (f) the need to develop or alter their attitudes and behaviours (Lowson, 2002). Organisations are progressively emphasising on the importance of ethics in the work place (Vemic, 2007). Modern organisations are informing employees about the ethical direction of their organisations and the requirement for employees to maintain ethical codes of conduct. Apart from ethics, training programmes are frequently designed to give employees interpersonal skills and conflict minimisation techniques (Vemic, 2007). Inculcation of the requirement for preservation of work place harmony also helps workers in improving their relationships with others. Training also plays a key role in inculcating safety in working processes (Vemic, 2007). Benefits of Training and Development HR experts are agreed on the positive benefits of training, not just for junior members of the workforce, but even more for supervisors and managers, for augmentation of individual and organisational productivity and performance (Gerber Lankshear, 2000). Suitable and well planned training assists workers to develop their skills and knowledge, as well as to acquire new skills. Many studies have shown that employees can toil considerably faster and with lesser errors after proper training. Such training allows them to do their jobs better and enables them to take on new responsibilities. Whilst training assists organisational performance and efficiency, it also increases employee worth and augments their value in the employment market (Gerber Lankshear, 2000). Please see Appendix 2, which details the various benefits of training and development in the form of a chart. 3. Research Methods 3.1. Methodological Perspectives 3.1.1. Important Research Factors Research in areas management come under the broad scope of economic research (Bryman Bell, 2007). The research methodology for such assignments is determined in agreement with the doctrine of social research and is shaped by the character of the subject under study and the infrastructural and other resources available with the researcher. The choice of suitable research methods and techniques involves the selection of precise research methods and the most appropriate sources of information (Bryman Bell, 2007). 3.1.2. Quantitative and Qualitative Methods of Research Social research methods are fashioned by two broad and different research approaches, namely the quantitative approach and the qualitative approach. These approaches are fashioned by dissimilar epistemologies and require the use of distinct research techniques, both for acquisition and for analysis of data (Darlington Scott, 2002). Please see Appendix 1 Most theories put forward by researchers need substantiation, measured by relevant quantitative data Quantitative research is an inquiry into an identified problem, and based on testing theories. The goal of quantitative methods is to determine whether the predictive generalizations of a theory holds true. Quantitative political research thus refers to the use of measurement in the analysis of behaviours and attitudes. Quantitative political analysis makes great use of statistical concepts and theories in its execution. In a situation that involves the behavioural analysis of large numbers of people, sometimes running into hundreds of thousands, statistical analysis is the most convenient way of arriving at a logical conclusion. The use of statistics by way of various tools like predetermined sampling methods, probability, correlation and regression analyses is used to present findings that support or contradict research hypotheses. Quantitative analysis is initially somewhat bewildering to stereotypical political researchers, who mostly have backgrounds in the liberal arts and are unfamiliar with statistical models. However, the models used are reasonably simple and decision making is restricted to choosing the level of data to be used, the choice of the sampling technique, the sample size and the appropriate tool for measuring variability. The measurement of variability, which involves computation of means, medians, modes, standard deviations and coefficients of correlation and regression, is the only stage in quantitative analysis that requires a certain amount of number crunching. However, software for their computation is universally available and researchers, these days have little to do other than feeding in the results of surveys and questionnaires. Apart from these descriptive techniques for data analysis, statistical inferential techniques that involve generalising from a sample to the whole population are also regularly used in qualitative research methodology. Quantitative analysis involves two other major tasks that influence the quality of the final analysis, namely data collection and the final validation of results. Data collection can happen directly through the use of questionnaires and surveys, from opinion polls or from pre-existing material, like results of other research efforts or official statistics. Harrison (2001) states that opinion polls are often used to obtain indications about public preferences while exit polls help in forecasting results. The voluminous material available from official sources is also used as base data in quantitative research on many occasions, after satisfaction of its validity for the Qualitative methods of analysis are fundamentally different and are applied when the issue under study is subjective in nature and open to different ways of interpretation (Neuman, 2005). Qualitative research methods are fashioned by interpretivist epistemology and concern detailed examination of multifaceted subjects that are frequently profound and incapable of being satisfied with yes or no responses. Qualitative techniques involve obtaining understanding human behaviour in depth as well as the reasons that govern such behaviour, i.e., the how and why behind attitudes and consequent decision-making. Samples are therefore small and focussed and techniques incorporate skilled and extensive interviewing of respondents, observation and examination of documents (Neuman, 2005). The major difference between quantitative and qualitative research techniques lies in much greater involvement and the elimination of detachment, which however is integral to quantitative research involving large samples and surveys. Numerous techniques, including participant observation, ethnography, ethno methodology, dramaturgical interviewing, case studies, unobtrusive observation, content analysis and historiography form part of the repertoire of the student using qualitative methodology for research. There are very few step by step rules in this methodology and the objective is to arrive at the real reasons behind what people actually do, as opposed to what they say, e.g. in surveys. Whilst most research assignments call for the use of either quantitative or qualitative methods, some multifaceted and multidimensional issues necessitate the use of both techniques (Neuman, 2005). 3.1.3. Choice of Information Sources Information sources are generally categorised into primary and secondary sources. Secondary information sources consist of all the information on the subject that is available to the public at large in the form of published material, more specifically books, articles, both journal and magazine, and other publications (Bryman Bell, 2007). Primary information is obtained from sources that are part of or are integral to the subject under study (Bryman Bell, 2007). Whilst primary information is commonly obtained from interviews and focus group discussions, such information is also available from specific public domain sources like organisational or departmental publications, publications authored by the subjects under study, interviews given by them to reliable media publications, and otherwise from information disseminated through personal or organisational websites (Bryman Bell, 2007). 3.2. Research Design The research project is complex and its design will need to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative methods of research. It is proposed to investigate the responses of a small group of 25 airline employees of Middle East airlines on the proposed benefits of training. This will help in obtaining information from airlines employees on their perceptions of training, especially on the training techniques that could help them in their jobs. Whilst it could be difficultly to obtain permission from airline managements for the conduct of such a survey, a recommendation letter from the institution should help in obtaining their agreement to participate. Qualitative interviews with three senior or middle level airlines staff, especially with people associated with the HR function will also help in obtaining detailed information about the role of training in improving the performance of airline employees. 3.3. Population and Samples The population, for the purpose of this assignment, consists of the employees of Etihad Airways. With the operations of employees of most employees in the airlines sector being reasonably similar, the population can be taken to be all people employed in the airline sector in the Gulf States. The sample for the quantitative survey is fixed at 25 airline employees. The size of the sample is fixed on a non-probabilistic basis and has been decided in line with the abilities and resources of the researcher in conducting the survey. Qualitative interviews are expected to be conducted with three airline employees. The choice of three respondents for qualitative employees is reasonable considering the detailed work required in conducting qualitative interviews. The sample size for qualitative interviews is thus determined at three respondents. 3.4. Data Collection Data collection for quantitative interviews with 25 airline employees will be through carefully constructed questionnaires that will contain a maximum of 15 multiple choice questions. The questionnaire will be easy to use and will be administered by 3 volunteers at airline terminals, only after approval of airline managements. Data will be collected for qualitative analysis from direct interviews with carefully chosen officials, engaged in middle or senior management positions in the airline sector in the Gulf countries. The questions for the interviews will be both open and close ended in nature. The interviews will be audio taped and thereafter transcribed into typed documents. 3.5. Research Ethics Appropriate care will be taken to ensure the adoption of ethical rules and norms that are pertinent to business research (Bryman Bell, 2007). All information sources used for the purpose of study will be acknowledged carefully and comprehensively (Bryman Bell, 2007). All participants will be informed of the nature of the assignment and its purposes. Respondents have been informed of their right to confidentiality and of refusing to answer all or any of the questions asked of them. All respondents have also agreed in writing of their unilateral and unforced willingness to participate in this study (Bryman Bell, 2007). 3.6. Data Analysis The analysis of data will need to be done with reference to the research questions of this project. Data collected from the questionnaire survey will first be carefully transcribed and tabulated, and thereafter analysed with the use of standard statistical tools and techniques. Analysis of data obtained during direct interviews will be conducted after the contents of the audio tapes are carefully transcribed along with notes on behaviours of respondents during the course of interviews. It is important in such cases to bring out the nuances that are not available in the typed manuscripts of the interviews. References Adiele, N., 2009, Importance of Training and Development in a Firm, Ezine, Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ndunuju_Adiele (accessed October 13, 2010). Bryman, A., Bell, E., 2007, Business Research Methods, 2nd edition, New York: Oxford University Press. Creswell, J.W., 2003, Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches, 2nd ed, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Darlington, Y., Scott, D., 2002, Qualitative Research in Practice: Stories from the Field, Crowà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Nest, N.S.W.: Allen Unwin. Eaton, J., 2001, Globalization and Human Resource in the Airline Industry, 2nd ed., Ashgate Publishing Ltd: Aldershot, UK. El Etihad Airways, 2010, à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Company Profileà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , Available at: www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/global//default.aspx (accessed October 13, 2010). Elliott, D., Stern, E. J., 1997, Research Ethics: A Reader, 1st edition, Institute for the Study of Applied and Professional Ethics at Dartmouth College. Gerber, R., Lankshear, C., 2000, Training for a Smart Workforce, London, Routledge. Craig, C. S., HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252 Douglas, S. P., 2000, HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252International Marketing ResearchHYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252 (2nd ed.), New York: John Wiley HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=111420252 Sons. iloveindia.com, 2009, Etihad Airways, Available at: www.iloveindia.com/airlines-in-india//etihad-airways.html (accessed October 13, 2010). Kervin, J. B., 1992, Methods for business research, New York: Harper Collins. Lowson, R, H., 2002, Strategic Operations ManagementHYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=102807829, The New Competitive Advantage,HYPERLINK http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=102807829 New York, Routledge. Morrison, S., Winston, C., 1995, The Evolution of the Airline Industry, The Brookings Institution, 4 Washington, D.C. Neuman, W. L., 2005, Social Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, 6th Edition, Allyn Bacon. Penslar, L. R., 1995, Research Ethics: Cases and Materials, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A., 2009, Research methods for business students, 5th ed, Essex: Pearson Educational. Vemic, J., 2007, Employee training and development and the learning Organisation, Economics and Organisation, 4, 2, 209-216. Yousfi, J., 2008, Troubled Global Airline Industry Battered by Fuel Costs, Labor Problems, Money Morning, Available at: moneymorning.com//troubled-global-airline-industry-battered-by-fuel-costs-labor-problems/ (accessed October 13, 2010). Appendices Appendix 1 Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Is Objective in nature Is Subjective in nature Depends upon Measurement Depends upon Interpretation Researchers are independent of the Process Researchers are part of the Process Sample size is very important Sample size is not important Used for testing theory and dependent upon early Literature Review Used for developing theory and as such Literature Review is an ongoing process Reasoning is logistic and deductive and establishes relationships and causation Reasoning is dialectic and inductive and establishes meaning, discovery Report is generally in the form of statistical analysis and strives for generalization Report is narrative in nature, dependent upon interpretation and works towards uniqueness

Officer Fatigue Essay -- Police Departments, Moonlighting

Officer fatigue Officer fatigue can be a quite serious problem for police departments. Excess fatigue will generally reduce alertness, decrease performance and worsen mood. These symptoms can reduce officer's performance and safety with potentially life-threatening effects. Patrol officers are expected to remain alert and able to resolve complex, emotional, and potentially dangerous situations. They are expected to be able to multi-task, as well as stay alert during periods of inaction. These activities can be quite difficult for a fatigued officer to complete (Vila 1996). Community oriented policing efforts can be seriously compromised by officer fatigue with excess officer fatigue harming community-police relations (Vila & Taiji 1999). In several cases, the result of officer fatigue has been fatal both for the officer and for civilians involved in fatigue related incidents (Vila & Kenney 2002). There is not standardised or regulated method of controlling the time officers spend working as there is for pilots and truck drivers. As such, limited only be department policies, many officers will work enormous amounts of extra hours in overtime or moonlighting. There have been reports of officers in both Florida and Massachusetts working up 3,000 additional hours per year (Vila & Kenney 2002). In a study of the Jacksonville, Florida police department, the majority of officers were found to be moonlighting. Most of these officers moonlighted for ten hour or less per week. A number though worked over sixty additional hours per week, leading to average work weeks exceeding 100 hours. At the time, the department did not any polices restricting moonlighting hours. The then recently elected sheriff, reported planning to change this polic... ...ict of interest. While less likely to occur, a police officer moonlighting in certain medical fields or in some religious roles could conceivable create similar conflicts. Moonlighting officers will generally only respond to activity within their employer’s property. Many police state that they would intervene in some crimes such as robberies even if occurred outside their employed area, but said that they would leave most crimes to on-duty officers (Stewart 1985). This creates a situation that is both theoretically problematic and potentially harmful to the agency’s image. To the public, there is no reason why an apparently working officer in uniform should not be responding to ongoing criminal activity. The public sees only an officer not responding to a crime, the fact that they are actually moonlighting at the time and are not on-duty is lost on most people.

Network installation

Choosing a network that does not meet an organization's needs leads directly to trouble. A common problem arises from choosing a peer-to-peer network when the situation calls for a server-based network Peer to peer networks share responsibility for processing data among all of the connected devices. Peer-to-peer networking (also known simply as peer networking) differs from client-server networking in several respects. According to the computer specifications a peer-to-peer network is inadequate. It can exhibit problems with changes in the network site. These are more likely to be logistical or operational problems than hardware or software problems. For example users may turn off computers that are providing resources to others on the network. (Rutter, 2008). When a network's design is too limited, it cannot perform satisfactorily in some environments. Problems can vary depending on the type of network topology in effect. The physical topology of a network is the layout or actual appearance of the cabling scheme used on a network. Multipoint topologies share a common channel; each device needs a way to identify itself and the device to which it wants to send information. The method used to identify senders and receivers is called addressing. (Mitchel, 2008) The term topology, or more specifically, network topology, refers to the arrangement or physical layout of computers, cables, and other components on the network. â€Å"Topology† is the standard term that most network professionals use when they refer to the network's basic design. In addition to the term â€Å"topology,† there are other terms that are used to define a network's design: Physical layout, Design, Diagram or Map. (Mitchel, 2008). A network's topology affects its capabilities. The choice of one topology over another will have an impact on the type of equipment the network needs, Capabilities of the equipment, Growth of the network and Way the network is managed. According to Rutter, a network topology needs planning. For example, a particular topology can determine not only the type of cable used but also how the cabling runs through floors, ceilings, and walls. Topology can also determine how computers communicate on the network. Different topologies require different communication methods, and these methods have a great influence on the network. The most popular and recommendable method of connecting the cabling in the proposed computer network is the client server architecture of star topology. Here each device connects to a central point via a point-to-point link. Several names are used for the central point including the following: Hub, Multipoint Repeater, Concentrator, or Multi-Access Unit (MAU). (Microsoft MVP, 2004). For the recommended network, the central point ought to be an intelligent hub, which can make informed path selections and perform some network management. Intelligent hubs route traffic only to the branch of the star on which the receiving node is located. If redundant paths exist, an intelligent hub can route information around normally used paths when cable problems occur. Routers, bridges, ; switches are examples of hub devices that can route transmissions intelligently. These hubs are advanced such that they are able to accommodate several different types of cables. In this case there can be a main hub (the hybrid) with other sub-hubs especially for growth purposes. Intelligent hubs also can incorporate diagnostic features that make it easier to troubleshoot network problems. Hub-based systems are versatile and offer several advantages over systems that do not use hubs. In the standard star topology with hubs, a break in any of the cables attached to the hub affects only a limited segment of the network mostly only one workstation while the rest of the network keeps functioning.   In this kind of a system, wiring systems can be changed or expanded as needed, different ports can be used to accommodate a variety of cabling types and monitoring of network activity and traffic can be centralized. (Rutter, 2008) The star topology has many benefits; first each device is isolated on its own cable. This makes it easy to isolate individual devices from the network by disconnecting them from the wiring hub. Secondly all data goes through the central point, which can be equipped with diagnostic devices that make it easy to trouble shoot and manage the network. Lastly the Hierarchical organization allows isolation of traffic on the channel. This is beneficial when several, but not all, computers place a heavy load on the network. Traffic from those heavily used computers can be separated from the rest or dispersed throughout for a more even flow of traffic. According to Rutter This topology originated in the early days of computing when computers were connected to a centralized mainframe computer. One machine can act as a server and as a client at the same time since the setup is not concerned with security. This machine should be the one with the highest processing speed (3GHz), largest Random Access memory (1 Gb) and enough disk space (120 Gb). The importance of the server is to concentrate common peripheral devices, which do not need to be in multiples in the network. This computer can meet the processing and storage needs of other users, it can be able to support many more users in cases of expansion, it also enables administration of resources centrally in cases of troubleshooting there is more consistency and reliability and it also provides backup for the other machines. The server has many dedicated specialized functions in addition to providing basic network services. First it can be dedicated to managing network printers and print jobs to avoid unnecessary spooling. Secondly it can manage modems and other types of communication links. It can also be used to store large databases and run some database applications. Fourthly it can run an application for the access across the network. It can act as a mail server and provide access to email services as well as sending and forwarding email messages to intended recipients in the network. Lastly a server may provide a wide range of information to the public Internet or private intranets form the network. Upgrades can be to maintain, troubleshoot, update and fix the other computers remotely. It's way more effective than trying to explain what to do over the phone. Conclusion Topologies remain an important part of network design theory. You can probably build a home or small business network without understanding the difference between a bus design and a star design, but understanding the concepts behind these gives you a deeper understanding of important elements like hubs, broadcasts, and routes Work Cited: Brandley Mitchel, The New York Times Company. (2008). Wireless Networking. . Retrieved May 10, 2008 from: http://compnetworking.about.com/ Microsoft Most Valuable Profession, (2004, 1st December). Hardware and software specifications. http://www.ezlan.net/Installing.html Daniel Rutter, (2008,1st April). Ethernet Networking. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from: http://www.dansdata.com/network.htm

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 2

Hannah found herself on her feet. Her awareness was fragmented and understanding came to her in pieces because she simply couldn't take in the whole situation at once. It was too bizarre. At first she simply thought of a bomb. The explosion was that loud. Then she realized that something had come in the window, that it had come flying through the glass. And that it was in the room with her now, crouching among the broken shards of windowpane. Even then, she couldn't identify it. It was too incongruous; her mind refused to recognize the shape immediately. Something pretty big-something dark, it offered. A body like a dog's but set higher, with longer legs. Yellow eyes. And then, as if the right lens had suddenly clicked in front of her eyes, she saw it clearly. A wolf. There was a big black wolf in the room with her. It was a gorgeous animal, rangy and muscular, with ebony-colored fur and a white streak on its throat like a bolt of lightning. It was looking at her fixedly, with an almost human expression. Escaped fromYellowstone , Hannah thought dazedly. The naturalists were reintroducing wolves to the park, weren't they? It couldn't be wild; Ryan Harden's great-grandpa had bragged for years about killing the last wolf in Amador county when he was a boy. Anyway, she told herself, wolves don't attack people. They never attack people. A single wolf would never attack a full-grown teenager. And all the time her conscious mind was thinking this, something deeper was making her move. It made her back up slowly, never taking her eyes off the wolf, until she felt the bookcase behind her. There's something you need to get, a voice in her mind was whispering to her. It wasn't like the voice of another person, but it wasn't exactly like her own mental voice, either. It was a voice like a dark cool wind: competent and rather bleak. Something you saw on a shelf earlier, it said. In an impossibly graceful motion, from eight feet away, the wolf leaped. There was no time to be scared. Hannah saw a bushy, flowing black arc coming at her and then she was slammed into the bookcase. For a while after that, everything was simply chaos. Books and knick-knacks were falling around her. She was trying to get her balance, trying to push the heaviness of a furry body away from her. The wolf was falling back, then jumping again as she twisted sideways to get away. And the strangest thing was that she actually was getting away. Or at least evading the worst of the wolf's lunges, which seemed to be aimed at knocking her to the floor. Her body was moving as if this were, somehow instinctive to her, as if she knew how to do this. But I don't know this. I never fight†¦ and I've certainly never played dodge ball with a wolf before†¦. As she thought it, her movements slowed. She didn't feel sure and instinctive any longer. She felt confused. And the wolf seemed to know it. Its eyes glowed eerily yellow in the light of a lamp that was lying on its side. They were such strange eyes, more intense and more savage than any animal's she'd ever seen. She saw it draw its legs beneath it. Move-now, the mysterious new part of her mind snapped. Hannah moved. The wolf hit the bookcase with incredible force, and then the bookcase itself was falling. Hannah flung herself sideways in time to avoid being crushed-but the case fell with an unholy noise directly in front of the door. Trapped, the dark cool voice in Hannah's mind noted analytically. No exit anymore, except the window. â€Å"Hannah? Hannah?† It was Paul's voice just outside the room. The door flew open-all of four inches. It jammed against the fallen bookcase. â€Å"God-what's going on in there? Hannah? Hannah!† He sounded panicked now, banging the door uselessly against the blockage. Don't think about him, the new part of Hannah's mind said sharply, but Hannah couldn't help it. He sounded so desperate. She opened her mouth to shout back to him, her concentration broken. And the wolf lunged. This time Hannah didn't move fast enough. A terrible weight smashed into her and she was falling, flying. She landed hard, her head smacking into the floorboards. It hurt. Even as she felt it, everything grayed out. Her vision went sparkling, her mind soared away from the pain, and a strange thought flickered through her head. I'm dead now. It's over again. Oh, Isis, Goddess of Life, guide me to the other world†¦. â€Å"Hannah! Hannah! What's going on in there?† Paul's frantic voice came to her dimly. Hannah's vision cleared and the bizarre thoughts vanished. She wasn't soaring in sparkling emptiness and she wasn't dead. She was lying on the floor with a book's sharp corner in the small of her back and a wolf on her chest. Even in the midst of her terror, she felt a strange appalled fascination. She had never seen a wild animal this close. She could see the white-tipped guard hairs standing erect on its face and neck; she could see saliva glistening on its lolling red tongue. She could smell its breath-humid and hot, vaguely dog-like but much wilder. And she couldn't move, she realized. The wolf was as long as she was tall, and it weighed more than she did. Pinned underneath it, she was utterly helpless. All she could do was lie there shivering as the narrow, almost delicate muzzle got closer and closer to her face. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she felt the cold wetness of its nose on her cheek. It wasn't an affectionate gesture. The wolf was nudging at strands of her hair that had fallen across her face. Using its muzzle like a hand to push the hair away. Oh, God, please make it stop, Hannah thought. But she was the only one who could stop this-and she didn't know how. Now the cold nose was moving across her cheekbone. Its sniffing was loud in her ear. The wolf seemed to be smelling her, tasting her, and looking at her all at once. No. Not looking at me. Looking at my birthmark. It was another one of those ridiculous, impossible thoughts-and it snapped into place like the last piece in a puzzle deep inside her. Irrational as it was, Hannah felt absolutely certain it was true. And it set off the cool wind voice in her mind again. Reach out, the voice whispered, quiet and businesslike. Feel around you. The weapon has to be there somewhere. You saw it on the bookcase. Find it. The wolf stopped its explorations, seeming satisfied. It lifted its head†¦ and laughed. Really laughed. It was the eeriest and most frightening thing Hannah had ever seen. The big mouth opened, panting, showing teeth, and the yellow eyes blazed with hot bestial triumph. Hurry, hurry. Hannah's eyes were helplessly fixed on the sharp white teeth ten inches away from her face, but her hand was creeping out, feeling along the smooth pine floorboards around her. Her fingers glided over books, over the feathery texture of a fern-and then over something square and cold and faced with glass. The wolf didn't seem to notice. Its lips were pulling back farther and farther. Not laughing anymore. Hannah could see its short front teeth and its long curving canines. She could see its forehead wrinkling. And she could feel its body vibrate in a low and vicious growl. The sound of absolute savagery. The cool wind voice had taken over Hannah's mind completely. It was telling her what would happen next. The wolf would sink his teeth into her throat and then shake her, tearing skin and ripping muscles away. Her blood would spray like a fountain. It would fill her severed windpipe and her lungs and her mouth. She would die gasping and choking, maybe drowning before she bled out. Except. . . that she had silver in her hand. A silver picture frame. Kill it, the cool voice whispered. You've got the right weapon. Hit it dead in the eye with a corner. Drive silver into its brain. Hannah's ordinary mind didn't even try to figure out how a picture frame could possibly be the right weapon. It didn't object, either. But faint and faraway, there came another voice in her head. Like the cool wind voice, it wasn't hers, but it wasn't someone else's, either. It was a clear crystal voice that seemed to sparkle in jeweled colors as it spoke. You are not a killer. You don't kill. You have never killed, no matter what happened to you. You do not kill. I don't kill, Hannah thought slowly, in agreement. Then you're going to die, the cool wind voice said brutally, much louder than the crystal voice. Because this animal won't stop until either it's dead or you are. There's no other way to deal with these creatures. Then it happened. The wolf's mouth opened. In a lightning-fast move, it darted for her throat. Hannah didn't think. She brought the picture frame up †¦ and slammed it into the side of the wolf's head. Not into the eye. Into the ear. She felt the impact-hard metal against sensitive flesh. The wolf gave a yelping squeal and staggered sideways, shaking its head and hitting at its face with a forepaw. Its weight was off her for an instant, and an instant was all Hannah needed. Her body moved without her conscious direction, sliding out from under the wolf, twisting and jumping to her feet. She kept her grasp on the picture frame. Now. Look around! The bookcase-no, you can't move it. The window! Go for the window. But the wolf had stopped shaking its head. Even as Hannah started across the room, it turned and saw her. In one flowing, bushy leap it put itself between her and the window. Then it stood looking at her, every hair on its body bristling. Its teeth were bared, its ears upright, and its eyes glared with pure hatred and menace. It's going to spring, Hannah realized. I am not a killer. I can't kill. You don't have any choice- The wolf sprang. But it never reached her. Something else came soaring through the window and knocked it off course. This time, Hannah's eyes and brain identified the creature at once. Another wolf. My God, what is going on? The new animal was gray-brown, smaller than the black wolf and not as striking. Its legs were amazingly delicate, twined with veins and sinews like a racehorse's. A female, something faraway in Hannah's mind said with dreamlike certainty. Both wolves had recovered their balance now. They were on their feet, bristling. The room smelled like a zoo. And now I'm really going to die, Hannah thought. I'm going to be torn to pieces by two wolves. She was still clutching the picture frame, but she knew there was no chance of fighting them both off at once. They were going to rip her to bits, quarreling over who got more of her. Her heart was pounding so hard that it shook her body, and her ears were ringing. The female wolf was staring at her with eyes more amber than yellow, and Hannah stared back, mesmerized, waiting for it to make its move. The wolf held the gaze for another moment, as if studying Hannah's face-in particular the left side of her face. Her cheek. Then she turned her back to Hannah and faced the black wolf. And snarled. Protecting me, Hannah thought, stunned. It was unbelievable-but she was beyond disbelief at this point. She had stepped out of her ordinary life and into a fairy tale full of almost-human wolves. The entire world had gone crazy and all she could do was try to deal with each moment as it came. They're going to fight, the cool wind voice in her mind told her. As soon as they're into it, run for the window. At that moment everything erupted into bedlam. The gray wolf had launched herself at the black. The room echoed with the sound of snarling-and of teeth clicking together as both wolves snapped again and again. Hannah couldn't make out what was going on in the fight. It was just a blurred chaos as the wolves circled and darted and leaped and ducked. But it was by far the most terrifying thing she had ever witnessed. Like the worst dog fight imaginable, like the feeding frenzy of sharks. Both animals seemed to have gone berserk. Suddenly there was a yelp of pain. Blood welled up on the gray female's flank. She's too small, Hannah thought. Too light. She doesn't have a chance. Help her, the crystal voice whispered. It was an insane suggestion. Hannah couldn't even imagine trying to get in the middle of that snarling whirlwind. But somehow she found herself moving anyway. Placing herself behind the gray wolf. It didn't matter that she didn't believe she was doing it, or that she had no idea how to team up with a wolf in fighting another wolf. She was there and she was holding her silver picture frame high. The black wolf pulled away from the fight to stare at her. And there they stood, all three of them panting, Hannah with fear and the wolves with exertion. They were frozen like a tableau in the middle of the wrecked office, all looking at each other tensely. The black wolf on one side, his eyes shining with single-minded menace. The gray wolf on the other, blood matting her coat, bits of fur floating away from her. And Hannah right behind her, holding up the picture frame in a shaking hand. Hannah's ears were filled with the deep reverberating sound of growling. And then a deafening report that cut through the room like a knife. A gunshot. The black wolf yelped and staggered. Hannah's senses had been focused on what was going on inside the room for so long that it was a shock to realize there was anything, outside it. She was dimly aware that Paul's yells had stopped some time ago, but she hadn't stopped to consider what that meant. Now, with adrenaline washing over her, she heard his voice. â€Å"Hannah! Get out of the way!† The shout was tense, edged with fear and anger- and determination. It came from the opposite side of the room, from the darkness outside the window. Paul was there at the broken window with a gun. His face was pale and his hand was shaking. He was aiming in the general direction of the wolves. If he fired again he might hit either of them. â€Å"Get into a corner!† The gun bobbed nervously. Hannah heard herself say, â€Å"Don't shoot!† Her voice came out hoarse and unused-sounding. She moved to get in between the gun and the wolves. â€Å"Don't shoot,† she said again. â€Å"Don't hit the gray one.† â€Å"Hit the gray one?† Paul's voice rose in something like hysterical laughter. â€Å"I don't even know if I can hit the wall! This is the first time I've ever shot a gun. So just-just try to get out of the way!† â€Å"No!† Hannah moved toward him, holding out her hand. â€Å"I can shoot. Just give it to me-â€Å" â€Å"Just move out of the way-â€Å" The gun went off. For an instant Hannah couldn't see where the bullet had gone and she wondered wildly if she had been shot. Then she saw that the black wolf was lurching backward. Blood dripped from its neck. Steel won't kill it, the wind voice hissed. You're only making it more angry. . But the black wolf was swinging its head to look with blazing eyes from Hannah with her picture frame to Paul with his gun, to the gray wolf with her teeth. The gray wolf snarled just then and Hannah had never seen an animal look closer to being smug. â€Å"One more shot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Paul breathed. â€Å"While it's cornered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ears flat, the black wolf turned toward the only other window in the room. It launched into a vaulting leap straight toward the unbroken glass. There was a shattering crash as it went through. Glass fragments flew everywhere, tinkling. Hannah stared dizzily at the curtains swirling first outside, then inside the room, and then her head snapped around to look at the gray wolf. Amber eyes met hers directly. It was such a human stare†¦ and definitely the look of an equal. Almost the look of a friend. Then the gray wolf twisted and loped for the newly broken window. Two steps and a leap-she was through. From somewhere outside there came a long drawn-out howl of anger and defiance. It was fading, as if the wolf was moving away. Then silence. Hannah shut her eyes. Her knees literally felt as if they wanted to buckle. But she made herself move to the window, glass grating under her boots as she stared into the night. The moon was bright, one day past full. She thought she could just see a dark shape loping toward the open prairie, but it might have been her imagination. She let out her breath and sagged against the window. The silver picture frame fell to the floor. â€Å"Are you hurt? Are you okay?† Paul was climbing through the other window. He tripped on a waste-basket getting across the room, then he was beside her, grabbing for her shoulders, trying to look her over. â€Å"I think I'm all right.† She was numb, was what she was. She felt dazed and fragmented. He blinked at her. â€Å"Um .. . you have some particular fondness for gray wolves or something?† Hannah shook her head. How could she ever explain? They stared at each other for a moment, and then, simultaneously, they both sank to the floor, squatting among the shards of glass, breathing hard. Paul's face was white, his red hair disheveled, his eyes large and stunned. He ran a shaky hand over his forehead, then put the gun down and patted it. He twisted his neck to stare at the wreck of his office, the overturned bookcase, the scattered books and knickknacks, the two broken windows, the glass fragments, the bullet hole, the flecks of blood, and the tufts of wolf hair that still drifted across the pine floorboards. Hannah said faintly, â€Å"So who was at the door?† Paul blinked twice. â€Å"Nobody. Nobody was at the door.† He added almost dreamily, â€Å"I wonder if wolves can ring doorbells?† â€Å"What?† Paul turned to look straight at her. â€Å"Has it ever occurred to you,† he blurted, â€Å"that you may not be paranoid after all? I mean, that something weird and uncanny really is out to get you?† â€Å"Very funny,† Hannah whispered â€Å"I mean-† Paul gestured around the room, half-laughing. He looked punch-drunk. â€Å"I mean, you said something was going to happen-and something did.† He stopped laughing and looked at her with wondering speculation. â€Å"You really did know, didn't you?† Hannah glared at the man who was supposed to guide her back to sanity. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Paul blinked. He looked shocked and embarrassed, then he glanced away and shook his head. â€Å"God, I don't know. Sorry; that wasn't very professional, was it? But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stared out the window. â€Å"Well, for a moment it just seemed possible that you've got some kind of secret locked up there in your brain. Something†¦ extraordinary.† Hannah said nothing. She was trying to forget about too many things at once: the new part of her that whispered strategies, the wolves with human eyes, the silver picture frame. She had no idea what all these things added up to, and she didn't want to know. She wanted to force them away from her and go back to the safe ordinary world ofSacajaweaHigh School . Paul cleared his throat, still looking out the window. His voice was uncertain and almost apologetic. â€Å"It can't be true, of course. There's got to be a rational explanation. But-well, if it were true, it occurs to me that somebody had better unlock that secret. Before something worse happens.†