Saturday, August 31, 2019

Philippine Lit Essay

Literature and history are closely interrelated. In discovering the history of a race, the feelings, aspirations, customs and traditions of a people are sure to be included . . . and these feelings, aspirations, customs and traditions that are written is literature. History can also be written and this too, is literature. Events that can be written down are part of true literature. Literature, therefore, is part of history. Literature and history, however, also have differences. Literature may be figments of the imagination or events devoid of truth that have been written down, while history is made up of events that really happened. The Pre-Spanish Period Long before the Spaniard and other foreigners landed on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as trace in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Our ancestors also had their own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. The first alphabet used by our ancestors was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet. Whatever record our ancestors left were either burned by the Spanish friars in the belief that they were works of the devil or were written on materials that easily perished, like the barks of trees, dried leaves and bamboo cylinders which could not have remained undestroyed even if efforts were made to preserve them. Other records that remained showed folk songs that proved existence of a native culture truly our own. Some of these were passed on by word of mouth till they reached the hands of some publishers or printers who took interest in printing the manuscripts of the ancient Filipinos. The Spaniards who came to the Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors were really fond of poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs which we still enjoy today and which serve to show to generations the true culture of our people. Pre-Spanish Literature is characterized by A. LEGENDS. Legends are a form of prose the common theme of which is about the origin of a thing, place, location or name. The events are imaginary, devoid of truth and unbelievable. Old Filipino customs are reflected in these legends. Its aim is to entertain. Here is an example of a legend is THE LEGEND OF THE TAGALOGS. B. FOLK TALES. Folk tales are made up of stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor where one can derive lessons about life. These are useful to us because they help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities and improve our perspectives in life. An example of this is THE MOON AND THE SUN. C. THE EPIC AGE. Epics are long narrative poems in which a series of heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length. Nobody can determine which epics are the oldest because in their translations from other languages, even in English and Spanish. We can only determine their origins from the time mentioned in the said epics. Aside from the aforementioned epics, there are still other epics that can be read and studied like the following epics. a. Bidasari-Moro epic b. Biag ni Lam-ang-Ilokano epic c. Maragtas-Visayan epic d. Haraya-Visayan epic e. Lagda-Visayan epic f. Epigrams, Riddles, Chants, Maxims, Proverbs or Sayings 1. Epigrams (Salawikain). These have been customarily used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors. To others, these are like allegories or parables that impart lessons for the young. 2. Riddles (Bugtong) or Palaisipan. These are made up of one or more measured lines with rhyme and may consist of four to 12 syllables. 3. Chant (Bulong). Used in witchcraft or enchantment. 4. Maxims. Some are rhyming couplets with verses of 5, 6 or 8 syllables, each line having the same number of syllables. 5. Sayings (Kasabihan). Often used in teasing or to comment on a person’s actuations. 6. Sawikain (Sayings with no hidden meanings) The Spanish Period (1565-1898) It is an accepted belief that the Spanish colonization of the Philippines started in 1565 during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general in the Philippines. Literature started to flourish during his time. This spurt continued unabated until the Cavite Revolt in 1872. The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for more than three centuries. During these times, many changes occurred in the lives of Filipinos. They embraced the Catholic religion, changed their names, and were baptized. Their lifestyles changed too. They built houses mad of stones and bricks, used beautiful furniture like the piano and used kitchen utensils. Carriages, trains and boats were used as means of travel. They held fiestas to honor the saints, the pope and the governors. They had cockfights, horse races and the theater as means of recreation. This gave rise to the formation of the different classes of society like the rich and the landlords. Some Filipinos finished courses like medicine, law, agriculture and teaching.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Computer History and Development Essay

The dictionary defines a computer as an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program. Primarily created to compute; however, modern day computers do much more today: supermarket scanners calculate consumers groceries bill, while keeping track of store inventory; computerized telephone switching centers play traffic cop to millions of calls, keeping lines of communication untangled; and automatic teller machines let’s banking transactions to be conducted from virtually anywhere in the world. Technology has been around for a centuries; growing rapidly year by year. One of the most important items Technology has produced is computers. The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer also known as ENIAC was regarded as the first general purpose electronic computer. What came before the ENIAC; well, there is the abacas which some consider the first computer. Created over 5000 years ago in Asia and is still in use today. Using a system of sliding beads arranged on a rack, users are allowed to make computations. In early times, the abaca was used to keep trading transactions; until, this became obsolete with the introduction of pencil and paper. Within the next twelve centuries emerged a significant advancement in computer technology. The year was 1642, when Blaise Pascal, the 18 year-old son of a French tax collector, invented the numerical wheel calculator, also known as the â€Å"Pascaline. † Pascaline was a brass rectangular box that used eight movable dials to add sums up to eight figures long. This device was great and became popular in Europe; the only drawback was the limits to addition (Pascal’s calculator, 2010, para. ). Another event that epitomizes the Pascaline machine came from an inventor by the name of Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz; a German mathematician and philosopher in the 1600’s. Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz added to Pascline by creating a machine that could also multiply. Like its predecessor, Leibniz’s mechanical multiplier worked by a system of gears and dials. Original notes and drawings from the Pascline machine were used to help refine his machine. The core of the machine was its stepped-drum gear design. However, mechanical calculators did not gain widespread use until the early 1800’s. Shortly after, a Frenchman, Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar invented a machine that could perform the four basic arithmetic functions. The arithometer, Colmar’s mechanical calculator, presented a more practical approach to computing because it could add, subtract, multiply and divide. The arithometer was widely used up until the First World War. Although later inventors refined Colmar’s calculator, together with fellow inventors Pascal and Leibniz, he helped define the age of mechanical computation. The real beginnings of computers that we use today came in the late 1700’s, thanks to Charles Babbage with the invention of the Analytical Engine. Babbage machine was a steam powered machine; although, it was never constructed it outlined basic elements of a modern general computer. Several more inventors added to machines that were out in the late 1800’s to help pave the way for the first generation of computers (1945-1956) (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 4). Wars had a great deal in the advancement of modern computers; the Second World War governments sought out to develop computers to exploit potential strategic importance. Therefore, in 1941 a German engineer Konrad Zuse had developed the Z3. The Z3 was created to design airplanes and missiles (Computer History Museum – Timeline of Computer History, 2010, para. 3). Another computer that was created for war times was the ENIAC, first commissioned for the use in World War II, but not completed until one year after the war had ended. It was installed at the University of Pennsylvania, with a partnership alongside the U. S. government, its 40 separate eight-foot-high racks and 18,000 vacuum tubes were intended to help calculate ballistic trajectories. There was also 70,000 resistors and more than 4 million soldered joints; truly a massive piece of machinery that consumed around 160 kilowatts of electrical power. This is enough energy to dim the lights in an entire section of Philadelphia. This computer was a major development with speeds 1000 times faster than the current Mark I. For the next 40 years John von Neumann along with the University of Pennsylvania team kept on initiating new concepts into the computer design. With the combined genius of all the personnel they continued with new products such as the central processing unit (CPU) and also the UNIVAC. The Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC) became one of the first commercially available computers to take advantage of the CPU. This helped out the U. S. Census bureau. First generation computers were characterized by the fact that operating instructions were made-to-order for the specific task for which the computers were to be used. Computers had different binary-coded program called a machine language that told it how to operate. This made the computer difficult to program and limited its versatility and speed. Other distinctive features of first generation computers were the use of vacuum tubes, which were known for their breathtaking size, and magnetic drums for data storage (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 10). The second generation of computers, from 1956-1963, began the age of smaller computers. With the invention of the transistor in 1948, bulky vacuum tube in televisions, radios and computers were all replaced. The transistor became available in a working computer in 1956, and the size of computers has been shrinking ever since (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 13). Along with smaller computers the transistors paved the way for faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient products; thanks in part to the advances made to the magnetic-core memory. The first to take advantage of this new found technology was the early supercomputer, from IBM and LARC. These supercomputers were in demand by atomic scientist because the enormous amount of data that these computers could handle. By 1965, most big business processed financial information using second generation computers. With the second generation computer came new career opportunities such as programmer, analyst, and computer systems expert. Although, transistors was and improvement over the vacuum tube, they still generated a lot of heat, which damaged sensitive internal parts of the computer; the quartz rock eliminated this problem (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 16). Third generation computers (1964-1971) began with Engineer Jack Kilby, with Texas Instruments, developing the IC (Integrated Circuit) in the mid 1900’s. The IC combined three components onto a small silicon disc, which was mad from the quartz. Later on scientist were able to fit even more electronic components onto a single chip, called a semiconductor. As a result, computers became smaller as more components were fitted on these chips. The third generation computer gave birth to the operating system. This allowed machines to run different programs all at once with a central program that coordinated and monitored the computer’s memory (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 16). With the fourth generation of computer’s (1971-2000) only thing to do was to go down in size. There were three major chips that helped with computer downsizing the LSI, VLSI, and ULSI. Large scale integration (LSI) could fit hundreds of components onto one chip. Very large integration (VLSI) could fit hundreds of thousands of components onto one chip. Ultra-large scale integration (ULSI) could fit millions of components onto chips (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 17). The size and prices of computers went down due to the fact, that so much was able to be put into an a area about half the size of a U. S. dime. Intel, which was founded in 1968, developed the Intel 4004 chip in 1971, which would become standard in everyday house hold items such as microwaves, television sets and automobiles. With such condensed power allowed for a new market, everyday people. Computers were no longer just developed exclusively for large business or government contracts. It was the late 1900’s, when computer manufacturers sought to bring computers to a more general consumer. These smaller and sleek computers came with a more user-friendly software packages such as word processing and spreadsheet programs. Early company who took advantage of selling these more user friendly computers was Commodore, Radio Shack, and Apple Computers. In 1981, IBM launched its personal computer for multi-purpose use in the home, office, and schools. IBM made the personal computer even more affordable and the numbers increased rapidly within the next year. Personal computer usage more than doubled, going from 2 million in 1981 to 5. 5 million in 1982. Fast forward 10 years later, there are 65 million PC’s owned by general consumers. With the introduction of Human Computer Interface (HCI), users could now control the screen cursor using a mouse mimicking one hands movement instead of typing every instruction. Smaller computers became more powerful, especially in the workplace, were they could be linked together to share memory space, software, and communicate with each other. This was achieved using telephone lines or direct wiring called a Local Area Network (LAN) (LaMorte, C & Lilly J, 2010, para. 20). The fifth generation of computers (Present and Beyond) is a generation that is in the works of some great advancements in computer technology with the utilization of computer chips. One of the major components of a computer is the chip; these are conducted of semiconductor materials and semiconductors that eventually wear out. A semiconductor is a material that is typically made of silicon and germanium; both of them are neither a good conductor of electricity nor a good insulator. These materials are then fixed to create an excess or lack of electrons (Semiconductor, 2010, para. 2). Integrated circuits grow old and die or are discontinued. This process can happen in many ways; modern chips as used in computers have millions of transistors printed on a small chip of silicon no bigger than a fingernail. Each microscopically transistor is connected to the others, on the surface of the chip, with even smaller aluminum or copper wires. Over the years, the thermal stress of turning the computer on and off can cause tiny cracks in the wires. As the computer warms up the wires can part and cause the computer to stop working. Even a few seconds of off-time can cool the system enough to allow the wires to re-connect, so your computer may work just fine for a few minutes, or hours, then after it warms up, it may fail, letting it cool off can bring it back to life for a few minutes or more (Computer Freezes and Crashes, 2010, para. 16). Of course, some chips are much more inclined to failure than others. The competition tries to gain an advantage on the market by building cheaper or faster chips; cheaper and faster means hotter and shorter-lived parts. Better quality equals higher prices; when the price goes up and nobody buys the products. Low quality products die of old age too early and they get a bad names, this causes products to not be sold. Most modern computers are constructed from the cheapest parts available. With this information being known, Intel, one of the best chip manufactures, designs their parts to be very vigorous and endure heat and malfunction. Intel was founded on July 18, 968, as Integrated Electronics Corporation. Intel Corporation is a worldwide semiconductor chip maker corporation based in Santa Clara, California, and is the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. They invented the series x86 microprocessors; these processors are found in most personal computers (Intel, 2010, para. 20). Intel along with other competing companies is predicting no more mouse or keyboards by 2020. Right now with Intel-developed sensor and brain waves scientist are hoping they can find ways to harness brain waves to operate computers. This all would be done of course with consumer’s permission. Scientists believe that consumers would want the freedom gained by using the implant. The idea may be far-fetched now but 20 years ago tell a person that it would become almost necessary to carry a computer around; that idea would have been rebutted. Look around now, people cannot leave a computer or computer device home or even in a vehicle without feeling like something is missing, an almost naked feeling. Scientists believe that consumers will grow tired of dependence of computer interface. Whether it’s fishing out accessories or even just using the hands to interact, Scientists think consumers would prefer to manipulate various devices with their brains. Currently a research team from Intel is working on decoding human brain activity. The team has used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), these are machines that determine blood flow changes in certain areas of the brain based on what word or image the consumer is thinking of. This idea sounds farfetched but almost two years ago, scientist in the U. S. and japan announced that a monkey’s brain was used to control a humanoid robot. Scientist and the Intel team are currently working on getting to a point where it is possible to mentally type words by thinking about letters (Intel Chips in brains will control computers by 2020, 2010, para. 4). The story of the computer is amazing; to see how far technology has come is almost unreal. Evolving from the first computer the ENAIC, a huge machine that had thousands of tubes everywhere; computers are now small enough to be placed in a brief case for on the go use. Furthermore, with the everyday advancement of technology it won’t be long before farfetched ideas become a reality.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Evidence Based Nursing Essay

INTRODUCTION Evidence Based Nursing or EBN is an approach to making quality decisions and providing nursing care based upon personal clinical expertise in combination with the most current,relevent research available. It is also known as evidence based practice. It is a thoughtful integration of the best available evidence coupled with the clinical expertise. TERMINOLOGIES Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guidelines:- Specific practice recommendations that are based on a methodologically rigorous review of the best evidence on a specific topic. Evidence Based Decision Making:- The integration of the best research evidence in making decisions about patient care, which should include the clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values. Evidence Based Practice (EBP):- A problem solving approach to practice that involves the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. Evidence Summaries:- Synthesis of studies, systematic literature review.Generalizability:- The extent to which the findings from a study can be generalized or applied to the larger population. DEFINITION Evidence Based Practice [EBP] is a problem solving approach to the delivery of health care that integrates the best evidence from studies and patient care data with clinician expertise and patient preferences and values. [Fineout-Overhott, E-2010] â€Å"Evidence Based Nursing is the incorporation of the best research evidence along with patient preferences the clinical settings and circumstances and health care resources into decisions about patient care† [Ciliska & Donna, 2006] â€Å"Evidence Based Nursing Practice is the conscientious , explicit and judicious use of theory derived, research base information in making decisions about care delivery to individuals or groups of patients and in consideration of individual needs and preferences† [Ingersoll, 2000] AIMS OF EPB To do the right thing,at the right time, for the right person, ensure quality care for client. PURPOSE Evidence based practice is to provide the highest quality and most cost effective nursing care possible. To advance quality of care provided by nurses To resolve problems in clinical settings To increases satisfaction of patient To focus on nursing practice away from habits& tradition to evidence and research IMPORTANCE OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE It results in better patient outcomes. It contributes to the science of nursing. It keep practice current and relevant. It increases confidence in decision making. Policies and procedures are current and include the latest research, these supporting JCAHO readiness. Integration of EPB into nursing practice is essential for high quality patient care and achievement. COMPONENTS OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE Key elements of a best practice culture are evidence based practice mentors, partnerships between academic and clinical settings, EPB champions, clearly written research, time and resources and administration support. When delivered in a context of caring and in a supportive organizational culture, evidence based practice can help to achieve the higher quality of care and best patient outcomes. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE Primary sources of evidence:- These draw on original research findings. These sources include reports and articles about research. Secondary sources of evidences:- These draw on a range of source informing the topic of concern including. Systematic review Meta analysis Evidence based journals Clinical guidelines or protocols Cochrane collaboration Expertise opinion STEPS OF EBN Formulating a well built question Identifying articles and other evidence based resources Critical Appraisal Applying the evidence Re-evaluating the evidence Formulating the question:- A well built clinical question includes the following components The Patient’s disorder or disease Intervention or finding under review A Comparison intervention The Outcome [PICO] Applying PICO is a systematic way to identify important concepts in a case, and formulate a question for searching. Identifying Resources After successfully formulating the clinical question we need to find relevant evidence. There are generally three categories of resources. Background information Filtered resources Unfiltered resources Background information:- This category contains resources that provide background information about various disease conditions and clinical questions. Resources include upto date and other e-books such as diagnostic examination, current diagnosis, treatment. Filtered Resources:- In fitted resources, clinical experts and subject specialists pose a question and then synthesize evidence to state conclusions based on the available research. Unfiltered Resources:- It is up to you to access the resources quality, validity and applicability to your patient. Critical Appraisal:- When approaching a study, you want to know weather it was alone well, what the results were and weather it is relevant to your patients. After identifying an article you must appraise the information critically. Applying the evidence Once you have determined that the study and its results are valid, you used to decide if it is applied to your specific patient and situation. To reach your conclusion you may consult questions related to diagnosis, therapy, harm and prognosis. Apply the evidence in the clinical setting. Re-evaluating evidence:- Last step in evidence based practice. It is reevaluation. In tis process evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your decision in direct relation to your patient.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Microbiology Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microbiology - Lab Report Example respectively. Introduction: Bacteria are ubiquitous in nature. They are beneficial and harmful to the human beings and animals. Bacteria are present in the food. Probiotics supplements contain specific strains of bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria to increase the gut flora. Beneficial bacteria are present in the food and produce many important biological molecules. In the mozzarella cheese, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are present. Camembert cheese contains lactococcus and penicillium species are present. (Waites et al. 2009). Bacteria can be differentiated based on the enzymes secreted by them. Some enzymes are secreted out by the micro organisms enabling simple biochemical tests. The major exo enzymes present in bacteria are amylases, caseinase, gelatinase (hydrolytic enzymes), oxidase and catalase. (Gunasekaran 2007). Since most of the exoenzymes are hydrolytic enzymes which break down complex substances into simpler molecules, they are us ed as identifiers for the bacteria. (Sharma 2007). Catalase converts hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water and oxidase oxidizes dichlorophenol indophenols from colorless to blue or red. (Benson 2001). The microorganisms present in the given samples can be isolated using the serial dilution technique and plated in the culture medium. The organisms are either gram positive or gram negative. The results obtained from the biochemical tests are used for the identification of the bacteria up to the genus level. (Reed et al. 2007). The number of bacteria present in the given sample is identified as the number of colony forming units. Colony forming units are then used to identify the number of bacteria present in the given diluted sample (Reed et al, 2007). The number of bacteria present in the given sample is calculated using the formula: Number of cells per gram = (Number of colonies (CFUs)) / (dilution x amount plated). The main objectives of this study are 1. Isolation of individual colonies from the given Probiotics, mozzarella cheese and camembert cheese samples. 2. Identification of the bacteria present in the given samples using the biochemical tests. Results: Table 1: food type and the morphological characteristics: Food type characteristics Probiotics 10-6 Circular, cream, raised and undulate Camembert 10-5 Pink, circular, convex and entire Camembert 10-4 Cream, punkiform , entire and convex Mozzarella 10-4 Brown, entire , circular Table 2: Colony count data Sample x10-3 x10-4 x10-5 x10-6 x10-7 probiotic - Greater than 300 Greater than 300 246 - Final count - 3 x 10^8 CFU / ml 3 x 10^9 CFU / ml 2.49 x 10^9 CFU / ml - Camembert 210 104 44 - - Final count 2.1 x 10^6 CFU /g 1.04 x 10^7 CFU / g 4.4 x 10^6 CFU / g - - Mozzarella 3 1 0 - - Final count 3 x 10^4 CFU / g 1x 10^5 CFU / g - - - Figure 1: The number of cells present in the given samples versus the dilution factor: Sample Colony characteristics Food characteristics Catalase Oxidase Gram stain String t est Agglutination Probiotics 10-6 Soured , acidic Circular, cream, raised and undulate x x Positive (blue colored rod shaped cells) v X ( no agglutination was formed ) Probiotics 10-5, Soured , acidic C

HOW DO YOU RECRUIT THE RIGHT PEOPLE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HOW DO YOU RECRUIT THE RIGHT PEOPLE - Assignment Example The best method is perceived to focus upon the star performer in the particular job in the company to be able to use them as a model which will make easy to recruit the right person for the right job. Therefore, often this technique is used by making the top performer as a model in getting the right candidate. For making the right job description the top performers are observed along the work they carry out. The performers have different attributes and it is easy to locate the attributes that is required for the job and it helps in finding the right candidate. It is advisable to use this technique instead of wish list technique. This technique might consume more time but it will find the right person for the job (Johnson, n.d.). If an individual does not know who the top performers of a company are, they should plan for networking through speaking with local chambers of commerce and business professionals who will help in creating the right model for delivering a good job description and find the right person for the right position (Johnson, n.d.). The article is good enough in generating an enhanced knowledge in the terms of recruitment of right person for the right kind of job profile and provides information in how to develop the job description and in looking the attributes that are required for the job. There should be a match between the attributes of the candidate and the attributes that are required for the job. The article has depicted various ways in developing the job description for hiring the right kind of person for the job which one has studied in the text books and many other sources. The top performer observation in development of job description is definitely a good technique. There are certain similarities that have been experienced in the practical applications and that are written in the text books. For a person who is new in this field of recruitment, it is good if they follow this technique so that they can avoid mistakes. Even

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Marketing in Airline Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing in Airline Industry - Essay Example In order to attract customers and increase their loyalty, marketers today try to associate their products with an element of service attached to it. For example, when a customer buys a car, he enjoys the facility of free service for the first three years from the car manufacturer company ((ICMR)). If a goods and services are represented on a continuum with highly tangible goods on the extreme left and highly intangible services on the extreme right, the bundle of goods and services will fall somewhere along the middle of the continuum. The industry that has been selected for discussion in this paper is the airline industry. The airline industry is regulated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the domestic market and by a system of bilateral service agreements in the international market. The bilateral service agreements regulate the prices offered by various airlines, capacity of the aircraft, and the routes to be served by these airlines (Sky News). The future of the airlines industry depends on the flight schedules, take-off time, in-flight and airport service, safety records, fleet capacity and efficiency, route frequency, strategic alliances with other airlines and businesses like hotels, etc. Characteristics of the airline industry Airline industry is highly competitive. Competition is intense on the routes which are more profitable. The growth of the industry is closely linked to economic growth. An airline seat is an intangible and perishable good and hence marketers need to take special care while formulating their marketing strategies. Demand is price elastic i.e. as the price of service goes down the demand goes up, and income elastic i.e. when the income of the general population goes up, more people tend to travel by air. The profitability of an airline increases, when the flight capacity is properly utilized and the aircraft spends less time on the ground. There has been a revolutionary increase in the number of low-cost airline which are otherwise called the budget airlines in the aviation industry over the last few years. The budget airlines are usually operators who provide low-cost travel options for the passengers. The budget airlines try and cut the indirect costs to the maximum possible extent. Passengers are not offered wet towels, meals etc. Sometimes it may even happen that they do not even offer water to the passengers flying the budget airlines (Phillip). Marketing of Airlines Like any other industry, promotional activities play an important role in the airline industry as well. Airlines today offer attractive schemes to woo customers. These include frequent flyer schemes, special benefits, discounts, festive season offs, gifts like electronic equipment or kitchen appliances, access to club lounges, and special discounts with the alliance's business. Quality of service can be a useful tool for airlines to gain a competitive advantage. This is because passengers expect airline crew to be efficient, friendly and helpful. Thus, proactive customer orientation is the need of the hour. Marketing Strategies Airlines must identify and eliminate non-value adding cost and use the money saved to provide better quality services. The company should find a niche market and cater to it. Identifying and flying to

Monday, August 26, 2019

Neoclassical and Romantic styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Neoclassical and Romantic styles - Essay Example During this time, numerous artists came up whose works portrayed a theme of social and political issues being experienced during that time. The industrial revolution was essential as it gave numerous artists a platform where they could voice their cries. Art exhibitions, such as the Great London Exhibition, were seriously influential in spreading Neoclassical and Romantic styles. These exhibitions portrayed numerous Neoclassical and Romantic styles, which a lot of upcoming artists copied or adapted from other artists. The exhibitions also portrayed some of the talented artists who were not known in the past. Nationalism also influenced the spread of Neoclassical and Romantic styles. Critics consider that liberalism along with radicalism, which was brought about by nationalism, were significant influences of both Neoclassical and Romantic styles. Nationalism influenced the spread of music, visual arts and natural sciences. Finally, Christianity, which is a cultural factor, was the main factor that led to the spread of romanticism and its styles. This is because romanticist artists were extremely spiritual. The spread of Christianity was intense in the mid 1800’s, and what these artists, in reality, revolted against was the narrow mindedness of other

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Health and Promotion Policies and Promotion Essay

Health and Promotion Policies and Promotion - Essay Example The type of iron that is being used to fortify the soy sauce is called sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or NaFeEDTA. NafeEDTA is considered to be the most suitable form of iron because of its chemical stability and its effectiveness in foods that may need to be stored for lengthy period of times (Hurrell 2001). Also, NaFeEDTA does not change the taste or colour of the sauce. Soy sauce is consumed by roughly seventy percent of the Chinese population, which makes it an excellent food choice (2002). NaFeEDTA fortified soy sauce was first placed on the Chinese markets in 2002. As of 2003, the fortification programme has been funded by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, also known as GAIN (2005). The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition implemented a five year programme in the year 2004 that would develop a countrywide plan to manufacture, market, educate and supply the iron fortified soy sauce to China. ‘The goals of the programme include: annual yield of iron-fortified soy sauce in the amount of one million and eight hundred thousand tons, which accounts for thirty to fifty percent of the total soy sauce production in China; proper quality control system is to be established in all of the iron fortified soy sauce producers; the programme is to cover three hundred and sixty million Chinese residents, including one hundred and twenty-nine in high risk populations; and the reduction of the prevalence of anemia by thirty percent in the high risk populations (2005).’ GAIN’s nutritional plan also includes a programme to make the problem of iron deficiency known to the population.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Challenges that Steven B. Belkin faced and recommendations for their Case Study

Challenges that Steven B. Belkin faced and recommendations for their solution - Case Study Example This paper presents the situation analysis that examines the TTG Company and its environment. TTG was established as a private corporation that provided group travel designated groups of individuals at a low cost. The aim of formation of the group was to meet the increasing demand for low-cost travel groups in the U.S. The industry itself is not yet mature. It is ten years old and is still growing given that it has only ten competitors to TTG. The main customer base of TTG is prime groups that are known to be extremely responsive to group travel such as shrines, medical associations and teacher associations among many others. The main product provided by the firm are deluxe group tours. This analysis provides an examination of the internal and external environment of TTG Corporation. The internal environment is examined using strengths and weaknesses. TTG has the strength of low-cost services compared to its competitors. The company wishes to provide its deluxe group tours at low cos ts of $199 per person for a trip to the Caribbean or Europe. Moreover, the back to back business strategy aims at minimizing airfare because as the firm will be dropping one group for a holiday, it will be picking up another group that has completed its holiday in the same destination. In addition to the cost, the company has an excellent marketing strategy that if implemented, could lead to increased sales turnover for the firm. The firm intends to market its products and services throughout the U.S using agents and different kinds of broadcast media. TTG has several weaknesses that could undermine its excellence in the industry. To begin with, the firm is new in the industry since it is a new firm that is venturing into the industry. Consequently, the company has no experience of doing business and providing group tours. The inexperience of the firm could undermine its marketing efforts. Financial challenges are other issues that are affecting TTG. The company has inadequate capit al to establish and run the firm. Steven and Alan faced difficulties of soliciting funds from investors and other financial companies that lend capital to firms since the company had no assets. TTG had the opportunity of venturing into the lucrative group travel industry. The industry is less developed therefore offering the company an opportunity to venture and grow with the industry. In addition to the opportunity in the industry, TTG has the opportunity of diversifying and venturing into other businesses in future. TTG faces the threat of high competition in the industry. Although the industry is still growing and has only 11 firms including TTG, it is characterized by free entry and exit and therefore, there could be new entrants venturing into the industry. This could trigger rivalry among competing firms. Unfavourable competition from dominant firms could affect the operations of TTG. 7Cs Methodology The 7Cs of consultancy is important to any organization including TTG that is operating in a new environment as described below. Client: customers are important people in an organization as they are the reason for the existence of an organization.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Comparing Ethiopia to Other Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing Ethiopia to Other Countries - Essay Example â€Å"According to the neo classical growth theory, output growth results from one or more of three factors: increases in labor quantity and quality, increases in capital, and improvements in technology† (Todaro & Smith, 2003 p 164). Thus, the concept of neoclassical growth theory states that growth of an economy stops when the technological change ends. A technological change leads to an increase in saving and investment and there by increases the real GDP per capita. In the context of Ethiopia the theory of neoclassical growth theory has relevance in the respect of underdevelopment. The lack technology has pulled back Ethiopian economy from attaining development. In other words technological backwardness has contributed to the lesser growth of Ethiopia. This is clear from the GDP ratios of the country. Ethiopia’s GDP remained at â€Å"$1000 in 2010† (Human Development Report 2009: M Economy and Inequality, 2009). The Human Development Index indicates that the H DI of Ethiopia were just 0.328 in 2010. In HDI ranking Ethiopia had171st rank† (Human Development Report 2009: M Economy and Inequality, 2009). ... This will increase income, savings and investments, which, in turn, can lead to economic development. â€Å"The role of Lewis theory in Ethiopia is also showing a negative trend. The relevance of the theory in a country is highlighted when there occur a shift in the employment rate from agriculture to industry sector. The data regarding the employment in agriculture and industry of Ethiopia shows that the role of the Lewis theory in the development of a country is more relevant. The employment rate of Ethiopia in the agriculture sector during 2009 was 85% while that of industry was just 5%† (Intelligence Throughout History: Birth of Overhead Reconnaissance, 1861). The Big Push Theory: The Big Push Theory by Paul N. Rosenstein Rodan calls for a big investment from the government’s side, for attaining economic growth in an underdeveloped country. â€Å"The Big Push is a model of how the presence of market failures can lead to a need for a concerted economy wide and proba bly public policy- led effort to get the long process of economic development underway, or to accelerate it† (Todaro & Smith, 2003 p 162). A big investment by the government encourages more growth in that sector, which ultimately leads to the development of that particular sector and, therefore, attracts more investment by individuals and firms. The relevance of big push theory in Ethiopia is seen from the aid given by the government and the UN in various situations including the natural calamities. This big push has helped the Ethiopian economy in improving their HDI rank during past years. Market friendly approach: Market friendly approach was first put forward by World Bank, which gave a much

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Immigration Reform Paper Essay Example for Free

Immigration Reform Paper Essay Illegal immigration into the United States has drastically increased throughout the twentieth century. There are millions of immigrants in our country who are currently living under the threat of deportation because of their undocumented status. The most considerable challenge for policymakers is distinguishing apparent immigration problems from authentic problems. Congressional members have taken an approach that focuses exclusively on border security, which has not been successful thus far. If Congress continues to pass laws without taking into consideration the fundamental contradictions of existing state affairs, then the state affairs will not undergo any change. In order to achieve results, an immigration reform must be comprehensive. The United States of America needs an immigration system that recognizes the hardships and contributions of the people migrating to the U.S., keeps families together here in this country, and creates a rational process of citizenship for new Americans. How we treat immigrants should reflect the values of fairness and equality that define the United States as a country. People come here for the promise of freedom and opportunity. However, immigrant workers are exploited and discriminated against. These so called â€Å"illegal aliens† happen to contribute to the development of our nation in many ways, such as paying taxes, creating new jobs by opening businesses, and making scientific discoveries that transform entire industries. For example, as of 2010, nearly five hundred companies had at least one founder who was an immigrant. These companies include ATT, Verizon, Kraft, Comcast, Intel, Google, Sun Microsystems, United States Steel, Qualcomm, eBay, Nordstrom, and Yahoo (â€Å"Immigration Reform† 1). Although it is true that immigrants do more contributing than anything else, many Americans refuse to believe in this fact. Usually, those seeking to reside in the United States are part of racial or ethnic groups that are minorities in this country. Therefore, anti-immigration views and behaviors are often affiliated with racism. This  effect is partially due to the fact that previous attempts to regulate immigration were based on racism or nativism. Procuring the participation of previously excluded groups is the key ending discrimination. Any policy that keeps family members apart for decades at a time should not be an American resolution. Due to our current immigration system, family members can sometimes wait ten to twenty years to be reunited with loved ones (Bruno 5). Our American values teach us that families are sacred and serve as the building block of our communities. Separating husbands from wives, sisters from brothers, and children from parents creates worthless suffering that negatively affects the prosperity of our communities. Immigrants who are waiting for the approval to come to the United States are not allowed to visit in the mean time, which means they cannot legally visit their family members who reside in the U.S. for many years. Lili Farhang, the co-director of Human Impact Partners, explains the importance of keeping families united with this statement: â€Å"The lives of children with undocumented immigrant parents or guardians in the United States are saturated with fear, fear that the people they love and depend on will be arrested and taken away from them at any moment without warning. Many of these children were born here and are U.S. citizens. But under current immigration policy, their families can be torn apart with an arrest and deportation with little regard for their wellbeing or futures† (Farhang 1). With that being said, it is clear that our country needs an immigration reform that maintains and protects family unity to reverse the damage caused by the current American policies. The United States immigration authorities often receive more visa applications than they can process within a reasonable amount of time. For the most part, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reviews each application on a first come, first- served basis. If an immigrant is an applicant for a visa or green card that does not allow unlimited amounts to be given out each year, then a certain amount of waiting will be incorporated into the process. For example, if an individual is applying for a green card as the married child of an American citizen, then he or she is placed in the third preference category of  family-sponsored visas, and can expect to wait at least ten years before receiving a visa. There is nothing anyone can do about this except to carefully monitor the progress and notify the National Visa Center (NVC) of an address change. The possibility of an immigrant’s file being misplaced is also another important reason to track the changes in progress. This happens all too often, and many times the individual is not notified of the misplacement (Bray n.p.). Many Americans do not understand the immigration process and expect all immigrants to wait their turn in line for a green card or visa. However, what they also don’t understand is that for many people who have no college degree or close relatives who are U.S. citizens, there is absolutely no way for them to migrate into the U.S. legally without reform to the legal system. For individuals living in poverty and desperate to support their families, illegal immigration is the most appealing option. Therefore, enforcement policies should focus on establishing a safe and orderly system of entry into the United States once immigrants have met reasonable requirements, such as background checks or tax payments. Immigration policies affect all aspects of American society. In one way or another, regardless of their status, immigrants have always played an essential role in the growth and development of our nation. Immigrants have contributed an estimated ten billion dollars a year to America’s economic growth (Bray n.p.). The hard-working individuals who contribute to this country should be encouraged to standardize their status. Unfortunately, the immigrants in the United States are increasingly becoming targets of discrimination. Families are being torn apart and children are being forcibly separated from their parents. In consequence, our nation’s immigration policies must be consistent with the ideals of equality and freedom that defines the American people. â€Å"Works Cited† Bray, Iona. â€Å"Why Immigration Cases Take So Long.† AllLaw. Law Topics. Online posting. Bruno, Andorra. â€Å"Unauthorized Aliens In The United States: Policy Discussion.† Congressional Research Service, 8 May 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. Farhang, Lili. â€Å" Family Unity, Family Health: How Family-Focused Immigration Reform Will Mean Better Health for Children and Families.† Human Impact Partners 22 June 2013. PFD file. Haugen, David. Illegal Immigration. MI: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. â€Å"Tackling the Toughest Questions on Immigration Reform.† Immigration Policy Center 29 Jul. 2013. PDF file.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Animal Experimentation Essay Example for Free

Animal Experimentation Essay Throughout history, animal experimentation has played an important role in leading to new discoveries and human benefit. However, what many people tend to forget are the great numbers of animal subjects that have suffered serious harm during the process of experimentation. Many people are believed to be ignorant or misunderstand the nature of the lives that animals actually live, and are unable to understand the actual laboratory procedures and techniques. Other than the philosophical questions that arise, ethical (moral) questions are the main reason why many animal right activists want it banned in every country. Activists feel that to this day, there should be no good reason why any living thing should be subjected to this cruel punishment and unwanted torture just for serving another being’s needs. Although animal experimentation has been around for centuries, the ethical revival of realization on the moral status of animals began in the 1970’s. This problem was a few among many that had been quietly hidden for years until the 1970’s. Such movements like gaining rights for the oppressed, expressions of antiwar opinions in the U.  S. A, and the women’s liberation movement, accompanied the movement for the ending animal experimentation. The animal rights movement has grown more and more complicated through its use of strategy and has successfully brought the issue of laboratory research to the eyes of the public. All forms of media, magazines, radio, television, newspapers, have increased their exposure of animal right protests over the last several years while giving room for groups to produce their own publications. In these publications, activists constantly make the analogy between the work of abolitionists before the emancipation and the efforts of animal right activists. This analogy of racism and â€Å"speciesism† was brought about by a philosopher named Richard Ryder in 1985 and brings up the issue of research with animal subjects to be emotionally unpredictable for many people. (Sperling Susan – Applied Ethics in Animal Research Introduction pgs 4-6) One of the biggest problems and the main reason why animal experimentation should be banned is the large percentage of birth defects that occur. The difference is that humans may also a longer period of fetal development and be more sensitive to birth defects agents than other species. One example of another problem with animal experimentation are that animals can be given nicotine directly as opposed to being exposed to it as a human would for years. Another would be that stress caused by animal handling, whether it be because of lack food or water, may have adverse effects on pregnancy or its ability to mate with the opposite sex. Also these tests are too insensitive and tend to disregard learning or behavioral problems. Our plain existence can influence the behavior of animals and disturb activities such as feeding, care- giving, and mating conduct. (Cognitive and deep ethnology and the great ape project- page 82-86) There have even been laws that have been recently erected to protect the existence and safety of these animal â€Å"victims†. One law known as Kanjorski’s Law states that any substance (that is tested on an animal) that can harm a fetal embryo in development, can call the validity of the tests into question. Several factors can determine the effects on the results based on the different kind of species that are used during experimentation. The genetic difference between species can affect its ability to defend itself or a difference in the placenta may also affect the animal tests. (Birth Defect Research-Why Animal Experiments Are Not the Answer) In 1986, a German law was passed and was known as the Animal Protection Act. This act forbade experimentation of tobacco products, washing powders, cosmetics, and the testing of weapons on animals. Soon after this law was passed in Germany, many countries started to adopt the law along with new laws such as the ban on LD50 test and the Draize eye irritancy test. Ld50 is a lethal dose that painfully kills nearly 50 percent of the animals that it is injected into, and the Draize test which can cause blindness in rabbits. Places such as the UK define each limit as to having a limit that should not be succeeded, and if done so would be a criminal offense. Every decade, animal experimentation could be looked at in a different light and activists will always be there to defend animal rights. From the 1960’s to the early 1980’s, teens from eleven to seventeen tried to impress judges of science- fair competitions with cruel live animal experiments. This is just one example of how animal experimentation exists everywhere when supervision is missing. It is also about how laws are not enforced to stop such heinous acts of abuse. The usual projects that the students did were, starving animals to death, blinding the animals, mammalian surgery, and the injection of lethal substances. Although, improvements have been made to convince schools to restrict animal testing. Federal laws do not exist. Thus there are no provisions in this area that ban dissection or mistreatment, and the National Association of Biology Teachers are not responsible. However, the amendment made in 1985 to the Animal Welfare Act required a group committee to review how the uses of animals were to be used in the some of the college courses at some but not all. Despite the fact that rats, mice and birds are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act, activist reform groups have just started their mission and are nowhere near the end. (Orleans, Barbara F. Ethnical Themes Governing Animal Experiments) We should make every effort to study separate animals and to learn more about their abilities to feel their torture, psychologically and physically to understand their true feelings. Hopefully in the future, we will no longer have to depend on animals to give us results on safe products. We could also be the ones chained up and experimented on by a higher being in the near future.

Is The Highrise Residential Building Suitable Socially?

Is The Highrise Residential Building Suitable Socially? The high rise allows one to house huge numbers of people in single edifices, allowing one to treat town-planning on a large-scale. (Aregger Glaus, 1967, 27). The highrise is a means of organizing the shambles of a huge city without increasing its spread, of improving living conditions and traffic flow, and creating open spaces for recreation at the same time. (Aregger Glaus, 1967, 33). Moreover, as suggested by writers such as Dewi Cooke, urban sociability can be promoted by high-rise housing since it encourages meetings with neighbours through the sharing of mutual facilities. (Cooke, 2012). The residential high-rise building, offers acceptable and suitable accommodation for a certain part of the population: single people, couples and the smaller families. A highrise building is also capable of transforming an older, but well-preserved district into a visual slum. As a result of its height and mass, it tends to overpower its surrounding not only by its size, but all the other aspects of its appearance. (Aregger Glaus, 1967, p.57). As Earnest F. Burckhardt states due to the height of a high rise, people are relegated to an ant-like existence. The highrise apparently seem less worth fulfilling, and somewhat satanic. Other negative features of this massing include architectural monotony, aggressive exhibitionism vs. traditional horizontal housing that would merge into the landscape. Small towns, in particular, lose a certain ambience of intimacy and modesty. Highrise blocks have something loud and aggressive about them. (Aregger Glaus, 1967, 58). The high rise is capable of causing tenant isolation and even depression. (Qureshi, 2004). 1.2.1. History and motive The motive of designing a high rise lies in the tendency to rise above the self, it is a fundamental human urge. Building into the sky satisfies a primeval instinct. Acted-out collectively, it signifies the desire to dominate. (Earnest F. Burckhardt, Observations on the question of highrise building). The three most common reasons for building these ostentatious high buildings are known to be: architectural emphasis of a certain place in the city, social distinction of individual, group of nation and demonstration of an abstract or concrete power, which can be summed up to be artistic aesthetic motive, sociological motive and religious motive respectively. (AreggerGlaus, 1967, 14). In the west architects were interested in neither giving distinction to individuals or groups, nor in demonstrating any power, but simply wanted to create a vertical spatial element which would effectively articulate and punctuate the historical mass of banal housing that was rapidly spreading around large cities (AreggerGlaus, 1967, 15). Furthermore, the originators of European high-rise building, particularly the residential type, had social motives in mind. Starting with the theory that architectural environment influences mans way of life, they hoped, by means of differentiated, accentuated building, to promote the re-emergence or strengthening of human values and individuality instated of the growing tendency towards collective behaviour. They were successful. (AreggerGlaus, 1967, 15). And in the contemporary period, the constant and increasing growth of todays major cities results in an ever-growing demand of the high rise building, as is the case in New Delhi, India. 1.3 Massing horizontal cities and vertical cities 1.3.1. issues related to cities (Jaipur) based on horizontal massing The traditional cities of India can be studied to understand planned horizontal massed cities. Common problems can be delineated to understand the negative features related to this type of massing in the contemporary world, as described by the Housing and Development Corportation, with particular reference to Rajasthan. Poor infrastructure is found in most of the towns: katcha houses and non-availability of water, sanitation and basic services to bulk of the rural population (23.1) These areas have no planned drainage systems, management of increasing solid waste is thus becoming an issue in such cities.The restricted areas for defecation, open sewers, lack of clean drinking water, infestation by flies, rats and mosquitoes, cramped living, cooking and sleeping quarters and the exposure to industrial and chemical wastes, all make the basti a risky place to live in. The basti was also a major rubbish sorting depot (outsiders called it the kachraor rubbish basti) which makes it all the more hazardous, especially for young children. (Kumar, McNay. Castaldo, 2008, p.11) Many traffic accidents are caused due to unsystematic and mushroom growth of such centres. There are no regular parking areas for trucks which remain parked within the right of the way of the highways. This invariably creates traffic bottlenecks hampering smooth flow of fast highway traffic. (23.7) Maintenance of built heritage is another problem being faced by such cities. Furthermore, due to migration of people from rural areas there is tremendous pressure on limited urban land and on already strained services. Land cost is escalating every year. Living in cities is thus becoming costlier by the day. At the same time quality of life is deteriorating. Due to the increase in population, ground water resources are depleting. On the other hand, due to migration of village youth to the cities, the village economy is getting adversely affected. Most affected villages are those located near the large cities and valuable agricultural lands are being converted in the name of city development. (23.6) Slums are an inevitable by product of urbanization. The growth of slums is a sign of peoples inability to afford land and shelter through the normal market mechanism and the failure of the public sector to ensure equitable access of the same to the poor. Slum housing lacks in term of tenure, structure access to services are which is deprived of civic amenities. These unauthorized colonies are further problematic since they are set up on agricultural land. 1.3.2. issues related to cities based on vertical massing In the city of Melbourne, with the presence of the heritage buildings and the high rise, from the 71st floor of Melbournes tallest building, the Eureka Tower, Melbournes centre looks small and uneven. The low-rise heritage buildings contrast markedly with the glass and concrete towers that have sprung up in between. Still, theres that view stretching far out to the north and west of the city and curving around the beaches past St Kilda. The vista from the Eureka Tower is vast and beautiful. (Cooke, 2010). Another example is that of Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis; built as part of the post-war regeneration, it was completed in 1956 but was demolished just fourteen years later after being beset by disrepair, vandalism and crime. For families with children, the high-rise complex did not offer them respite from poverty or crime, but merely gathered the ingredients for it together in one place. In many cases, the high-rise ideal is progressively changed from a citadel of modernism to that of a problem estate, a place of poverty, of aliens and illegal immigrants, petty crime, unemployment, with a high incidence of truancy and drug abuse (Helleman and Wassenberg, 2004, p.6). Against such negativism, it is no surprise that the resultant response was to halt high-rise public housing construction, and even demolition. 1.4 Housing and factors which affect it India is a country where thousands of people migrate to the city for reasons such as social mobility, job opportunities etc. When the architect designs housing factors such as regional identity, culture and traditions are not a priority of the designer. The architect designs to meet the demands of the city. In doing so, the architect controls the societys mode of living in accordance to what he thinks is right. Patterns of housing have constantly changed to accommodate the pressures of land, materials, bye-laws, architectural styles and social cultural values. Human relationships and the associated cultural images are expressed by the built form of various levels, at neighbourhood level by the settlement, at community level by cluster of houses, and at the family level by the house unit. Housing forms a large part of our environment, where physical and infrastructural facilities are shared amongst people. The way housing is built reflects the understanding and attitudes of society with respect to the climate, culture, architecture and the economy. (Ritu. 1992. p. 10). The prevailing socio-economic order has the final say in the layout and building of housing. The effect of recognizing this meant a real breakthrough in the theory and practice of town-planning. Until then, town-planning had been in conflict with a society that apparently refused to understand its purpose and thereby made the realization of it impossible. (Aregger Glaus, 1967, p.23). The town planners and architects gradually began to see the necessity of coming to terms with society if they were to build cities. 1.5 Housing and present situation in Delhi and NCR The overall shortage in EWS and LIG housing in India has been estimated at close to 25 million dwelling units by Micro Housing Finance Corporation. With rapid urbanization and increasing labour mobility arising due to the shift from the agrarian economy to the industrialised and service economy emerging in India, this shortfall of residential accommodation is increasing rapidly. With five people to a dwelling unit, the minimum living space required per dwelling unit is about 300 sq ft, which means that approximately 7,500 million sq ft needs to be built. At a conservative cost of Rs 1,000 per sq ft in urban India where most of the demand exists, the overall investment requirement is a staggering Rs 750,000 cr. (Menon, 2009, p.1). 1.6 Social scenario in urban India with respect to housing With the growth and development of science, technology, trade and commerce there has also been an enormous explosion of human population in modern Indian society. Such a high growth in population in relation to the changes in the life styles of human beings have turned people to be city oriented and agriculture which was previously the main engagement of people has gradually given way to occupations in the fields of industry, trade and commerce. All these factors have made a large section of the populace rushing to the cities creating thereby tremendous and unmanageable space problems. Dwelling space getting scarcer, there is little possibility for horizontal expansion in the cities to facilitate accommodation of such perennial flow of people. As remedial measures, a two-fold planning has been contemplated and is being acted upon. The first way out has been the expansion of city limits and inclusion of the contiguous suburbs within the ambits of the cities. The other remedial measure has been the vertical expansion of the available spaces providing maximum possible accommodation to as many numbers of people as possible through the construction of high rise buildings. In the developed countries of the world like the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, France, Germany, China , Japan and others construction of high rise buildings started from the early twentieth century while in a developing country like India it began in the later half of that century. (Chatterjee, 2009. p.85). Through further research and study it shall be explored whether India is a suitable place for the growth of highrise buildings, also known as skyscrapers. The highrise shall be studied in the context of housing. It is known that the demand of housing has been escalating in the nation with the increase in urbanization, increase in population and many other factors. It shall be explored if a transition or transformation from horizontal based traditional housing to vertical high rise residential buildings is actually required in the present time. Furthermore, the dissertation would be a critique and analysis, considering the negative and positive perspectives of this transition in residential massing and its effects on the society. The social suitability of the highrise residential building in Delhi and the NCR shall thus be analyzed. Need of the study The study is required to create awareness of the consequences of designing vertically. This awareness would be of pertinence, especially today, because constructing high rise residential buildings is the current trend of the city of Delhi. The knowledge of the issues would help a designer to design. The study would also help individuals residing in a high rise by providing options to deal with problems, if any, which may occur due to a high rise. In other words, firstly the difficulties one faces while residing in a vertical massing will have to be recognized. Then these features can be addressed architecturally. Similarly, the positive aspects of living in a high rise will be delineated. Scope of study 1. The traditional horizontal massing and the approach of vertical massing its general positive and negative features with respect to any existing cities The specific type of massing in study will be housing The height of a building can be analysed with respect to social aspects. Relationships between the two can be figured out, if any exist. The particular context chosen for analysis is the area of my current residence, the capital city of India, Delhi. Since this is a place which can be physically experienced and observed firsthand. Identification of case studies The housing societies where a survey shall be conducted are: Low rise housing four storey building Sector B-10, Vasant Kunj Med rise housing ten storey building Eligibal CGHS plot no 38, Sector 10, Dwarka High rise housing twenty storey building Gurgaon Limitations of study The analysis, to some extent, is based on the analysis of other writers, architects, sociologists etc, since a significant amount of firsthand experience is not available. In order to analyze human response to a high rise residential building and to understand its effect on the society one should talk to people. But due to the time available this cannot be done extensively, but at a small scale. Consequently, interviews, questionnaires and surveys would be followed by shortcomings such as: Sample size: analysis will have to be based on a sample population, which may or may not reflect the social effects of the high rise of the entire region of Delhi accurately People: a number of subdivisions exist within the sample size, which have to be studies separately, such as male, female, children, the elderly, age groups, generations, classes within the society e.g socio-economic strata etc. Area, location: particular areas are chosen according to accessibility Biases, cultural preferences and many other issues may arise General trends: The subject of study, human response to a high rise is subjective in manner. Conclusions or analysis can be drawn by general trends observed only. Results: These results may or may not be representative of the entire population in study. The highrise residential buildings have been a part of other parts of the world for a longer period of time than Delhi. Consequently, the majority of the literature available or critique of the highrise is from a context different from the context in study. When considering the situations abroad, some arguments may or may not apply to Delhi for reasons such as cultural preferences, lifestyles and differences in social-economic strata. Research Methodology Find attached flowchart and Questionnaire The prepared questionnaire will be carried out in the three housing societies. A minimum number of fifteen people will be interviewed, five people within each age group i.e. 60. 2. Highrise living 2.1 Human response to tall buildings High rises have been accused of causing many unpleasant outcomes, including fear, dissatisfaction, stress, behavior problems, suicide, poor social relations, reduced helpfulness, and hindered child development. Early studies and reviews concluded that high-rises are, on balance, not bene ¬Ã‚ cial for residents. At the societal level, they are accused of burdening existing services and infrastructure, worsening tra ¬Ã†â€™c problems, and damaging the character of neighbourhoods (Gifford, 2007. p.2). 2.2 Social implications of built form analysis of different types of spaces The design of urban developments, including high-rise buildings, can influence the social capital and sense of social connectedness amongst residents. For instance, Leyden in 2003 completed a study on the relationship between urban design and social capital and found that residents who lived in mixed-use developments with opportunities for walking rather than driving as a mode of transport, had a higher level of social capital and social cohesion than those who lived in developments lacking these features. (Wilson, 2008, p. 6). Social relations may be divided into two main domains, relationships within a dwelling and relationships among neighbours in the building. One review concluded that high-rise residents have poor social relationships, both among themselves and toward outsiders (Korte Huismans, 1983). In one within-dwelling study in a building in which residences were equal in floor area and supplied furniture, roommates on higher floors got along with one another better than roommates on lower floors (Schiffenbauer, 1979). However, as reported earlier, Edwards, Booth, and Edwards (1982) concluded that high rises are associated with greater marital discord than low rises. (quoted in Gifford, 2007, p. 9). An examination of friendship patterns within a high rise showed that proximity is a major determinant of social interaction (Bochner, Duncan, Kennedy Orr, 1976). Experience suggests that most social interaction occurs among residents of the same floor; if this is so, then buildings with many floors will include a few friends and acquaintances for the typical resident, and many strangers from other floors. Ginsberg Churchman, in an Israeli study of women who lived in 8- and 20-storey buildings found that 97 % knew at least someone on their own floor, and 67 % knew everyone on their floor; in contrast, 36 % knew over 30 % of all people living in their building (1985). Most women did interact with neighbours, yet reported no problems with privacy. In a large-scale study in Toronto, Michelson found that high-rise apartment dwellers tended to choose friends outside the building, from school or work (1977). These residents viewed their neighbours negatively and as dissimilar to themselve s, except that they were approximate financial equals. In Hong Kong, a high-rise, high-density city, interview results suggest that the overall sense of residential community is low and that where respondents had a very strong sense of neighbourhood, their interactions were often work- or school-based, with colleagues or schoolmates living in the same area (Forrest, La Grange Ngai-Ming, 2002). (quoted in Gifford, 2007, p. 9). Studies that compare housing forms suggest that high-rise dwellers may have more respondents reported knowing about twice as many families as those in low rises (Williamson, 1978). However, knowing more neighbours did not translate to close relations; the German high-rise residents reported less visiting and borrowing among their neighbours, and that their closest friends were more likely to be colleagues at work than neighbours. Both the German and Italian respondents said that they would like to have more friends among their neighbours, and that they believed they would have more friends if they lived in a smaller building. Outdoor socializing was examined in a study of three housing types in a low-income neighborhood: an old ghetto neighbourhood of low-rise tenement houses, a traditional high-rise housing project and an innovative high-rise housing project, where a creative outdoor design had been added to encourage outdoor use (Holahan, 1976). The old neighborhood and the innovat ive project showed higher levels of outdoor socializing than did the traditional project, which suggests that high-rises will discourage social interaction in their vicinity but that this can be overcome by setting aside an area designed to encourage social interaction. Nature also seems to facilitate social interaction. Researchers observed the presence and location of trees and the presence and location of youth and adults near a high-rise and a low-rise public housing development (Coley, Kuo Sullivan, 1997). Spaces with trees attracted larger and more mixed groups of people than did spaces without natural elements. High-rise residents may have more acquaintances but fewer friends because residents of high rises simply encounter a larger number of people in their building than residents of low rises (Churchman Ginsberg, 1984). More of these people are strangers, too, but one gets to know some of the strangers, over time, at least superficially. Consistent with the notion that lower levels are associated with more friendships, garden apartment residents reported having three times as many friends in the building as did high-rise residents (Boyd, Morris Peel, 1965). Similar results were reported in another study: three-quarters of low-rise residents reported they had made good friendships within their project, but only half of the residents of a high rise could make the same claim (Stevenson, Martin ONeil, 1967). Friendship formation depends on multiple factors, however, differences between the low- and high-rises in the friendship-related attitudes can be found. High-rises were experienced as lower in involvement, support, order and organization, but higher on independence. (Gifford, 2007, p. 10). Research is unanimous in the finding that rates of helping others are lower in high-rise buildings. The nature of most high rises supports anonymity and depersonalization of ones neighbours, so that living in a high rise tends to have both the advantages, such as greater privacy and freedom from unwanted social interaction and disadvantages, less intimate social interaction and less caring about anonymous others as large cities. (Gifford, 2007, p. 12). The gist of the evidence about social relations is that residents of high rises encounter many more other residents, know of or about more others, but have fewer friendships in the building, per capita, than residents of low rises. Social interaction is more difficult for residents to regulate. This can lead to withdrawal, which can lead to loss of community and social support. The structure of high rises usually is such that one is not likely to meet residents of other floors except in elevators and lobbies, which are barely more personal than the street. Thus, one lives physically close to many others, but in practice is limited to those on ones floor for the sort of encounters that might lead to friendship, such as borrowing food or talking while children play. Male-female differences may moderate friendship formation in high versus low rises. (quoted in Gifford, 2007, p. 12) 2.3 The impact of high rise housing on neighbourhood livability Residents of public high-rise housing estates are likely to perceive different aspects of their housing and neighbourhood in different ways, dependent on their sense of belonging. Some residents may explain stigma in reference to the irresponsible behaviour of fellow residents (Hastings, 2004). Others may not feel connected to their neighbourhood and may not use community facilities (Hastings, 2004). Forrest and Kearns (2001) suggested that communication between residents shapes the image of their neighbourhood and stated: neighbourhoods seem to acquire their identity through an on-going commentary between themselves and this continuous dialogue between different groups and agencies shapes the cognitive map of the city and establishes good and bad reputations (p.2135) (quoted in Wilson, 2008, p. 5). However, the social connectedness of urban high-rise developments may influence residential satisfaction. Halpern (1995) suggested that if people are in frequent contact with their neighbours, then the objective quality of their house makes little difference to their level of residential satisfaction. On the other hand, Halpern (1995) asserted that if people are not in frequent contact with their neighbours then consequently, the objective quality of their house has a large impact on their satisfaction. In other words, residents who are involved in their local community tend to be happy with where they live regardless of the physical quality of their homes (Halpern, 1995, p.113). (quoted in Wilson, 2008, p. 6). Baum and Palmer (2002) found, from their study of residents perceptions of the influence of place on levels of social capital, that there exists a direct link between urban infrastructure and social capital. These authors concluded that higher levels of social capital are likely to occur in neighbourhoods where residents have a positive image of their environment and where their environments are green with open spaces Additionally, natural features and open spaces were found to facilitate a sense of community in new urbanist communities. (quoted in Wilson, 2008, p. 6). As well as green spaces contributing to urban neighbourhoods social connectedness, pets have been found to facilitate social capital too. A study completed by Wood, Giles-Corti and Bulsara (2005) investigated the role that pets can play in promoting social capital, by surveying a random sample of 339 Australian residents. These authors found that pets promote opportunities for their owners to have social contact with other pet owners, neighbours and members of their community. Furthermore, pets were found to motivate owners to participate in community events and to make use of community facilities (Wood, 2005). (quoted in Wilson, 2008, p. 7). 2.4 The family in highrise housing 2.5 Children in highrise housing Innumerable studies suggest that children have problems in high-rises. It is known forfamilies with small children, the evidence demonstrates that high-rise living is an unsuitable form of accommodation (Conway Adams, 1977, p. 595.) Another study concludes that high-rise housing does not provide an appropriate living environment for preschool or school-age children because too few of the attributes of a single-family house have been accounted for (Cooper Marcus Hogue, 1976, p. 34. This has not seemed to change with time. Children under 8 are usually not allowed to go downstairs by themselves, and if they were allowed to go down, parents found it difficult to supervise their play. The problems range from fundamental child development issues to everyday activities such as play. For example, a Japanese investigation (Oda, Taniguchi, Wen Higurashi, 1989) concluded that the development of infants raised above the fifth floor in high-rise buildings is delayed, compared to those raised below the fifth floor. The development of numerous skills, such as dressing, helping and appropriate urination was slower. Children who live on higher floors also go outside to play less often (Nitta, 1980, in Oda et al., 1989). A study in India recognized that childrens difficulties are not solely a function of living in high rises (Oke, Khattar, Pant Saraswathi, 1999). Learning to read may be affected by the floor level on which children live (Cohen, Glass Singer, 1973). The researchers measured sound levels, ability to discriminate auditory stimuli, and reading skills in children who lived in high rises built above a major highway in New York. Children in lower-level apartments, Gifford 10 discriminate sounds and had poorer reading skills, than children who lived in higher floors. Apparently, where traffic noise is a considerable factor, high rises may be good for children who live higher up in high rises. Childrens play clearly is affected, as parents in high rises either keep their children indoors more often, which means close protection or over-protection in an indoor environment, or allow them outside, many floors away, which can result in under supervision. One outcome is that children in high rises, on balance, spend more time playing alone and in restricted play (Gittus, 1976). Perhaps this is why there is evidence that high-rise raised children have lower levels of motor ability than children reared in single-family dwellings (Crawford Virgin, 1971; cited in Michelson, 1977). (quoted in Gifford, 2007, p. 11). 2.6 The elderly in highrise housing A study by Kweon, Sullivan and Wiley (1998) found that elderly public highrise housing residents sense of community was stronger when they spent time in outdoor green common spaces, areas with trees and grass. (quoted in Wilson, 2008, p. 6). Welfare and the types of living arrangement for the elderly are also gaining wider attention. The aged should be supported by their families, the government and the community, to live and be integrated into the mainstream community for as long as possible (National Council of Social Services, 1996). Hence, planning and designing of housing with essential supporting services should be carried out for this group of people who are more at risk and deserving of care and consideration. 2.7 Secondary studies done on residential responses on high rise living 3. Primary study Case studies done in Delhi and NCR 3.1 Methodology A questionnaire based survey is conducted in housing societies of varying heights (sample questionnaire attached). The questionnaire aims to find social implications with respect to heights of residential buildings. The same number of people are surveyed in all the case studies i.e 15 people, further divided equally in the age groups: teenager, adult and elderly. Data is further analysed to understand the topic in study. 3.2 Selection criteria of case studies Distinct variation in height (4 storey, 10 storey, 20 storey) Within Delhi or NCR 3.3 Data collection through Questionnaire 3.3.1. Low rise housing, Vasant Kunj Not done yet 3.3.2. Med rise housing, Dwarka Elligible Co-operative Group Housing society (10 storey building) Address: Plot no 38, Sector 10, Dwarka 3.3.3. High rise housing, Gurgaon Not done yet 4. Analysis of Data 5. Findings According to the case study done in Dwarka, a pattern can be observed between the liking of a particular type of housing i.e low, medium, high and the generation. It is found that teenagers, todays generation prefer the highrise. Adults prefer medium rise housing walk ups. While the elderly prefer the bungalow system, the idea where one can say this particular piece of land is the property of my family and me. A highrise, however, stresses on community land or space, then the unit or apartment becomes the property of the individual owner. The finding exemplifies how one becomes accustomed to particular conditions during their years of development and seems to become their preferred style of living. It is also found that there are a number of spaces where people interact such as the community hall, gym, badminton court, children play area, the road which runs along the periphery of the society which acts a Theories of Demand for Audit: An Analysis Theories of Demand for Audit: An Analysis Audit refers to an examination of the financial reports of a firm by an independent entity. The separation of business ownership and management in modern society has created a need for accountability; causing the role of audit to change as the needs of stakeholders change. Audit, in itself, caters to the relationship of accountability; independent from other parts of the firm to provide a true and fair view of the financial reports of an organisation. Whereas, the value relevance refers to the auditors ability and responsibility to provide reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement, either due to fraud or error; or both. Audit theories provide a framework for auditing, uncovers the laws that govern the audit process and the relationship between different parties of a firm, forming the basis of the role of audit. Mautz and Sharaf expressed that concepts provide a basis for advancement in the field of knowledge by facilitating communication about it and its problems. There are many theories which may explain demand for audit services in modern societies. These include, but are not limited to; The policeman theory The credibility theory The theory of inspired confidence The agency theory The policeman theory asserts that the auditor is responsible for searching, discovering and preventing any fraudulent activity. However, the role of auditors is to provide reasonable assurance and an independent, true and fair view of the financial statements. Although, there has been more pressure on auditors to detect fraud after recent reporting scandals e.g. Enron. It can be argued that in modern societies, the users of statements want auditors to be responsible for fraud detection as they use audit reports to analyse and make decisions. However, auditors are not responsible for finding all fraud but should improve their detection rate to instil public confidence. ISA (UK and Ireland) 240 states that the primary responsibility of fraud prevention and detection rests with the management and the governance of an organisation; it is also important that more emphasis is placed on prevention of fraud. However, the auditor also has a duty of care to the end users of audit reports and s hould consider risks of material misstatements due to fraud when calculating audit risk. The credibility theory suggests that adding credibility to financial statements is an integral part of auditing, making it a fundamental service auditors provide to clients. Audited financial statements boost users confidence in an organisations financial records and managements stewardship; in turn, improving their decision quality such as, investment or new contracts, based on reliable information. This is because stakeholders need to have faith in the financial statements. The credibility gained by financial statements would affect decisions by stakeholders (e.g. Credit limits provided by suppliers) and also helps shareholders put trust in management; reducing the information asymmetry between stakeholders and management. However, Porter (1990) concluded, that audited information does not form the primary basis for investors investment decisions, but in my opinion audit reports may still play a part; albeit small, in investment decisions. The theory of inspired confidence focuses on both the demand and supply of audit services. The relationship of accountability is realised with financial statements; however, as outside parties cannot monitor any material misstatement or bias in financial reports, the demand for an independent reliable audit arises. The supply of audit services should satisfy the public confidence that arises from the audit and fulfil community expectations, as the general function of audit is derived from the need for independent examination and an expert opinion based on findings; due to the confidence society places in an independent auditors opinion. It can be assumed that if society lost confidence in audit opinion, the social usefulness of audit would cease; as audit delivers benefits to the users of financial statements. However, as Limperg argues an auditor should try to meet the expectations of a rational outsider but not create higher expectations from his audit report than is justifiable by his examination of audit evidence. As Limperg states The theory expects from the accountant that in each special case he ascertains what expectations he arouses; that he realizes the tenor of the confidence that he inspires with the fulfillment of each specific function (Limperg Institute, 1985, 19). The auditor should maintain appropriate business practices to maintain his independence from the firm being audited, in order to satisfy his obligation to examine business practices and provide a credible opinion on the financial statements. The agency theory emphasises that audit services are employed in both the interests of third parties and management. An agency relationship exists between the agent (management) and principals (shareholders, employees, banks etc.); where the authority of decision-making is delegated to the agent. If both principals and agents want to maximise utility, the agent may not always act in the best interests of the principal as their interests may differ e.g. shareholders may want to maximise share value, management may be interested in company growth. Hence, agency theory focuses on the costs and benefits of an agent-principal relationship. Costs that arise due to the decision-making authority given to agents, in modern companies due to separation of ownership and control are agency costs, agency costs are the sum of the monitoring expense by the principal, the bonding expense of the agent and the residual loss. A beneficial agency cost would maximise shareholder value and an unwanted agency cost would arise due to conflict of interest between shareholders and managers. Analysis of agency costs give an indication of how well an agent is discharging his responsibilities towards the principal, enabling the principal to observe and introduce controls to reduce any conflict of interest. As an organisation has many contracts, several parties (e.g. suppliers, employees etc.) which add value to the company for a given price, for their own personal interests; it is the agents responsibility to optimise the contracts to maximise the value of the organisation. An audit is a monitoring mechanism for principals to gain an independent and reliable opinion on the financial statements provided by the agent, reinforcing accountability and maintaining confidence and trust in the organisation. Agency theory is the most widely used audit theory. These theories demonstrate the need of accountability in modern society and the role of audit in providing reasonable assurance and unbiased opinion to users of financial statements, about an organisation. Stakeholders place trust in auditors due to the credibility of audit; lenders, suppliers and employees may want reasonable assurance on the accounts of an organisation before any business contracts are established. Shareholders want an independent opinion on the running of the organisation and how the management is executing its stewardship, they also require a true and fair view of financial statements to analyse their investment in the organisation and to gain confidence in the management and in turn, the organisation. Societal expectations from auditors may exceed the capability of audit creating an audit expectation gap, where users of financial statements expect an auditor to detect all material fraud; due to their legal access to company records and right to gain explanation from employees for the purpose of audit. ISA 200 also emphasises that due to the limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that some material misstatements will not be detected, even when the audit is done in accordance with the ISAs (UK and Ireland). Hence, while auditors discharge their duties, they should educate the public about the inherent limitations of audit and their role in financial reporting. It should be understood that auditors too rely on the management to gain information about the activities of an organisation. Imparting that the audit is based on calculated audit risk which would have been reduced to an acceptable level however, it is not possible to provide an audit opinion without any audit r isk present. Audit theory has evolved over time as needs of society changed, so did audit techniques resulting in a change of auditor function. A considerable investment into the development of auditing theory is justified as it will help us address audit deficiencies with a more tailored approach towards the complex needs of modern society, with the fast-paced trading of stocks and extensive contracts of organisations. Auditors are placed in a position of trust to provide an independent and unbiased opinion on financial statements. Extensive research in developing audit theory might help auditors to discharge their duty with more competence and may reduce audit risk substantially. However, it can be argued that the expectation gap should be filled by means of education in order to enable stakeholders and third parties to interpret and analyse audit reports correctly, with rational expectations from the auditors. Also, to help them make informed decisions based on audit reports, fulfilling the pu rpose of the audit.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Profile of a Substance Abuse Counselor Essay -- career choices, opportu

Introduction A career path which I am considering for my future is that of a substance abuse counselor. Substance abuse counselors provide assistance and therapy to clients wishing to stop their use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. I am considering this field because of my personal experience with substance abuse and a desire to help others towards recovery, as well. In order to further understand this occupation, an acquaintance who works in the field and who possesses a similar background agreed to meet with me to discuss her career. Interview Summary I met with Christine, an acquaintance I know through members of a twelve step program. We met for about 20 minutes over coffee. As we spoke, I asked the questions that I prepared, omitting some and adding others based on the responses given. The list of questions in reproduced in the last section of this work. Christine works at an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in New Jersey, the specifics of which have been intentionally omitted. Her interest in the field is identical to mine; she has a personal history of substance abuse. After obtaining sobriety, she wished to help others with her experience. This similarity is the primary reason I wanted to discuss this topic with her. Christine’s current position requires a bachelor’s degree in a health related field, although she noted other counselors at her place of employment have master’s degrees. She is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the State of New Jersey. Certification involved verifying education and experience, completing an exam, and paying a fee. Christine is also a member of the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Membership in this organizat... ... What do you do in group therapy? # 13.) What do you do in family therapy? # 14.) What does your job entail besides counseling? 15.) What is the best part about your job? 16.) What is the worst part about your job? 17.) What kind of money do you earn? * 18.) What are the benefits of your job? * 19.) Do you think the best substance abuse counselors are recovering addicts themselves? Why or why not? 20.) What have you learned from working in the field? â€Æ' References Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-and-behavioral-disorder-counselors.htm Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2013). Careers in psychology: opportunities in a changing world. (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning/Wadsworth. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning/Wadsworth.