Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Story and Lyrics Behind The First Noel in French

Aujourdhui le Roi des Cieux is the French version of The First Noel. The two are sung to the same tune, but the words are different. The translation given here is the literal translation of the Christmas carol Aujourdhui le Roi des Cieux. The song has been covered by a variety of popular French artists, including Michaà «l, but the French version of The First Noel is most commonly sung today by a church and lay choirs.   The History of The First Noel   The First Noel very likely began as a song that was passed along orally and sung in the streets outside of churches, since early Christian congregants participated little in the Catholic mass. The term Noà «l  in the French version (Noel in English) apparently  derives from a Latin word for news. Thus, the song is about a crier, in this case, an angel, spreading the good news that Jesus Christ (le Roi des Cieux) is born.   Although thought to be a 18th-century English carol, the  structure of The First Noel resembles that of medieval French epic poems, chansons de geste  like La Chanson de Roland memorializing the Charlemagne legends; these poems were likewise not written down. The song was not transcribed until 1823 when it was published in London as part of an early anthology called  Some Ancient Christmas Carols. The English title appears in The Cornish Songbook (1929), which could mean The First Noel originated in Cornwall, situated across the Channel from France.   Christmas hymns, on the other hand, were written down as early as the 4th century A.D. in the form of  Latin songs glorifying the concept of Jesus Christ as the son of God, an important element of orthodox Christian theology at the time.  Many hymns were drawn, for instance, from the 12  long poems of the fourth-century Roman poet and jurist Aurelius Clemens  Prudentius. French Lyrics and English Translation Here is the French version of The First Noel and the English translation:Aujourdhui le Roi des Cieux au milieu de la nuitVoulut naà ®tre chez nous de la Vierge MariePour sauver le genre humain, larracher au pà ©chà ©Ramener au Seigneur ses enfants à ©garà ©s.Today the King of Heaven in the middle of the nightWas born on Earth of the Virgin MaryTo save the human race, pull it from sinReturn the Lords lost children to him.Noà «l, Noà «l, Noà «l, Noà «l Jà ©sus est nà ©, chantons Noà «l  !Noel, Noel, Noel, NoelJesus is born, let us sing Noel!En ces lieux durant la nuit demeuraient les bergersQui gardaient leurs troupeaux dans les champs de Judà ©eOr, un ange du Seigneur apparut dans les cieuxEt la gloire de Dieu resplendit autour deux.In these parts during the night stayed the shepherdsWho kept their flocks in Judeas fieldsNow, an angel of the Lord appeared in the skiesAnd the glory of God glowed around them.RefrainRefrainLange dit :  « Ne craignez pas ; soyez tous dans la joieUn Sauveur vous est nà ©, cest le Christ, votre RoiPrà ¨s dici, vous trouverez dans là ©table, couchà ©Dun lange emmaillotà ©, un enfant nouveau-nà ©Ã‚  Ã‚ ».The angel said, Do not fear; everyone be joyfulA Savior is born to you, its Christ, your KingNearby, you will find in the stable, put to bedWrapped up in a flannel blanket, a newborn child.RefrainRefrain

Monday, December 23, 2019

Asbestos and the Environmental Effects - 986 Words

Hazardous materials can be silent killers, almost every household or workplace contains various harmful substances therefore it is important to have the basic knowledge of these contaminants, where to find them, and what to do if exposed. Asbestos is a natural occurring mineral that is used in a number of different materials. Asbestos is not a concern if left undisturbed; however renovation, reconstruction or demolition can disturb these materials and release asbestos fibers into the air. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and become trapped in lung tissue which increases the risk for several serious diseases. Asbestos is a well recognized health hazard and is highly regulated. A natural mineral asbestos has been mined and†¦show more content†¦After 1973 there was a huge reduction in asbestos use although the devastation before that time will be with us for years. Once the dangers of asbestos became more understood, many responsible government agencies sought to limit or ba n the use of asbestos and regulate asbestos exposure. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for monitoring asbestos levels in workplaces and communities, and has banned the use of asbestos in new products since 1989. Asbestos removal is an expensive and hazardous process. Situations where removal may be required including remodeling, major structural changes, if the asbestos material is damaged and can not be repaired. Repair usually involves sealing or covering the asbestos material and only effective for undamaged asbestos containing materials. Repair is just a temporary measure and all asbestos will eventually have to be removed. Removal is complex, and should (in many cases, legally must) be done only by a contractor with special training and licenses. Improper removal may increase the health risks to those exposed. In addition, the asbestos removed must be managed according to the state and federal asbestos regulations and a notification to the Environmental ProtectionShow MoreRelatedSilent Spring By Rachel Carson Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthought could not be harmful was asbestos. Asbestos Network defines asbestos as, â€Å"A disease cause by exposure to asbestos fibers.† Asbestos fibers are artificially created by humans often use during various man-made construction projects to make stable interiors to create buildings. Asbestos fibers were high in production due to humans finding many purposes for the chemical (Asbestos Network). The authors of Asbestos.com gives some examples of items that contains asbestos such as â€Å"Insulation for electricRead MoreAsbestos Poisoning1056 Words   |  5 PagesASBESTOS POISONING I. ABSTRACT Asbestos poisoning also called as  asbestosis  is an interstitial pulmonary fibrosis that is caused by asbestos exposure. 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To prepare a site specific Environmental Management PlanRead MoreTechniques Used For Salvage A Performance Or Interaction That Is Going Sour1116 Words   |  5 PagesE.) Face-saving behavior/pg.113: techniques used to salvage a performance or interaction that is going sour. In the film about what happened in the asbestos disaster in Libby, Montana gives us a major display of face saving behavior that is almost sickening to watch. We see this behavior come out in the tapes from the court case in which the owner of W. R. Grace was being questioned on the events that had transpired in the years in which the plant in Libby was active. The prosecutors begin to questionRead MoreAsbestos And Its Effects On Society1515 Words   |  7 Pages Asbestos is a small set of minerals that occur naturally in the environment. These minerals are silicate compounds, which means they contain silicon and oxygen; they form as groups of fibers that can easily be separated. These fibers are very durable, as they show a strong resistance to many common chemicals, heat and electricity. This made asbestos appear be a useful chemical for products used in a wide range of industries, so much that the United States military mandated its use in its branchesRead MoreAsbestos And Its Effects On Asbestos1230 Words   |  5 PagesAsbestos in Mining Asbestos is defined as a fiber that includes six different types of minerals; chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. â€Å"Chrysotile is the main form of asbestos used in about 95 percent of the world† (Ramazzini). All forms of asbestos are known carcinogens which pose severe consequences if exposed. Exposure to asbestos consequently causes mesothelioma, lung, and even ovarian cancer. It is typically acknowledged for its heat resistance and insulatingRead MoreThe Effects Of Pollutants On The Environment866 Words   |  4 Pagesand could take several pathways. Pollutants can have acute or chronic effects, which depend on the concentration and type of pollutant and also the duration in which an organism has been exposed to the pollutant. The pollutants effects, such as asbestos, could take a long time to arise, for example, a person exposed to asbestos could develop a chronic lung condition as the asbestos could accumulate in their lungs and the effects of this could occur for a long time (Doll and Peto, 1985). In comparisonRead MoreSafe Disposal Of Insulation Material1555 Words   |  7 Pagesto humans and environmental hazards to the environment which will be discussed in a bit more detail further on, and also a brief look at how and why insulating materials were used in different purposes within electrical networks and different types of insulating materials used across Australia. Insulating materials come in all forms shapes and sizes, be it solid material, gas or oil each material has a certain use. Some of the solid or fibrous insulating materials include; Asbestos, Wood, PVC (poly-vinylRead MoreLung Cancer Outline649 Words   |  3 PagesCancer |General Purpose: |To inform | |Specific Purpose: |To inform readers on the causes, effects and treatments of lung cancer. | | | | INTRODUCTION SLIDES I. What is lung cancerRead MoreMorbidity: Lung Cancer1672 Words   |  7 Pagesmanner is Cancer. So far so, there has been no cure for Cancer but some medicines and treatments are now available which can slow down and in some cases can even alter the effects of Cancer, depending on the stage at which the disease is at that moment. For this paper however we would concentrate on Lung Cancer and its effects. Lung Cancer, like any other type of cancer, is the uncontrollable growth of cells in the lung tissue. The main causes that contribute to lung cancer include inhaling carcinogens

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Outsiders Essay Free Essays

The Outsiders Critical Lens Essay The quote in question is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All good is destined to be defeated. †Ã‚  The quote means,  for every good guy,  there is a bad guy. For every hero,  there is a villain. We will write a custom essay sample on The Outsiders Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Everyone who has ever tried to do something good has been destined to be stopped. The quote not only speaks for literature,  but for everything. If you look from now, all the way back to ancient times, you will see examples of this in many works of literature. The book The Outsiders is a good representation of the quote. I agree with the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated†. I can’t think of any good that hasn’t had an attempt to be stopped. In the story The Outsiders there are many examples of good being defeated. When Johnny went into a burning building to save kids, he ended up getting killed. When Darry was trying to give Ponyboy a better life, he ended up forcing him to run away. When Ponyboy attempted to make friends with Cherry and Marsha, he was jumped by their boyfriends. These are just a few of examples from the story. I feel that the story The Outsiders really showcased the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated. † It was a story of how fun loving greasers turned to cold blooded killers after a gang of socs continue to attack them with violence. The story builds up to a climax, where there are many nail biting things are happening simultaneously. Johnny kills Cherry’s boyfriend Bob, The greasers are preparing for a big rumble with the socs, and Ponyboy and Johnny run away How to cite The Outsiders Essay, Essays

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Ways to Loose Weight free essay sample

I’m going to talk about ways to lose weight. There are many ways to lose weight , but I will tell the easiest way to all of you. Ways to lose weight is by doing regularly exercise and healthy eating habits. Don’t worry because I’m sure that with this way you all can practice it. Now let me explain more for your further information. Body Paragraph: The first way is by doing regularly exercise. By doing exercise such as jogging, cycling or swimming regularly and consistently you will burn your calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. If you can’t do actual workout, just get more active throughout the day such as taking the stair instead of using elevator. For more efficient weight lose, you should wear sports attire such as complete tracksuit like what I’m wearing today, it will help you get warmer and easier to sweating. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways to Loose Weight or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By doing this, you will burn your calories faster and for sure reduce your weight. Next, you should practice healthy eating habits. According to Reader’s Digest you should take more nutritious food such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. This will limit your calories intake. Reduce the taking of food with high fat and sugar. Be sure not to skip meals because it is not a healthy way of diet. Healthy eating habits will help you in losing your weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Conclusion: So, for those of you having trouble losing weight, you should try ways that I tell, which exercise regularly and healthy eating habits. With discipline and patient, you will find out how easy it is to losing weight. I hope all of you can practice this and happily reduce your weight. Thank you. Reference list: http://www. dietdoctor. com/how-to-lose-weight http://www. invigorate360. com/reviews/regular-exercises-can-contribute-to-your-healthy-lifestyle/ http://www. rd. com/health/diet-weight-loss/easy-ways-to-lose-weight-50-ideas/ Informative speech outline Name : Ku Noor Ammarah Binti Ku Amir Matric no : UK27779 Class : PSK27 Lecturer : Halimatus Saadiah Binti Abdul Rahman Date of submission : 26 May 2013

Friday, November 29, 2019

Voice Search SEO 4 Key Tips to Optimize Your Content

Voice search is one of the most talked-about SEO trends in recent history. More and more people are using voice assistants, which means voice search SEO can be a great way to get your sites content in front of visitors.So, what exactly is voice search? In simple terms, voice search is whenever a person searches for content using their smart speaker or in-built smartphone assistant. Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and Microsofts Cortana are just a few of the most popular ones.But, unlike traditional search queries, a voice-based search will interpret content slightly differently. Voice assistants look for condensed snippets of information which can summarize the answer to a users query in a few sentences. Thats why voice search SEO requires a special focus. A comScore report has said that more than 50% of searches will be done using a smart assistant by 2020. Even with substantial margins, this is a large enough number to pay close attention.Data: Microsofts 2019 Voice ReportThe purpos e of this article is to give you actionable tips so that you can prepare your content for an influx of voice search users. Best of all, a lot of these voice search SEO tips also directly affect your overall search engine optimization strategy.Ready to get started? Lets learn!Voice search SEO: Four key tactics in 20191. Incorporate conversational, answer-based contentAll of the big smart speakers and assistants use Natural Language Processing  (NLP) to understand the intonation behind users search queries. In short, NLP looks to respond to search queries with content that matches the same tone of voice a person used when searching.So, if someone is searching for:What happened with the Night King in Game of Thrones?What is the best pizzeria near me?When did Leonardo DiCaprio win an Oscar?NLP will look for clearly defined and concise answers. If your content is written like a story with too much fragmentation, then voice assistants simply wont be able to pick up your content.Here is an example of a snippet that NLP will easily interpret:In 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar as Best Actor for his role in The Revenant. This was Leos 6th nomination and his 1st win. During his acceptance speech, Leo urged people all across the world to pay close attention to climate change and its impact on the planet.You can learn more from this official document published by Google:  Evaluation of Search Speech.The PDF includes a lot of samples that you can learn from, and ultimately, get yourself ahead of the pack.2. Add structured markup data to tag individual paragraphsStructured data markup is a way to make it easier for search engines to understand your content. You can specify things like Article data, Review score, and more. And this information helps you get rich snippets in Google search.Here is an example of a Google search result when searching for coconut pudding:A preview for the Rich Snippets values of Article and Review.And while none of these will direc tly influence your voice search SEO, the Speakable property will. Speakable is an up-and-coming (BETA) Schema value which lets you define a segment of your content as voice-friendly.Heres what Google says about this new property, When the Google Assistant reads aloud a speakable section, it attributes the source and sends the full article URL to the users mobile device through the Google Assistant app.So, this is actually really beneficial to you in multiple ways.First, your content is understood by voice assistants, and second, the voice assistant will provide the user with a link to your content.The official description as defined by the Schema.org website.If you would like to learn more about structured data, head over to our article about schema plugins for WordPress.3. Optimize your content for featured snippetsFeatured snippets are something you encounter every day in Googles search results. Heres an example:Unlike Rich Snippets, you cannot add any direct markup to your conten t to tell Google to create a Featured Snippet. Its something that Google just does.SEO experts argue that theyre both a blessing and a curse. And the reasoning is simple, users are more likely to click on a Featured Snippet result than browse to search results below it. Thats just human nature.As for voice search SEO, theyre an absolute godsend.Most smart speakers and voice assistants recognize featured snippets and often use them as a means to answer users questions.The official announcement from Google.So, you are probably wondering by now, how do I get my content to be featured by Google?Unfortunately, there isnt one specific recipe for this. We do know that Google uses multiple signals to decide what content gets featured.Here are some of those signals:Content-rich paragraphs which expand on a specific question.Lists which enrich content underneath a sub-heading.Technical content organized within an HTML Table.Highlighted content using tags such as Bold and Italic.The short answ er is, write content in multiple segments with extremely rich and relevant information. Dont just think about writing, think how your content answers questions.4. Write in-depth content with lots of long-tail keywordsSpeaking of answering questions. We cant talk about voice search SEO without mentioning long-tail keywords and in-depth content.Both are a strong recipe for voice search success.First of all, heres some data on the average word length per article for top 10 results in Google search:Source: Capsicum MediaworksThe data suggests that lengthier posts correlate with a higher rank in Google. And articles with 2,400+ words provide a lot of content and a lot of opportunity for being the source of voice search queries.The said opportunity comes from using long-tail keywords and adding depth to your content.Another way to look at it is to think of your blog posts and articles as FAQ sections on a specific subject.The more you focus on creating definitive content, the more Google can understand the depth of what you are sharing.Here are some tips for adding depth to your content:Use a lot of sub-headings to go deeper into a subject.Write down all the questions you want to answer with your post, then use those questions as guiding points for your content.Provide a Table of Contents so that users can quickly navigate to a section they need.Focus on smaller content segments which provide extensive information.I recommend looking into blogging tools such as Ahrefs to analyze the top content across your specific search queries. Once you know which content ranks the best, you can use similar principles in your own content to make it as extensive as possible.Implement voice search SEO todayAs you can see, applying voice search SEO tips to your content isnt all that difficult. And its a lot like optimizing your content for general SEO purposes.The only real difference is that search engines want you to make your content very specific. The emphasis is on snippets of content rather than meaty paragraphs.Heres a summary of what we learned:Conversational writing tone helps to match the tone of the user who is performing a voice search query.You can use structured data markup to specify a segment of your content thats voice-friendly.Voice assistants use Featured Snippets as a means of answering user questions.Youll get better results if you write in-depth content which is thoroughly organized.Do you have any questions about optimizing your content for voice search? Ask away in the comments! Use these voice search #SEO tips to make voice assistants love your content 🔉

Monday, November 25, 2019

THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR Essays - String Instruments, Guitar

THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR Essays - String Instruments, Guitar THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR The guitar is a fretted, stringed instrument, and is a member of the lute family. It originated in Persia and reached Spain during the twelth-century, where it?s versatility as both a solo and accompanying instrument were established. The theory of the guitar was discovered in the early centuries. They found that the sound of a bowstring could be enhanced by attaching a resonating chamber -most like a tortiseshell- to the bow. From the bow came essentially three main types of stringed instruments: the Harp family, which was the sound of plucked strings indirectly transmitted to an attached sound box. The second was the Lyre family, which was strings of a fixed pitch are attached to the directly to a sound chamber. And the third was the Lute family, this was were the pitch of strings was altered by pressing them against a neck that is attached directly to a sound chamber. Within the Lute family came two groups. The lutes proper which had rounded backs and the guitar type instruments w ith their flat backs. Guitar-shaped instruments appear in stone bas-relief sculptures of the hittites in northern Syria and Asia Minor from as far back as 1350 B.C. The word guitar also has origins in the middle and far east, deriving from gut, is the Arabic word for four, and tar, the Sanskrit word for string. The earliest European guitars did have four courses of gut strings. A 2 course is a pair of strings tuned in unison. These early guitars were distinguished from lutes by body sides that curved inward to form a waist and by four courses of strings. Some but not all early guitars had a flat back, while lutes always had a flat back. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance the lute was the dominant fretted instrument. The lute with was pear-shaped and had five or more courses of strings was generally regarded as a higher class of instrument. By 1546 the guitar had gained enough popularity to merit the publication of a book of guitar music. By this time guitars had added another course, and modern tuning had come into existence. Chord positions were the same as they are today. The frets of the early guitars were made of gut and tied around the neck. This made placement of frets very difficult. The early guitars were also much shorter in length than todays guitars. The second most popular instrument during the Middle ages was the cittern. It was more like the modern guitar than any other during that time. It had metal strings, fixed frets, a fingerboard that extended onto the top, a flat back, and a movable bridge with strings anchored by a tailpiece; and it was played with a quill or plectrum(pick). But this modern instrument soon lost its popularity and disappeared by the late 1600?s. Through the 1600?s and 1700?s the guitar design changed very little, although interest increased around luthiers. In the 1770?s the first guitars with six single strings appeared, 3 blowing the evolutionary lid off the instrument. Within the next few decades, numerous innovations followed: body waists became narrower and body bouts changed shape, becoming circular in northern Europe and more oval shaped in southern Europe. Inlaid frets of brass or ivory replaced the tied on gut frets and the neck was extended one full octave(12 frets) clear of the body. Metal tuners with machine heads began to replace friction pegs, and strings were anchored by bridge pins, replacing the method of tying strings to the bridge. By the 1820?s most of the fingerboard extended all the way to the soundhole. As rapidly as the guitar changed so did it?s acceptance. By the 1800?s the Lute had all but disappeared. One of the best known makers of this new-style of guitar was Johann Georg Staufer of Vienna. Staufer and another maker Johann Ertel in 1822 designed a fingerboard raised off the top of the guitar, and experimented with different fret metals, settling on an alloy of brass,copper,silver, and arsenic. The first half of the 19th century was a time of great experimentation for the guitar. And many of the innovations that were credited to 20th century makers were actually tried a

Friday, November 22, 2019

U3 Lab Reprort Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

U3 Reprort - Lab Report Example One area that has been greatly impacted by these advancements is the telecommunications industry. The industry started taking shape in the late 1970s. By the early 1990s, the world was starting to align itself technologically in order to allow for flawless communication. However, telecommunications services were very expensive then, with bulky phones and very limited services that could only support voice communication. Due to technological advancements this has however changed to what we have today: voice, data, text and video exchanges. The driving force behind all these advancements is networking. This is the same story for computer technology as well. The world has increasingly been moving to a point where they can literally use the internet for anything. In the recent years, there has been a huge buzz about cloud computing. The driving force behind this is networking. With regards to these facts, networking therefore plays a major role in determining how well I understand various key concepts in my career and how well I can integrate these concepts to provide networking solutions: something that is very much needful in my career path. Understanding routing concepts, remote network access, Network Address Translation, SSTP, CMAX, including various policies that come with networks will be instrumental in how productive and innovative I will be in my

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Emerging hybrid technology in the automotive market Research Paper

Emerging hybrid technology in the automotive market - Research Paper Example Secondary energy most often originates from primary source or sometimes comes from an external system (Badin F., Briat O., Olivier S., Jeanneret B., Trugue R., Malaquin B., October 2004). Hybrid vehicles are not a modern invention. Hybrid technology has been in use since the 20th century. The first diesel motor ship, which is also called the first diesel electric ship, was launched in 1903, and Russian Tanker Vandal had been using hybrid technology since then. Another modern example of hybrid ship propulsion is electric motors mounted in pods, called azimuth thrusters, which allow for 360o rotation of thrust. There are also diesel-electric trains developed in 1920’s, used for moving trains around railway yards. These hybrid vehicles get significant importance due to simplification of power transmission as well as usage of multiple motors and electricity that reduce maintenance cost. Convention Cars: A traditional or conventional car, unlike a hybrid car, lacks an electrical motor to assist engine to make power during crisis time. Convention cars have just one source of energy and there is no second source. Because there is no assistance of an electrical motor in convention cars, hybrid cars are more fuel efficient and produce fewer emissions. Hybrid Cars: Hybrid car is the most common application of hybrid technology. The first introduced hybrid motor vehicle was a bicycle equipped with helper motors. These were known as mopeds. VeloSoleX is an example of mopeds. An example of the most modern application is the human electric hybrid vehicles which consist of a drive train i.e. a human being, generator or an electric motor, and an energy accumulator or battery. It has the same characteristics of a hybrid bicycle with enhanced acceleration and innovation of regenerative braking. An example of hybrid vehicle is â€Å"TWIKE† which was designed to carry cargo and two passengers. It can be driven either in electric mode or electric and

Monday, November 18, 2019

Dissent about nuclear safety Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dissent about nuclear safety - Case Study Example The performance of the heat exchangers is substandard, but the loss of one can lead to heat exchange problems in future. Alison is well aware of this fact and also of another reality that continued operation of both heat exchangers can cost her company millions of dollars. But, going along with the JCO means that Alison does something which does not maximize utility in an even manner and which is also worthy of punishment because problems are anticipated despite good intentions to save the company. When the time to vote arrives, Alison should not vote in favour of the JCO for the same reasons expressed already in this discussion. It would not be wrong for her to cast a dissenting vote even if future calculations show that using a single heat exchanger does not cause any heat exchange problems for two reasons. First, outcomes of an act matter the most and second, intellectual pleasure which would result from safe outcomes supersedes physical pleasure which members of PNSRC would exper ience from cost

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Theory Of Career Construction Psychology Essay

Theory Of Career Construction Psychology Essay The purpose of this case study is to apply Savickas Theory of Career Construction to a volunteer client Yelonda J. Complete a narrative interview using the structured interview questions in the Career Style Interview, and employing the six steps. Discuss interpretations, observations and obtain her feedback. The theoretical foundation of Career Construction theory (CCT) has its beginnings from Constructivism, and according to Sharf (2009) Constructivism is a psychological approach that has developed out of a postmodern philosophical position. It has been stated the Postmodernism period was a reaction to modernism, in that it highlighted differences in individual views rather than a one-sided, rational scientific view of modernism. (Sharf 2009) Constructivist saw individuals as creators of their own destiny, and constructivist counselors sought to help clients discover that meaning and resolve any discrepancy. (Sharf 2009) According to (Sharf 2009, p316) the constructivism approach was greatly affected by the changing of the work environments in the 1970s. Employees were no longer staying with one position for their whole work life, as companies were becoming less loyal to employees and watching out for own bottom-line by downsizing their workforce to part-time. Employees soon discovered they needed to take charge of their future and looked to career counselors for help. According to (Busacca, 2007) constructivist career counseling attempts to answer one question how can an individual negotiate a lifetime job changes and not lose a sense of self? Career construction theory (CCT) came about to help individuals develop meaning out of their career choices and actions. CCT address how an individuals career is made from its personal and social constructs. These constructs are not actual real reality, but an individuals representation of that reality. CCT defines career as an objective and subjective construct. Objectively speaking, career is a listing of positions from the past to present. Subjectively, career is the personal meaning or a pattern of experiences form past, present, future. (Savickas, 2005, p43) CCT is made of three distinct perspectives and each seeks to determine how the individual views their life and career working together. (Busacca, 2007) These perspectives also help career counselor see how each individual views, makes adjustments and creates from their life experiences. These perspectives are life theme, career adaptability, and vocational personality. The Purpose and the Suppositions The purpose of CCT is to help the individual discover the subjective meaning in their work. In helping the individual discover this type of meaning, Career construction approach (CCA) stress the importance of the relationship between the individual and the counselor. Life themes In the previous career development theory we covered, Hollands inventories were used to obtain critical information about the individual, and make predictions of a career path and likely hood of success. Career Construction theory takes advantage of individual narrated stories to discover meaning behind the content. (Busacca, 2007) It has been stated pattern is the primary unit of meaning. By consciously organizing and binding together these discrete experiences, a unifying life theme patterns (Savickas 2005, p 58) pattern becomes a fundamental and essential way of being because it provides a way for individuals to see themselves and what is important in the world. (Savickas, 2005 p58) During a session an individual is encouraged to tell of work positions, experiences and develop a story linking career related experiences from the past to the present. The individual becomes the focus of attention as they narrated the counselor through their work and life stories. The counselor plays a less active role and listens for patterns in the individuals stories and life theme should begin to surface. (Busacca, 2007) Career Adaptability Once an individual has discovered a life theme, how they go about coping with the process of connecting with social expectations and how they construct their careers is the next step. (Savickas, 2005) Career counselors begin to ask questions of the individual such as How did you decide on that career? This is an important question to ask, because it relates to how the individual is choosing to cope or react to their social expectations. (Savickas 2005) stated adaptation was the interaction of self and society and it is this interaction where an individual develops their attitudes, beliefs, problem-solving and coping mechanisms. He went on to discuss four stages of adaptation resources. These resources are concern, control, curiosity and confidence. (Savickas, 2005) During the career concern stage, a career counselor focuses on whether an individual was concern about their future. A statement commonly made by individuals in this stage would be Do I have future. A lack of career concern has a likelihood of becoming indifference which usually reflects a feeling of pessimism about the future. Career concern is important because I it helps the individual to relate their current activities to future endeavors. The goal of this stage is the building of continuity of past and future career activities. (Savickas, 2005) (Busacca, 2007) The career control stage, a career counselor focuses on whether the individual feels or believes they are responsible for their careers. A statement commonly made by individuals in this stage would be Who owns my future? The lack of career control has a likelihood of becoming career indecisiveness and can lead to attitudes of indecision. The goal of this stage is deciding by clarifying choices. (Savickas, 2005) (Busacca, 2007) The career curiosity stage, a career counselor focuses on whether the individual discovered fit between self and the world of work. A statement commonly made by individuals in this stage would be What do I want to do with my future? The lack of career curiosity has the likelihood of becoming naÃÆ'Â ¯ve about work options. The goal of this stage is exploration, learning about self and clarifying values. (Savickas, 2005) (Busacca, 2007) The career confidence stage, a career counselor would focuses on whether the individual displayed self esteem, self efficacy and encouragement. A statement commonly made by an individual in this stage would be Can I do it? A lack of career confidence has a likelihood of becoming unmotivated and unwilling to obtain goals. The goal of this stage is increase self acceptance, develop problem solving abilities and encourage the willingness to try even when things look dark. (Busacca, 2007) (Savickas, 2005) Vocational Personality According to (Savickas, 2005) an individuals personality begins in the family, neighborhoods, and school. As that individual grows up, their characteristics are displayed everyday while doing housework, completing hobbies and playing games. CCT views these characteristics possibilities or hypothesis to explore for the discovering meaning. Unlike Hollands RAISEC which use an objective person-environment fit, CCT uses a subjective approach in demonstrating to the individual how they are similar to others in a given field, and share common feelings and ideas about work related activities. Account of Session with Yelonda J. Observations of Yelonda J. Counseling Session with Yelonda J.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Epic of Beowulf Essay - Traits of The Anglo-Saxon Hero :: Epic Beowulf herobeo

Beowulf - Traits of The Anglo-Saxon Hero    Within the tale of â€Å"Beowulf† four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first is loyalty, as demonstrated by the relationship between Lord and thane. According to page 23 of the â€Å"Beowulf† introduction, â€Å"a relationship based less on subordination of one man’s will to another than on mutual trust and respect.† The second and third characteristics are strength and courage. The importance of these specific traits to the Anglo-Saxon people is clearly presented during the reciting of Sigemund’s tale within Heorot. As the song states, â€Å"He was adventurer most famous, far and wide through the nations, for deed of courage – he had prospered from that before, the protector of warriors – after the war-making of Heremod had come to an end, his strength and his courage† (38). The final piece which comprises the Anglo-Saxon hero is the notion of fame. The only after life a warrior could ever a spire to have was immortality through fame. One again this is explained by the introduction to the story, â€Å"Beowulf’s chief reward is pagan immortality the memory in the minds of later generations of a hero’s heroic actions† (24-25). By understanding what defines a hero it is a simple matter to comprehend why Beowulf is considered by some to be the greatest of all. He posses unfaltering loyalty to his king and allies, and save for his final battle his thanes show the same devotion to him. His strength is unparalleled, as he is able to defeat each of his opponents and perform feats of unmatched endurance. Beowulf’s courage, though motivated primarily by his own notion of fate, is, none the less, unwavering. And as a hero he achieved his desire for immortality through the poem itself. Each of the four heroic traits can be identified within the three battles in which Beowulf participates: His battle with Grendel, his undersea struggle with the Grendelâ⠂¬â„¢s Mother, and his final fight with the dragon. Before going off to do battle with Grendel, Beowulf gives a speech that may appear conceited to the modern reader, but is in actuality a simple device used to insure his immortality through fame. Beowulf states, â€Å"I claim myself no poorer in war strength, war works, than Grendel claims himself. Therefor I will not put him to sleep with a sword†¦ and then may wise God, Holy Lord, assign glory on whichever hand seems good to him† (35-36).

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn Satire

The author, Mark Twain, uses satire against religion, government, peoples ignorance, and society in general. Throughout the novel, we meet people whose live were ruined by alcoholism. Huck’s father is a drunken, abusive father and Twain satirizes the consumption of alcohol and the effects it has on people. Huck quotes, â€Å"Pap he hadn’t been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn’t want to see him no more.He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (13) Twain is satirizing drunken adults and what it does to their kids and the people surrounding them. Huck’s father also had opinions of his own. â€Å"Oh yes this is a wonderful govment, wonderful. Why looky here, there was a free nigger there from Ohio†¦ † (35) Mark Twain quotes Pap to satirize both the government and racism. Pap represents the close-minded, southern whites and how they felt about free blacks.He mocks how the government has outlawed slavery in the northern states and how the southern states couldn’t do anything about it. Slavery was another issue that Twain touched on. He enters the bitter realm of social satire and their beliefs on the issue of free slaves, almost to the point where it was unethical. A moment captured in chapter 16 describes when Huck realized how serious the consequence of the situation was. â€Å"Well what's the use of learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and it ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? (116) He feels guilty for helping Jim to freedom, but realizes that if he turned Jim in, he would feel just the same. He mocks the society for believing that it was so evil to help slaves to freedom. After the event with the King and the Duke with the Wilks, Huck is glad to see Jim â€Å"Of course when they got to snoring we had a long gabble, and I told Jim everything† (188). Twain shows that Jim should have a better life than to be separated from his wife and children he loves, and to be forced to work for people who humiliate him.Through his use of satire, Twain illustrates the major themes of the novel. People at that time treated servants terribly. Huck himself was racist when Miss Watson asks if anybody got hurt and Huck replies â€Å"No ma'am just a nigger† (34). Finally, the use of racist terminology throughout the book showed how Jim and slaves were treated. The people that they come in contact see nothing more than a servant of Jim. When Tom has a theory as to the meaning of the word ransomed without any doubts, all of the boys agree with this meaning of the word. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead†. (12) In this segment of the novel, Twain uses satire to demonstrate that even though something may be truly wrong, if civilization or society adopts it to be true, then it is believed. Religion is one of the ke y victims of Twain's satire throughout the novel. This satire is no more apparent then when Huck's guardian, the Widow Douglas, preaches to him about Moses.Huck didn't think very much of her lecture â€Å"Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3) Twain uses Huck to exhibit his objection to the faith that civilized society places towards religion. During Huck and Jim's journey, they encounter two men who refer to themselves as the Duke and the King. These characters make their living by swindling people out of their money. When they are eventually caught, they pay for their sins by being tarred and feathered.Huck expresses his thoughts on the subject by saying; it was a dreadful thing to see. â€Å"Human beings can be awful cruel to one another†. (294) through this event, Twain shows that crooks and criminals aren't the only ones that can be cruel. The crowd that considers themselves to be civil ized and opposing cruel acts when actually they commit such acts themselves. The chapters on the Royal Nonesuch are the climax of satire in this story. First Twain presents Hamlet's soliloquy, which even in its first lines, â€Å"To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin/ that makes calamity of so long life†¦ (pg. 132), clearly shows his readership that though the con-men and townspeople know enough to have heard of Shakespeare and even recognize some lines, , for in reality they are ignorant of high society. Twain uses satire to express ignorance in society when Tom Sawyer says â€Å"Because it ain’t in the books so that’s why† (9). This shows that people believe everything they read in books when books are most of the time opinionated. Twain fills Huckleberry Finn with satire examples throughout the story.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Teaching Care Plan for Nursing

Teaching Care Plan for Nursing Identify if article has a review of literature. Yes, This article definitely has a review of literature, it is a compilation from a lot of information the author studied and applied to the specific topic she was addressing. Determine the purpose of the article. The purpose of the article is to make medical professionals aware of the signs and symptoms of depression in older adults. It was to establish a less biased approach to evaluating the mood of each client rather than always assuming that it is normal and expected for an older adult to be sad or withdrawn.It was to identify and acknowledge the screening and treatment tools available to healthcare professionals to promote their use in daily clinical settings. Identify population used in study. The populations used in the study were men and female ages 65 and older Identify method used in study. Methods used in the studies were mainly collecting data and utilizing the research to answer the question. Also randomized clinical trials. Determine the findings of study. The study found that older adults have multiple benefits from being treated for their depression rather than summing it up to old age. You can read also Coronary Artery Disease Nursing Care PlanDepression in older adults was associated with cardiovascular disease due to its association with decreased physical activity. It also showed correlation with depression and unhealthy diet, which also leads to, increased prevalence of diabetes and other obesity co-morbidities. The study seemed to solidify the benefits of treating the older adults; it showed that the patients that were treated for their depression found higher rates of medication compliance, less depression specific caregiver burden. Describe the information in your article can be implemented into your nursing practice.The information in the article really seemed can be applied to all areas of our nursing practice. We can implement many of the tools mentioned in the article. Also, it gave a lot of important information on how to identify depression that can be used in all age groups. I think that the identification of the comorbidities of depression really mak es the evaluation of moods much more practical and essential in our physical assessment. I think it also helped to open up my mind to the challenges older adults face. Provide your rationale for using the information in nursing practice?The information is essential in nursing practice because having a patient that is sad or withdrawn will likely cause them to be less of advocates for themselves when it comes to their healthcare, they may not bother reporting symptoms or stop taking medication because they do not want to go to the store. It can actually cause a complete loss of the patient in the health care system. It is very critical information. How would the use of this information improve patient care (outcomes)? Utilizing this information in nursing practice would greatly improve patient care because it would really improve the nurse’s holistic approach to patient care.Nurses strive to provide very patient centered care but being so busy and having preconceived judgments of certain age groups does hinder our holistic nursing approach. Many times we are too busy and will just treat the problem or what we are there to treat and just ignore the sad or depressed look on the patients face when we should be understanding that if the patient is depressed, we may fix them up and send them home only to have them come back due to non compliance or lack of concern for themselves.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Nonverbal Communication and Rapport Essays

Nonverbal Communication and Rapport Essays Nonverbal Communication and Rapport Essay Nonverbal Communication and Rapport Essay What is rapport? Rapport occurs when two or more people feel that they are in sync or on the same wavelength because they feel similar or relate well to each other. Rapport is theorized to include three behavioral components: mutual attention, mutual positivity, and coordination. Rapport can be defined as the ability to communicate which establishes a level of trust and understanding. Rapport helps individuals to open up and communicate in an affable manner. Rapport depends on verbal, non-verbal behaviours and a good eye contact. 2. What are some of the advantages of rapport building? ?It helps to establish a strong relationship with clients or suppliers. ?It helps to create positive connection with new or existing team members. ?It helps break the ice with new colleagues and boss when starting a new job. ?It also helps to establish an effective communication. ?Good rapport means, clients will give benefit of the doubt to you. 3. How might you build rapport? Building rapport is one of the most fundamental sales techniques. In sales, rapport is used to build relationships with others quickly and to gain their trust and confidence. It is a very powerful tool that veteran salespeople naturally employ, which allows them to close more deals with less effort. I believe there are number of factors which should be taken into consideration while building a rapport. It doesn’t rely on just one factor. From my experience of sales field, rapport building was a crucial element of my job. There are a number of techniques that are supposed to be beneficial in building rapport such as: matching your body language (i. e. , posture, gesture, etc. ); maintaining eye contact; and matching breathing rhythm. I used to emphasize on the following factors while building a good rapport: ? Firstly, your appearance can make a huge difference. Make sure you are dressed tidy with a proper haircut. ?Matching body language is very important. Match facial expression instantly and their hand gestures. ?It is mportant to interact with them at the same level of their tone and follow their rate of speech. ?Remember people’s names. ?Find something in common and start a conversation related to it. Talk about something which leads to more conversation. 4. How does eye contact help with building rapport? Eye contact is very important during communication; it can make or break presentation. ?A good eye contact will reflect sincerity in message. ?Open up more if front of audience. ?It also reflects ones prospects that we are listening and interested in the other person. . How can silence be positive when you are building rapport? Why? A few moments of silence can be much more effective. It gives the chance to deliberate over the answers and make any adjustments required to be made in the presentation. Silence reflects confidence and trustworthiness. The silent pause gives a chance to review what was just said, after the most important point was delivered verbally. References: 1. Discussed with classmates. 2. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Rapport?

Monday, November 4, 2019

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc Essay

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc - Essay Example GM recorded revenues worth $192,604 million during the fiscal year ended December 2005. GM also owns equity partnerships in some regional subsidiaries and joint ventures like New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), Suzuki Motor Corporation, Isuzu Motors, Shanghai GM, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Company and CAMI Automotive. General Motors has been facing stiff competition from the likes of AB Volvo, Capital One Financial Corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company etc. for quite some time now. Owing to increased competition and reduction in margins General Motors Europe announced, during 2004, that it'll be resorting to the reduction in its annual structural costs by about 500 million by 2006. The plan included a reduction in the workforce by about 12,000 over this period. Considering such a scenario, the company requires to determine the priorities it should accord to certain products, so that better profit margins and long-term value creation can be ensured. BCG Matrix i.e. Boston Consultancy Group matrix is a very useful tool for identifying the products which contains both high-growth products in need of cash inputs and certain low-growth products which generate lot of cash. It's a two-dimensional matrix, depicting market share and market growth. Leading market position: GM has consistentl... In US it is the league of the big three with Ford and DaimlerChrysler. GM also has a strong market position in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Australia and China. Robust revenue growth in Asia Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region has proved to be very encouraging and having immense potential for the company. Despite the challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, GM recorded strong revenue growth in this region with continued strong performance by Shanghai GM in China and Holden in Australia. For 2003, GM Asia Pacific (GMAP) earned $577 million, more than three times the net income of $188 million in 2002. Company is also aggressively expanding its operations in India, another big market in the region. Such a strength in this region helps the company to offset its losses in some other regions. Strong brand portfolio: GM has a strong brand portfolio. The company has on board global brand names like Saab, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Weaknesses North America and Europe Continue to be loosing grounds: General Motors's largest geographical market, North America, accounting for nearly 75% of the total revenues, continues to show decelerating momentum. GM North America (GMNA) could earn $1.2 billion, down from $3.1 billion in 2002. Company has partially attributed this slowdown in profitability owing to the higher pension and health-care costs in the U.S, but the cause of worry for GM is its dwindling market share in US, which came down to 28.0 percent compared with 28.3 percent in 2002. Similarly for 2003, GM Europe (GME) had a loss of $286 million, an improvement from the $549 million loss in 2002. Large post retirement liabilities and high debt: GM has large unfunded other post retirement benefit obligations and high debt. As of now for every

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Psychology and Health Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychology and Health Problems - Essay Example This often leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy because the family members would assume that there is nothing they can do about the disease and allow it to happen. On the other hand, the Multifactorial model shows a different way at examining how a disease develops. According to the Multifactorial model, the following factors must be taken into account when analyzing how a disease develops: biological, psychological, environmental, and socio-cultural and stressors. Likewise, the model asserts that no single factor is responsible for the development of a disease according to Hoover. In most diseases, biological factors such as heredity, age and gender can increase the probability of contracting heart diseases. There are certain groups of people prone to heart disease but this doesn’t mean that individuals in this group cannot avert the situation. The model presents other possible elements such as diet, stressors, or even access to health care that can prevent or increase the lik elihood of the disease. The aforementioned elements may belong to any of the other factors which are not biological at all. Using the Multifactorial Model, a person that has a family history of diabetes can prevent developing the disease by making modifications in one’s lifestyle. The person can become health conscious being aware of such fact and resort to exercise and limited dietary intake. Thus, the person does not develop the disease as compared to his parents or grandparents. Biological factors include family history, age, gender, pain and discomfort, congenital disabilities definitely influence the likelihood of a disease but that does not equate to hopelessness since prevention is still possible using other factors. Socio-cultural is another important factor that can worsen or prevent the development of a disease. If a person has quality access to health care, works in a company that promotes health and belongs to an average sized family, then it can said that sociocu ltutal factors can help the person develop diseases. Even religious beliefs related to health such as not smoking and no drinking can be very helpful. Even if heart diseases are common in the family, the person can probably live longer. The Multifactorial model also considers psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, personality traits, self-efficacy, optimism or pessimism, attributional style, behavior, and other intrinsic factors within the individual. Lately, the field of medicine has accepted the fact as proven by various studies that psychological factors like stress definitely worsen biological factors. Even people with no history of heart disease within the family can possibly die from a heart attack if the person is constantly subjected to stress, had a sedentary lifestyle and possess a Type A personality. Even simple conditions such as ulcers and constipation can be caused by stress. Environmental factors such as pollution, natural disasters, radiation, global warm ing, ozone depletion, water quality and many more adversely affect a person’s health. Even healthy individuals with jobs exposed to harsh environmental conditions can develop illnesses such as respiratory disease complications especially if they don’t have good access to healthcare. Primarily, this is the reason why government Agencies set occupational health standards and safety practices so workers would not get sick. In conclusion, the Multifactorial Model is a new health model that shows how illnesses can develop

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Gregory of Nyssa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gregory of Nyssa - Research Paper Example Gregory was born in a saintly family, during A.D. 335, being the third son, with two brothers and three sisters. He was the younger brother of the great St. Basil. As he got his education at home, he did not have much interaction with the outside world, during his early years. While he visited the Chapel for the Mother’s Convent, to attend to the services conducted in honor of ‘Forty Martyrs of Sebaste’, he got a dream where the martyrs ridiculed him for not getting baptized. Accordingly, he agreed for the baptization, at his adult age, and determined to become a reader also. Gregory followed the profession of teaching, before finally joining the monastery in Pontus, as his brother and friend Gregory of Nazianzus pursued him to do so. While reading the Holy Scriptures, he also wrote many descriptions about the natural beauty. Bishop of Nyssa Gregory was appointed Bishop of Nyssa in A.D. 370. However, he faced difficulties, as he believed in Orthodox faith. In addi tion, due to his defense of ‘The Holy Trinity and the Incarnation’, Arian and Sabellian authorities targeted him. The prosecution sent him summons to appear before the Synod of Ancyra, for misuse of church funds and being improperly ordained. He got very upset with such allegations and fell ill. His brother Basil made efforts to clean his tarnished image and was successful in getting the Synod of Bishops declare him innocent, as he was not fit to travel to Ancyra for attending the trial. However, his opponent arranged for trial at Nyssa, while Gregory refused to attend it. Finally, he was banished and deposed in the year 376. He had to change his residency many times, as he was subjected to harassment and cruelty at many places, which resulted in his despondency. However, the death of Emperor Valens in 378 changed his fortunes as the succeeding Emperor declared that all orthodox bishops must be allowed to return to their positions. Gregory went back to Nyssa and was wel comed there. Gregory succeeds Basil After the death of his brother Basil, whose funeral was preached by Gregory, he succeeding Basil and followed the Nicene Faith vigorously. Later he went on pilgrimage to Arabia, Babylon and Jerusalem, as the Emperor provided him the required carriages. Gregory’s death He died in the year A.D. 395. However, his legacy as the aggressive defender of Orthodox Faith and great teacher earned him acclaim as ‘Father of Fathers’ and ‘Star of Nyssa’. His faith in all religions and unknown destiny is expressed in his words,†all religious truth consists in mystery†.(Heroes of Fourth Century) Life of Moses The book is a treasure for Christians, as it deals with the virtue and perfection detailed in Christianity. This fourth century scripture by Gregory of Nyssa was originally written in Greek. English and French translations of this book are available today. As the book has two parts, first part details the ‘h istory of Moses’ in 77 paragraphs and the second part deals with the ‘contemplation on life of Moses’, in 321 paragraphs. Explaining a few excerpts The book has referred to verbal roots, as showing affection or having a friend. This has been mentioned in the book as a meditating tool to overcome physical and mental struggle. Another excerpt is regarding ‘Horses are eager to run’. This refers to the human nature of being over-zealous and always busy like winning in a racecourse. (The life of Moses) Referring to a child being given an ark, it details that the ‘ark’ is for crossing the stream safely. The ‘ark’ is the education that the child must have to fight the challenges of life, as it holds the child above the waves of the stream. Virtue is the ‘ark’ shaped carriage for human beings to fight the struggles and it can be acquired through education and patience. (The life of Moses) Contributions in spirituality G regory of Nyssa has contributed to the Christianity in giving us the holy script called, ‘

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Iron Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Iron Lab Report Essay From my background knowledge, the iron present which is elemental iron in the cornflakes is harder to absorb than either two . This is also supported by the Absorption rate gotten from the results section (table 2,: percentage mass of Fe2+ ) it is seen that the absorption rate of the Fortified cereal is 7. 33% while that of the iron tablet and the beef liver are 15. 23% and 21. 80% respectively. According to Ironrichfood. org, absorption of haeme iron from meat proteins is efficient, and it ranges from 15% to 35%, and is not significantly affected by diet. In contrast, 2% to 20% of nonhaeme iron in plant foods such as rice, maize, black beans, soybeans and wheat is absorbed. Nonhaeme iron absorption is significantly influenced by various food components. The Absorption rate of the Iron in the Iron tablet is lesser than that of the beef liver (as seen in Table. 2) because the iron content in the tablet is less absorbable by the body. This is to say that Natural source of iron are quickly absorbed than artificial source of iron by the body However taking iron supplements sometimes cause side-effects such as constipation, diarrhea or heartburn. Sometimes these supplements are over taken thereby leading to Iron toxicity which occurs on the absorption of excessive quantities of ingested iron. This severe overdose causes impaired oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial dysfunction, which can result in cellular death. The liver is one of the organs most affected by iron toxicity, but other organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and the hematologic systems also may be impaired. Iron supplements should not be taken along side calcium supplements however taking foliate with iron supplement will provide maximum benefits. Taking supplements although they seem to have side effects are used widely in medicine to iron–deficiency anemia, and it’s also given to pregnant women in their second or third trimester (because the body uses up more than normal to sustain both mother and baby), its usually given with folic acid so to avoid Iron corrosion that occurs due to the damage cells of the duodenum not being able to absorb the iron thereby causing iron overload leading to gastro intestinal corrosion. No justifiable conclusion could be made from these experiment because the results gotten from this experiment were not totally credible as the experiment was prone to a few errors, these errors that could have occurred to bias the results include errors from reading the volume of MnO4 in the burette as the meniscus could not be seen clearly thus we had to look at the top of the liquid which introduced errors, also the air oxygen error, Misjudging the equivalence point, and failure to transfer all the prepared solution for titration. Owing to these errors, are the reasons for any deviation in the result of this experiment, however in the future modifications will be made to reduce or annul these errors, modifications such as: accurately measuring the weights, rightly judging the equivalence point, in general, care should be taken throughout the experiment to reduce possibility of errors.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Virtual University System Limitations

Virtual University System Limitations Virtual University:  Literature Review Technology today allows us to record, analyze, and evaluate the physical world to an unprecedented degree. Enterprises in the new millennium are increasingly relying on technology to ensure that they meet their mission requirements. It is important to note here that, â€Å"Educational organizations have been referred to as complex and arcane enterprises† (Massy, 1999). For educational institutions, this reliance on technology will require new mission statements, revised catalogs and other materials, different learning environments and methods of instruction, and, perhaps most significantly, new standards for measuring success. To achieve these objectives, several initiatives in the form of web based systems, simulations, games etcetera are being developed and tested. Among these approaches, simulations and games are found to be the most effective ones (Massy, 1999). The author will review one such initiative, namely ‘Virtual U’ also known as Virtual University (Vi rtual U Project, 2003). The author will begin with a brief review of the use of simulation and gaming approaches in educational institutions. In the last decade, behaviorist approach has given way to constructivist approach in the field of instructional design. Behaviorist approach is an instructor led approach in which formal concepts and systems can be transmitted to students by giving them formal descriptions in combination with the presentation of examples (Leemkuil et al., 2000). On the other hand, Constructivist approach is a student led approach in which the students learn through activity or social interaction such as games, simulations, and case studies (Jacques, 1995). Gaming is considered to produce a wide range of learning benefits like, improvement of practical reasoning skills, higher levels of continuing motivation, and reduction of training time and instructor load (Jacobs Dempsey, 1993). Games are effective communication tools because they are fun and engaging (Conte, 2003). Simulations are also very close to games. Simulations resemble games in that both contain a model of some kind of system and learners can provide both with input and observe the consequences of their actions (Leemkuil et al., 2000). Virtual U was conceived and designed by William F. Massy, a professor and university administrator and the president of the Jackson Hole Higher Education Group (PR Newswire, 2000). The project was funded by $1 million from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York. Data were provided by the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania (Waters and Toft, 2001). In designing the game, Massy and Ausubel (Program Director, The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) included detailed data from 1,200 U.S. academic institutions, as well as information culled from government sources (Schevitz, 2000). The first version of Virtual U which was released in the year 2000 was produced by Enlight Software of Hong Kong and was sold commercially for about $129 (Goldie, 2000). The Virtual University system was developed along the lines of the popular game known as, ‘SimCity’. The primary objective of the Virtual U game was to develop the skills of the players for managing an educational institution. According to Moore and Williams (2002) ‘Virtual U will let you test your skill, judgment, and decisions’, while managing an educational institution. This game based environment has been designed specifically to enable any person to tackle various scenarios and problems that are usually encountered in an educational institution. â€Å"The game is driven by a powerful simulation engine that uses a combination of micro-analytic and system dynamics methods and draws on an extensive compilation of data on the U.S. higher education system† (Massey, 1999). Technically the system was developed using C++ in a windows based environment. Virtual U in its current state does not run on the ‘Macintosh’ based systems due to the us age of proprietary windows based graphics. However, it is envisaged by the authors that a version for Macintosh users will be developed in the near future. The Virtual U game employs several strategies and allows the user or the player as per his/her requirements (Rainwater et al., 2003). In general the player is appointed as the University president and allowed to manage the University as a whole. In this role the player is concerned about institution level policies, budget etcetera. Then there are scenario based strategies like improving teaching or research performance in a particular faculty, where the player assumes the role of a faculty head (Rainwater et al., 2003). Lastly there are a possible 18 chance cards. Chance cards are emergency situations that arise during the game play and require immediate attention. Overall, Virtual University not only allows players to explore secondary and tertiary effects of a couple of years worth of actions they might take as academic administrators but they can also customize it by adjusting everything from the size of the faculty and student body to the cost of maintaining campus roads and buil dings (Conte, 2003). Moore and Williams (2002) identify a few limitations in the Virtual university system. 1. One needs to have extensive administrative knowledge or experience to play Virtual U effectively. The amount of prior knowledge required may prohibit some of the audiences to use the system. 2. Second limitation is pertaining to performance indicators. There is lack of assessment-informed decision making in the game. The â€Å"teach better† goal is one of the game scenarios, yet there is nowhere a link between the teacher quality and the student learning. 3. Educational quality and prestige indicators are the two performance indicators the developer advises the player to pay close attention to. Within the educational quality framework, one has access to quantitative inputs and outputs (for example, number of degrees granted) rather than measures of quality. Also there are a limited number of variables which a player can chose or adjust (course mix, number of students shut out of courses, level of faculty teaching talent, class size, faculty morale, and faculty time devoted to teaching activities). The prestige indicator is even more limited. 4. A final Virtual U limitation identified by Moore and Williams (2002) is its lack of flexibility in the area of faculty management. While a player may reallocate departmental resources, teaching loads, and priorities in hiring new faculty, he cannot actually fire or remove faculty. The developers acknowledge on several occasions that the game is fairly complex and is not easy for beginners to start with (Massey, 1999). The author of this review believes that learning a complex game will be fairly difficult and time consuming for the users (administrative) who are already on a tight time schedule. Even postgraduate research students seldom get time or would like to play games if not related to their own research. Younger students would be easily attracted to such complex games and learn them quickly even though it might not be of much use for them in the short term. In addition to these factors the availability of a windows only version of the system will restrict an ever growing community of ‘Macintosh’ users in the United States educational institutions. Despite the above mentioned limitations, Virtual U is a useful and laudable effort (Moore and Williams, 2002). On the whole the Virtual U is a good introduction to those that wish to get a feel fo r the day to day operation of a university (Waters and Toft, 2001). References Conte, C. (2003). Honey, I shrunk the deficit! Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=77042147Fmt=7clientId=8189RQT=309VName=PQD Ellington, H.I. Earl, S. (1998). Using games, simulations and interactive case studies: a practical guide for tertiary-level teachers. Birmingham: SEDA Publications. Leemkuil, H., Jong, T. d., Ootes, S. (2000). Review Of Educational Use Of Games And Simulations. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://kits.edte.utwente.nl/documents/D1.pdf Goldie, B. (2000). A computer game lets you manage the university. The Chronicle of Higher Education Retrieved February 17, 2006, fromhttp://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=47712857Fmt=7clientId=8189RQT=309VName=PQD Jacobs, J.W. Dempsey, J.V. (1993). Simulation and gaming: Fidelity, feedback and motivation. In: Leemkuil, H., Jong, T. d., Ootes, S. (2000). Review Of Educational Use Of Games And Simulations. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://kits.edte.utwente.nl/documents/D1.pdf Jacques, D. (1995). Games, simulations and case studies a review. In: Leemkuil, H., Jong, T. d., Ootes, S. (2000). Review of Educational Use Of Games And Simulations. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://kits.edte.utwente.nl/documents/D1.pdf Leemkuil, H., Jong, T. d., Ootes, S. (2000). Review Of Educational Use Of Games And Simulations. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://kits.edte.utwente.nl/documents/D1.pdf Massy, W. F. (1999). Virtual U: The University Simulation Game. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://www.virtual-u.org/documentation/educause.asp Moore, D. L., Williams, K. (2002). Virtual U. Assessment Update Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphan=10350107loginpage=Login.aspsite=ehost PR Newswire, (2000). Virtual U Released; University Management Goes High Tech Computer Simulation Tackles the Management Challenges of Higher Education. February 17, 2006, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=55540413Fmt=7clientId=8189RQT=309VName=PQD Rainwater, T., Salkind, N., Sawyer, B., Massy, W. (2003). Virtual U 1.0 Strategy Guide. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://www.virtual-u.org/downloads/vu-strategy-guide.pdf Schevitz, T. (2000). University Game Plan / Professor emeritus computer simulation lets players test skills as college administrators. San Francisco Chronicle, February 17, 2006, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=47957859Fmt=7clientId=8189RQT=309VName=PQD Virtual U Project. (2003). Virtual U. Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://www.virtual-u.org Waters, B., Toft, I. (2001, October) Virtual U: A University Systems Simulation. Conflict Management in Higher Education Report Retrieved February 17, 2006, from http://www.campus-adr.org/CMHER/ReportResources/Edition2_1/VirtualU2_1.html

Friday, October 25, 2019

How ATVs Work Essay -- essays research papers

Thesis statement: All terrain vehicles are helpful and useful and I will explain how they work and how to fix them in this paper. Outline: Inn this paper I will discuss ATV’s and general knowledge and getting them wet. I also will discuss their origin and how they need care and how to keep them doing good for a long time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is an ATV? It is an All Terrain Vehicle, also called three or four wheelers. It is also called a quad or ATV. An ATV is built to go where other vehicles cannot go. ATV’s are also built to handle a lot of stress and abuse. ATV’s are virtually indestructible; however, they have a few weaknesses and it is important to know and understand those few weaknesses. You should always do a complete check of your ATV before riding . Second, ATV’s also provide power and speed. There are also amphibian ATV’s that float and go like a boat. ATV’s were first â€Å"work† vehicles for telephone and electrical linemen and other types of people. They used the ATV’s to get from one pole to another that went over difficult terrain where 4x4 trucks could not go. (Estrem ATV’s 10)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, you do not need a special permit or driver’s license to drive a ATV although special training is recommend by several manufacturers and some even give seminars and free classes. I believe that some company’s give cash back to people who take classes. I ,myself, have not taken any of these classes. There are no age limits or restrictions because these are not operated on public streets, roads or highways. ATV’s are â€Å"Off-road† machines. There is also safety gear to protect you from harm. These accessories include helmets, gloves, boots, chest protectors and so on. (Estrem ATV’s 10-11) Third, ATV’s need some type of power plant to propel them. The types of power plants that are most common are the two stroke engine and the four stroke engine (A stroke is one movement of the piston Microsoft Encarta 96 Internal Combustion Engine). The general principle of the two-stroke engine is to shorten the periods in which fuel is put into the combustion chamber and in which the spent gases are exhausted to a small fraction of the duration of a stroke instead of allowing each of these operations to occupy a full stroke. In the simplest type of two-stroke engine, the poppet valves are replaced by sleeve valves or ports (openings in t... ...fied Buggy class. At home on sand, dirt, or the surface of Mars, these competition-designed vehicles spend as much time on their roll bars as they do on their tires. The series will feature another buggy class called the Stadium Lites. The Lites are an ultra-quick, lightweight version of the Supers and are based on Honda's Odessey/Pilot line of full roll cage ATVs. Finally, the Stadium Thunder Bikes will wow the crowd with high-flying action. These big, bad, four-stroke bikes are the same machines used from Baja to Supercross. (Internet VIA America Online Internet Provider)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Conclusion ATV’s are fun yet dangerous. ATV’s require a lot of care and maintenance but they will give you a good feeling in life that cannot be matched. I have discussed Water damage and how to prevent it, good riding spots and how to care for the major parts of your ATV. I have also told about the the renewed interest of ATV stadium riding and racing. I have not tried this but it may be fun. Please though observe all rules and safety protocols to prevent injury or death. If you respect the laws and use common sense and care ATV riding and racing can be an enjoyable experience.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ball and Brown Essay

In 1968 Raymond Ball and Phillip Brown published ‘An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers’ in the Journal of Accounting research. After an initial lukewarm response from the academic community it rapidly became what the American Accounting Association now calls ‘the seed that made a difference’. The purpose of this essay is to introduce the study of Ball and Brown(motivations, research questions and findings) and identify its significant contributions in capital markets research. Introduction According to the resources provided, Ball and Brown described the motivation for their study as a test of existing scholarly research that painted a dim picture of reported earnings. The early articles concluded that earnings could not be informative, and therefore major changes to accounting practice where necessary to correct the problem. In their research, Ball and Brown sought to answer the simple fundamental research question: are accounting income numbers useful? Their position was summarised: â€Å"An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers requires agreement as to what real-world outcome constitutes an appropriate test of usefulness. Because net income is a number of particular interest to investors, the outcome we use as a predictive criterion is the investment decision as it is reflected in security prices†(Ball and Brown 1968). Ball and Brown found that when stocks had a positive income surprise, the abnormal stock price returns for the event window were also likely to be positive, and vice versa. They also found that a majority of the increase in the abnormal returns was before the announcement date, which implied that analysts have fairly accurate forecasts of whether firms will outperform or underperform. Significance of their contributions Although there does have some limitations in Ball and Brown’s study, it had a significant impact on later research. Ball and Brown (1968) provide compelling evidence that there is information content in accounting earnings announcements. In the meantime, they correlate the sign of the abnormal  stock return in the month of an earnings announcement with the sign of the earnings change of a certain firm’s earnings in a previous year earnings. Starting with Ball and Brown (1968), many studies used such association with stock returns to compare alternative accounting performance measures, such as historical cost earnings, current cost earnings, residual earnings, operating cash flows, and so on. As Watts and Zimmerman point out, most accounting research since Ball and Brown (1968) has been positive, and the role of accounting theory is no longer normative. Ball and Brown (1968) heralded the positive-economics-based empirical capital markets research in the late 1960s.Concurrent developments in economics and finance constituted the theoretical and methodological impetus to the early capital markets research in accounting. In addition, their study initially provides reliable evidence that stock markets can influence annual reports. Then researchers began to do a lot in reflect of stock market. Furthermore, the method used is also applicable to a large number of accounting and financial issues, including dividend announcements, earnings announcements, mergers and acquisitions, and investment spending. 3. Conclusion Ball and Brown (1969) expressed a view of information in markets that was revolutionary and contributed to a significant change in attitudes towards investing and financial markets. By testing the connection between earnings expectations and share price changes they were the genesis of a body of research that now underpins modern day investment processes. References Jackson, S. (1999), â€Å"Australia: Towns get by without their banks†, The Australian. pp. 3. Phillips, N. and Malhotra, N. (2008). ‘Taking social construction seriously: extending the discursiveapproach in institutional theory’. In Greenwood, R., Oliver, C., Sahlin, K. and Suddaby, R. (Eds),Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism. London: Sage, 602–720. How can responsible international mining and oil companies use their social investment funds? Nikolai, Bazley, and Jefferson Jones. Intermediate Accounting. South-Western College Pub, 209 Massoud, M. and C. Raiborn(2003), â€Å"Accounting for Goodwill: Are We Better Off?,† Review of Business, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 26-32. Ball and Brown (1968): The seed that made a difference, Ball, R., and Brown, P. (1968), â€Å"An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers†, Journal of Accounting Research 6 (2), pp.159-178 Watts and Zimmerman (1979), â€Å"The Demand for and Supply of Accounting Theories: The Market for Excuses†, The Accounting Review, Vol. 54, No. 2, American Accounting Association. ———————–

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Written Performance Concept

Written Performance Concept Play: Translations As a director, I want to emphasise the concept of a forbidden romance which is the essential theme of the play. So in my duologue, it was important to remember my directorial intentions throughout in order for the audience to understand the complexity of the situation. ‘Translations’ was written by the Irish playwright Brian Friel in 1980, however, it is set in the 19th century in it fictional town on Baile Beag.Brian Friel stated that ‘Translations’ is â€Å"a play about language and only about language† but it deals with a wide range of issues, stretching from language and communication to cultural imperialism. He based it in Ireland due to the fluidity of the Irish language and to make it harder for literal translation, as David Grant explains â€Å"The very nature of translation is so delicate, so unpredictable, that the only practical solution was to explore ideas in practice on the rehearsal room f loor. Historical elements relevant to inform my embodiment of role would be the English’s role in taking over Ireland in the 1930’s, as most Irish were reduced to near poverty whereas the English had masses of wealth. Also, they planned to take everything of Irish importance away, such as lessons in school only being taught in English when over half of the population spoke Gaelic. To demonstrate the fact we are in a field, not many props are used except a bale of hay we use for me to sit on and state â€Å"the grass must be wet, my feet are soaking. We decided to set it in a field as it has to be somewhere away from civilisation where no one will catch them. We are also using and Irish folk music track at the start to set the scene for the audience and give them a sense that they are in agricultural Ireland. In order to further shape and influence my character, I undertook some drama exercises to develop a deeper understanding of my character. An example would be non- verbal communication exercises where we would run through the scene once; they go through it only with the use of facial expression, proxemics and gestures.This helped me develop a joyful, but at times confused and frustrated facial expressions, for example on the line â€Å"What-What? † after Yolland states â€Å"Yes, I know your Marie, of course I know your Marie, I mean I have been watching you night and day for the past†¦Ã¢â‚¬  even though I don’t understand what he is saying, I should be able to recognize he is complimenting or saying something beautiful though facial expressions and gestures.Also to be more aware of my proxemics and levels so I don’t look superior or upright in any way and my gestures to be soft and calming, not rigid and stiff. Hot seating also helped me as we got an in depth analysis of my character and a deeper understanding of what their objectives may be is several different parts of the play. An example of this would be to ask Marie the question â€Å"How did you feel when you met George for the first time? † This helped me with my tone and voice to my subtle, sweet and lyrical.We also have to portray the hesitance between Yolland and Marie as there love isn’t only frowned upon in society because there statuses in society are at two totally different ends of the spectrum, but the love triangle between Manus, Yolland and Marie is a very problematic one. This further adds pressure to the situation and I need to be able to portray this awkwardness and lack of understanding for the audience to be able to fully connect with us as people. I also want the audience to feel empathy for our circumstances.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Herodotus and Thucydides essays

Herodotus and Thucydides essays According to Roy T. Matthews and F. Dewitt Platt the study of history started in the fifth century B.C., when they began questioning and articulating Greeks. They started to analyze the meaning of their immediate past and to write down the results of their research. Before the classical period, the Greeks only had a slight idea of their past. Therefore, I will compare and contrast Herodotus and Thucydides, who were the first two ancient Greek historians known to us. They have not just given us a different prospective of certain events but, they have also shaped the future in their own way. Not much is known about Herodotus' life. Herodotus was born in 484 B.C. in a town called Halicarnassus modern Bodrum in southwestern Turkey. This is not far from Herodotus' native city, which is on the Island of Samos. As much as we know about Herodotus's life, is that he was exiled from Halicarnassus after his involvement in an unsuccessful takeover against the ruling dynasty, and he withdrew to the Island of Samos. He seems never to have returned to Halicarnassus, but he appears to be proud of his native city and its queen, Artemisia. It must have been during his exile that he embarked on the journeys. These journeys took him to Egypt, as far south as the first cataract of the Nile, to Babylon, Ukraine, and to Italy and Sicily. Herodotus mentions an interview with an informant in Sparta, and it is almost certain he lived for a period in Athens. In Athens, he taped the oral traditions of the prominent families, in particular the Alkmaeonidai, to which Pericles belonged on his m aternal side. But the Athenians did not accept foreigners as citizens. When Athens sponsored the colony of Thurii in 444 BC, Herodotus became a colonist. (Wikipedia Encyclopedia) He made visits of the Greek cities, the major religious and athletic festivals, where he offered performances for which he expected payment. In 431 BC, the Peloponnesian War broke ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Class Stratification in Animal Farm Essay Example

Class Stratification in Animal Farm Essay Example Class Stratification in Animal Farm Essay Class Stratification in Animal Farm Essay Essay Topic: Animal Farm In the text â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell, an idea I think is worth learning about is class stratification.Class stratification describes when a society splits into separate classes; who have different access to resources and power.I think this idea is worth learning about because the expulsion of Mr Jones was meant to stop it, the seven commandments were explicitly against it and because Snowball would have stopped it from happening.Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian revolution and the plots and ideas present in this novel, are based on actual events.The authors purpose for making the divide between classes so conspicuous was to show unjust, and oppressive; Joseph Stalins leadership was. Firstly, class stratification is an idea worth learning about because the expulsion of Jones was meant to stop it.â€Å"Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free†.This is a quote from Old Major’s speech, the speech that inspired the animals to revolt against Mr Jones. On the pre expulsion farm, Man was a class with overruling power (With Mr Jones representing the Tsar royal family who ruled at the time) and abundant resources, while the animals were another class; with zero power that had the resources they produced, taken away.The author, put an emphasis on how the animals thought the revolution would turn their society into one free of divided classes, he did this because it put even more emphasis on how wrong the animals were. I think this shows that in life, considering multiple outcome of a situation before deciding whether to dive in or not, is the best way to avoid disappointment when said situation turns sour. Secondly, class stratification is an idea worth learning about because the original seven commandments were explicitly against it.The seventh commandment was â€Å"All animals are equal†, this was later changed to â€Å"All anima

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation Essay In September 2004, Wendy Wiley, the Northlake Bookstore manager, was considering the implications of a shocking development. For the first time in her seven years as the Bookstore manager, textbook sales for this fall had decreased from the prior fall sales. The sales decrease was approximately $180,000, or 3% of annual textbook sales. Wendy wanted to address this problem before it got worse. She found that this sales decrease was due to two emerging technology problems, possibly of equal magnitude: 1) the students’ increasing use of online textbook vendors, and 2) the professors’ increasing use of online textbook publishers. Wendy reported the bad sales news to her boss, Chuck Irwin, the Vice Chancellor of Finance at Northlake University. After commiserating with her, Chuck told her that he was not surprised by this sales problem and that she should consider how to deal with these emerging technologies in her next performance evaluation report by comparing the performance of the Northlake Bookstore against competitors using benchmarking analysis. This analysis would help Wendy find the strengths and weaknesses of the Bookstore. Additionally, Chuck wanted Wendy to develop a few key related short-term performance goals and related measures that could be used in future performance evaluations. He wanted to discuss the situation at their meeting next week, which was the annual review of the Bookstore’s performance for the prior fiscal year 2004 (July 2003 through June 2004). A benchmarking analysis was required by Chuck for the annual review of all the nonacademic departments under his management. Northlake is a private university, located in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest, with an annual enrollment of 12 ,700 students, mostly undergraduates. Northlake is quite dependent upon student tuition, which typically accounts for 60% of its total revenues. However, the Chancellor was concerned because donations and gifts to the University were down, possibly due to uncertain economic conditions and erratic stock market performance. Prior to becoming the Northlake Bookstore manager, Wendy had spent 15 years in retail sales, most recently as a Wal-Mart sales manager. She was an outgoing, supportive individual who really liked being a retail sales manager and enjoyed working with her employees. She strongly believed in continuous improvement of any sales department that she managed. Despite her extensive retail experience in the for-profit sector, this was her first experience working in an academic environment. Wendy occasionally became frustrated working with faculty due to their late or inaccurate book orders. However, she liked helping students and enjoyed working in an academic environment without all the pressures of a for-prof it business with aggressive sales and earnings targets like Wal-Mart. To prepare her benchmarking analysis report required for the upcoming annual performance evaluation of the Bookstore, Wendy had collected income statement, product line, and other performance measures for the last three fiscal years. To aid evaluation, she summarized the various Bookstore operations into five product lines: textbooks, supplies and sundries, clothing, software and accessories, and computers. The textbook product line included new texts, used texts, class notes (course packs), and general reference books. The supply and sundry line included school and office supplies, electronics, food, sundries, greeting cards, and miscellaneous campus department sales. The clothing line included all insignia clothing, gifts, and memorabilia. Wendy knew she needed to act fast to thoroughly analyze all the information needed for the Bookstore’s annual benchmarking analysis that Chuck and the Chancellor required. She had a lot of historical information and was wondering how to analyze this financial information for her benchmarking analysis report. Benchmarking is the process of identifying superior performance of other organizations for products, services, and processes, and then attempting to improve necessary areas with the goal of achieving similar excellence. The benchmarking process first became popular in 1989 after Xerox advertised its success with the tool; however, the tool was initially employed by Xerox in 1972. In fact, more than 70% of the Fortune 500 companies—which includes AT&T, Ford Motor Company, IBM, and Eastman Kodak—reported using benchmarking regularly. Benchmarking is useful in countless decision-making settings including performance evaluation, health and safety management, and supply chain management. To reach for greater standards of excellence, Ford would likely consider foreign automobile manufacturers that have been well known for high efficiency and quality, such as Toyota, the current world-wide leader in automobile sales. Wendy currently benchmarked the performance of the bookstore against other college bookstores and major booksellers. In performing a benchmarking analysis, it was imperative for Wendy to benchmark processes that were aligned with organizational strategic objectives. Since the Bookstore was a profit center, it was imperative that she compare the profitability of the various product lines with other universities. The Bookstore also had an objective to provide service excellence. Thus, if available, it would be beneficial for Wendy to benchmark customer satisfaction data with other universities. Once processes that were consistent with strategic objectives were identified, it was necessary to collect and analyze internal information vis-Ã ¡-vis external information from competitors. The benchmarking process did not stop once areas of excellence and inferior performance were identified. Rather, it was imperative for Wendy to identify how to sustain the areas of excellence and improve the areas of inferior performance. In determining how to improve poor performance, she needed to understand the reason behind the poor performance. Once that was attained, it would be possible to determine a long-term plan for improvement. A key role of the Bookstore was to supply the Northlake University community–which included but was not limited to faculty, students, alumni and parents–with textbooks, supplies, clothing and gifts, computers and software, and much more. The Bookstore’s formal mission statement was as follows: The Northlake Bookstore is an academic resource for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests of the University. The Bookstore serves the University with a business presence dedicated to providing service excellence that meets or exceeds the needs of each customer and University department. The Bookstore played a significant role in enabling parents of freshmen to participate in getting their children ready for the first day of class. Additional temporary staff was hired to ensure there was adequate assistance available for new students and returning students who were purchasing their textbooks. These staff members were readily available and happy to answer any question that new parents or students might have regarding textbooks or the University in general. Also, congruent with the University laptop requirement for all students, the Bookstore sold computers and software. This was a great way for parents to enjoy onestop back-to-school shopping. Additionally, the Bookstore tried to promote the University as a brand name by selling clothing and accessories with the University logo and/or name. Availability of clothing and accessories was also a service provided to students, parents, and alumni who wanted to show their support for the school. Sales of merchandise with the University logo indirectly promoted the University, but the Bookstore did not try to formally create alumni support nor was that a formal goal. This was the function of the University Alumni Advancement (funding) office. As indicated by the mission statement, by the role taken to familiarize new parents and students, and by the sale of merchandise with the University logo, the Bookstore operated in a manner aimed at achieving high customer satisfaction. To measure customer satisfaction the Bookstore conducted an annual customer satisfaction survey and a separate faculty satisfaction survey. Customer suggestion forms were also readily available on the Bookstore website. In her years as the Bookstore manager, Wendy had developed various financial performance measures to help assess the performance of the Bookstore. Over the last few years, she had used these measures as part of her benchmarking analysis. She felt fortunate to have a fairly comprehensive benchmarking database available to her. It was provided annually to all bookstore members free of charge by the National Association of College Stores (NACS). The only requirement was that each bookstore had to contribute its own data to the benchmarking database in order to use it. The NACS database included income statement, product line, and other types of benchmarks. With the looming threat from online textbook vendors, Wendy had started to benchmark Northlake’s textbook prices against the major online textbook vendors. She also tracked mail orders and Web orders from Northlake’s own website (started in 2000). Her task now was how best to use this benchmark information. She believed that her first step was to compare her current financial and operating results with the benchmark data to pinpoint areas in need of improvement. This analysis would likely uncover some areas that needed her attention, which would be useful in identifying areas in need of improvement. Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation. (2016, Dec 24).