Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Lab 1 Report Essay
Lab 1 Report Essay Lab 1 Report Essay Nicholas Bollinger Unit 1 Case Lab IT Project Characteristics: 1. Difficulty: High, Medium or Low 2. Size: Large, Medium or Small 3. Skill: High, Medium or Low 4. Changes/Development: New Development, Upgrade of change of an existing software product. 5. Risk: High, Medium or Low 3 IT Categories: 1. Small IT projects 2. Medium IT projects 3. Large IT projects Small IT projects There must be less than two man years of development effort is needed A single development team of five people or less is required The amount of source code is less than 10000 lines, excluding comments. Difficulty The difficulty of functions and data is low. The Number of Interfaces is less than 10. The amount of source code is less than 1000 lines, excluding comments. The number of entities is less than 10 The number of relations is less than 10 The number of data fields is less than 20 Size No more than a half years time with 1 to 2 project members max. Skill Members of the project need a low expertise level to achieve the project Changes/Development Changes of an existing software product. Risk Involved The project presents medium level risks. . Medium IT Projects Difficulty The complexity of functions and data is considered medium. The Number of sub-functions is more than 10 and less than 30. The Number of Interfaces is more than 10 and less than 30. The amount of source code is between 1000 and 5000 lines, excluding comments. The number of entities is more than 10 and less than 40 The number of relations is more than 10 and less than 40 The number of data fields is more than 20 and less than 100 Size The projected cost/effort is not more
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Choriocarcinoma Essays
Choriocarcinoma Essays Choriocarcinoma Paper Choriocarcinoma Paper Choriocarcinoma Introduction            Choriocarcinoma, also called gestational trophoblastic disease, is a form of cancer with relatively low epidemiological occurrence. It is known to typically originate from trophoblastic cells, as this cancer is generally developed from germ cells with placental tissue origin. Trophoblastic cells are known to assist in the attachment of an embryo to the uterus and help placental formation. These mentioned cells normally transform into tissues functioning for the process of reproduction. It is a rare type of tumor, as it has an incidence rate of 1 in every 2,000 pregnancies, which is both anaplastic and invasive. It is highly metastatic. However, it is curable even in conditions of rapid and widespread uncontrolled cellular proliferation (Ajufo 83; Spickler, paragraph 1; Hamada et al. 4873; Ghaemmaghami 937).            This cancer is usually observed after pregnancy, â€Å"which may be partial or complete hydatidiform mole, or even an apparently normal pregnancy†(Ajufo 83). Since this disease is due to complications in an individuals trophoblastic tissues, chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is synthesized and released in large quantities (see Figure 1). Therefore, part of the indicators of the presence of the disease is this abnormal level of hCG. This is constantly monitored during treatment, as its quantity is directly related to the size of the tumor. If detected during its earlier stages, there is a high probability that the patient will survive the disease (Ajufo 83).            Alternative names given to this disease include â€Å"chorioblastoma, trophoblastic tumor, chorioepithelioma, invasive/malignant mole, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia†(Nanda, paragraph 1). Choriocarcinomas can metastasize through the blood and reach other parts of the body including the lungs. They frequently form inside the uterus after the process of fertilization (National Cancer Institute, paragraph 1). Etiology and Symptoms            Choriocarcinoma (see Figure 2) is typically derived from germ cells that normally differentiate into sperm or egg cells. Morphologically similar to uterine cells surrounding an embryo, Choriocarcinomas are commonly found in reproductive organs. More often observed in cases of young adults, this cancer generally develops from the testes or ovaries. Most cases demonstrate that this disease usually forms in the uterus. It characteristically develops after the appearance of a mole during after pregnancy or miscarriage. In addition, this form of cancer is also found in organs other than the reproductive ones. These are called extragonadal tumors that are typically acquired by male young adults (Spickler, paragraph 2; Nanda, paragraphs 1-3).            Choriocarcinoma is frequently acquired through the damage in the genetic material of the cell. There is higher tendency for those afflicted with Klinefelter syndrome to develop this disease due to the existence of an extra Barr body in their sex chromosome, therefore increasing the occurrence of â€Å"extragonadal germ cell tumors†(Spickler, paragraph 3; Nanda, paragraph 4).            Most symptoms of this disease depend on the tumor location in the body. If the origin and concentration is in the uterus, patients typically manifest bleeding. Female patients suffer from constant vaginal bleeding after recently having hydatidiform mole, abortion and even pregnancy. If this occurs in the ovary, increased waistline and pain in this area are some of the subtle manifestations of the disease. Patients are also found to have ovarian cysts and their hCG levels are extremely maintained at high levels. In male testes, these usually occur as lumps without inducing pain. Choriocarcinomas have high rates of spreading to different tissues and organs, which gives bleeding symptoms (Spickler, paragraph 5; Nanda, paragraph 7). Pulmonary presentations of this disease include â€Å"haemoptysis, dyspnoea, pleuritic pain, and cough without haemoptysis†(Magrath et al. 633). When this cancer reaches the brain, the patient usually suffe rs from a stroke (Spickler, paragraph 5) due to intracranial pressure, accompanied by papilloedema and repeated unconsciousness (Magrath et al. 634). Epidemiology            Most incidences of choriocarcinoma are preceeded by the formation of a hyadatidiform mole. It is the main precursor in the development of a highly malignant disease of trophoblastic cells. Its has relative occurrences among populations from different parts of the world. In Europe and North American continents, there is one choriocarcinoma patient for every 30,000-40,000 pregnant women. It also has an incidence rate of 1 in every 40 molar pregnancies. In the Southeast Asian region, for every 500-3000 pregnancies, at least one individual is afflicted. When scientists assessed the relative incidences of the disease among races, including whites, blacks, and other races, it was found that black women are most susceptible to choriocarcinoma (Wells 984). Diagnosis and Treatment            Oncologists conduct several procedures in order to accurately diagnose a patient for choriocarcinoma. This includes physical examinations and organ tests aided by findings from x-rays and ultrasound instruments. Medical professionals instruct patients to undergo pelvic examinations in order to test for the presence of uterine tumor, while others are ordered to subject themselves to quantitative serum hCG test. This hormone is also monitored in order to assess the effectiveness of the treatment given to a patient. Computed Tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are also used in detecting metastases in the brain (Spickler, paragraphs 6-7; Nanda, paragraph 10).            Examinations are done on individuals in order to ensure the presence or absence of metastatic activities. Once a patient is tested positive in the appropriate tests administered by his physician, he is usually subjected to several treatment options. These include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Several occasions require for hysterectomy (see Figure 3). Uterine removal through surgery, to be conducted (Spickler, paragraph 8; Nanda, paragraphs 13-14).            There are other treatments that patients may choose to undergo in managing their disease. But most of them are only complementary to the mentioned available treatment for choriocarcinoma, as they give optimal results through concerted effects. Exercises such as yoga and meditation or prayer are proven helpful in reducing stress levels and cancer treatment side effects. Massage and music therapy are also claimed to produce positive results (Spickler, paragraph 9). Prognosis            Patients with choriocarcinoma often manifest excellent prognosis. Although there is a rapid rate of metastasis, this form of cancer is highly curable. Statistics reveal that approximately 90% are able to maintain normal functioning of their reproductive systems even after treatment, while almost 66% women with initial pessimism successfully achieve remission (Nanda, paragraph 16). Chemotherapy is also proven reliable and effective; as it results in 80-90% remission rate in cases it is applied. Even after having the disease and having been successfully treated, women are still able to undergo normal pregnancies and deliveries (Spickler, paragraph 10).            There are, however, several cases when patients encounter poor prognosis. Such conditions are due to rapid uncontrolled metastatic activities throughout the human body. Individuals do not manifest optimal response to the chemotherapy sessions, and even if the treatment seems effective the final result highly depends on the extent of cancer dispersal. In general, poorer prognosis is observed in patients where the cancer has metastasized all the way to the liver or brain, if the patient has extremely high hCG levels, and if the cancer is extragonadal in nature (Spickler, paragraph 11). Conclusion            Choriocarcinoma is a rare type of cancer that demonstrates positive prognosis relative to other types. Although scientists are still to determine prevention methods against this disease, patients afflicted are more likely to survive the illness. With all the technological advances that the medical field is currently exploiting, many can hope to find the proper cure and treatment for this cancer that has invaded their systems. Ajufo, I. I., S. W. Lindow, and S. H. Canty. â€Å"Choriocarcinoma with markedly elevated serum     hCG levels and negative urin hCG levels.†Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,    26(2006):83-85. â€Å"Choriocarcinoma.†National Cancer Institute. 18 February 2008            cancer.gov/Templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=46753. Ghaemmaghami, F., N. Behtash, H. Ayatollahi, and P. Hanjani. â€Å"Successful treatment of two      patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasm presenting with emergent neurologic    symptoms.†International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 16 (2006): 884-943. Hamada, Anna Lissa, Koji Nakabayashi, Asomi Sato, Kenji Kiyoshi, Yukou Takamatsu, Jovelle B. Laoag-Fernandez, Noriyuki Ohara, and Takeshi Maruo. â€Å"Transfection of Antisense Chorionic Gonadotropin B Gene into Choriocarcinoma Cells Suppresses        the Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis.†The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology         and Metabolism. 90(2005):4873-4879. Magrath, I. T., P. R. Golding, K. D. Bagshawe. â€Å"Medical Presentations of Choriocarcinoma.†    British Medical Journal, 2(1971):633-637. Nanda, Rita. â€Å"Gestational Trophoblastic Disease.†11 September 2006. Medline Plus. 18 February 2008 nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001496.htm. Spickler, Anna Rovid. â€Å"Choriocarcinoma.†14 August 2006. Health A to Z. 18 February 2008            healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?           requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/choriocarcinoma.jsp. Tran, Huy A. â€Å"Biochemical tests for abnormalities in pregnancy.†Australian Precriber,    29(2006):48-52. Well, Michael. â€Å"The pathology of gestational trophoblastic disease: recent advances.†Pathology 39(2007):88-96.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Who is responsible for My Lai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Who is responsible for My Lai - Essay Example Nonetheless, the nation was polarized and soon after he was celebrated in a patriotic pop song. President Richard Nixon, sometime later, ordered that he be transferred to a better and comfortable apartment under house arrest. Eventually, his sentence was reduced, and he served three years only. The fact that there were so many other people to hold responsible yet he was the only one convicted, however, elicits so many questions. Looking at the whole episode, even if they really should, it is unlikely that the American people stand in the larger dock of human conscience and guilt. Calley, on the other hand, had the responsibility to look after the civilians in Mr. Lai from the Vietcong not the one murdering them meaning that he was to blame. Upon realizing that the Vietcong had already retreated back into the mountains, it was prudent to have left the villagers alone to go about their daily lives. Secondly, there is evidence that Calley was responsible for the massacre. Pearson’s Keene et al textbook on page 800 In Competing Vision Given to Army investigators states that Calley said to Dennis Conti and to Private Paul Meadlo to â€Å"Take care of them†¦.I mean kill them†(Pearson 800) Wars are very expensive, not only economically, but they undermine the value of humanity. The massacre in Mr. Lai and that that World War II brought are examples that depict how inhuman people can sometimes be. The innumerable atrocities that were committed in Mr. Lai are in the slightest of sense related to the killing in world war. Killing innocent people, mothers, children, and infants in Mr. Lai was unwarranted. The causalities that result from World War II were
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
General Education Teachers Preparedness to Teach Special Education Essay
General Education Teachers Preparedness to Teach Special Education Students - Essay Example From this study it is clear that general educators should not only have knowledge of their content areas, but they should also be prepared to handle students of different abilities. Major areas of discussion on how to training general educators to be effective teachers in an inclusive classroom focus on the accountability of teachers. Teachers need to be accountable during their interactions with special needs students. Different strategies are used to prepare general educators in their teacher education programs. General education teachers should be prepared to meet all the needs of students regardless of their abilities. Interdisciplinary and collective programs ensure that these teachers are adequately prepared for their professional roles and responsibilities. These programs ensure that the teachers and students have a healthy exchange of ideas and concepts. An interdisciplinary approach to education promotes the use and development of core bodies of knowledge on human developmen t, language acquisition, learning theory and linguistic diversity, in addition to the relevant skills, knowledge, values, attitudes and methods. This paper outlines that the preparation of general educators in a core curriculum requires the teacher to have an overview of the sequence and scope of the curriculum. In addition, the teachers are prepared in their subject areas. In this case, the teacher is prepared on curriculum areas of writing, reading, social studies and communicative skills. Advanced preparation of these teachers in these areas can be achieved using seminars and workshops. One of the most effective methods of training general education teachers is using collaborative methods. Collaboration in the teaching practice is a new concept. Currently, training programs emphasize on general, mainstream and special education teachers.Â
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Modernization of NTUC Income Essay Example for Free
Modernization of NTUC Income Essay 1.) WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY INCOME IN THIS CASE? HOW WERE THE PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THENEW DIGITAL SYSTEM? Income ·s insurance processes were very tedious and paper-based. This resulted to humongousIncome also experienced frequent breakdown of the HP 3000 mainframe which hosted the coreinsurance applications and the accounting and management information systems. In addition tothis, HP 3000 back-up system only allowed restoration to the previous day ·s back-up data.Hardware failures caused six days of complete downtime. COBOL programs also encounteredfrequent breakdowns that halted the systems and caused temporary interruptions. At the sametime, development of new products using the COBOL is quite cumbersome and took weeks, evenmonths, to accomplish. They also lost opportunities to cross-sell because transaction processingfor policy underwriting was still a batch process and information is not available to agents andadvisors in real-time. Through the new digital systems, these problems were addressed. The paper-based insurance processes were replaced by a paperless platform. Under the new system, alldocuments are scanned and stored on  ´trusted µ storage devices. Frequent breakdowns wereaddressed by the high-availability platform. Multiple servers are hosted and connected to morecommunication lines that are  ´load balanced µ. The new system also addressed downtimes dueto breakdowns by its hot back-up disaster-recovery centers. The new digital system alsoaddressed the slow development of new products by COBOL through the straight throughprocessing workflow capabilities of the new system. 2.) WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS PROCESSES WERE USED BY INCOME BEFORE MIGRATINGTO THE FULLY DIGITAL SYSTEM? The insurance process of Income was very manual and paper/file intensive. Filled-up applicationforms of clients were sent by agents through courier. Their collection schedule causes delays oftwo to three days. The Office Services log, sort, and send documents to underwriting. Proposalswere allocated to staff randomly. No system was in place for proper assignment of tasks per staff.Voluminous documents are manually sorted and stored by a number of staff at their warehouse.Since there was no clear document management system, retrieval of documents take days toaccomplish. Income also made use of HP 3000 mainframes which were very unreliable due tofrequent breakdowns that resulted to downtime, decreased productivity and wasted manpower hours. COBOL programs were also used which also encountered technical failures. At the sametime, COBOL programs were very slow in developing new products for the company resulting tolost sale opportunities. 3.) DESCRIBE THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND IT INFRASTRUCTURE AT INCOME AFTER MIGRATING TO THE FULLY DIGITALSYSTEM. According to James Kang, CIO of Income, the Java based eBao LifeSystem from eBaoTechnology is very customer-centric. It provided seamless integration with imaging and bar codetechnology. It also contains a product definition module that supports new products, newchannels and changes in business process. Data migration of Income ·s individual and groupbusinesses was successfully implemented and customized. The new system was operational onhigh-quality platform with multiple servers and communication lines. The new system alsorevamped business continuity and the company ·s disaster recovery plan. A real-time hot back-updisaster recovery center was implemented. Business processes went from paper intensive to paperless through digital storage and records. Many users can access the system at one time,any time, and anywhere. 4.) WHAT BENEFITS DID INCOME REAP FROM THE NEW SYSTEM? The robust architecture of the servers minimized downtime occurrence. This is made possible withthe use of two or more servers connected by two or more communication lines. Income alsoreduced and eventually eliminated the use of paper. Under the new system, all documents werescanned and stored on  ´trusted µ storage devices  ² secured, reliable digital vaults that enabledstrict compliance with stringent statutory requirements. Staff members also enjoyed faster accessto information. With the use of the straight through processing workflow capabilities of the newsystem, Income saved as much as 50 percent on time and costs in processing policies. Time indesigning and launching new products were also reduced from weeks to days using the table-driven-rule-based product-definition module. 5.) HOW WELL IS INCOME PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE? ARE THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE CASE LIKELY TO BEREPEATED? In the insurance industry, information systems are very important in ensuring product and services ·competitiveness. Customer queries should be addressed accurately and promptly. Productsshould be constantly improved and new designs should always be made available. With the newinformation system, Income is now equipped to face the challenges of the industry. To ensure thesuccess of the new system, proper implementation and control should be done. Continuoustraining should be given to the staff to ensure proper use of the system and to maximize thepotential of the system. The system should also be continuously improved through the proper management of feedback from users. Upgrades should also be done periodically to cope withthe changes in the demand of the industry and the market.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Essay --
NAME: SOHAIL AHMAD AZIZI SUBJECT: EBM-635 BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION ASSIGNMENT: DISTINGUSIH BETWEEN CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGIES Distinguish between Corporate &Business level strategies? Give examples to support your answer. Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy is the overall strategy for a diversified organization or company. It is usually concerned with a mix of businesses that the company should compete in and also the ways on which individual strategy units are integrated and co-ordinated. The corporate level strategy basically lays down the foundation as regards where the organization is today and what expand, growth function a company has and what could be possible unit that can a corporate exit. A corporate level strategy is a long term strategy where it involves high level of decision making. A corporate level strategy is also called as an umbrella vision for the company. Any action plan which deals in diversification, expansion, merger and acquisition are called corporate level strategy. The 4E’s to addressing Corporate Strategy; 1. Extend: extending...
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
A Birthday Remembered Essay
Love is very complicated, not just butterflies in one’s stomach, but it also involves a lot of pain. The pain is not easy to drain. We have to confront ourselves with the pain and get over it, but that’s easier said than done. We restrain our feelings and try to forget them. This only causes an even bigger pain. That is the situation for Ellen, the main character in this short story. Ellen’s love life has been complicated, she is a lesbian and obliged to listen to people’s prejudices. Her one and only love, Jackie, dies caused by an incurable illness and she is not allowed to bury her â€Å"She has not been allowed to do this one last thing for Jackie. To be with her during the last rituals.†(l.24-25). Because of Jackie’s former husband, Roger, whom she has left to live with Ellen, but he could not accept his wife being a lesbian, because of his man-stubbornness and he even tried to declare her temporarily insane (l.15). Jackie’s daug hter on the other hand thinks that what Ellen and Jackie had was wonderful and beautiful, but you don’t know yet if she’s a lesbian herself or a heterosexual (l.102). The short story is written in third-person (l. 8) â€Å"why shouldn’t she?†The narrator is not omniscient, but we have inner-angel from Aunt El since we only â€Å"hear†thoughts from her, and not from Tobie or Warrick. (line. 104) â€Å"She felt the shock of the words†. You can’t really tell if the narrator is reliable or not, since we don’t know which connection he has to any of those in the story. Neither does he try to make anyone to seem like the â€Å"bad guy†, but the narrator is making us feel sorry for Aunt El, for her big lost Jackie. (L. 24 & 89) â€Å"She hadn’t been allowed to do this one last thing for Jackie†â€Å"but we have to get used to living without loved ones†. The language used in this short story is very well written and is very descriptive, because of all the adjectives being used, which makes the story way more â€Å"living†. (l. 12) â€Å"Roger had been furious, appalled and ang ry..†although the story is very well written it’s also a bit harsh to understand, because of some of all these adjectives and expressions. At line 37 there might be a flashback â€Å"here’s to you, Ellen Simms, on your birthday†. See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay The reason that this maybe could be a flashback is firstly because of the changing of the type, at only that sentence, which might give an account of her past together with Jackie before her death. One thing that was striking me was that the story is written in the preterit, but at the same time the narrator uses direct speech, which I think is a bit odd, since you normally writes the whole story in either present or the past, and very seldom a combination of the 2 indication of times. We have two main characters in this story, who’s Aunt El and Tobie: Aunt El / Ellen Simms is an old women who lives by herself. She used to be heterosexual and lived together with a man named Roger. They had a kid together named Tobie which is 15 years old. Ellen chooses to leave Roger because she’s changing her sexuality, and becomes a lesbian and falls in love with Jackie. But unfortunately Jackie died one year from now on, which leaves her alone with Tobie, and chooses to return back t o the father Roger. Ellen is a very obliging and kind person. She really misses her old flame Jackie, and cares a lot about Tobie whether her sexuality is heterosexual or lesbian (l. 83) â€Å"suppose it had been a girl? People choose who they want.†She seems considerate, when she offers Tobie and Warrick a hot cocoa, and remembers that young’s always are hungry and decides to make them some sandwiches. Tobie is daughter of Ellem Simms and the late Jackie. She’s 15 years old, but doesn’t have an abundance of friends (l. 20) â€Å"Tobie never had an abundance of friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬ She has short blond hair, had lineament from her father and a nice smile (l. 53-55). She cares about Ellen, since she’s the only one who shows up at her birthday and brings a present, which she has been saving money, for about a week. The way she earns these money is through her job in the library (l. 68) â€Å"I’m a library page after school..†helpful is also a good word, that would describe, which you can see in the story, when she offers her help to go and make cocoa together with Ellen. It seems she trusts Ellen more than her own father, since she decides to show Warrick for Ellen instead of her father. The message in this short story, is that pain will always be there, but only temporary, but at the same time hard to get over. That love is a big (maybe the biggest) part of our life and we should not regret, but remember the good times you’ve had with those you’ve loved. Don’t take anything in vain, live your life. And it doesn’t care if you are a heterosexual, lesbian or gay, just as long as you are happy. The title of this story is â€Å"a birthday remembered†which I guess is chosen because of all the emotional feelings that’s stepping in strength through this story and especially the quote from the daughters side â€Å"I hope it will be as wonderful and beautiful as what you and mom had together†.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Tata Motors – Macro Environment
For financial year 2008, the TATA motors reported the consolidated revenues (net of excise) at Rs. 356. 51 bn posted a growth of 10. 2% over Rs. 323. 61 bn in the previous year. The Consolidated Profit after tax (PAT) for the year was Rs. 21. 67 bn, a marginal decrease over Rs. 21. 69 bn in the previous year. Standalone EBITDA impacted by 6. 6% to Rs. 30. 92 bn in FY08 from Rs 33. 12 bn in FY07; EBITDA margin stood at 10. 76% in FY08 as compared to 12. 06% in the previous financial year. Following are the main macro environmental factors from FY08 that had direct bearing on the company’s revenue and profitability figures: GDP Growth Encouraged by the continuing thrust in investments which grew by 31. 6%, the GDP growth in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 came in at 8. 4% compared to 9. 1% in the same quarter last year. A good kharif season supported growth of 3. 2% in agriculture while Industry and services grew at a moderated level of 8. 4% and 10. 5% respectively. CSO’s advance estimates projects the overall GDP at 8. 7% in the full year 2008. While the sequential decline in the GDP growth (9. 3% and 8. 9% in the first two quarters of the current year) indicates moderation of growth, it is expected that the growth momentum would continue, led by investments. Risk to growth going forward is expected to come from worsening inflation, increasing interest rates and weak global cues. Infrastructure Index The growth in the infrastructure industries for the period Apr – Feb’08 was subdued with all sectors, except coal , witnessed a lower growth on a y-o-y basis. Crude oil saw the least growth of 0. % followed by Finished steel (5%), Coal (5. 6%), Petroleum products (7. 2%) and cement(7. 5%) during this period. Index of Industrial Production IIP growth for the period Apr-Mar’08 is 8. 1% over the corresponding period of last year. On a sectoral basis, manufacturing showed the largest decline in growth from 12. 5% to 8. 6% followed by electricity (7. 2% to 6. 4%) and mining (5. 4% to 5%). A look at the use-based data indicates that while capital goods have shown a robust growth at 16. 5%, consumer goods decelerated mainly due to decline of 1% in consumer durables. Inflation The headline inflation, which declined from 6. 4% at the beginning of the fiscal year to a low of 3. 1% on October 13, 2007, has seen significant increase in the later half of fiscal year 2008. For the week ended may 10th, the headline inflation had moved to 7. 82%,largely due to the rising global food and oil prices. This has instigated government to take stringent measures such as restricting exports of select products, lowering of excise duties and dissuading domestic manufacturers such as steel and cement companies from undertaking price increases. Prices of key raw materials used in the auto industry have also increased significantly. This is exerting pressure on the input costs of the auto manufacturers. Interest rates In response to the high inflation, RBI increased the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 50 bps to 8% before the scheduled policy meeting and further by 25 bps at the policy meeting on April 29th 2008. With high global commodity prices and ample liquidity in the system indicating significant risk to inflation, it may be expected that RBI will continue to take stringent steps to check the inflationary pressures in the economy. Any move to increase the interest rate would further impact industrial growth and investment momentum in the economy. Freight Rates The benchmark freight rate index registered a moderate 1. 1% y-o-y increase over the last one year while the diesel price index has increased by 3. 2% over the same period. The financing costs also increased during the year, putting up moderate pressure on the truck operators’ profitability position. The Government raised the prices of most widely used automotive fuel products, petrol and diesel, by Rs 2 per litre and Re 1 per litre respectively on February 14, 2008. Since then the global oil prices have moved up significantly crossing $135 per barrel, hence further fuel price hike cannot be ruled out, despite ongoing inflationary pressures on the economy. National Highway Development Project (NHDP) With substantial portion of the GQ having been completed and a significant portion of the NSEW corridor under implementation, the focus is now moved to Phase IIIA and Phase V
Friday, November 8, 2019
Of Marriage and Single Life, by Francis Bacon
Of Marriage and Single Life, by Francis Bacon The first master of the essay form in English, Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was confident that of all his works in The Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall (1625) would last as long as books last. One of the best-known essays from that enduring collection is Of Marriage and Single Life. In his analysis of the essay, contemporary rhetorician Richard Lanham describes Bacons style as clipped, curt, compressed, and pointed: No climax at the end; no sign the whole chain of reasoning had been thought out beforehand; somewhat abrupt transitions (Some there are, Nay, there are, Nay, more), several antithetical contrasts, the whole built on a single, pointed and condensed moral reflection. It is from this last characteristic that the name pointed style comes. The point is the condensed, pithy, often proverbial and always memorable statement of a general truth.​​(Analyzing Prose, 2nd ed. Continuum, 2003) You may find it worthwhile to compare Bacons aphoristic observations with the lengthier reflections in Joseph Addisons Defence and Happiness of Married Life. Of Marriage and Single Life by Francis Bacon He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune, for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men, which both in affection and means have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great reason that those that have children should have greatest care of future times, unto which they know they must transmit their dearest pledges. Some there are who, though they lead a single life, yet their thoughts do end with themselves, and account future times impertinences. Nay, there are some others that account wife and children but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish, rich, covetous men, that take a pride in having no children, because they may be thought so much the richer. For perhaps they have heard some talk, Such an one is a great rich man; and another except to it, Yea, but he hath a great charge of children, as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a single life is liberty, especially in certain self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of every restraint as they will go near to think their girdles and garters to be bonds and shackles. Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants, but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away, and almost all fugitives are of that condition. A single life doth well with churchmen, for charity will hardly water the ground where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates, for if they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a servant five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I find the generals commonly in their hortatives put men in mind of their wives and children; and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks maketh the vulgar soldier more base. Certainly wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity; and single men, though they may be many times more charitable, because th eir means are less exhaust, yet on the other side they are more cruel and hard-hearted (good to make severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so often called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly loving husbands; as was said of Ulysses, Vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati.* Chaste women are often proud and forward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds both of chastity and obedience in the wife if she think her husband wise, which she will never do if she find him jealous. Wives are young mens mistresses, companions for middle age, and old mens nurses; so as a man may have a quarrel to marry when he will. But yet he was reputed one of the wise men that made answer to the question, when a man should marry: A young man not yet, an elder man not at all. It is often seen that bad husbands have very good wives, whether it be that it raiseth the price of their hushands kindness when it comes, or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their friends consent, for then they will be sure to make goo d their own folly. * He preferred his old woman to immortality.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Weird Naked Mole Rat Facts (Heterocephalus glaber)
Weird Naked Mole Rat Facts (Heterocephalus glaber) Every species of animal has its unique traits. However, some of the characteristics of the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) are quirky bordering on downright weird. Some people think the rats unique physiology could be studied to unlock immortality or find a way to prevent cancer. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. The mole rat is an unusual creature. Fast Facts: Naked Mole Rat Scientific Name: Heterocephalus glaberCommon Names: Naked mole rat, sand puppy, desert mole ratBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 3-4 inchesWeight: 1.1-1.2 ouncesLifespan: 32 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: East Africa grasslandsPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least Concern Description The naked mole rat queen is larger than the other rats within a colony. Geoff Brightling / Getty Images Its easy to recognize the naked mole rat by its buck-teeth and wrinkled skin. The rats body is adapted for life underground. Its protruding teeth are used for digging and its lips seal behind its teeth, to prevent the animal from eating dirt while burrowing. While the rat isnt blind, its eyes are small, with poor visual acuity. The naked mole rats legs are short and thin, but the rat can move forward and backward with equal ease. The rats arent completely bald, but they have little hair and lack an insulating fat layer beneath the skin. The average rat is 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) in length and weighs 30 to 35 g (1.1 to 1.2 oz). Females are larger and heavier than males. Diet The rodents are herbivores, feeding primarily on large tubers. One large tuber can sustain a colony for months or years. The rats eat the interior of the tuber, but leave enough for the plant to regenerate. Naked mole rats sometimes eat their own feces, although this may be a social behavior rather than a source of nutrition. Naked mole rats are preyed upon by snakes and raptors. The Only Cold-Blooded Mammal A naked mole rat would feel cool to the touch. Karen Tweedy-Holmes / Getty Images Human, cats, dogs, and even egg-laying platypuses are warm-blooded. As a rule, mammals are thermoregulators, able to maintain body temperature despite external conditions. The naked mole rat is the one exception to the rule. Naked mole rats are cold-blooded or thermoconformers. When a naked mole rat is too hot, it moves to a deeper, cooler part of its burrow. When its too cold, the rat either moves to a sun-warmed location or huddles with its pals. Adaptation to Oxygen Deprivation Humans cant live very long without air. Dimitri Otis / Getty Images Human brain cells start to die within 60 seconds without oxygen. Permanent brain damage typically sets in after three minutes. In contrast, naked mole rats can survive 18 minutes in an oxygen-free environment without suffering any harm. When deprived of oxygen, the rats metabolism slows and it uses anaerobic glycolysis of fructose to make lactic acid to supply its cells with energy. Naked mole rats can live in an atmosphere of 80 percent carbon dioxide and 20 percent oxygen. Humans would die from carbon dioxide poisoning under these conditions. Habitat and Distribution The rats are native to the dry grasslands of East Africa, where they live in colonies of 20 to 300 individuals. Reproduction and Social Behavior Naked mole rats and other mole rats form colonies, much like bees and ants. Kerstin Klaassen / Getty Images What do bees, ants, and mole rats have in common? All are eusocial animals. This means they live in colonies that have overlapping generations, division of labor, and cooperative brood care. As in insect colonies, naked mole rats have a caste system. A colony has one female (queen) and one to three males, while the rest of the rats are sterile workers. The queen and males begin breeding at one year of age. The hormones and ovaries of worker females are suppressed, so if the queen dies, one of them can take over for her. The queen and the males maintain a relationship for several years. Naked mole rat gestation is 70 days, producing a litter ranging from 3 to 29 pups. In the wild, naked mole rats breed once a year, providing the litter survives. In captivity, the rats produce a litter every 80 days. The queen nurses the pups for a month. After this, smaller workers feed the pups fecal pap until they are able to eat solid food. Larger workers help to maintain the nest, but also protect the colony from attacks. Unusual Aging Process Biologically, an old naked mole rat and a young one are virtually indistinguishable. R. Andrew Odum / Getty Images While mice may live up to 3 years, naked mole rats can live up to 32 years. The queen doesnt experience menopause, but remains fertile throughout her lifespan. While naked mole rat longevity is exceptional for a rodent, its unlikely the species holds the Fountain of Youth in its genetic code. Both naked mole rats and humans have DNA repair pathways not present in mice. Another reason mole rats may outlive mice is because of their lower metabolic rate. Naked mole rats are not immortal. They die from predation and illness. However, mole rat aging does not adhere to the Gompertz law describing aging in mammals. Research into naked mole rat longevity may help scientists unravel the mystery of the aging process. Cancer and Pain Resistance Unlike the naked mole rat, naked mice and other rodents are susceptible to tumors. littlepeggy / Getty Images While naked mole rats can catch diseases and die, they are highly resistant (not entirely immune) to tumors. Scientists have proposed multiple mechanisms for the rats remarkable cancer resistance. The naked mole rat expresses the p16 gene that prevents cells from dividing once they come in contact with other cells, the rats contain extremely high-molecular-mass hyaluronan (HMW-HA) which may protect them, and their cells have ribosomes capable of making nearly error-free proteins. The only malignancies discovered in naked mole rats were in captive-born individuals, which lived in a much more oxygenated environment than rats in the wild. Naked mole rats neither itch nor feel pain. Their skin lacks a neurotransmitter called substance P that is needed to send pain signals to the brain. Scientists believe this might be an adaptation to living in poorly ventilated species, where high levels of carbon dioxide cause acid to build up in tissues. Further, the rats dont feel temperature-related discomfort. The lack of sensitivity may be in response to the naked mole rats extreme habitat. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the naked mole rat conservation status as least concern. Naked mole rats are numerous within their range and are not considered to be endangered. Sources Daly, T. Joseph M.; Williams, Laura A.; Buffenstein, Rochelle. Catecholaminergic innervation of interscapular brown adipose tissue in the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber). Journal of Anatomy. 190 (3): 321–326, April 1997.Maree, S. and C. Faulkes. . IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesHeterocephalus glaber. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2008.ORiain, M. Justin; Faulkes, Chris G. African mole rats: eusociality, relatedness and ecological constraints. In Korb, Judith; Heinze, Jà ¶rgen. Ecology of Social Evolution. Springer. pp. 207–223, 2008.Park, Thomas J.; Lu, Ying; Jà ¼ttner, Renà ©; St. J. Smith, Ewan; Hu, Jing; Brand, Antje; Wetzel, Christiane; Milenkovic, Nevena; Erdmann, Bettina; Heppenstall, Paul A.; Laurito, Charles E.; Wilson, Steven P.; Lewin, Gary R. Selective Inflammatory Pain Insensitivity in the African Naked Mole-Rat (. PLoS Biology. 6 (1): e13, 2008.Heterocephalus glaber)Thomas J. Park; et al. Fructose-driven glycolys is supports anoxia resistance in the naked mole-rat. Science. 356 (6335): 307–311. April 21, 2017.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Promotion campaign for the Spring Collection 2012 of Swarovski Assignment
Promotion campaign for the Spring Collection 2012 of Swarovski - Assignment Example The report would involve several criteria to select promotional tools, and goal setting programmes performing the role of a sustainable marketing plan. The prime intention of conducting this report will emphasise on increasing the annual turnover of the company’s crystal business which recently was recorded to surpass its EUR 2 billion benchmark in the year 2010. In the year 2011, the company was recorded to earn revenue of EUR 2.22 billion from this particular business segment attaining around 10% growth. Notably, this segment can be regarded as the most competent one with further growth prospects which is aimed to attain a growth rate of 15% in the fiscal year of 2012. Hence, this particular objective can be attained with due significance to effective and aggressive promotions of Swarovski’s seasonal collections which is quite famous worldwide and tends to attract the fashion lovers from the elite groups all around the world. Swarovski’s target customers, speci fically for the campaign regarding their Spring Collection, are observed to be the young people of the society and the niche sector. It is due to the fact that most of the products under the latest collection are designed in a manner which is more attractive to the young generation and tends to satisfy their desires regarding fashionable accessories to a large extent. Moreover, the price and the features of the products are mostly preferred by the niche fashion lover people of the society who can be stated as the secondary targeted customer group for the Spring Collection 2012 of Swarovski. ... Hence, this particular objective can be attained with due significance to effective and aggressive promotions of Swarovski’s seasonal collections which is quite famous worldwide and tends to attract the fashion lovers from the elite groups all around the world. 2.0 Stakeholders Analysis 2.1. Customer Analysis Swarovski’s target customers, specifically for the campaign regarding their Spring Collection, are observed to be the young people of the society and the niche sector. It is due to the fact that most of the products under the latest collection are designed in a manner which is more attractive to the young generation and tends to satisfy their desires regarding fashionable accessories to a large extent. Moreover, the price and the features of the products are mostly preferred by the niche fashion lover people of the society who can be stated as the secondary targeted customer group for the Spring Collection 2012 of Swarovski. Furthermore, Swarovski also targets the teenage group as its target customer group offering a versatile blend of designs and colours in the crystal products (Swarovski, 2012). It is in this regards, that the promotional campaign will be planned taking into concern the preferences of the young generation as the majority proportion of the targeted customers of Swarovski tend to belong from this market segment. The campaign will thus fundamentally focus on the young customers of the urban areas between the age-group of 15 years (i.e. the teenage group) to the age group of 27 (i.e. the young generation). Moreover, as the product range tends to focus on the female section of the targeted population to a large extent, the promotional campaign will also be developed taking this certain fact
Friday, November 1, 2019
If employee involvement and participation were used effectively by Essay
If employee involvement and participation were used effectively by organistions many conflicts would never occur - Essay Example company’s production output efficiency as well as employee’s commitment in attaining the organizational goal and overall financial success of the business. (Bryson, 1999) Basically, increasing a company’s production output contributes a lot of savings in terms of being able to maximize the company’s fixed costs. Eventually, a higher production rate increases the company’s profitability from the sales of products and services. With regards to the practice of employee involvement, several authors have noted that each type of employee involvement technique or a combination of these techniques have different effects on employee’s performance. (Cabrera, Ortega, & Cabrera, 2003; McNabb & Whitfield, 1998) In line with the purpose of this study, HR student will first define the meaning of employee involvement. Given that each type of employee involvement technique or a combination of these techniques have different effects on employee’s performance, there is a need for the HR student to identify and discuss the different types of employee involvement and participation techniques including the significance of reward systems in terms of solving organizational conflicts that could hinder the attainability of organizational goals and objectives. Eventually, the benefits of employee involvement and participation will be thoroughly discussed. Prior to conclusion, the HR student will discuss some of the challenges that human resource managers will be facing when implementing employee involvement and participation including the recommended ways on how human resource managers could implement employee involvement and participation in order to solve organization conflicts. Employee involvement is considered as â€Å"the voluntary employer-led initiatives that are designed to encourage more active employee to participate in the business organization.†(Caldwell, 1993) Among the long list of benefits associated with the implementation of employee involvement and
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)