Interpersonal Communication Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpersonal Communication Report - Essay Example But the use of heavy slang can sometimes pose a difficulty in getting a message accurately. I have to admit that my answers were calculated and safe. They are my parents so I have to be respectful and my answers should be consistent with what they want to hear. If I really voice out my opinion, I am afraid that it will just end up in argument just like the previous converation we had. To parents who uses a different context, it seems to be difficult to get messages across from a teenagers’ point of view.I like being with my parents but sometimes our conversations makes me think a lot. It was a typical teenage conversation that is characterized by a light and jovial type of talk with few exchange of banters. We talked about who is attractive in school and what is â€Å"in† and what is â€Å"out†. The main challenge in this type of interaction is that it is so informal that sometimes the conversations has no substance to get messages across. This type of conversation can be fun especially to a teenager like me but getting substantial message across can be sometimes futile because it will just be ridiculed. My sister asked me to accompany her in the mall to buy something which I did. I thought it will be just a quick trip because she will just buy something that she needs. We ended up scouring the whole for a shop that I understand and she ended up buying something that was not really intended to be bought. We argued and I do not know how to make my sister understand that it is not necessary to tour the whole mall just to buy a pair of dress. Girls can sometimes difficult to understand and talk to. I don’t do well conversing with girls especially when they talk about shopping and other things that interests

Development of Ophelia in Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Development of Ophelia in Hamlet Essay William Shakespeare in the play â€Å"Hamlet† develops the character of Ophelia in three unique stages. Initially, Ophelia is portrayed as a normal and obedient character. As the play progresses, she falls madly in love and ultimately goes insane. Ophelia progresses in a negative direction as the plot of the play moves on. In the beginning of the play Ophelia is depicted as the normal, obedient daughter. Laertes explains to Ophelia that even if Hamlet says he loves her, he may not be telling the truth. After Laertes speaks, Ophelia respects the personal knowledge on relationships that he has to offer. Ophelia accepts his speech and â€Å"shall the effect of this good lesson keep as watchman to [her] heart† (I, III, 48-49). Ophelia listened to Laertes’ advice and obediently accepts his guidance. Moment’s later Ophelia’s father, Polonius, requests that Ophelia stop seeing Hamlet. In response, Ophelia says, â€Å"I shall obey, my Lord† (I, III, 140). Polonius’ word appears to be of importance when Ophelia responds in such a compliant manner. Primarily, Ophelia is interpreted as a well-behaved teenage girl, however this depiction soon changes. Although Laertes and Polonius try to steer Ophelia in the right direction, she ends up falling almost irrationally in love with Hamlet. Ophelias utter obedience leaves her vulnerable to the abuse of Hamlet, who accuses her of being unfaithful and deceptive. Ophelia claims that Hamlet â€Å"took [her] by the wrist and held [her] hard† (II, I, 97). Although Hamlet physically abuses Ophelia, her love for him is stronger than him mistreating her. While Hamlet tells Ophelia that his love for her has departed, she is in utter shock and dismay. Ophelia responds with â€Å"O heavenly powers, restore him!† (III, I, 153). Ophelia cannot believe that Hamlet no longer loves her and wishes that he would love her again once more. Her love is clearly consuming her every thought. Although Hamlet no longer loves Ophelia she cannot accept or cope with this reality and the stress ultimately leads to her death. After Ophelia realizes that Hamlet no longer has feelings for her, she goes insane. Ophelia sings a vulgar song about a maiden who is tricked into losing her virginity with a false promise of marriage. While Ophelia is prancing around singing her outrageous song, she relates her song to Hamlet. Ophelia says, â€Å"Quoth she, before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed† (IV,V,62-63). Ophelia felt that they were going to get married and she believed that Hamlet was certainly going to propose to her. Later, Ophelia fell into the water and drowned. The Queen speaks up and says, â€Å"Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death† (IV,VII,196-198). Rather than trying to save herself, she passively let herself drown because she didn’t care to continue living without Hamlet. In the end, Ophelia’s emotions controlled her, and these negative emotions led to her demise. Ophelia develops over the course of the play in a number of ways. Initially she is obedient and normal, and later turns into a girl controlled by love and eventually she commits suicide. Ophelia is a dynamic character that changes throughout the play. Her blind passion for Hamlet causes her to lose the ability to think or act rationally. Life, to her, is meaningless without him, and she chooses death over life. Ophelia surely progressed through the play in a negative manner.

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology The molecule we know today as deoxyribonucleic acid was first observed in 1869 by Swiss biologist Friedrich Miescher, who stumbled upon a substance which was resistant to protein digestion. At the time he referred to the molecule as nuclein (Pray, 2008). Though Miescher remained in obscurity, Russian biochemist Phoebus Levene continued work with this substance and in 1919 discovered the three major components of a nucleotide: phosphate, sugar, and base. He noted that the sugar component was ribose for RNA and deoxyribose for DNA, and he proposed that nucleotides were made up of a chain of nucleic acids (Levene, 1919). He was largely correct, and in 1950 Erwin Chargaff, after reading a paper by Oswald Avery in which Avery identified the gene as the unit of hereditary material (Avery, 1944), set out to discover whether the deoxyribonucleic acid molecule differed among species. He found that although, in contrast to Levenes proposal that nucleotides are always repeated in the same order , nucleotides appear in different orders in different organisms, these molecules maintained certain characteristics. This led him to develop a set of rules (known as Chargaffs Rules) in which he states that the total number of purines (Adenine and Guanine) and the total number of pyrimidines (Cytosine and Thymine) are almost always equal in an organisms genetic material. In 1952 Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins used X-ray crystallography to capture the first image of the molecules shape, and in 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick finally proposed the three dimensional model for DNA (Watson, 1953). The four main tenants of their discovery still hold true today: 1) DNA is a double-stranded helix, 2) the majority of these helices are right-handed, 3) the helices are anti-parallel, and 4) the DNA base pairs within the helix are joined by hydrogen bonding, and the bases can hydrogen bond with other molecules such as proteins. The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology, first proposed by Francis Crick (Crick, 1958), describes the directional processes of conversion from DNA to RNA and from RNA to protein. This gene expression process starts with DNA, a double-stranded molecule consisting of base-paired nucleic acids adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) on a sugar-phosphate backbone. This genetic material serves as the information storage  for life, a dictionary of sorts that provides all of the necessary tools for an organism to create the components of itself. During the process of transcription, the DNA molecule is used to make messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries a specific instance  of the DNA instructions to the machinery that will make protein. Proteins are synthesized during translation  using the mRNA molecule as a guide. Gene expression is a deterministic process during which each molecule is manufactured using the product of the previous step. The end result is a conversion fr om the genetic code into a functional unit which can be used to perform the work of the cell. As you can imagine, this process must be controlled by an organism in order to make efficient use of resources, respond to environmental changes, and differentiate cells within the body. Gene regulation, as it is sometimes called, occurs at all stages along the way from DNA to protein. Regulation falls into four categories: 1) epigenetic (methylation of DNA or protein, acetylation), 2) transcriptional (involves proteins called transcription factors), 3) post-transcriptional (sequestration of RNA, alternative splicing of mRNA, microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA)), and 4) post-translational modification (phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, etc. of protein products). Epigenetic regulation of DNA involves a reversible, heritable change that does not alter the sequence itself. DNA methylation occurs on the nucleic acid cytosine. Arginine and lysine are the most commonly methylated amino acids. When proteins called histones) contain certain methylated residues, these proteins can repress or activate gene expression. Often this occurs on the transcriptional level, and thus prevents the cell from manufacturing messenger RNA (mRNA), the precursor to proteins. Proteins are often referred to as the workhorse of the cell and are responsibl e for everything from catalyzing chemical reactions to providing the building blocks for skeletal muscles. Some proteins, called transcription factors), help to up- or down-regulate gene expression levels. These proteins can act alone or in conjunction with other transcription factors and bind to DNA bases near gene coding regions. This is a general schema for gene expression. DNA is a double-stranded molecule consisting of base-paired nucleic acids A, C, G, and T on a sugar-phosphate backbone and is used as information storage. mRNA is made during transcription and carries a specific instance of the DNA instructions to the machinery that will make the protein. Proteins are synthesized during translation using the information in mRNA as a template. This is a deterministic process during which each molecule is manufactured using the product of the previous step. mRNA requires a 5 cap and a 3 poly(A) tail in order to be exported out of the nucleus. The cap is critical for recognition by the ribosome and protection from enzymes called RNases that will break down the molecule. The poly(A) tail and the protein bound to it aid in protecting mRNA from degradation by other enzymes called exonucleases. What can be gained by studying gene regulation? In general, it allows us to understand how an organism evolves and develops, both on a local scale (Choe, 2006,Wilson, 2008), and on a more global network level. There are, however, more specific reasons to investigate this process more closely. Failure in gene regulation has been shown to be a key factor in disease (Stranger, 2007). Additionally, learning how to interrupt gene regulation may lead to the development of drugs to fight bacteria and viruses (McCauley, 2008). A clearer understanding of this process in microorganisms may lead to possible solutions to the problem of antimicrobial resistance (Courvalin, 2005). There are two major factors that motivate the studies herein. Firstly, the size and quality of biological data sets has increased dramatically in the last several years. This is due to high-throughput experimental techniques and technology, both of which have provided large amounts of interaction data, along with X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments which have given us the solved three-dimensional structure of proteins. Secondly, machine learning has become an increasingly popular tool in bioinformatics research because it allows for more sound gene and protein annotation without relying solely on sequence similarity. If a collection of attributes which distinguish between two classes of proteins can be assembled, function can be predicted. In this work we focus mainly on regulation at the transcriptional level and the components which play a commanding role in this operation. So-called nucleic acid-binding (NA-binding) proteins, which includes transcription factors, are involved in this and many other cellular processes. Disruption or malfunction of transcriptional regulation may result in disease. We identify these proteins from representative data sets which include many categories of proteins. Additionally, in order to understand the underlying mechanisms, we predict the specific residues involved in nucleic acid binding using machine learning algorithms. Identification of these residues can provide practical assistance in the functional annotation of NA-binding proteins. These predictions can also be used to expedite mutagenesis experiments, guiding researchers to the correct binding residues in these proteins. Toward the ultimate goal of attaining a deeper understanding of how nucleic acid-binding proteins facilitate the regulation of gene expression within the cell, the research described here focuses on three particular aspects of this problem. We begin by examining the nucleic acid-binding proteins themselves, both on the protein and residue levels. Next, we turn our attention toward protein binding sites on DNA molecules and a particular type of modification of DNA that can affect protein binding. We then take a global perspective and study human molecular networks in the context of disease, focusing on regulatory and protein-protein interaction networks. We examine the number of partnership interactions between transcription factors and how it scales with the number of target genes regulated. In several model organisms, we find that the distribution of the number of partners vs. the number of target genes appears to follow an exponential saturation curve. We also find that our generat ive transcriptional network model follows a similar distribution in this comparison. We show that cancer- and other disease-related genes preferentially occupy particular positions in conserved motifs and find that more ubiquitously expressed disease genes have more disease associations. We also predict disease genes in the protein-protein interaction network with 79% area under the ROC curve (AUC) using ADTree, which identifies important attributes for prediction such as degree and disease neighbor ratio. Finally, we create a co-occurrence matrix for 1854 diseases based on shared gene uniqueness and find both previously known and potentially undiscovered disease relationships. The goal for this project is to predict nucleic acid-binding on both the protein and residue levels using machine learning. Both sequence- and structure-based features are used to distinguish nucleic acid-binding proteins from non-binding proteins, and nucleic acid-binding residues from non-binding residues. A novel application of a costing algorithm is used for residue-level binding prediction in order to achieve high, balanced accuracy when working with imbalanced data sets. During the past few decades, the amount of biological data available for analysis has grown exponentially. Along with this vast amount of information comes the challenge to make sense of it all. One subject of immediate concern to us as humans is health and disease. Why do we get sick, and how? Where do our bodies fail on a molecular level in order for this to happen? How are diseases related to each other, and do they have similar modes of action? These questions will require many researchers from multiple disciplines to answer, but where do we start? We take a bioinformatics approach and examine disease genes in a network context. In this chapter we analyze human disease and its relationship to two molecular networks. First, we find conserved motifs in the human transcription factor network and identify the location of disease- and cancer-related genes within these structures. We find that both cancer and disease genes occupy certain positions more frequently. Next, we examine the human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network as it relates to disease. We find that we are able to predict disease genes with 79% AUC using ADTree with 10 topological features. Additionally, we find that a combination of several network characteristics including degree centrality and disease neighbor ratio help distinguish between these two classes. Furthermore, an alternating decision tree (ADTree) classifier allows us to see which combinations of strongly predictive attributes contribute most to protein-disease classification. Finally, we build a matrix of diseases based on shared genes. Instead of using the raw count of genes, we use a uniqueness) score for each disease gene that relates to the number of diseases with which a gene is involved. We show several interesting examples of disease relationships for which there is some clinical evidence and some for which the information is lacking. We believe this matrix will be useful in finding relationships between diseases with v ery different phenotypes, or for those disease connections which may not be obvious. It could also be helpful in identifying new potential drug targets through drug repositioning.

Richard Leakey :: essays research papers fc

Introduction to Anthropology Linda Samland Homo habilis, Richard Erskine Leakey, was born December 19, 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya. His parents were the esteemed anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey. Leakey decided at an early age that he wanted nothing to do with paleoanthropology and dropped out of high school. Over the next few years Leakey trapped wild animals, supplied skeletons to institutions, started a safari business and taught himself to fly. In 1964, he led an expedition to a fossil site he had seen from the air and discovered that he enjoyed looking for fossils. He also discovered that although he technically led the expedition all the fame went to the scientists who studied the specimens. In 1965 Leakey went to England to study for a degree. Richard successfully schooled himself by completing a two-year secondary education program in six months. In 1966, Leakey married Margaret Cropper an archeologist who had worked with the Leakey family (World Book). After working on a French/ Kenyan/ American joint expedition in Ethiopia, Leakey realized that his lack of scientific qualifications hindered his progress. Leakey asked the National Geographic Society for funds to run his own excavation at Lake Turkana in Kenya. From 1967-1977, Leakey and his co-workers dug up approximately 400 fossils that accounted for 230 individuals. Leakey's most important discovery was an almost complete skull found in 1977, which Richard believed to be a new species called Homo habilis. Richard Leakey’s accomplishments are discovering the crania of Australopithecus boisei in 1969 with archeologist Glynn Isaac on the East shores of Lake Turkana. He also discovered a Homo habilis skull in 1972 and a Homo erectus skull in 1975(Human Evolution). In 1969, Leakey was diagnosed, with terminal kidney disease, with a prognosis of less than ten years to live. Leakey received a kidney transplant from his younger brother Philip. That same year Leakey and his wife divorced. In 1970, he married Meave Epps a zoologist who specializes in primates. They have two daughters Louise born in 1972 and Samira born in 1974(Encyclopedia Americana). Leakey was appointed, administrative director in 1968 of the National Museum of Kenya and was promoted to director in 1974. Fossil hunting expeditions continued, but on a much smaller scale as Leakey devoted more of his time to running the museum. In 1984, Leakey and his team found the most impressive fossil of his career. It was the nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus boy (Origins).

Holly Farms

Holly farms strategy Introduction In order to revive profits and save themselves from bearing heavy losses, Fred and Gillian Giles had opened a two purposed farm for the general public in 1993. Their ambitious goals had let them to put in all their savings to establish facilities on the farm which would entertain the tourists. This side of the business was apart from the usual farming being carried out which included the distribution of ice cream which was manufactured behind the farm in a small factory, a milking parlor to see the latest technology being used to milk the cows and an additional guided tour of the farm.Even though the business is currently running reasonably well, the owners are facing some serious issues related capacity constraints and competition. Answers Answer 1: There is a no. of issues which Gillian Gales is facing in her side of the business. These issues include the fact that in order to grow the Holly Farm's business, it is not possible for the owners to add additional capital. They have already invested a lot of money and any additional capital available to them will be in terms of a loan.However, the interest rate on the loan is expected to be above ten percent which would not make it feasible since the owners are not expecting to earn that high a return on their investment in order to pay the interest and the principal amount. Other issues which Gillian needs to take notice of include the fact that the ice-cream factory is not operating at full capacity, the freezer which has a capacity to hold 10,000 units is operated at 7000 units' storage to allow for stick rotation.The lack of preservatives used in the ice-cream would also be a factor in this regard where the inventory needs to move out of the factory within 6-12 weeks. This factor would be driving down retail sales to shops and hotels which might be interested in stockpiling the ice-cream for their peak periods (since Gillian is not in a position to increase production for them at that time). Gillian also needs to decide whether to promote coach firms or market to families and schools for trips to their farm.Gillian mentions that on average one out of two coach customers' buys one liter box of ice-cream while a four occupant car buys the same amount. This data, though a good starting point, would not allow for proper decision making since data on how many a coach normally holds. Also the use of averaged data is not advisable when making decisions as to who the target market would be for the coming year.There is also a need for extra staff by the farm, currently the ice-cream manufacturing employs farm workers' wives (three) and a maximum of four flavor can be produced given the time constraints and the set up time (to change flavors). Since capital investment is not possible at this time, Gillian would need to hire more staff for ice-cream manufacturing if she plans to increase the number of flavors to ten, analysis and accurate forecasting of what quanti ties of flavors to produce would also be required if the number of flavors is to be increased.Market researches as to which flavors are being demanded by the customers would also be required and could help eliminate the need to expand to ten flavors outright, but this is currently not being undertaken by Gillian. The lack of promotional activities by Gillian has seen the number of arrivals to the farm cap at 15000 a year; this situation is being ignored as Gillian is concentrating more on expanding the manufacturing side, now she needs to take a more active approach to increasing the traffic at the farm.The issue of farm timings not being conducive to picnics and factory visits (20% of the customers leave before the milking process) and this very fact that many visitors are unable to see the milking process is also one which would be driving lower ice-cream sales and needs to be looked into by Gillian. Answer 2: To increase the number of farm visitors by 50% in a single year is a al most unachievable goal that Gillian has set for herself. Although it is possible that the number be increased, but going from 15000 visitors to 22500 visitors is not a small task which can be achieved in the duration of a single year.This is due to a number of factors which, for Gillian, would be constraints in achieving this growth target. These factors include: 1. The fact that the farm is open to visitors for 7 months in a year, during the remaining months the animals are kept inside and the rides etc available to customers are not safe due to the weather situation. This is a limit which Gillian would be unable to surmount in a single years time without capital investment into building sheds and indoor facilities etc at the Holly Farm. 2.Another time constraint is the fact that Gillian and Fred found that keeping the farm open for more than the four days it is already open (Friday to Monday) is not feasible due to the low traffic during the remaining days. Also the farm workers w ould not be free during the three days of the week (they would be involved in the â€Å"real† farm work), so the only way to keep the farm open the entire week is through hiring extra staff which could only be justified and feasible if Gillian were able to confirm attendance/traffic at the farm during these days via school trips etc.The weekend is the peak period for Holly Farm and it is unlikely that working individuals would be willing to take farm trips during work days. The sales forecast for 1999 shows that Gillian has prepared is highly presumptuous given that she has yet to decide how she would be increasing the number of customers on the farm. Whether she wishes to bring in more customers through coach firms or target the family and recreational travelers (who come by car).With coach firms Gillian would most likely have to offer discounts on the farm visits to the coaching firms to plan trips or revert to her old marketing tactics of giving lectures at schools and ins titutes and market her farm herself. The decision on whether or not to engage with coaching firms is not possible at this time because the number of passengers on each coach has not been identified, thus one cannot calculate the profits to be had from the sales of ice-cream and other produce along with the admission fees (with or without the discounts).Even if the averaged figure of one-liter ice-cream sale per two coach passengers is taken to be reliably accurate without the number of potential customers coming through the coach trips, and via cars for that matter (one liter per four passengers), choice between the options would be more moot point than proper decision making on the part of Gillian. If we were to assume that half the customers come by car and half come via coach trips than promoting coach trips would yield more benefits in terms of ice-cream sales as * 7400 coach trips/2 = 3700 liters of sales & * 7400 car travelers/4 = 1850 liters of salesGiven that 13500 liters we re sold through the retail shop ($27000/$2(selling price)) this would mean that close to 41% of the sales comes through the customers on the farm. A 50% increase in the number of customers on the farm would lead to sales of $40,000 only if the number of customers at the farm window also increased by 50% which is a market not being targeted by Gillian, thus the following calculation leading to a figure of $40,000 would be incorrect as the sales would be lower (higher from the customers on the farm but when including the trend based sales through the farm window the total sales would be lower). 148001. 5=22200 customers * 11100 coach trips/2$2=$11100 * 11100 car travelers/4$2= $5550 * $16650/0. 41 = $40,610 in sales. School parties and trips could be a good tactic on the part of Gillian as they would ensure higher number of visitors and a larger sale of ice-cream and other products which could be made on the farm. Charging a lower admission fees for parties and retaining the catering of the party would be a good source of income for the farm and has the potential of increasing the traffic at the farm by opening a whole new target market for Holly Farms i. e. party venue.Gillian should invest some time and effort into undertaking market research into how many schools would be willing to have parties or field trips on the farm (before offering party packages), also information on the customer tolerance for queuing (to watch the milking process) would be beneficial to Gillian in analyzing how to increase the number of customers on the farm because if the customers are not able to watch the milking process and view this as a deal breaker, they might seek out other sources of recreation and by increasing customers in the short run, Gillian might lose customers in the long run.Information on the actual number of car visitors vs. those coming through coach trips should be sought before Gillian decides on a course of action. Answer 3: Before undertaking a decision to in crease the number of ice-cream flavors from 4 to 10 Gillian should weight the advantages and the disadvantages of this venture. The first factor which Gillian needs to consider is whether a market exists for ten flavors of ice-cream or not, and whether it is feasible for the farm to be producing ten flavors.The fact that capital investment is not possible for Holly Farms means that the additional production would be through an increase in the labor force but the overall quantity of the ice-cream produced would still be limited to an inventory level of 7000 liters (which can be held by the freezer). This would mean that the new flavors would be introduced at the expense of the old flavors. This can be an advantage if the customers of Holly Farm are seeking one or two flavors other than those eing offered (market research would be required to confirm this) and that the quantity demanded would allow for greater turnover through either farm or retail sales. Alternatively this venture co uld lead to unsatisfied customers in cases where the farm could experience stock outs of certain flavors due to the fact that many flavors would be under production. A move to directly offering ten flavors would also create logistical problems as the machines available for production and storing are limited.The fact that more staff would have to be hired would also increase the cost of production of all ice-creams and that would affect the profits of the ice-cream venture and Gillian would be forced to make another key decision on whether to pass on the increased cost to the customers in the form of higher prices, and risk losing some business, or decrease the profit margins of the same.Since an increase in volume is only possible if the inventory turnover is greatly enhanced by the introduction of new flavors (which is not certain) the profits for the farm would be on a downward trend if all other factors remain constant and flavors are added to the product offerings.Since there is no research to suggest that there would be a greater uptake of ice-cream (at retail or farm level) with more flavors, a jump to 10 flavors would be rash and create more problems for Gillian in terms of resource management, forecasting the demand for individual products and overlooking the manufacturing of the same, rather than the advantages Gillian seeks.Undertaking some degree of market research and exploring one or two additional flavors (based on research findings) whilst maintaining the same level of staff could be more beneficial for Holly Farms and they could expand their flavor offerings over the long run when they have the capacity to increase production or maintain higher levels of inventory. ConclusionThe case under review explores the capacity and resource constraints being faced by a small business which was able to attract customers and diversify into other forms of complementary businesses i. e. tours and ice-cream retailing. What we find in this case is that Gillian , the partner in charge of the complementary businesses is facing two critical decisions (a) how to increase the number of customers visiting the farm and (b) how to increase the retail sales of the ice-cream.Since capital investment is not a viable option for the business the means of increasing customer traffic are limited to promotional activities and attracting the right customers for both tours and ice-cream sales. We find that such decisions are not possible with the data available to Gillian at the present time and that the option to increase the number of ice-cream flavors to ten (from four) is also not viable given the manufacturing and storage constraints.Gillian should therefore seek additional data on the target audience for promotional activities and if she plans to increase the number of ice-cream flavors she should start on a smaller scale after conducting proper market demand research. References [Author of Book] (1999), â€Å"Case Study: Holly Farms†, [Name o f Book], Pp 244-248 Read more:  http://www. ukessays. com/essays/business-strategy/holly-farms-strategy. php#ixzz2DakGnUSm

Free Essays on Greek Discipline

One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more... Free Essays on Greek Discipline Free Essays on Greek Discipline One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more...

Colored Fire - Where to Find Metal Salts for Colorants

Colored Fire - Where to Find Metal Salts for Colorants Ive received many requests for information about where to find the metal salts that can be used to make colored fire. Heres a list of common sources of these metal salts. If the salts are in liquid form, simply soak pinecones or logs or whatever you are burning in the liquid and let the fuel dry before use. If the salts are solids, your best bet is to try to dissolve them in a bit of alcohol and then apply them to your fire fuel. You can use water but expect a longer drying time. Fire Color - Source Green - Boric acid is probably your best source of green. Boric acid most commonly is sold as a disinfectant in the pharmacy section of a store. Copper sulfate is another metal salt that produces green fire. You can find copper sulfate, usually diluted in liquid form, in products used to control algae in pools or ponds. White - Magnesium compounds can lighten a flame color to white. You can add Epsom salts, which are used for a variety of household purposes. I usually see Epsom salts sold in the pharmacy section of stores for use as a bath soak, but the salts commonly contain sodium impurities, which will produce a yellow flame. Yellow - Your usual fire will be yellow already, but if you are burning a fuel that produces a blue flame, for example, you can turn it from green to yellow by adding sodium salt, such as common table salt. Orange - Calcium chloride produces orange fire. Calcium chloride is sold as a desiccant and as a road de-icing agent. Just be sure the calcium chloride isnt mixed with sodium chloride or else the yellow from the sodium will overpower the orange from the calcium. Red - Strontium salts produce red colored fire. The easiest way to get strontium is to break open a red emergency flare, which you can find in the automotive section of stores. Road flares contain their own fuel and oxidizer, so this material burned vigorously and very brightly. Lithium produces a beautiful red flame, too. You can get lithium from certain lithium batteries. Purple - Purple or violet flames may be produced by adding potassium chloride to the fire. Potassium chloride is sold as lite salt or salt substitute in the spice section of the grocery store. Blue - You can get blue fire from copper chloride. I am not aware of a widely-available source of copper chloride. You can produce it by dissolving copper wire (easy to locate) in muriatic acid (sold in building supply stores). This would be an outdoors-only type of reaction and not something I really recommend doing unless you have a little chemistry experience... but if youre determined, dissolve a piece of copper in a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide (sold as a disinfectant) to which you have added sufficient muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) to make 5% HCl solution.

Staffing Professional Essays

Staffing Professional Essays Staffing Professional Essay Staffing Professional Essay A staffing professional engaged in the human resources department to meet, interview, and assess applicants, fundamental to the work is the proper representation of the organization’s best interest. This is crucial to the work since this is part of staffing process. It is at the outset that the company’s interests are best clarified and presented. It is so important that a person employed as a staffing professional must possess enough insight to the ethical implications of his/her every dealing. In some firms, certain questions have to be asked if unsure of certain transactions. For example, queries such as: â€Å"Is it legal?† â€Å"Does it comply with the Code of Ethics and with the policies that apply to the situation?† and â€Å"How will it affect others – consumers, competitors, shareholders, other employees, agencies or the community, and you?† (The Allstate Corporation, 2007). This only means that the necessity is laid upon the staffing professional to represent clearly the best interests of the organization. The efficiency and quality of the production’s work force depend so much on him/her. The nature of the work also presupposes that it sees through the nature of any given situation, finding out what is to be done, which expertise/skills are needed, and apply the necessary tools and methods available to meet the demands and thus accomplish the task effectively for the organization’s interests. Of course, there are negative consequences if this is not done properly. One obvious result is that the overall effect is detrimental to the company in general. Another is that, when the staffing professional engages in unethical behavior and questionable dealings (such as implied in the questions earlier) and does not abide by the rules of the, he or she will be liable to the law and must face the consequences of his/her behavior.

Unit Three Critical Discussion Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit Three Critical Discussion Blog - Assignment Example The word rendition means to carry or take something somewhere (with a slightly sinister echo of the word â€Å"render† or reduce and recycle a dead animal). The term as a whole is very abstract. There is no real nonverbal communication in the use of this term, but the body language of people who frequently use it suggests they are hiding something. As is suggested in Chapter 10, the delivery of meaning is very important: if your euphemism is as bad as this one, your body language may suggest you are being dishonest. People should be honest about what they mean. They could say something like international arrest, or extrajudicial arrest, if they want to be more ethical. As the textbook suggests, it is not ethical for members of government to try to hide the truth from citizens by using euphemisms. Another similar euphemism is Enhanced Interrogation Techniques when people mean

Parenting Model Metaphor Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Parenting Model Metaphor - Assignment Example Thin can be compared to parenting-styles change with generations, but the basics stay the same. Jeans could also be the metaphor for the parental role-two legs joined that must function as one garment. I will look through some important concepts that affect parenting (these are concepts that have been introduced in the course work in unit two) and further link them to the metaphor of a pair of jeans. Parents often look to their neighbours, family and collective environment for advice and role-models on how to parent. A group of people assisting the parents in bringing up a child or children is termed collective parenting. This is a bit like mothers and fathers choosing the style of jeans that suits them. They look to see what others are wearing and what is suitable for their age group and body type. The most important thing is choosing a comfortable pair-just like choosing a parenting style that is comfortable for the parent. It’s hard to sustain something if it doesn’t ‘sit right’. (Chapter 12). Because so many people move to different parts of the world in today’s world, parents are cut off from their families who might have, in the past, offered support and advice. It’s like adapting to a new pair of jeans in a style or cut that you are not used to and finding a new style and support structure for changing times. A parents’ coho rts will often feel comfortable with a similar style of parenting just as they might all prefer a similar style of jeans-they can also look back and laugh at the stonewashed pairs they pulled on in the eighties (a reflection of their youth and freedom) and compare them to the more utilitarian and classic pair they wear now: which reflects their changed value system. As people become parents they might become a bit more conservative and not as fashion conscious. It’s also

Zappos Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zappos Case Study - Assignment Example This prompted him to create an online retail site specializing in footwear which grew to give rise to Zappos.com (Frances, Robin and Laura, 2011). From its inception Zappos value proposition has been to create and deliver to each customer a WOW experience. They are able to achieve this by simply empowering their workforce to deliver a shopping experience that is irresistible. They provide unrivalled customer service and free fast shipping , while at the same time offering almost one thousand two hundred and fifty brands and two million eighty hundred thousand products. As a result of this strategy they have a fanatical customer loyalty with up to 75% being repeat customers (Zappos, 2011). Zappos ability to create and capture value emanates from their nearly obsessive passion to create customer satisfaction and good customer relationships. In fact customer’s loyalty is of such great importance to Zappos that it is their primary goal to be the best customer experience and customer service company. They have a culture that runs deep down and that is customer-focused (Scribd, 2012). In order to create and capture value, Zappos directly invests huge amount of money into customer service. They will only hire employees who are customer-oriented who are able to fit into their culture of optimal employee satisfaction. Even after employing people who are customer-oriented, they further train these individuals thoroughly the art of creating customer loyalty. Zappos approach to creating and capturing value is customer centric. They make use of such strategies as offering free delivery for products purchased, they even allow for free returns when a customer is not happy wi th the product and they also have a 365 day return together with periodical service upgrades. As a result, 75% of their sales emanate from current customers and still have a tremendous rate of growth despite the poor economy (Sam Houston State University, 2011). Zappos have also developed a service culture which is built around ten core principles which stipulate that every new employee has to take four weeks of customer training on loyalty. Their employees are committed to their work and build life long relationships with customers. They make use of social sites for networking and making contact with customers and in the process obtaining invaluable customer feedback and criticism (Sam Houston State University, 2011). The growth and success at Zappos is also attributable to a good corporate culture. The culture at Zappos promotes and encourages employees to be themselves. The employee culture at Zappos is focused on good customer service and is of one mind. They care that the custo mer is happy with the product that he or she chooses to buy. This culture of customer satisfaction is entrenched deep into the beliefs of the employees, their interactions with customers and their hiring protocols. During the hiring process, there are two sets of interviews that are done. One set of interviews is done by the hiring manager together with her or his team. During this stage they check for the basics like relevant experience, and technical ability of the job applicants. The second set of the interview involves the HR department who perform the interview for the sole purpose assessing for culture fitness. They examine whether the individuals would easily fit into their culture (Fast Company, 2012). Zappos culture is built around ten core values. These values include: Deliver WOW through good service, drive and embrace change, creating a little weirdness and fun, humility by employees, be determined and passionate, do more with a little, being creative,

What it Takes to Become an Oracle Database Administrator Research Paper

What it Takes to Become an Oracle Database Administrator - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that an Oracle database administrator needs to be a certified database administrator from some institute. A formal training course is the most suitable way for a database administrator to develop the knowledge of Oracle database administration. There are many oracle-training institutes present all over the world, which provide good training in data administration using Oracle. â€Å"An Oracle DBA is one who is professionally trained to work on several of Oracles software products, utilities, and tools†.  An Oracle database administrator needs to be experienced and proficient in handling large amounts of data. Oracle is one of the largest software companies, which designs software products that can be used to manage different business activities in an appropriate way. A database administrator must be skilled in using those software products. Another important skill that an Oracle database administrator must possess is the problem-solv ing skill. The administrator must be able to solve day-to-day problems related to management of different business processes. Apart from problem-solving skills, an Oracle database administrator must have a science and mathematics background because both of these subjects assist an administrator in using the Oracle software products in an effective way. The knowledge of science and mathematics is extremely important for the Oracle database administrators as it helps them deal with different software products effectively. A degree in computer science will also be very helpful for the people who want to become Oracle database administrators.

Phone Message Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Phone Message Questions - Essay Example will allow me to pull up the patient file which will give me an idea of what kind of illness the patient is calling about and what her business with the doctor might be. If I am lucky, the patient record will also have a contact number for the patient in case the call gets dropped. After securing what I consider to be the two most important questions to be asked of a patient, I will then ask for a contact number and the reason for the call. The contact number should come in as the 3rd bit of information to be provided to me because I need a callback number just in case our conversation gets cut. Having completed the phone verification process, I will now be able to get down to the other matters concerning the call provided the call has not been dropped yet. I will then ask about the reason for the call or how I might be able to help the patient. If need be, I will confirm that the patient is using a cellular phone before I patch her through to her physician. I will give her a warning that if her call is disconnected, I will call her back and reconnect her since I have her current contact number on hand. Otherwise, I will be more than happy to forward her message to her physician once he becomes

Bureaucratization of My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bureaucratization of My Life - Essay Example Students are people too and their overwhelming academic requirements put pressure on their lives. Some deadlines cannot be met so professors must understand the situation. There are also rules that were written a long time ago which does not fit a dynamic learning environment anymore. Although is a school is a bureaucratic system, it must also be the leader in innovation and change since it leads society towards the future through the learning process.The third characteristic is Impersonality. A bureaucratic system is objective and people assigned to do their duties are impersonal in their attitude. Weber thought this was good so that people can easily perform their routine and stick to the tasks being performed. The school staff assists students regardless if they are academic performers or not. There is no discrimination as the school staff perform their duties by rendering service to all students regardless of race, creed, color or even financial status. Unfortunately, impersonali ty and objectivity have its drawbacks. What I am pointing out is that since a bureaucratic system is impersonal and objective the situation of an individual is overlooked since the rules have to be followed. Regardless if one has been sick and cannot submit on time, the student can be given a failing grade despite the circumstances. In conclusion, bureaucracy is practiced inside PGCC and it has its advantages; however, it also has its disadvantages since a school system is not a perfect organization.

What it Takes to Become an Oracle Database Administrator Research Paper

What it Takes to Become an Oracle Database Administrator - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that an Oracle database administrator needs to be a certified database administrator from some institute. A formal training course is the most suitable way for a database administrator to develop the knowledge of Oracle database administration. There are many oracle-training institutes present all over the world, which provide good training in data administration using Oracle. â€Å"An Oracle DBA is one who is professionally trained to work on several of Oracles software products, utilities, and tools†.  An Oracle database administrator needs to be experienced and proficient in handling large amounts of data. Oracle is one of the largest software companies, which designs software products that can be used to manage different business activities in an appropriate way. A database administrator must be skilled in using those software products. Another important skill that an Oracle database administrator must possess is the problem-solv ing skill. The administrator must be able to solve day-to-day problems related to management of different business processes. Apart from problem-solving skills, an Oracle database administrator must have a science and mathematics background because both of these subjects assist an administrator in using the Oracle software products in an effective way. The knowledge of science and mathematics is extremely important for the Oracle database administrators as it helps them deal with different software products effectively. A degree in computer science will also be very helpful for the people who want to become Oracle database administrators.

Bureaucratization of My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bureaucratization of My Life - Essay Example Students are people too and their overwhelming academic requirements put pressure on their lives. Some deadlines cannot be met so professors must understand the situation. There are also rules that were written a long time ago which does not fit a dynamic learning environment anymore. Although is a school is a bureaucratic system, it must also be the leader in innovation and change since it leads society towards the future through the learning process.The third characteristic is Impersonality. A bureaucratic system is objective and people assigned to do their duties are impersonal in their attitude. Weber thought this was good so that people can easily perform their routine and stick to the tasks being performed. The school staff assists students regardless if they are academic performers or not. There is no discrimination as the school staff perform their duties by rendering service to all students regardless of race, creed, color or even financial status. Unfortunately, impersonali ty and objectivity have its drawbacks. What I am pointing out is that since a bureaucratic system is impersonal and objective the situation of an individual is overlooked since the rules have to be followed. Regardless if one has been sick and cannot submit on time, the student can be given a failing grade despite the circumstances. In conclusion, bureaucracy is practiced inside PGCC and it has its advantages; however, it also has its disadvantages since a school system is not a perfect organization.

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay America is called â€Å"the land of opportunity† however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Being able to accomplish scholastic goals, attend a four-year college, and to have an influential career, are not obtainable for many, even though they work hard. Our nation has long been plagued by an ugly occurrence. An occurrence that finds its origins at the very core of our society. It is a problem familiar in some ways to all of us regardless of which side of the argument we find ourselves, and yet it remains unsolved. To verify that a problem exists, as Beverly, Tatum explains, we must first understand, racism as a system of advantage based on race, and white privilege as unjust enrichment through racial oppression,(Tatum,pg 10, 115). Next we must look at the steps taken to level the playing field of advanced racial groups. In America racism and discrimination is a cruel reality. For centuries now, local, state, and federal governments have been proactive in protecting or expanding the system of racial discrimination. White government officials and programs have often favored the racial and political-economic interests of white Americans. Government programs historically provided much access to homesteading land and numerous other valuable resources exclusively to white Americans (Feagin, 2010, p. 143). In an affords toward concern for equality, Affirmative action was created. It was designed to counteract the effect that discriminatory practices have embedded in the American culture. Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an under represented group in areas of employment, education, and business, usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discriminatio n. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in Executive Order 10925 and was signed by President John F. Kennedy on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted Executive Order 11246 which required government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. In 1968, gender was added to the anti-discrimination list. A lively debate with sparks flying within racial group exists over the importance of the Affirmative action process. Some would argue that affirmative action undeservingly rewards minorities, and takes away from whites in effect causing reverse discrimination. Not long ago, Senator Bob Dole, a Republican presidential candidate, spoke in a television interview of â€Å"displaced† white men who compete with black workers because of affirmative action. He said that he was not sure that â€Å"people in America† (he meant â€Å"whites†) should be paying a price for discrimination that occurred â€Å"before they were born†. (Feagin, 2010, p. 15). Taking this evidence into consideration, should this influence the direction taken regarding affirmative action? University of California Regent Ward Connerly believes that affirmative action is used as a crutch that is ruining the relationship between blacks and whites. If this were true, would this be a good reason to halt government involvement in affirmative action programs? Would people identify these issues and take steps to make changes? Historically this has not been the case. Affirmative action programs have been successful in making social change. Minorities that have previously been excluded from opportunities have been afforded opportunities to achieve through affirmative action programs. Initially, affirmative action was a policy primarily aimed at correcting institutional discrimination where decisions, policies and procedures that are not necessarily explicitly discriminatory have had a negative impact on people of color. Affirmative action policies address and redress systematic economic and political discrimination against any group of people that are underrepresented or have a history of being discriminated against in particular institutions. Beneficiaries of these programs have included white men and women, people with disabilities, and poor working class people, but their primary emphasis has been on addressing racial discrimination (Kivel, P) If our goal is to eradicate discriminatory practices, then our government must continue to mandate legislation, and fund programs to address these issues. Following this conclusion it is clear to see that all evidence supports the benefits of affirmative action. What we have before us is a society with the possibility to make great strides in regards to changing the system of inequality. It is important that government lead in the direction that supports affirmative action programs. Government needs to see this as the biggest problem on their social agenda, and it will take a significant effort to mandate change, but the benefit for everyone will be extraordinary. References Feagin, J. (2010). Racist America Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations New York: Routledge Press. Tatum, Beverly Daniel. (2003). †Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? New York: Basic Books. Executive Order 11246. (2012, July 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:23, October 30, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Executive_Order_11246oldid=500344831 Montgomery, A. (2000, march 27). A â€Å"poison† divides us, salon.com, Kivel, P. (1997, November,17) Affirmative Action Works! Motion Magazine

New Media Technologies Adoption Challenges Information Technology Essay

New Media Technologies Adoption Challenges Information Technology Essay Latest advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have continued to be a major factor that is catapulting modern society to a high technology one. With cutting edge and far-reaching developments in science and technology in the late twentieth century, Ipad, ipods, new video games, cellular phones, electronic banking, and satellite television are just a few of the ICT innovations that have taken our modern life by storm. The Information and Communication Technologies in this study is operationalised to mean the new media technologies, including satellites, telephony, the Internet, the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM), other components of computer- assisted reporting and multimedia systems. These are new improved technological facilities that facilitate the creation, storage, management and dissemination of information by electronic means. No doubt, this wave of new media technologies within the fabric of todays globalised village has continued to pressure everyone to adopt ICTs as the whole world is being shrunk into one small entity and computing, telecommunications, broadcast and print media continue to converge on common digital-based techniques. Since the great inroad of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into the global scene at the dawn of the 21st century, significant changes have been recorded in the way man does things. In virtually every profession, the traces of the ICTs are clear, bringing radical changes and improvement. Specifically, media practice the world over has witnessed a great change; and traditional journalism has been replaced with hi-tech journalism (Obe 2008). The use of the facilities of the New Information and Communication Technologies has given birth to the components of Computer-Assisted Reporting (CAR) which are commercial online databases, CD-ROM, Electronic Bulletin Boards (BBS), Electronic morgue, in-house topical databases, electronic public records and the Internet (Davenport et al, 1996). Besides, the use of ICTs facilities to disseminate news and information at jet speed, as in Electronic News Gathering (ENG) and Satellite News Gathering (SNG), have really taken journalism practice by storm. Evidences suggest that in no distant time, virtually every practice of the media will be carried out with the use of ICTs. Very soon, if not now, media practitioners will have no other option than to search the web, use e-mail attachments, navigate newsgroup, setting up list servers, downloading of web files and analysis of databases and so on. With these new communication technologies, interpersonal communication has been greatly improved upon with facilities like fax machines, communication satellites, e-mails, personal digital assistants, cellular phones and the Internet. These days, everybody is within the reach of everybody else. The emergence of the computer and its interlinked network the Internet, has ushered in a new opportunity for the ICTs-induced communication. The real motive behind the communication is to create a virtual global village where information flow cannot be disrupted. When ICTs are fully adopted and used, the socio-economic and developmental lives of the people will be greatly enhanced. The aim of this paper is to track the adoption and use of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Most developing nations of the world are confronted with socio-economic problems ranging from poverty to corruption with no solution in sight. The assumption is that one of the safest routes to escape from the problem is for most developing nations of the world to adopt and use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). That is why most developing nations are trying to subscribe to the modern day developmental magic with a view to transforming their societies for good. The argument as to whether Africa can actually utilize ICTs for her development in the face of the prevailing circumstances is gaining robust dimension. In their UNESCO-sponsored pilot study on adoption of ICTs in Africa and Asia-Pacific, Obijiofor et al submit: In Africa, ignorance is far more major obstacles and those aware, mostly the educated and literate people in the private sector, say as much as they appreciate the need and importance of ICTs, the economic situation in their countries and general poverty make it difficult for people who need these ICTs to acquire them. In Ghana, for example, the per capital income is US$400 and the average cost of a computer (plus modem and telephone line etc) is US$1500. Also in Nigeria, to acquire a computer/modem, ISP subscription and telephone line would require the total annual income of a graduate. Considering the above statement by Obijiofor et al, there is arguably a concern over the general poverty mentality on the part of media professionals which could tend to make them see acquisition of computers as luxury and as status symbols or statement of ones hierarchy in society, as such, consider purchasing ICTs as purchasing a diamond or gold. For instance, a longitudinal study aimed at tracking the adoption of computer-based information sources by Nigerian newspapers conducted in 2004 reveals that there is a zero or near-zero use of most of the components of computer-assisted reporting (CAR). For example, no Nigerian newspaper is currently using electronic morgue and electronic public records. There is also very little use of CD-ROMs and commercial online databases (Okoye, 2004). This however calls for a serious concern on whether the journalists can appreciably use ICTs to really deliver developmental and investigative journalism required to sanitise the society. Hence, the st udy sought to address this concern by examining how media professionals use ICTs to deliver their task. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The specific objectives of the study are: To track the level of adoption of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria To determine specific ICTs tools that is in use among Nigerian media professionals. To determine the challenges surrounding the adoption and use of ICTs by Nigerian media professionals. SCOPE OF STUDY The study narrows down to media professionals working with selected media organizations in Lagos, Nigeria as respondents. The study location is adopted because there is a high concentration of media professionals and their organizations in Lagos, the nerve centre of the Nigerian Press. Besides, Lagos is today regarded as the city with the most developed, vibrant and dynamic media industry in Africa (BBC poll). The media professionals include staff of major ICTs-driven print media (Newspapers and magazines) organizations that are registered by Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the broadcast media outfits licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The media professionals in each of the media organisations are the reporters at all levels (including freelancers), editors, newscasters, studio engineers and prepress staff. The respondents were limited to these categories because those are the people believed to be leading in media technology in Nigeria media industry. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES Two research hypotheses were raised for this research. Research Hypothesis 1 H1: There is an inverse relationship between the cost of acquisition of ICTs and adoption and use of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria. Research Hypothesis 2 H1: Use of specific communication strategies is dependent on the income level of media professionals in Nigeria. Brief Review of Literature Previous studies on the rate of adoption and use of communication technologies in Africa had been slow and gradual and couldnt match up with the sporadic rate of adoption of ICTs which was unprecedented in world history. For instance, it took radio thirty-eight years; television took thirteen years, while cable took ten years to hit the mass medium status, whereas it took the Internet only six years to reach the fifty million users mark (Kaye and Medoff, 2001). In Nigeria, it did not take up to three years for the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) to hit appreciable number of adopters and users. The universal adoption of Internet is revealed through universal access data in various countries in the region. Topping the list of countries with high internet access are Korea 56% and Singapore (44%). In the median section are Malaysia with 14% and Brunei Darussalam (11%). Further down the line are Philippines (6%), Thailand (4%), and Indonesia (1%). Countries like Cambodia and Myanmar are at the bottom of the heap with less than 1% Internet diffusion. Among countries in the Caucuses and Central Asia, the internet is primarily accessible in the largest urban centres and technical services and support are often slow and expensive (Asian Womens Resource Exchange 2001: 36). Theoretical Orientations A concept that was employed in this study is Technological Determinism which assumes that changes in communication technology inevitably produce profound changes in both culture and social order. The concept holds further that technology inevitably causes specific changes in how people think, in how society is structured, and in forms of culture that are created. Marshall McLuhan who is a chief proponent of this concept staunchly believes that all social, political, economic and cultural change is inevitably based on the development and diffusion of technology. These and many other theories related to the work shall be fully explored in the main report. The concept of critical mass theory as it applies to the adoption of new communication technologies is desirable and would be used. The term comes from physics, where critical mass refers to the minimum amount of material needed to trigger and sustain a radioactive chain reaction. The term has been loosely applied to communication and refers to the minimum number of people needed as adopters before a new communication technology can have a permanent place in the society (Kaye and Medoff, 2001). Williams, Strover and Grant (1994) corroborate: An interesting aspect of the critical mass perspective is that widespread use appears to have a snowball effect. Once a perceived critical mass is using the technology, those without it are strongly motivated to adopt it. The reasoning here is that despite the drawbacks, such as cost or difficulty in using the technology, people (and institutions) are pressured to adopt the technology because failure to do so may exclude them from existing communication networks (p34). Before any medium can be considered a mass medium, a critical mass of adopters must be reached. Generally, critical mass is achieved when about 16 percent of the entire population has adopted an innovation, although in the case of mass media, fifty million users seem to be the milestone (Markus,1990; Neufeld, 1997 cited in Kaye and Medoff, 2001). Researches have shown that the rate of radio adoption crawled along for thirty-eight years before hitting the magic fifty million users; television took thirteen years, while cable took ten years to hit this mass medium status. In less than six years of its existence as a consumer medium, Internet has reached the fifty million users mark. Between 1995 and 1997, the estimated number of US online users ranged from 51 million to about 58 million. (About One in Four Adults, 1996; American Internet User Survey, 1997; CommerceNet and Nielsen Research, 1995; GVUs seventh www user survey, 1997; Hoffman, Kalsbeek, and Novak, 1996a; McGarvey, 1996; MIDS, 1995; OReiley Survey Sets, 1995; Taylor, 1997). In 1998 and 1999, between 57 million and 64 million people in the United States used the Internet (Decotis, 1999; Relevant Knowledge Rank the Sites, 1998). In 1999, Jupiter Communications claimed that in the United States alone, there were as many as 90 million Internet users (Guglielmo, 1999). The Computer Industry Almanac claims that the use has topped 100 million people 40 percent of the population (US tops, 1999). More alarming is the Data monitors claim that by year 2003 about 545 million Internet users will be around the world (Data monitor: 545 users, 1999). The BBC has greatly adopted the new media technology in its operations. Its new media division, the BBC online, has become one of the UKs most popular website, with over 190 million page impression requests per month. Besides, it has also introduced the BBCi meaning, the BBC interactive that takes in computers and interactive digital television across Sky, ITV Digital and the cable companies. CNN and other leading broadcast stations in the world are following. Various arguments have been advanced for and against the adoption of ICTs. Stevenson, Burkett and Myint (1993) argue that the new communication and information technologies can strengthen the centralized, industrial, command economy or decentralize empowerment for finding creative solutions to local and global problems through new social technologies. Other pro ICTs scholars point out that new technologies lead to speedier, more accurate, and improved outcomes that increase our capabilities and make us more efficacious (Dickson, 1974; Florman, 1981) In terms of the Internet, we are able to communicate far more effectively, with more people and in more ways, than before (Rowland, 1997). The advancement in the production and availability of sexual material can be viewed as a function of technological advancement (Durkin Bryant, 1995; Lane, 2000). It is arguable that all media technologies, from print to the Internet, have been used for sexual purposes (Noonan, 1998). In their argument against ICTs, Inayatullah insists that ICT causes further cultural impoverishment by continuing the one-way communication between North and South and much more that ICTs create information based economy and not a communicative society (Inayatullah, 1999). Lerner and Schramm (1976) throw more weight: Throughout the less developed regions, people have been led to want more than they can get. This can be attributed in part to the spread of the mass media, which inevitably show and tell people about the good things of life that are available elsewhereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦As people in the poor countries were being shown and told about goodies available in developed countries, they were also being taught about their own inferiorityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦at least in terms of wealth and well-being. Recognition of the disparities between the rich and poor countries produced among some a sense of aggressiveness. Both apathy and aggression usually are counter-productive to genuine development efforts (Lerner and Schramm, 1976:341-342) METHOD OF RESEARCH This study employed survey research method. This involves design of questionnaires which were administered to the respondents. Pertinent questions that bother on the adoption and usage of ICT constitute the bulk of the questionnaire design. The methodological procedure established includes the study population, sample size, the sampling procedures, the research instruments, the data collection exercise, problems of data collection, data preparation and entry as well as the analytical techniques adopted. STUDY POPULATION The study population comprises media professionals working with selected media organizations in Lagos. The media professionals are mostly journalists believed to be using ICTs to enhance their work. The media professionals fielded questions on their adoption and usage of ICTs tools. The media professionals include staff of major ICTs-driven print media (Newspapers and magazines) organizations that are registered by Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the broadcast media recognized and licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The media professionals in each of the media organisations are the reporters at all levels (including freelancers), editors, newscasters, studio engineers and prepress staff. The respondents were limited to these categories because those are the people who use ICTs facilities in the media industry. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE The simple random sampling technique was used to select the required media organisations for the study. Within the selected media organizations, the simple random sampling technique was equally used to select respondents within the media organizations under study. This was desirable as it rules out bias and subjectivity in the choice of respondents. STUDY SAMPLE As at the time of conducting this study, 47 print media organisations were registered by Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and out of the 47, only 18 Lagos-based print media houses weer still in circulation. Out of the 18 functioning, six print media organisations were selected for this study. The selected six media houses consist of four newspapers and two magazines (for the print media). Out of the existing broadcast stations licensed by NBC, four were selected which consist of two television stations and two radio stations. This made the total number of media organizations studied to be ten in number. The print media organizations selected are: Punch Nigeria Limited (publisher of the Punch Titles); Leaders and Company Limited. (Publisher of ThisDay Titles); The Sun Publishing Limited (Publisher of The Sun Newspaper); Financial Standard newspaper; Independent Communications Network Limited (Publisher of TheNEWS magazine and Newswactch Communication Limited (Publisher of Newswatch magazine). In the broadcast media, the four media stations selected are African Independent Television, Lagos (AIT) and Nigerian Television Authority, Lagos (NTA Channel 10) (Television) and Raypower 100.5 FM, Lagos and FRCN, Lagos (Radio Nigeria). SAMPLE SIZE Among the ten media organizations selected for this study, 200 communication professionals were chosen as respondents. The 200 consists of twenty respondents from each of the ten media organisations. Some of the media organizations studied do not have up to two hundred journalists, except for NTA and FRCN which are government owned. Nevertheless, it was estimated that 20 of the existing number of journalists in each of the organizations should be representative enough for generalization to be drawn. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The main instrument for this research is the questionnaire. The questionnaires were designed using both the open-ended and closed-ended approaches. The first section of the two questionnaire schedules contained questions on respondents background, socio-economic and other demographic characteristics. These include questions on respondents sex, age, marital status, monthly income, educational attainment of respondents. The second section of the questionnaire dealt with information on adoption and use of ICTs. Respondents were asked to state their area of media practice and name of their media organizations and the department of the media organization in which they work. Specific questions about the time of their adoption of ICTs and that of their media organizations were raised. The questionnaire equally sought to know what specific ICTs tools are commonly or easily in use by the media professionals. The second section also probed into the adoption of the components of computer-assisted reporting. It used likert-like scale to really ascertain the degree of their adoption and use. The section of the questionnaire did not stop there, it tested the adoption of database journalism as well as the practice of computer-assisted investigative reporting. The questionnaire also probed into the economic aspect of ICTs, where questions that link cost and other economic considerations to the use and adoption were raised. VALIDATION OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS As a way of validating the instruments used for this research, face validity check was carried out by two senior university academics. Besides, a pilot study was conducted by the researcher in 2007. The pilot study aimed at tracking the adoption and use of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria. The study was a follow up to an initial study conducted by Okoye (2004) at the University of Lagos. The success of the pilot study is an indication that the research instrument was tested with positive results. Problems Encountered A study of this magnitude cannot be completed without challenges, especially during data collection. The first problem was created by the corporate affairs manager of Daar Communications Plc, owner of AIT/Raypower who ordered the security operatives to usher the researcher out of the premises when the researcher had started administering the questionnaire copies to AIT staff before realizing that such must first pass through the corporate affairs manager for scrutiny. The managers seemingly rude approach at correcting visitors annoyed the researcher which led to minor altercations. This was later settled, but the researcher had to drop copies of the questionnaire to come back for it three days later, thereby making the wait-and-get approach unworkable in AIT. One major problem is the lackadaisical attitudes of media professionals towards academic research. Most of them claimed they were very busy to attend to us while others complained that the items on the questionnaire design are too many to answer. Some of them would ask us to wait till he finishes his report which could take an hour or two. There were instances of refusals, especially when the receptionist had to confirm the willingness of the respondents. The brown envelope mentality of the press was equally expressed here, although with few journalists when they openly requested for gratification or bottle of coke before filling the copies of questionnaire. Since this was anticipated by the researcher during the training, the field assistants were asked to use their initiatives and parley the respondents by creating much needed rapport. This eventually yielded positive efforts. Another major problem encountered is that few of the respondents, especially the senior staff had the propensity to lie about their adoption and use of ICTs for one major reason: they want to impress the researcher that their organization is standard and ICT-compliant, so in cases where they have not adopted a particular component of ICTs, they tend to say they have. The researcher and field assistants overcame this problem by demanding to see and probably take a photo shot of such facilities for the archive. For instance, in Punch, the Chief Librarian claimed they have adopted electronic morgue but when the researcher requested to see it and take a photo shot, she mellowed down and said their electronic morgue is still under construction. Data Preparation and Data Entry Having returned the survey data from the field, the data were carefully edited by the researcher himself to ensure completeness, legibility, clarity and consistency. After these internal checks, a total of 172 copies of the questionnaire were adjudged usable for analysis out of the 181 that were completed and returned. After this, data were entered and the statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for programming and analysis after the data entry. The SPSS and data entry were done by a database administrator with the assistance of the researcher. Discussions of Findings The data elicited from media professionals show that there are more male media professionals than their female folks as respondents in the research work and that majority of the respondents are young persons who are within the age range of 30-49 years. Besides, there is preponderance for married persons. Majority of the respondents have first degree/higher diploma as highest academic qualifications. The monthly salary of most of the media professionals falls between the range of N10,000 and N39,999. This shows most media professionals in Nigeria earn below N40,000. Most media organizations in Nigeria adopted the tools of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their operations between 1999 2000 and 2001-2005. This period coincided with the time Punch newspaper house sacked all its photographers and abolished the use of film development process in the production of photographs. Instead, they adopted the use of digital camera which no longer requires the use of tedious traditional dark room film development processes. Of all the tools of ICTs available to media professionals, the Internet was mostly in use. In other words, the respondents use Internet more than any other tools. This confirms the findings of the pilot study conducted to validate the questionnaire for this study which revealed that out of the tools of ICTs, the Internet has the highest adopters. The respondents are however, divided about the description of their current state of adoption and use of ICTs. While some indicated that the current state of adoption and use among them is high, another good numbers do not share the high belief but rather describe the adoption and use as moderate. From the data gathered, the greatest challenge militating against the use of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria is the cost of acquiring the facilities. This was followed by lack of base infrastructure like electricity. Only very few attributed why they do not use ICTs to unfavourable government policies. More importantly, majority of the respondents hold that the cost of acquiring ICTs tools is high. Although, respondents gave different opinions on cost of ICTs , but what remains clear is that there is a preponderance for respondents who see the cost of acquiring ICTs as being on the high side. Another important finding is that the income level of the respondent is a barrier to their acquisition of ICTs, The data had earlier established the fact that a greater portion of the respondents earn between N10,000 and N39,999 monthly. However, the bulk of the respondents opined that the benefits inherent in the use of ICTs are enormous. The data reveal that very appreciable number of the respondents are quite aware of Electronic Newsgathering and Satellite newsgathering (ENG and SNG), Very few numbers of the respondents unaware of ENG and SNG. The respondents are again divided on their level of agreement of the fact that ENG and SNG are needed in every contemporary media organization. Very many of them strongly agree while only few strongly disagree. Highest percentage of the respondents equally opined that ENG and SNG are the best in performing news gathering functions. In the same vein, the respondents indicated that ENG and SNG have done the following good to media organizations: betterment of broadcast production quality; great improvement in broadcast media practice in Nigeria; attraction of more audience to media organizations; positive change in the news processing and techniques. To cap it all, most of the respondents indicated that the benefits derived from ENG and SNG outweighs the challenges therein. Summary of findings and Conclusion Most media organizations in Nigeria adopted the tools of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their operations at the dawn of the millennium and of all the tools of ICTs available to media professionals, the Internet was mostly in use. Data showed that the monthly salary of most of the media professionals falls between the range of N10,000 and N39,999. This means that most media professionals in Nigeria earn less than N40,000; the average income is N25,000 ( £130). The media professionals were mostly reporters, newscasters and prepress staff, a handful were editors and top management staff. The greatest challenge against the use of ICTs by media professionals in Nigeria is the cost of acquiring the facilities. This is compounded by lack of base infrastructure like electricity. Only very few attributed why they do not use ICTs to unfavourable government policies. More importantly, majority of the respondents held that the cost of acquiring ICTs tools is high. This study concludes that the adoption of ICTs by Nigerian media professionals is relatively low, though its use is noticeable but relatively insufficient. It is low and insufficient because there are prevailing circumstances militating against the adoption and use of ICTs by media professionals. One of the most fundamental challenges that media professionals are being faced with is the cost and affordability of ICTs tools. The research is of a strong conclusion that the income level of the media professionals could not match the cost of acquisition of ICTs. This means that what the media professionals earn as income cannot enable them to afford buying ICTs tools without sweat. In contemporary Nigeria, to buy a digital camera, computer laptop, with modem and payment for Internet subscriptions costs around two hundred and fifty thousand naira ( £1000) depending on the sophistication and configuration of the ICTs tools. With the average monthly income of media professionals put at Tw enty five thousand naira ( £120) monthly and three hundred thousand naira ( £1200) annually, one could infer that it takes close to the total annual income of media professionals in Nigeria to buy a digital camera, computer laptop, with modem and payment for annual Internet subscriptions. This research is in agreement with a UNESCO-sponsored research on impact of ICTs on Socio-economic development of Africa and Asia Pacific where it was found out that it takes the total annual income of a graduate in Ghana, to be a computer-assisted journalist (Obijiofor et al 1999). The case among freelance journalists who do not receive specific salary and live on brown envelope is even worst as they survive on gratification offered by newsmakers. The implication of this is that journalists who should be maximizing the benefits inherent in ICTs do not see computers as useful compared with vehicle or calculator. In other words, these journalists see computers as luxury tools that could only be acquired when one is economically comfortable. To them, it is a question of scale of preference: if you have to feed and if you have to think of having a computer laptop, you will want to feed first, because if you dont feed, you are not likely to survive. Another challenge to the use of ICTs is the non-availabilty of Infrastructural support and one of the infrastructural facilities that constitute a barrier is inadequate supply of electricity/power. In Nigeria, the power generating authorities have been changing their names from NEPA to PHCN. When the name was NEPA, Nigerians, out of frustration gave their own coinage of NEPA as Never Expect Power Always as against the official name of National Electric Power Authority. As it is, most telecommunications base stations run on generators because electricity is a very scarce commodity in Nigeria. This hampers smooth telecommunication networks. Most places in Lagos do not have electricity for a week or more, and when there is, the supply comes in an interrupted way. This makes one to be switching from NEPA to generator which resultantly could damage the computer system and hampers the server and Internet network connections. Supporting this position of electricity challenge are Baffour Kojo, Asiedu and Lu, Song Feng (2003) in their work published in the Pakistan Journal of Information and Technology and titled Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Internet as a Tool in the Developing World, Challenges and the Way Forward submit: The main problem with an e-mail system for most of the developing world (and much of Africa) is the unreliability of electricity and telephone lines, which are often out of order for days on end. Even when they are workin

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Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder - ADHD When Mrs. Fallon first described this project to us, I was a little bit skeptical about it. I kept thinking that I had no problems in my life and that I didn’t need any type of conditioning. But then I thought, I’m definitely not perfect and I knew I was definitely overlooking something. Recently I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and I felt like I was cheated out of so many years that could have been productive ones. So I decided that for my conditioning project I would test how much medication I should use that would keep my body stable enough to begin a sort of healing and moving on process, kind of like a second chance. After I finished my conditioning I realized that I was a lot different then when I started. My parents noticed that once I started the project, I was paying attention a lot more to what they were saying to me. My mother was worried though that I was going to hurt myself by taking a lot of the medication, but I told her that people have experimented on themselves before and look at the results. I also had calmed down with my dorm mates. I felt a lot more comfortable around them and I had begun to trust them a lot more. I now felt like I had accomplished something to make my physical body and my mental body better. In the areas of school I felt like I had accomplished a lot. I was handing in reports and I understood things I was learning. In high school I had trouble in ... Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder - ADHD Essay -- Personal Narrat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder - ADHD When Mrs. Fallon first described this project to us, I was a little bit skeptical about it. I kept thinking that I had no problems in my life and that I didn’t need any type of conditioning. But then I thought, I’m definitely not perfect and I knew I was definitely overlooking something. Recently I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and I felt like I was cheated out of so many years that could have been productive ones. So I decided that for my conditioning project I would test how much medication I should use that would keep my body stable enough to begin a sort of healing and moving on process, kind of like a second chance. After I finished my conditioning I realized that I was a lot different then when I started. My parents noticed that once I started the project, I was paying attention a lot more to what they were saying to me. My mother was worried though that I was going to hurt myself by taking a lot of the medication, but I told her that people have experimented on themselves before and look at the results. I also had calmed down with my dorm mates. I felt a lot more comfortable around them and I had begun to trust them a lot more. I now felt like I had accomplished something to make my physical body and my mental body better. In the areas of school I felt like I had accomplished a lot. I was handing in reports and I understood things I was learning. In high school I had trouble in ...