Parkinsons Disease Essays (799 words) - Parkinsons Disease

Parkinson's Disease Diseases are sometimes extremely devastating and cruel. Some diseases move very rapidly while others are slow and painful. Treatments are sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinson's disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that are produced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another theory suggests that the effects of toxic affects of drugs may cause PD. Additional evidence suggests that PD may be related to environmental toxins especially because some claim that they have found rates of PD that are higher in rural areas where farming is intense and residents drink well water. So far PD has not been linked to genetic abnormality. PD usually begins as a slight tremor of a hand arm or leg. The tremors usually affect a limb at rest but it also may occur when it is in use. The tremor may improve when the patient intentionally moves the limb or it may disappear entirely during sleep. In the hand the tremor is often described as"pill-rolling" when it affects the thumb and index finger. As PD progresses the tremor may become widespread eventually affecting limbs on both sides of the body. IN addition PD also causes limb rigidity a slowing of intentional body movement unstable posture and gait problems. When bradykinesia affects the facial muscles it may cause drooling, disrupts normal eye blinking interferes with facial expressions. Bradykinesia of the other muscles may affect every day life. The ability to wash or dress him or her self, to use eating utensils becomes very difficult. Also to perform necessary household chores such as washing the dishes or doing laundry also becomes difficult. In many PD patients a problem with balance and unsteady posture occur. This may make it hard for them to lower or raise oneself into a chair. Walking may require small shuffling steps usually without the normal arm swinging motions. Handwriting also becomes shaky and often illegible. Although there is currently no cute for PD its symptoms can be treated with several different types of medication. Antioxidants slow down the progression of existing PD. Dr. Stanley Fahn of Columbia University has found that PD patients given large doses of oral vitamin C and synthetic vitamin and delayed the progression of their disease to the point where they delayed the need for 1-dopa by 2.5 years. The most common conventional treatment for PD is the use of drugs such as l-dopa medications, selegiline (deprenyl and eldepryl) which blocks the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and anticholinergenic drugs which reduce the amount of acetylcholine produced in the brain which corrects the imbalance between dopamine and acetylcholine. Surgical procedures such as pallidotomy are proving successful in the treatment of PD. Pallidotomy is a procedure in which a small portion of the globus pallidus, a structure deep within the brain, is surgically destroyed resulting in improved motor functioning. Doctors are also finding great success in eliminating tremors by implanting electrodes in the brain. Currently, testing only allows the electrode to be implanted on one side of the brain so if patients have tremors on both sides of the body, they must choose which side they wanted treated. Complementary/alternative therapies for the treatment of Parkinson's are becoming more common because they are proving to slow the progression of the disease in its early stages. Some of these treatments include supplementation with vitamins C, B and

Supporting a Family essays

Supporting a Family essays Due to the present economy, individuals must have a varied career in order to support their families above the poverty line. While this can provide an individual with a stressful existence it also provides them with the ability to become a stronger person from within. Companies are resorting to part-time employees in order to cut overhead costs. With a company resorting to part-time workers they can cut the cost of having benefits as well as lower wages. For the worker this begins a long week of working up to seven days just to obtain the typical 40 hours. This is an exhausting endeavor. This increases the amount of time a child must spend in daycare which in turn increases the costs concerned with the day care center. The parent feels that they are almost always on the go just to support their family. Unfortunately this takes time away from the family. It also increases the family cost, as they must shoulder the burden of paying for medical and dental costs. A positive aspect to having a varied career is the learned ability to become competent in many positions. This allows the individual a wider range in possible jobs. From a personal viewpoint this can and will provide the individual with a greater self-worth. Sometimes this inability to obtain permanent work with result in an individual going back to school. This would be to obtain the necessary degree that would result in a better or more secure employment position. I am personally in this category. I have decided after 10 years of being in the work world to return to school. During those 10 years I worked at least 5 different jobs. This was defiantly not rewarding to my self-esteem and to my family as they have had to cope with poverty. I have returned to school so that I may provide my family with enough funds to raise them above the poverty level and to provide myself with job security. The way that the current economy works seems to benefit the empl ...

ITSM implementation success Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

ITSM implementation success - Assignment Example The application of this approach also recognizes that the information technology systems cannot work independently without accountability. Appropriate management of the Information technology systems using the ITSM approach also helps organization to discover strategize that can be used to offer the IT services at reduced competitive costs. The ITSM design was made up to respond to the tests that were encountered by medium and small sized organizations in an attempt to adapt an IT model that is centered to the views and opinions customers. This approach has also developed affordable applications that apply expertise skills helping the organization to obtain all the benefits related to ITSM. Most organizations put all efforts and best practices in place to give their customers the goods and services yet they do not reap the maximum benefits from their activities in relation to their efforts (Leonardi, 2007). These organizations fail to get all the benefits because they do not implemen t the appropriate cost effective approaches in their activities. The traditional practices in return consume more resources in terms of capital, labor and time. As compared to the traditional operation management practices, the ITSM approach reduced the operational costs greatly mainly due to the use of advanced information technology systems as well as applying expertise skills in the use of the approach. Another major aim of the application of Information Technology Service management approach is to enhance the delivery of IT related services to customers based on the process oriented approach. This involves examining and optimizing all services provided to the customers to ensure that they meet the interest and the values that the customers require. ITSM introduces the focus on the delivery of end to end services by applying the best practice process models while the traditional approaches focused on managing on Information technology as a stack. ITSM also aligns the IT services with the new changing trends of the organizations. Some of the changing patterns and emerging trends in most organizations include the size or the organization, advancement of the IT systems change of the organizations goals and the change of the organizations goals and visions. For an organization improve service delivery to their customers, some factors should be considered. These factors include quality planning, efficient project management and commitment by the staff to service delivery and the involvement of the organization in providing Information Technology systems. The ITSM approach similarly helps the organizations to effectively plan and create strategies that enhance quality planning as well as improve the service delivery to customers. Quality and strategic planning which is enhanced by the ITSM approach is the ability of the organization to collectively have control and manage the future and destiny of the organization. Project management as a factor for enhancing ser vice delivery to the customer is defined as the formal approach to changes in the organization such some of the projects organizations may be involved in include system development, procurement and implementation and cultural changes among others. According to Van, B. J et al (2008) Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) has gained popularity in both public and

Work Force Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Work Force Diversity - Essay Example Workforce diversity can be defined as the workforce of an organization that is made up of people from different cultural and demographical backgrounds. Diversity can be also on the basis of human qualities. However from the perspective of an individual diversity can be in terms of ethnicity, race, gender, age, or anything related to physical abilities. Although diversity acts as a key competitive advantage to the organizations, sometimes it can act as a concern. For example diversity in the form of working generation is a matter of concern for many organizations. There are four generations that work side by side in an organization, and each group has some different expectations and diversified mindset. Therefore to create an environment where all the groups get fitted is certainly a challenge for the organizations. As human being enters the 21st century, diversity in workforce has become crucial in a business venture. In this age of information technology, the most valuable asset of the organization is its workforce. The increasing globalization has made people to interact more among themselves as well as from the people of different beliefs, locations and cultural backgrounds. People are no longer working in an inward-looking market, but they work in a global market place. There are competitions from almost every part of the world. Hence for this principal reason organizations need diversity in their workforce. It has also become a way to be more innovative and also open to amendments.

Congress and Global Warming Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Congress and Global Warming Policy - Essay Example These two geographical areas are engaged in economic activities from which they earn their living. The people living in these regions are represented by elected and nominated legislators sent to the two houses to promote their welfare. Some of these members are funded by - individuals, companies, for-profits, and non-profits - organizations to the legislative houses. Therefore, these groups sometimes influence the nomination of these representatives and senators and may influence a candidate to be defeated.Theregionsdependent on tourism and conservation of the environment would want the gasses emissions to be reduced to protect the environment. However, individuals engaged in production that pollutes the environment would wish to continue their economic activity, oblivious to the fact that they are damaging the environment. Therefore, it is very difficult to find a common ground on addressing global warming because whatever measures were taken to control global warming would affect t he livelihoods of the American citizens.ConclusionCongress should find a consensus on issues about the conservation of the environment. Being the house that formulates policies, it should come up with a common playing field that would restrict carbon emissions that cause global warming while at the same time providing incentives for adopting resolutions. It should formulate policies that will compel the government to invest heavily in environmentally friendly options that would reduce the global warming effect.

Phenomenology Through the Passage of Time

Phenomenology Through the Passage of Time Phenomenology through the passage of time Today architecture has become extremely dependent on peoples visual experience. Writers, poets, philosophers, artists, and experts from diverse areas of life have noticed the increase in the quantity as well as the speed of visual imagery which affect our society. In the context of this observation they have commented by saying the following statements. Italo Calvino (1988, p. 57) has written about the unending rainfall of images, in addition to which Richard Kearney (2002, p. 383) talks about the image addiction, and furthermore Roland Barthes (1964, p. 38) suggests that its the civilization of the image. Through the passage of time, the way we perceive architecture has changed. As the world has evolved, our means of interpreting what we see have evolved with it too. Earlier, during the renaissance period, architecture and art were perceived through static portrayals of paintings, whether it were within the architecture itself or on a canvas. In order to experience the architecture, one had to physically visit the space, which in turn changed the experience one had within the space. The speed and quantity of images during that time period were comparatively lower. As compared to the era of the renaissance, today, art and architecture are perceived through fast moving images, bright LED screens, and flashing signboards. The modern architect has skipped the static era and interprets architecture through the mobility of images. In order for one to know about a famous work of architecture, one doesn’t necessarily have to physically visit the space. The increase in the quantity of i mages today makes it easier to transport images as compared to buildings. Through the infinite amount of images that are available via various resources, the way we perceive architecture today has become extremely different as to how we perceived architecture back in time. In the context of architecture today, Juhani Pallasmaa (2011, p. 119) has written: Architecture is increasingly turning into the fabrication of seductively aestheticized images without roots in our existential experience and devoid of authentic desire of life. Instead of being a lived and embodied existential metaphor, today’s architecture tends to project purely retinal images, architectural pictures as it were, for the seduction of the eye. Since the early part of the twentieth century the basic principals of the theory of phenomenology were moderately applied to architecture, but as an acknowledgement towards modernity the theory emerged as a workable alternative for architectural thought, and more recently the theory has gained a following amongst architects and writers. It is an established fact that the relationship between the architecture and its image is profoundly entwined amongst one another, although there is a another topic that is quite frequently discussed in architecture that rotates around whether there should be a constant need for new innovations or the quest for architecture that already exists amongst us. These two opposing sides of architectural theory were coined the following terms by Peter Eisenman, zeitgeist and genius loci respectively. Those in the favor of the theory of phenomenology towards the approach of architectural design support the genius loci, which in simple terms talks about the spirit and distinctive atmosphere of the place. Therefore this also means that they associate unconventional and new innovations in the field with temporality, hence according to their methodology they prefer informed and descriptive design which they affiliate with the deep understanding of the context of the place. One of the core principles of phenomenology today is that the way we experience architecture is ongoing. That it is a dynamic experience. We experience it with all our senses. This experience in totality is dependent, culturally on where we come from. It differs person to person. The axiom of phenomenology revolves around the successful ability to design and build spaces, through the process or reverse engineering experiences, or by obtaining the crucial requirements that the space needs through personal intuition. One of many experts who have written about this percept, Japanese author Jun’ichirÃ…Â  Tanizaki’s in his work writes about how coming from different cultural backgrounds can immensely effect the experiences that people go through while visiting an architectural space. Similarly many other literature pieces have strongly been favorable towards the theory that the personal experiences that one goes through are unique and differ person to person when it com es to space and context. Furthermore, many theorists in the field of phenomenology also argue that while experiencing an architectural space, one needs to have grounding in relation with the context of the space, as well as ground with the genius loci. Theorists argue that this grounding is extremely necessary as it changes the experience for the better, and that if one experiences the space with no prior knowledge of the context of the space, the experience is not as profitable as the prior. However, I disagree with this theory. I do not agree that grounding is entirely necessary when it comes to experiencing a space. Phenomenology as a theory does not just talk about grounding in relation with context and space but talks about the experiences we feel while we are within the space. It is not about the architecture as much as it is about the people that inhabit the architecture. I think that the experiences that we go through are most definitely effected by where we come from, what our cultural backgrounds are, and what we, as individuals have experienced so far in our life. Going back to the context of this essay, the theory of phenomenology impacts the experiences we have while being within the spaces, but these experiences also change with time. If one experiences a certain range of emotions through their senses while visiting an architectural space, it is not necessary that they will experience the same set of emotions if they visit the space at a different point in t heir life. As time passes, we grow, we mature, and we get exposed to different outlets which in turn change the way we look at things. Our opinions change with time, and so does out perspective. Like many other experts in his field, Martin Heidegger wrote about the theory of phenomenology. His work (1927) broadened the scope of the theory as he suggested to include the semiconscious activities as well as the unconscious mental activities that were related to rational and practical activities. The way Heidegger approached these ideas were more practical than those of Edmund Husserl. He favored to find truths in relation with deep understandings of being. Through his work Heidegger secured a link between the theory of phenomenology and the practice of architecture, which has continued to influence experts from both these fields till today, theorists as well as architects. Numerous philosophers, writers, architects and theorists have condemned the analytical debate about the influence phenomenology has on architecture and design. Many architects have been linked to the theory with the work that they’ve put forward into the field. Although the extent of this relationship between the theory and their practicality while building varies. Some of these architects include: Alvar Aalto, Peter Zumthor, Hezrog and De Meuron and Louis Kahn. Individually they have all practiced changing the theory into practicality through their respective experiences. They have done this by studying the precise context and culture in relation with their design for the spaces, the aim of these works are to impact the users of the space in the same way that the architects were impacted, and in order for the users to imitate these experiences in the way that these architects has intended to put across. Opinions of the experts on the theory of phenomenology vary from person to person. The opinions on how the practice of this theory on architecture should adapt to times today differ as well. Pallasmaa (2009) insists that we should do the following, Instead of participating in the process of further speeding up the experience of the world, architecture has to slow down experience, halt time, and defend the natural slowness and diversity of experience. Architecture must defend us against excessive exposure, noise and communication. But I think that in reality the world is constantly moving at a fast pace which makes it extremely difficult to slow down experiences and time with it. Even though this would be the ideal way to approach meaningful experiences that people would go through while visiting a space, it is very difficult to achieve. In this context Rem Koolhas has said the following quote in an interview with the a magazine (Icon Magazine 2004) Any architectural project we do tak es at least four or five years, so increasingly there is a discrepancy between the acceleration of culture and the continuing slowness of architecture. I think that throughout time architecture has come up to be one of the most impactful and crucial reflection of cultures across the world. Whether we talk about historical monuments such as Coliseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India or whether we talk about modern day iconic buildings such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Empire State Building, each building reflects a different story of a different period of time that we have passed. While older cities have retained their essence and transport us back to a different time and era, modern day metropolitan cities are constantly moving at a fast pace, they don’t give us the time or the essence to look back and feel experiences about our past. They in turn project a vision of the future, and push us towards that future. Similarly phenomenology through time reflects different emotions on us at different points in our life. In this context it is not necessary that one must absolutely have prior knowledge about the context and genius loci of the space. A completely fruitful experience can also be achieved as architecture appeals to our senses, and its only a matter about what those senses do to our emotions. These emotions can vary due to various aspects at that point in time. It could be affected by the experiences we have previously encountered in our life, or it could trigger a range of emotions that have been enforced upon us while we visit the space. These range of emotions do not need to be grounded to the context of the site in order to felt. They can be affected by the essence of the space, just the way old cities have a different atmosphere to it. Although what I feel it is not necessary that the person I visit the place with feels the same while being within the space. These experiences also differ due to our cultural backgrounds and upbringings. I do believe that phenomenology as a theory plays an important role in experiences we feel while being within spaces, but I also think that the theory is almost flawed. Personally I think that thinking, processing and designing through the theory of phenomenology requires to envelope the ideology that it is extremely difficult to design spaces and just based on practicality and rationalization, but it is not that that difficult that an essence cannot be effectively felt through basic intuition and through the study of knowledge that we have but its just subconsciously or unconsciously there within our reach to access. To achieve a space that works functionally yet embodies the essence that is meant to trigger a set of emotions, both of the prior ways need to be combined and be constructively applied through design methodology. Only by doing this can a designer or an architect create a space where there is ambiguity and instinctiveness, as well as senses that are not visual which act as perfect tools to experience the architectural space. To conclude my essay, I think that through time as we grow and evolve, we are exposed to far more experiences which slightly change the way we look at things every time. The more exposure we get the more we grow spiritually and emotionally. This changes the way we experience spaces. I think that phenomenology is deeply intertwined with the concept of time and growth. It is also deeply intertwined with the speed at which we experience things. Through the passage of time we experience architecture differently and that phenomenology plays an extremely vital part in the equation of experiencing spaces.

Flags of All Countries :: Essays Papers

Flags of All Countries Flags hold a personal fascination for me. On the World Wide Web, â€Å"Flags of all Countries† made me sit up and take notice. This site can be found at www.immigration-usa.com/flags/. I have written of certain flags and the memories they invoke in the past. Who would have thought so much information could be packed into a site that at face value is about rectangular pieces of fabric? Even though I did no research of my own into this area, the site seemed factual and well documented. Flags of all Countries chose as their â€Å"Web Master† noteworthy ITA, or Information Technology Associates. This company specializes in geographic references, web design, software, and domestic and international flags. ITA is a company that strives to help people by making information available. They sell software to immigrants, the United States government, foreign governments, large corporations, hospitals, and to interested individuals. With such a broad range of consumers, ITA has established a reputable, trustworthy reputation. Photius Coutsoukis, a man known and rewarded for his online translators and online stores, founded Information Technology Associates in 1994. From that date the company blossomed from an education site for United States immigrants to a software boutique, e-merchant, and a major Internet publisher. All this information contributed to the credibility of the â€Å"Flags of all Countries† site. â€Å"Flags of all Countries† is also very user friendly. Every contemporary country in the world is listed. Each country listed is a link to either a list of the states in that country or the flag of the country itself. This list is located in the visible center column where it is easily accessible. The site also has links located on a column on the left side where the user can find the symbolism and brief history of each flag, or bring up â€Å"quick-maps† of any and all countries. Also available is information on immigration and general facts about the specific countries listed. There is so much information offered it appears impossible to exhaust. This site also gives the user an opportunity to easily paste any of the flags on a personal web page.

Crooks monologue- Of mice and men Essay

I’m so tired, both physically and mentally, but I bet you, there aint no one in the whole world who could, I mean who would help me. All this because I’m black. Is that even fair? Is that even my fault? I’m just a man too, I’m just a man like any other man round here. We were all brought into this world in the same way, We all were once young free souls with a childhood, we all know what the difference between the good and the evil is. , So why? Why. That is the question that I have asked myself from the day when they took my family, from the day my family were.. Well, I already know the answer to that, however unfair it may seem. They’ve done this to us because they see us differently, they are all lazy people who can only be bothered to see what’s on the surface and not even attempt to dig deeper, and they are judgemental people whom the god has created. God, my family brought me up to trust, and to have faith and to look up to god. I remember, that night, When my mum was putting me to bed she said- You need to have someone to look up to , someone who you have faith in, someone who you think about, someone who you ask for help when you’re stuck and I want you to remember that that man is god. But now, I even find myself questioning myself about the existence of this Supreme Being who is meant to help, who is meant to make everything fair and good. If anything or anyone so supreme was there to watch upon us, then why am I having to suffer? I have done no sin, I could not choose my skin colour, And I defiantly cant change that, however much I want to do so. I’m not going to lie, In the past I hated myself too, for being black- Because of my colour, I’ve been isolated from society, I’ve been hurt, I’ve even been denied the chance to even hope for my American dream. All this because I’m black. But now I’ve realised that I’m just lucky to at least be living, to at least have a job, to at least have a bed to sleep on at night. You see, I work up at the ranch full of white guys, the boss made sure that my job was somewhat secured after the day when one of the horses kicked me in the back and crippled me. Although my back hurts like a bitch every second in every minute in every hour in every day I’m grateful for it. Without it, who knows where I would be now? Probably dead or left for the dead out in the streets. And let me tell you , the thought of that is way better than living in the ranch and being ignored by those white ranch workers. Well, I’m not always ignored, I mean last Christmas I actually was invited in to celebrate with them, they even gave me some whiskey,It was by far an amazing night for me, but then again anything’s better than spending Christmas alone in the dark with the horses. And one of the new guys even came into my room and actually gave me company for the first time in many many years. That guy’s name is Lennie small, There’s no dening that he’s a heck of a strong worker, a giant guy, but there’s also no dening that he’s one stupid bastard. I’m not even saying this for the meaness, it’s the truth, I mean when a white guy steps into a black guys room to keep him company there’s only two possible reasons as to why he would do so- Either he’s opened his eyes and seen beneath just the surface or because he’s a stupid bastard. In lennie’s case it was the second reason. At that time, I thought that it would be a laugh to take advantage of him, I couldn’t wait to get the feeling of being ble to torment someone, anyone. So I did. Sure as hell I did, I told him that George ain’t coming back for him, I filled his head with complexe ideas about George leaving him to fend for himself, It was pure pleasure, just watching him squirm, panick, be helpless. I let him have a little taste of what it was like to be me, to be alone. But stopped as soon as lennie started to talk back, I was damn scared, but who wouldn’t be scared of a huge, dumb guy who isn’t even aware of his own strength? Soon another white guy also came in,his name is candy, an old guy with one hand completely missing. This one hesitated more coming in my room than Lennie did, making me aware that his eyes were also one of them many eyes who could only be bothered to see what is on the surface. He told me that he would soon bust outa this place to get his own place with George and Lennie, so I told him straight up, that I’d seen to many guys with dreams similar to them and that I know that it would always only just stay a far away dream, nothing more. This was until they told me that they had the money for it. I was going to tell them about my dream and even ask them to let me stay with them, but that evil bitch came to my door at that exact moment, She heard a bit of talking from me about my dream. That bitch was curley’s wife, Curley’s the bosses son so its not like I could have talked back to her while she told me that I could never ever get my dream. She crushed me slowly with her words, but I was thankful for the wakeup call. If she hadn’t said thatI would have just built up false expectation for myself, that would soon be crushed. That’s just my life, Ablack guy with no chance in the white society. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

HRD: Different Perspectives, Aims, and Objectives

Different paradigms present different perspectives of HARD (Human Resource Development) in terms of its aims and objectives. Consequently, it important to understand the different paradigms since each paradigm will have different approaches while solving HARD related problems. Experts advise that individuals build their personal beliefs regarding which paradigm suits his or her practice.In our context, It is best to divide HARD into two different paradigms, the performance, and the learning paradigm since they are definite. Moreover, the learning paradigm and the performance paradigm overlook most of the HARD practice as well as the thinking. The learning paradigm Is especially predominant In HARD practice In the United States of America. The learning paradigm and the performance paradigm are very dissimilar in many aspects. For instance, as the learning paradigm focuses on individual learning the performance paradigm focuses on the individual performance improvement.Learning paradig m of HARD is the field of study and practices that nature a long- term work-related learning capacity in an organization at all levels I. . Individual, organizational, and group levels. The performance paradigm of HARD is the art of realizing units of mission-related outputs. In addition, performance can be an organized system meant to accomplish a purpose or a mission. Though the two paradigms are diverse, they both agree on some aspects, for Instance they both agree that Improvement of organizations Is through human expertise.Different experts and philosophers hold different perspectives on the performance aspect. Performance can be as a natural outcome of humans' actively, reference is an important input in economic activities, or performance can also be a tool of oppression. There are different views held regarding then learning paradigm. Learning is a humanistic Endeavor, as it enhances the potential of human beings. Learning can also end up being an oppressive tool, for instan ce in the context of communism where learning is used to control the society.Learning is an instrument for the transmission of information needed by individuals. Nevertheless, it would be ignorant to draw that the two paradigms cannot converge since HARD operates best under Integration of the two. Chapter 8 Primary, the chapter Is about the theories on performance. Performance theory varies In comparison to the learning theory since It concentrates on teams, processes, organizational systems, and Individuals. Organizational effectiveness Is the mall precursor to performance and can be in different models.It can be a goal model, constituencies model. HARD is not the only discipline interested in performance and consequently analyzing HARD is normally on a basis on the different perspectives of performances. There are other different perspectives such as performance is a ultrasonically phenomenon. Performance models are of wide ranges of disciplines such as sociology, ethics, quality, psychology, and etcetera. Individual level performance models were because of HARD since; HARD has its foundation on individual learning.The models are the human performance technology and they try to define the common individual performance and the factors influencing individual performance. The financial performance entails the financial benefits of the HARD programs. Different factors influence the HARD profession such as the value-laden myths. Some of the myths are that the cost of HARD is high, it is impossible to quantify the benefits of HARD or that giving organizations the HARD they want is appropriate.Breaches enterprise model and Rumbles model provide integrated framework to achieve competitive advantage. Other common representative models are the John Campbell taxonomy and Thomas Gilbert's human performance engineering model. The integration of the performance models bring about new perspectives to HARD research, practice, and thinking. Chapter 9 This chapter focuses on the different perspectives of learning and the different preventative theories on learning in HARD.Learning is at the core of HARD and all debates ever carried out suggest that HARD embrace learning. The basic theories are six and include humanism, constructivism, holistic learning, social learning, behaviorism, and cognitive. These theories can apply in all the learning settings as well as for all age groups. Learning models can be at individual levels and at organizational levels. In the recent past, androgyny has been a theory of adult learning, a set of assumptions regarding adult learners, and a method of adult education.At individual levels is the androgyny that is a principal adult learning in HARD. On an adult learning perspective, it is a genuine trial to focus on the adult learner. Ontological model avails core standards of important and key hypotheses on adult learners. Another king of learning that is increasingly gaining attention is the transformational learning. This kind of learning is deep and requires the learner to challenge the fundamental assumptions and the mental schema they hold regarding the world.In relation to mental schema are restructuring, accretion, and tuning here accretion and tuning entails no change or incremental changes in an individual's schemata and restructuring involves creating a new schema. Organizational learning is learning that occurs at system level and not at individual levels. The main feature differentiating individual and organizational learning is that individual learning makes their mental models precise. HARD develops the knowledge for organizations to be competitive in the economy. Swanson. A, Hilton. F, Hilton, E. Foundations of Human Resource Development. London: Barrett-Koehler Publishers, 2001.

How to Do a Sedimentation Test on Soil

How to Do a Sedimentation Test on Soil For studying sediments, or the sedimentary rocks made of them, geologists are very serious about their lab methods. But with a little care, you can get consistent, fairly accurate results at home for certain purposes. One very basic test is determining the mix of particle sizes in a sediment, whether thats soil, the sediment in a streambed, the grains of sandstone or a batch of material from a landscape supplier. Equipment All you really need is a quart-sized jar and a ruler with millimeters. First, make sure you can measure the height of the jars contents accurately. That might take a little ingenuity, like putting a piece of cardboard underneath the ruler so that the zero mark lines up with the floor inside the jar. (A pad of small sticky notes makes a perfect shim because you can peel off exactly enough sheets to make it precise.) Fill the jar mostly full of water and mix in a pinch of dishwasher detergent (not ordinary soap). Then youre ready to test sediment. Use no more than a half-cup of sediment for your test. Avoid sampling plant matter on the ground surface. Pull out any large pieces of plants, insects, and so on. Break up any clods with your fingers. Use a mortar and pestle, gently, if you have to. If there are only a few grains of gravel, dont worry about it. If theres a lot of gravel, remove it by straining the sediment through a coarse kitchen sieve. Ideally, you want a sieve that will pass anything smaller than 2 millimeters. Particle Sizes Sediment particles are classified as gravel if theyre larger than 2 millimeters, and if theyre between 1/16th and 2 mm, silt if theyre between 1/16th and 1/256th mm, and clay if theyre even smaller. (Heres the official grain size scale used by geologists.) This home test doesnt measure the sediment grains directly. Instead, it relies on Stokes Law, which accurately describes the speed at which particles of different sizes fall in the water. Big grains sink faster than small ones, and clay-size grains sink very slowly indeed. Testing Clean Sediments Clean sediment, like beach sand or desert soil or ballfield dirt, contains little or no organic matter. If you have this kind of material, testing is straightforward. Dump the sediment into the jar of water. The detergent in the water keeps the clay particles separate, in effect washing the dirt off the larger grains and making your measurements more accurate. Sand settles in less than a minute, silt in less than an hour and clay in a day. At that point, ​you can measure the thickness of each layer to estimate the proportions of the three fractions. Heres the most efficient way to do it. Shake the jar of water and sediment thoroughly- a full minute is plenty- set it down and leave it for 24 hours. Then measure the height of the sediment, which includes everything: sand, silt, and clay.Shake the jar again and set it down. After 40 seconds, measure the height of the sediment. This is the sand fraction.Leave the jar alone. After 30 minutes, measure the height of the sediment again. This is the sand-plus-silt fraction.With these three measurements, you have all the information needed to calculate the three fractions of your sediment. Testing Soils Soils differ from clean sediments in that they have organic matter (humus). Add a tablespoon or so of baking soda to the water. That helps this organic matter rise to the top, where you can scoop it out and measure it separately. (It usually amounts to a few percent of the total volume of the sample.) Whats left is clean sediment, which you can measure as described above. At the end, your measurements will let you calculate four fractions- organic matter, sand, silt, and clay. The three sediment size fractions will tell you what to call your soil, and the organic fraction is a sign of the soils fertility. Interpreting the Results There are several ways to interpret the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in a sediment sample. Probably the most useful for everyday life is characterizing a soil. Loam is generally the best kind of soil, consisting of an equal amount of sand and silt and a somewhat smaller amount of clay. The variations from that ideal loam are classified as sandy, silty or clayey loam. The numerical boundaries between those soil classes  and more  are shown on the USDA soil classification diagram. Geologists use other systems for their purposes, whether its surveying the mud on the seafloor or testing the ground of a construction site. Other professionals, like farm agents and groundskeepers, also use these systems. The two most commonly used in the literature are the Shepard classification and the Folk classification. Professionals use strict procedures and a range of equipment to measure sediment. Get a taste of the complexities in the U.S. Geological Survey:  Open-File Report 00-358.

Operations and Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operations and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example The report will asses some aspects of operations and supply chain management in terms of strategies to be adopted, supply chain design, supply chain planning, inventory and planning in retail and global operations, procurement management sustainable supply chain, demand forecasting, demand management, and product design supply chain. The paper will also asses some aspects of transport and distribution supply chain management, warehousing and material handling service operations, logistics outsourcing financial considerations, lean manufacturing human aspects of operations and supply chain management, quality management pedagogical issues, and maintenance research methodology in operations and supply chain management. It is worth noting that any of the above analysis will be done with an aim of developing a consultancy report to advice the management of the company about an appropriate â€Å"layout† for the proposed store. It is in this light that I will discuss the elements of a hypermarket layout plan in order to address all relevant considerations that should be put into practice to make easy the operations of such a business once in force. Introduction Studies have noted that the concept of operations and supply chain management has been emerging as a management issue of concern that organisations have sought to address to its conclusive end (Heiman and Nickerson, 2002, p.97; Singh and Power, 2009, p. 189). Horvath (2001, p. 205) observes that having come out as a dominant theme, supply chain integration is being considered to be of vital importance given the role it plays in business management. An organization's operations are strategically vital in the sense that, nearly all of the firms everyday activities are normally within the operations function. The relationship between a firm’s strategy and its operations is actually the big factor that determines the overall success of the firm in relation to its set objectives either in the short ru n or in the long run. Other scholars have been for the opinion that supply chain management (SCM) would be best carried out if traders come together and form and co-operate so as to achieve a common goal with an aim of acquiring benefits that may accrue from such integration. In order to determine the best layout and size of a new hypermarket near Sydney, I considered research studies on the Sydney market, consumer behaviors, the market’s potential in relation to local and international competition, international trade barriers, transport costs, local competition, government requirements, and political stability. In addition, I also researched on buyer behavior, competitive practices, distribution channels, media and demographic patterns through research studies about Australian markets, especially Sydney. However, the major discussion will be based on geographical expanse of Australia, especially Sydney, and demographic profile. This will put into consideration reliable data on potential demand, the cost of facilities, and operating costs such as labour and transportation Literature Review Australian Market Studies have indicated that operations and supply chain management (OSCM) assists companies to respond to market factors appropriately and allay any undesirable effect that may impede an organization (Holweg et al., 2005, p. 170; Chen et al., 2000, p. 436). In the sane way, other studies indicate that highly integrated supply chains help firms in building competitive advantages over rival companies (Myhr and Spekman, 2005, p. 180; Themistocleous et al., 2004, p. 393). From studies conducted on Australian internal market, (Chan, 2006, p. 238) has found

Policy-Making in the Federal System Research Paper

Policy-Making in the Federal System - Research Paper Example Obamacare is a good policy it raises federalism issues in various ways. The mandate of the federal government was the power-sharing notion. This means the s that the states each can set the rules of its governance rather than be forced into rules that do not apply to them at the local level. However, Obamacare has been seen by local heads as coercing all the states to follow is strict rules this is deemed unconditional. Furthermore, the federal dollars was used as an incentive to coax governors to go along with the policy. Governors feel like they have to embrace the policy or destroy their indemnity markets. Obamacare sure has a lot of pros than cons but either way it is conflicting. The pros of Obamacare are that it gives more time for young adults since they are allowed to be under their parents care until they reach 26b years old. Obamacare does not prejudice people based on health status thus nobody is denied coverage. Furthermore, the policy does not terminate you when you fall sick. Obamacare is an equal insurance and not discriminatory on gender. The best part is that more people are insured because the policy insists that large companies must insure their staff. Moreover, Obamacare has set rules regarding insurance companies from hiking their rates. And finally, this policy gives the insured rights to have the quick appeal of insurance company decisions while covering millions of people. The cons to this policy are that Obamacare insist on covering even sick people and this means high costs for everybody covered. Moreover, the money needed to cover the millions of people come from taxes, this means that taxes must be hiked. Many people have had to change their policy or had them canceled by their respective companies. This is because they did not meet the policy’s ten essential health benefits.