HRIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

HRIS - Essay Example This resulted in inconsistent outcomes and the cost of the human resource was also increased to a great extent. Consequently, the manager is desperate to find out appropriate solutions to overcome these issues due to which he is looking for different vendors that would make things better within the organization. There were basically two choices of vendors that could work well for this business. It includes; the pro staff files and the Auxillian West Human Resource Software. The pro staff files works well for huge organization like Castle’s Family Restaurant whereas the HRnet source is applicable on the small or mid-size organizations. As far as my opinion is concerned I prefer that Mr. Morgan selects the pro staff files as this a high profile business. Knowing the fact that the HRnet could only be used for smaller organizations it is likely to be disqualified. Henceforth, this is a time where Mr. Morgan should lead form the from the front and take a decision that should make things better and produce consistent and efficient results along with creating a diverse environment within the workplace. One thing that plays a significant role for an organization to be successful is its well organized Human Resource Department. The Human Resource Department can either make or break the organization. It helps to operate the business smoothly along with improving the information and technology processes. With the rapid advancements in the technology it is essential for any organization to maximize their focus on the technology and produce effective results. It has been witnessed that the introduction of Human Resource Information System obliged to set up a computerized system rather than depending much on manual work. Castle’s Family Restaurant has also decided to maintain a HRIS in order to create diversity within the workplace. However, this was not very easy as the company had to go

Computer Forensics Essay Example for Free

Computer Forensics Essay Computer forensics, also called digital forensics, network forensics, or cyberforensics, is a rapidly growing field that involves gathering and analyzing evidence from computers and networks. Because computers and the internet are the fastest growing technology used for criminal activity, the need for computer forensics specialists will increase in years to come. A computer forensics specialist examines computer media, programs, data, and log files on computers, servers, and networks. Many areas employ computer forensics specialists, including law enforcement, criminal prosecutors, military intelligence, insurance agencies, and information security departments in the private sector. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of the law, technical experience with many types of hardware and software products, superior communication skills, a willingness to learn and update skills, and a knack for problem solving. When a problem occurs, it is the responsibility of the computer forensics specialist to carefully take several steps to identify and retrieve possible evidence that may exist on a suspect’s computer. These steps include protecting the suspect’s computer, discovering all files, recovering deleted files, revealing hidden files, accessing protected or encrypted files, analyzing all the data, and providing expert consultation and/or testimony as required. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of all aspects of computers, from the operating system to computer architecture and hardware design. There are three main areas of law related to computer security that affect computer forensics and those come from the fourth and fifth amendment, the U. S. federal rules of evidence and hearsay and finally the three U. S. statutory laws. Computer forensic specialists must be very careful when doing any type of investigation and be sure to follow the laws, if the laws are broken in any way they can be charged with a felony. In conclusion to sum up what computer forensics is in a short it is simply the application of computer investigation and analysis techniques in the interests of determining potential legal evidence.

X-ray Crystallography Technique Analysis

X-ray Crystallography Technique Analysis 1 Limitations of x-ray crystallography From the first crystalline structure determination of table salt in 1914; whose structure elucidation proved the existence of ionic compounds (6), single crystal x-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) has been widening our view of the hidden world of molecular structures. Today, SC-XRD continues to be the only structural analysis method that offers direct structural information at the atomic level. As such, this technique has been vital for reliably solving many structures of small molecules such as neurotransmitters, antibiotics and industrial catalysts. SC-XRD utilises the ability of crystalline atoms to scatter or diffract a beam of incident x-ray into a series of amplified and spatially constrained beams (3). The angles and intensities of these beams can be measured and computationally processed by a crystallographer to produce a 3-dimensional image of the density of electrons in the crystal. Aside from the expertise required to process the reflection data produced, the fundamental requirement of crystals for this technique acts as major limitation, since single molecules scatter the incident x-ray to produce a weak, continuous beam that provides little useful information for analysis. While technological advances in recent decades including highly intense x-ray beams produced by synchrotrons and the development of more powerful algorithms for molecular structure imaging have allowed the size of the crystal required to be increasingly smaller, the need for a crystal has still not been eliminated. This poses a great issue as many t arget compounds are very difficult to crystallise, thus requiring experienced specialists; while others will simply not crystallise at all. In 2013, a new protocol, later coined the crystalline sponge method (CSM), was reported that attempted to bypasses this intrinsic limitation of the target molecule needing to be crystalline (1). 2 The journey of the crystalline sponge method Expectations Fujita and his team described the new method that promised to speed up SC-XRD drastically by eliminating the crystallization step of the target molecule. This was done using porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs) that act as crystalline sponges. Due to the high molecular recognition capability of their pores, these sponges can absorb target molecules from the sample solution into their pores.   In their study, Fujita and his team used two MOFs synthesised from tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TTP, 1) and the appropriate metal salt as their crystalline sponges: {[(Co(NCS)2)3(TTP)4]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢x(solvent)}n (2) and {[(ZnI2)3(TTP)2]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢x(solvent)}n (3). In both complexes, the void spaces showed strong binding properties for incoming guest molecules making them ideal crystalline sponges. The as-synthesized complexesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °2 and 3 contained solvents in the void. By soaking the crystals of 2 and 3 in a guest solution, guest molecules slowly penetrate these wet cavities by guest exchange, and are concentrated at the molecular-recognition pockets surrounded by TTP. A characteristic of the strong host-guest interaction in the crystals of 2 and 3 lies in panel ligandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °1, which attracts various guests onto its electron-deficient à Ã¢â€š ¬-plane. The slow guest exchange allows for the process to remain under thermodynamic control, rendering the geometry of the included guests to be regularly ordered and well equilibrated, thus making it possible to analyse the accommodated guests by crystallography since the molecular structure of the absorbed guest will be displayed, along with the host framework. Since theoretically, only one crystal is needed to perform the experiment, Fujitas team found that even trace sample amounts of the microgram-nanogram scale can be analysed in this protocol. When the team used only 80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ng of guaiazulene guest sample with a crystal of 3 (80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃƒÆ'-à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃƒÆ'-à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼m3), they were surprised to see the guestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °was still clearly observed. Considering that the experiment was carried out using a laboratory X-ray machine, it seemed promising to accomplish crystallography with synchrotron X-ray experiments even on a mass of In order to assess the scope of the method, the team carried out blind crystallographic analysis of six appropriate samples (Fig) with only ~5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼g of each sample. In conjunction with mass spectroscopic data, all six structures were correctly assigned, with three of the structures solved solely from the crystallographic data. Additionally, the protocol was successfully used to determine the absolute stereochemistry of santonin 4, an anthelminthic drug bearing four chiral centres. Unlike common absolute structure determinations, this was achieved without the chemical introduction of heavy atoms on the guest skeleton since the host framework contains heavy atoms (Zn and I) that show enhanced anomalous scattering effects. (Expand The most impressive result of the teams protocol however was determining the absolute structure of miyakosyneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °A 5, a scarce natural marine product recently isolated from a marine sponge Petrosia sp. The structure contains three chiral centres on its main alkyl chain, two of which, C3 and C26, had been previously determined to be 3R and 26R respectively. However, since the difference between the two long alkyl groups on C14 is only one methylene unit, determining the absolute configuration at C14 was ineffective by conventional spectroscopic and chemical methods. As the amount of miyakosyneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °A was very limited, preparation a single crystal for X-ray crystallography would propose a huge challenge. The team were able apply their method to the full characterization of miyakosyneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °A to determine the absolute configuration at C14 and reported success. For its appraisers, it was this result that made this new protocol transformational (4) and understandably it led to a lot of excitement in the field. 1.3 The Fall The initial lustre of the protocol was dulled as Fujita and his team published a correction on the initial report later that year (1b). Previously unnoticed ambiguities in the crystallographic data, alongside further investigation of by the team found the initial assignment of stereochemistry at C14 of 5 to have been incorrect. Synthetic studies by the team determined the methyls stereochemistry was opposite to the original assignment reported. Poor data quality was concluded to be the cause of this errors. Additionally, more problems were met as other research groups tried to use the technique in their own labs. Although success with the technique was achieved for simple molecules, in the first few months, other groups found little success with any interesting structures, particularly large molecules or molecules containing alkaline chemical groups (8b). Fujitas team were able to aid other industrial and academic groups to master the technique in one to two weeks. Additionally, more of the issues in reproducibility were improved by the release of a more detailed report of the method (1c) that described the sponge synthesis, pore-solvent exchange and selection requirements for high quality single crystals for crystallography. However, this did not address the issue of poor data quality that led to the misassignment of 5. Since poor data quality can be attributed to all steps of the CSM, including cystal synthesis, solvent exchange, guest-soaking, data collection and crystallographic ref inement of the host-guest complex molecules; in order to move the CSM from the fascinating idea phase into becoming the transformational and reliable new technology it was envisioned to be, much work was required to optimise all these steps. 3. {[(ZnI2)3(TTP)2]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢x(solvent)}n: The most successful sponge to date 3.1 Andvantages of {[(ZnI2)3(1)2]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢x(solvent)}n In their initial paper, Fujita and his team reported using sponges 2 and 3. With further investigation, in the case of complex 2, it was observed that guest molecules absorbed in the sponge were prone to static disorder as they tend to lay on the symmetry elements of the cubic lattice (Fm3m). Additionally, complex 2 was shown to undergo unfavourable transformations when removed from solution (8c). This destabilising transformation, accompanied by a colour change from orange to green, resulted in a semiamorphous solid with a significantly altered coordination environment at the metal centre. As such, the less symmetric (C2/c) complex 3 has been employed as the primary host complex for the crystalline sponge. The versatility of 3 as a crystal sponge stems from several advantages in host-guest complexation in the pores. Firstly, the size of the pores is ideal for accommodating organic molecules of common sizes, while the hydrophobic nature of the pore cavities provides favourable bindin g of common organic molecules. Also, ligand 1 in the complex offers flat and electron-deficient binding site, appropriate for stacking with aromatic compounds and for CH-à Ã¢â€š ¬ interactions even with aliphatic compounds (9). Since the I atoms in the ZnI2 are good hydrogen-bond acceptors and the pyridyl protons of the ligand 1 are good hydrogen-bond donors, they provide efficient binding sites through hydrogen-bonding. Finally, the framework of sponge 3 is reatively flexible with the size of the guest not strictly limited to the pore size of the complex. Molecules larger than the portal are often accommodated by expanding the pore size. (1.3) 3.2.1 Synthesis of {[(ZnI2)3(1)2]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢x(solvent)}n and solvent exchange by Fujita method and updated Clardy method In their investigations, Fujita and co-workers prepared 3 by layering a solution of zinc iodide in methanol onto a denser solution of TTP (1) in nitrobenzene. The solution is allowed to stand for 7 days, over which crystals form at the boundary of the two solvents as they diffuse before dropping to the bottom of the test tube and being isolated by filtration. The as-synthesised crystals contain nitrobenzene molecules in the void spaces. However, since nitrobenzene has a high affinity to the pores, target guests are poorly absorbed into the as-synthesised crystal. As such, a solvent exchange step that replaces nitrobenzene with an inert, noninteractive solvent is required prior to soaking the crystal in the target guest solution. Cyclohexane can be adopted as the inert solvent, while pentane also proves useful for guest soaking at temperatures below 0oC. The solvent exchange step is carried out by soaking the crystal in the inert solvent for 7 days at 50oC. The success of the process can be monitered throughout by observing the disappearance of the signal at 1346 cm-1 in an Infrared (IR) spectrum, which can be assigned to nitrobenzene. Completion of the process is confirmed by SC-XRD by the presence of ordered cyclohexane molecules in the pores. The sponge may now be used for guest absorption. This solvent exchange process may complicate the refinement of the structure, since some nitrobenzene may reamin within the sponge structure after exchange (Vinogradova et al., 2014). This becomes an issue if the target guest molecule contains cyclohexyl or aromatic rings, as it may be difficult to distinguish the guest from residual solvent, especially if   the site occupancy is low or the data quality is poor. Accompanied with heavy use of crystallographic restraints, this increases the risk of misassignment of the desired guest molecule by using residual solvent electron density. Additionally, if the residual solvent and the guest interact similarly with the host, the likelihood of occupational disorder increases and making structure refinement much more challenging. Clardy and co-workers later reported a simpler and less timely preparation method for the synthesis of sponge 3 using similar conditions to those reported by Fujita and his team. (5sync) Instead of conducting the layer diffusion step with TTP in nitrobenzene, TTP is dissolved in chloroform. As such, the as-synthesised crystals of sponge 3 contain chloroform in the pores. Since chloroform has a much lower affinity for the solvent pores than nitrobenzene, the solvent exchange step can be omitted and the as-synthesised crystals used immediately. As well as saving 7 days of preparation by omitting the solvent exchange step, this method is also milder as it does not require the crystal to be heated for long periods of time. This reduces the chances of introducing imperfections in the crystal. This omission also minimises the number of solvents that the crystal is exposed to, reducing issues in structure refinement. Although some CHCl3 might remain within the sponge after guest inclusion, due to its longer C-Cl bond length (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ¼1.7à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ€¦) and larger Cl electron density, CHCl3 can still be observed. This greater electron density for CHCl3 exerts a larger influence on the structure factors relative to incorporated guest compared to nitrobenzene, however the benefits of CHCl3 usage override this issue. In addition to the desired crystals, this preparation method has been found to simultaneously form other crystalline structures. Firstly, a crystalline compound with the formula [{(ZnI2)3(TPT)2 ·CHCl3}n] (2), having a much smaller pore size has been viewed. Fortunately, this crystalline structure can be easily distinguished from the desired structure from its morphology (Fig). A second undesired crystal has more recently been observed with consistently distinct unit parameter, but having indistinguishable morphology to the desired structure from its morphology (Fig). Both these crystals are believed to form due to slight changes in humidity and temperature as well as variations in mixing in the initial stages of the layering process.   desired crystal. Both these crystals are believed to form due to slight changes in humidity and temperature as well as variations in mixing in the initial stages of the layering process.

Fgm: Female Genital Mutilation :: essays research papers

FGM: Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation has been practiced in country's around the world for thousands of years, and will continue to be practiced, until those that practice it decide to stop. Many people who live in country's that are more industrialized, like the U.S.A., tend to think that no ones believes on right and wrong is correct, except their own. That is what comes up in conversation about FGM. Personally, I am not pro-FGM when it comes to its practice. However, I believe people who want to practice it, should be allowed to, without a bunch of "activists against the practice of FGM" telling them to stop, or even "informing" them about the potential health risks. The reason I am against even explaining the health risks to the people that practice this is, because whenever you have people that believe enough in something to base their entire life around it, there is nothing you can do or say that will get them to change; it would be like talking to a wall. They will only change when the people themselves that live by these traditions get fed up with all the side-effects caused by the practice of FGM. It is every person and community's right to decide for themselves, without the intervention of outsiders, to decide to do whatever they want to do to their bodies and minds. I know, "these women that are being circumcised, aren't freely deciding on this to be done to them, they don't know any better, they've been brainwashed". I have two responses to this. The first is, if they have grown up in this culture all their lives, and this procedure has been done to their mothers, sisters, great grandmothers, etc. on the fear that if it is not done, something tearable will happen, there is no way they would not want it done; no matter how much pain it causes, and besides those that are able to break away from the thought of why it must be done, will do so with or without the help of outsiders. But if they're that committed to the tradition, they will change for no one. The second point is, when you decide you are going to educate these people about how their traditions are wrong and unhealthy, that is saying you know better. You may think they are stupid for preforming FGM, but you must remember, they think you are just as stupid for not performing it. Perhaps, these people that perform FGM have philosophy classes too, where they

Letters Giving Information

Dear Sir/Madam, As the main organizer of performance that is being planned to stage at Can Tho university, I am writing to you on behalf of the students in my drama class to request that you be so kind as to help us to publicize the event. Now, I would like to give you some information about the performance. To welcome the Lunar New Year, my drama class is planning to stage a musical based upon George Bernad Shaw’s Pygmalion – My Fair Lady.My Fair Lady is a world popular musical and is the record for the longest run of any major musical theatre production in history. Therefore, I’m sure it will attract many audience. The performance will take place at 7 pm on 30th January at the Great Hall in Can Tho university. Visitors are expected to come earlier. To carry out this performance, we prepared thoroughly and drilled diligently. Actors and actresses have formerly acting experience, so I trust audience will not be disappointed with the drama.We’d like if the above information could be included in bulletins of local news. I’m sure that this event will be of interest to many people who love art and drama. Next, allow me to suggest that the journalists could be invited to report on the event, and to interview the actors and members of the audience. This way, members in my class will have better opportunities to develop their career. Thank you for your time  and cooperation in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further information. Yours faithfully, Letters Giving Information Dear Sir/Madam, As the main organizer of performance that is being planned to stage at Can Tho university, I am writing to you on behalf of the students in my drama class to request that you be so kind as to help us to publicize the event. Now, I would like to give you some information about the performance. To welcome the Lunar New Year, my drama class is planning to stage a musical based upon George Bernad Shaw’s Pygmalion – My Fair Lady.My Fair Lady is a world popular musical and is the record for the longest run of any major musical theatre production in history. Therefore, I’m sure it will attract many audience. The performance will take place at 7 pm on 30th January at the Great Hall in Can Tho university. Visitors are expected to come earlier. To carry out this performance, we prepared thoroughly and drilled diligently. Actors and actresses have formerly acting experience, so I trust audience will not be disappointed with the drama.We’d like if the above information could be included in bulletins of local news. I’m sure that this event will be of interest to many people who love art and drama. Next, allow me to suggest that the journalists could be invited to report on the event, and to interview the actors and members of the audience. This way, members in my class will have better opportunities to develop their career. Thank you for your time  and cooperation in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further information. Yours faithfully,

Economic Development Of Hawaii Essays - Hawaii, Unemployment

Economic Development Of Hawaii Essays - Hawaii, Unemployment Economic Development of Hawaii Hawaii, with an area of 28,313 sq. km (10,932 sq. mi.), is the 43rd largest state in the U.S.; 6.9% of the land is owned by the federal government. It consists mainly of the Hawaiian Islands, eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs, and shoals. The major islands in order of size are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Nihau, and Kahoolawe. Population growth has increased by 80,000 persons over the past five years. Demographics show a large number of Hispanic origin: Asian Hispanics are the most populated with white Hispanic and Asian non-Hispanic following. Hawaii's economy has been long dominated by plantation agriculture and military spending. As agriculture has declined in importance, the economy has diversified to encompass a large tourist business and a growing manufacturing industry. Hawaii's economy has changed drastically since statehood. In 1958, defense, sugar, and pineapple were the primary economic activities, accounting for 40% of Gross State Product (GSP). In contrast, visitor-related expenditures stood at just over 4% of Hawaii's GSP prior to statehood. Today the positions are reversed; sugar and pineapple constitute about 1% of GSP, defense accounts for just under 11%, while visitor-related spending comes close to 24% of Hawaii's GSP. The movement toward a service- and trade-based economy becomes even more apparent when considering the distribution of Hawaii's jobs across sectors. The share of the economy's jobs accounted for by manufacturing and agriculture have declined steadily since 1959 and each currently makes up less than 4% of total jobs in the economy. At the same time, the shares of jobs in wholesale and retail trade and in services have risen, ezding at about 23% and 28%, respectively. Since 1991, Hawaii's economy has suffered from rising rates of unemployment. This ezds in marked contrast to the period 1980 to 1993, when the state enjoyed very low unemployment rates relative to the nation as a whole. But by 1994 the recession had raised Hawaii's unemployment rate to the national average (6.1%) for the first time in 15 years. In 1995, the state's unemployment rate improved slightly in the first eleven months of the year to 5.4 percent, a 0.6 percentage point decline from the first eleven months of 1994. Despite the lower unemployment rate, the total number of wage and salary jobs declined by 0.6 percent during the first eleven months of 1995. This was due in part to a fall in part-time jobs which are often held by persons who also have primary jobs elsewhere in the economy. The number of construction jobs declined by more than 7 percent in the same period. Other industriesnamely, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, communications/utilities, and finance, insurance, and real estateexperienced declines in the number of jobs as well. Jobs in retail trade and services, however, increased 2.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, reflecting an increase in visitor spending since 1994. Following a dismal first quarter due to the Kobe earthquake, there was steady growth in the tourism sector in 1995 with increases in the number of visitor arrivals and hotel room rates. The number of visitor arrivals to the State increased 3.2 percent during the first eleven months of 1995. The increase in the value of the Japanese yen vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar during this period contributed to a rise in eastbound visitors in the second and third quarter of 1995 by 11.8 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively. However, in the first eleven months of 1995, the number of westbound visitors remained flat. This year is the 11th year in a row that the U.S. has experienced reduced spending on national defense. The continued reduction is due to the decline in superpower tensions and the political disintegration of the Soviet and East European-block during this decade which have prompted the Congress and Administration to initiate significant cuts in the level of defense expenditures in recent years. However, because of the strategic location of Hawaii in the Pacific this changing military posture has not significantly affected Hawaii's $3.7 billion Federal defense sector. The construction industry continued its decline in the first eleven months of 1995. This loss was mainly due to decreasing demand exacerbated by higher interest rates during the first half of 1995, following a 12.4 percent drop in 1994. Another

Nancy safety Essays

Nancy safety Essays Nancy safety Essay Nancy safety Essay Later on in the chapter Nancy goes to see Rose and tell her about Oliver and she is the first person to show Nancy compassion, Rose is 20 years old and is someone who Nancy can trust. Rose is offering Nancy safety.  Nancy sticks up for Sikes and states that she cant leave Sikes even after what he has done:  because among the men I have told you of, there is one: the most desperate among them all: that I cant leave; no, not even to be saved from the life I am lending now.  She is in love with Sikes and can never leave him alone. She will stick by Sikes forever loyal and never desert him. She also states that Rose is the first ever person who has been nice to Nancy and Dickens builds up sympathy for Nancy by doing this: you are the first that ever blessed me with such words as these, I cannot leave him now! I would not be his death.  She says here that the person who shes loved is hers forever and she cannot be his death and that is she tells someone then he will be executed. Also she says that she will stick with him and:I believe, if I knew that I was to die by his hand at last   Nancy has a feeling that something terrible is going to happen:  but I have such a fear and dread upon me to-night that I can hardly stand. She then talks about her premonition of her own death which build up tension also suspense:  Horrible thoughts of death, and shrouds with blood upon them, and a fear that has made me burn as if I was on fire, have been upon me all day. I was reading a book to-night, to wile the time away, and the same things came into the print Ill swear I saw coffin written in every page of the book in large black letters. Nancy has read a book and someone is murdered init, Victorians like horror stories and so Dickens puts this in that Nancy also read a horror story, words coffin keeps coming up which is a premonition of her death. She refuses to go with them because of Sikes and she states that eventually she will end up dying. Rose wishes to give something to Nancy. Rose offers her purse and Nancy refuses money. She then takes the handkerchief and this is the one which Nancy uses to tell Sikes to stop murdering her in Fatal Consequences. Nancy is a victim of poverty because to survive she had to become a child prostitute, this is why the audience feels sorry for Nancy because all her money is taken by Sikes and he spends it on drinking. Sikes is the Victorian villain in this novel and he is a very violent and emotionless man. There was a huge difference between rich and poor and Dickens wanted readers to feel and also learn that there should be no difference because we are all human beings, this is what J.B. Priestley did when he wrote An Inspector calls. Fatal Consequences is a melodramatic scene. Fagin tells Sikes not to be too violent. You wont be-too-violent, Bill?Here Dickens uses dashes for emphasis and also the main word which tells the audience about Bill is Violent These is a adjective and it builds up tension. Fagin wants Bill to hurt Nancy but not to kill her because of the consequences they will face. Both Fagin and Sikes are furious and wants to hurt Nancy we find this out here:  .fire in the eyes of both,  This is imagery which has an great impact on the audience. It tells us they are consumed with rage. Fagin then says to Sikes:  not too violent for safety. Be crafty, Bill, and not too bold. He is saying to Sikes to be careful, clear and crafty. Sikes does not reply which make him sinister. Sikes dashed out into the silent streets. The word dashed shows Sikes anger and that he went quickly. This is a very emphatic word. Silent streets has a use of alliteration.   Without one pause, or moments consideration: without once turning his head to the right or left, or raising his eyes to the sky, or lowering them to the ground, but looking straight before him with savage resolution: his teeth so tightly compressed that the strained jaw seemed starting through his skin: the robber held on his headlong course, not muttered a word, nor relaxed a muscle. Until he reached his owndoor. He opened it, softly, with a key All these lines have semi-colons which add emphasis. Also repetition is used to add emphasis. Sikes doesnt look anywhere but just looks straight and is focused on one thing which is anger against Nancy. This builds up tension and also makes us want to read on more  Without one pause nor moments considerations  This shows us Sikes anger, Savage resolution. Shows us how wild he is and furious and anxious to do something to Nancy.  his teeth so tightly compressed that the strained jaw seemed starting through his skin  This shows rage anger and so angry that his bones seem to be coming out. nor relaxed a muscle  This shows us that he is very tensed.  He opened it, softly, with a key; strode lightly up the stairs,  Dickens has done this to build up tension. He then  ..double latched the door and lifting a heavy table against it  This is so she cannot come out of the room. The words softly and lightly are adverbs. Dickens also calls Nancy the girl which makes her more vulnerable and smaller, also makes her feel weaker and innocent, which makes Sikes big. she raised herself with a hurried and startled look  She gets up because of the noise and doesnt know that he is here to kill her. Get up!   Dickens uses explanation marks to make it look aloud.  said the man.  The word man emphasises the difference between the weakness and strength.  It is you, Bill!  She is surprised and she is pleased to see him.  .with an expression of pleasure..  The words Get up! are repeated again. Because there was a candlestick burning he  hurled it under the grate.. He also stopped Nancy from undrawing the curtains.  Let it beTheres light enough for what Ive got to do.  He thrusts his hand before her so he can kill her, no-one should see because he can be hanged if caught. Also Nancy will be getting scared and suspicious, and then she says:  Bill, why do you look like that at me!  She asks this because she is scared. Now the tension really starts to build rapidly.  The robber sat regarding her, for a few seconds with dilated nostrils and heaving breast; and then, grasping her by the head and throat, dragged her into the middle of the room, and looking once towards the door, placed his heavy hand upon her mouth. The first 2 lines above are flarry and are a sign of anger and also he is breathing hard. When he grabs her from the throat and drags her he is being physically violent and he doesnt want her to scream.  Bill, Bill! Gasped the girl, wrestling with the strength of mortal  She is very, very scared. When she is wrestling with the strength of mortal fear she tries her best to fight him and has a fear of dying because of his strength against her. Dickens uses dashed again to emphasise the sentence because there are pauses it sounds to the reader that she is in deep pain, she is mumbling, gasping for breath and struggling to speak.

George, Duke of Saxony essays

George, Duke of Saxony essays George, Duke of Saxony was one of Martin Luther's greatest opponents. He was the son of Duke Albrect and the Bohemian princess Zedena; he was originally destined for the clergy, which meant he has obtained higher education including Latin. At the age of seventeen he was called upon to govern in place of his father during the latter's absence in the Netherlands, a task that he approached with a sense of high duty, and diligence, and a feeling for order, right, and thrift. His government was exemplary, and his family life a happy one. After his father's death in 1501, he became Duke of Saxony. When Luther initially posted his attack on indulgences in 1517, George did not immediately oppose him. He was very much aware of the need for reform and spoke out against abuses in the monasteries and those surrounding the granting of indulgences. "What Luther writes is not altogether untrue nor uncalled for. In fact these matters need speaking out about and holding up to the light. If no one mentioned the evils in the Church, the very stones would cry out in the end"( Simon 223). In his pursuit of the truth he sponsored the Leipzieg debates in 1519, between John Eck, a leading German theologian, and Luther. He was shocked however, when Luther seemed to advance the views of John Hus, and from then on he was a strong opponent of the Lutheran heresy. As Luther became a defined heretic and split with Rome, George turned against the reformers. One of the Church's strongest supporters in Germany, he did all he could to prevent the spread of Lutheranism into his territories. Even so, he did not lose sight of the fact that there was a great need for reform within the Church. When the German princes of the Empire presented the Emperor with a list of grievances at the Imperial Diet of Worms in 1521, George included twelve additional complaints of his own against the indulgences and annates. His opposition to Luther steadily increa...

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final - Research Paper Example The necessity to create and develop new and cleaner supply of energy is both an imperative of environmental conservation and economics. The urgency of creating and developing new energy supply is urgent due to the damage wrought by the excessive carbon emission of the traditional sources of energy that caused irreversible climate change and other irreversible damage to the environment (Kelly, 2008). One alternative that is seriously considered is nuclear power. Just like any other source of power, nuclear power has its benefits and disadvantages. One of the most popular argument for the preferential use of nuclear power as an alternative source of energy is that it does not produce pollutants and thus can mitigate the effect of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emission especially carbon dioxide. It also makes energy supplies more secure as the diversification of energy source will lessen the dependency on fuel imports. It is also a cheap source of energy as one single nuclea r power plant can produce tremendous amount of electricity. There are however concerns about the use of nuclear power as an alternative source of energy. Foremost to these concerns is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown just like what happened to Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi in Japan. Next is the issue of the disposal of radioactive waste which can prove to be deadly when a living thing is exposed, that includes humans, animals and plants. The Chernobyl disaster demonstrated how devastating a nuclear meltdown is that the nearby town of Pripyat in Ukraine still remained uninhabited today after the 1986 disaster and made it a reason why nuclear technology should not be used. The present reality however compels a serious consideration of an alternative source of energy. At present, other sources of energy are already depleted because they are non renewable and needs to be abandoned because they pollute the environment (Armaroli, & Balzani, 2011). Nuclear power provides an excellen t alternative because it does not release any pollutants to the atmosphere. Unlike the traditional fossil fuel which converts itself into carbon dioxide during its conversion into electrical energy, nuclear power does not emit carbon dioxide because it is not being burned to create electrical energy (Clemmit, 2010). Energy is created in a chemical process which decomposition takes place exothermally that heats up a water to create a steam that would consequently propel the connecting turbine to create electrical energy from a stored chemical energy. This technology was already available since 1600s and may have been first used as a weapon to bomb the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Second World War (Graetz, 2011) but it was only in 1957 that it was first used as a source of energy when the first nuclear power plant was constructed at Pennsylvania when a uranium atom was discovered that could be split to produce sub-atomic particles of high energy content (Kelley, 2008). The nuclear power as a source of energy also proved to be efficient because it only requires a very small amount of raw materials to produce a large quantity of energy (Cavallaro, 2010). Raiput even estimated that it a single nuclear plant could supply energy for an entire country for a long time (2006). It is also cost efficient because it requires minimal cost in its maintenance that could last up to sixty years (the regular

Keeping Animals in Captivity is Inherently Wrong Essay - 50

Keeping Animals in Captivity is Inherently Wrong - Essay Example Keeping animals in captivity is not only ethically wrong and cruel but also proves challenging to mimic the exact elements as in the animals’ natural environments.Keeping animals in captivity is unethical because people abuse and exploit them (Bostock 127). Most people who keep animals in captivity use them in many wrong purposes. Scientists and researchers may want to carry out genetic, behavioral, and many other researches. They may also wish to test medicinal or other products. They use the animals they have kept captive to carry out the studies or observe any reaction of test products to the animal. They occasionally do this by forcing samples of substances and products to the animal’s body for instance through injections, feeding, and rubbing. In many cases, the animals end up developing complications from the test samples and even die. The entertainment industry is another area where animals receive many kinds of mistreatment. Animals get tired and disturbed by th e many activities and performances they have to do. As people come to view the animals and their activities, they may disturb their peace. For instance, the men’s children may make noises, give them unsolicited foodstuffs, throw destructive objects at them, and force them to play or perform. The animals thus find it hard to eat, take some rest, or do other biologically important activities in the presence of tourists. The use of animals in exotic pet trade is also another unethical issue. The animals mostly end up having discomforts;Â  pain/tiredness due to changing ownership and the environment, unsuitable handling during the trading, and long distance traveling. Production of fur, blood, milk and other products cannot be left behind since it causes discomfort and pain in the wild animals. The animals may end up developing cold, becoming weak, and unable to feed their young ones.

Social Learning Theory Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Social Learning Theory Research Project - Essay Example The perception of the benefits of the mentoring experience is not a purely quantitative measure, because it measures emotion and feelings , therefore verbal measures are likely to provide the best results. Data Collection: The data collection method I propose to use is a Likert style AIM questionnaire which will have several variables measuring verbal responses in numerical values in the range of 1 to 3, each response signifying a particular level of response. I propose to get these survey questionnaires completed by the students after they have been exposed to the demonstration on the art project. The numerical values collected can then be subjected to statistical analysis to determine results. Threats to validity that are inherent in my design are history, testing, selection and experimenter bias. I propose to address these by matching subjects so that maximum homogeneity is introduced, using random sampling to address selection validity, using control and experimental groups and undertaking of this study on a blind bind basis, without prejudice or bias about the results. I will also perform regression analyses on the results obtained in order to eliminate outliner

Hugo Grotius, from on the Law of War and peace Essay

Hugo Grotius, from on the Law of War and peace - Essay Example Despite the attempt by several government to develop peaceful societies, conflicts exist even at personal levels thereby presenting several ethical dilemmas. War is an evil necessity that as Grotius explains presents realistic solutions to most of the conflicts while at the same time has severe ramifications (Bonevac, 2005). Choosing to engage in war thus presents myriad effects to the people. While war is a social vice that causes extensive loss of lives and destabilization of the society, Grotius explains particular circumstances that justify war. In considering the possibilities to engage in wars, it becomes realistic to weigh the ramifications of war thereby making an informed decision. Firstly, war results in the loss of human life. Nothing justifies the death of another. Engaging in war presents a substantial threat to the lives of the civilians most of who are often unarmed. Additionally, war results in the displacement of many other civilians. The displacement results from large-scale destruction of homes since such readily become battlefields. People therefore flee from their homes in order to seek safe refuge elsewhere. Another equally important effect of war is that it curtails socio economic developments. The heightened insecurity during wars curtails investments besides resulting in massive displacement of people. The two are empirical manifestations that cur b both economic growth and social cohesion. While the above are major concerns that require effective consideration and often serve to prevent people from engaging in wars, wars are at times the only plausible solutions to the social problems in a society. Different countries including the United States have engaged in different wars most of which, the government justified. As Hugo Grotius explains, a war offers realistic solutions to some of the major social problems and is therefore unavoidable in such circumstances. Grotius provides three circumstances which he claims justifies

Discourse analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse analysis - Essay Example In this piece of conversation, the major theme is a dispute between three children, with the younger children Ayesha and Zaynad appearing to unite and take sides against the elder Kahlidja. The major issue is whether or not Khalidja went to her aunt’s house to read the evening prayer to her aunt and whether she was doing her school work on her computer or downloading other materials. In the process of arriving at a resolution of what appears to be a simple issue, the conversation in this instance reveals conflicts arising out of the differences between the conveying of a message by a speaker and its interpretation by a listener. Wardaugh (1985) states that conversation is a social activity, the participants must take each others’ feelings and sensitivities into account if communication is to be successful. They need to be conscious of each others’ needs especially the need not to be offended (Wardaugh,1985:2). In this transcript, there are several instances where participants interrupt each other, and also offend each other. For instance, analyzing the conversational trend shows that the confrontational stance seems to have developed because of the lack of sensitivity of the participants about not offending each other. For example, the conflict has developed because both Zaynab and Ayesha have alleged that Khalidja did NOT go to the mosque, whereas a better conversational approach could have been to pose their doubts about her attendance at a mosque in the form of a question. As Wardaugh (1985) states, the social nature of conversation mandates that all participants should get equal opportunities to speak; in this transcript however, some of the linguistic characteristics that may be noted arise out of the lack of sensitivity of the participants. Zaynab in particular, being the youngest, has been interrupted ever so often; hence he does not have the same opportunities for participation th at the others

A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories - Essay Example A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories Even though both of these stories deal with different subject matter, the fact the matter is that difficulty in seeking to surmount it, form the backbone of both stories. According to this the following analysis will seek to relate these determinants to the reader as a means of comparison as well as greater understanding for the underlying core an ideal that they represent in the means by which humanity integrates with difficulties, reality, and an understanding of goals as well as the impossible. Hyeonseo Lee’s story engages the reader with the cold, harsh realities that exist within North Korea and explains the level of realization that exists within a heroine is a function of time. Where is a maybe difficult for the average individual to understand and appreciate the difficulties of life within an oppressive communist regime, Lee was able to come to such an understanding as a result of the suffering detailed in the letter which was discussed. However, rather than choosing just to run and enjoying her own freedom once she was outside of North Korea, Lee spent a significant amount of her own time as well as all of the money that she it saved in order to rescue the remainder of her surviving family from the clutches of the regime. The tale represents not only extreme sacrifice but extreme loyalty and understanding that can only exist within an individual who is actualized and understands the reality of the given situation. One aspect of this particular story that was no t found in the next story which will be related is the excess repower that an additional and unrequited individual can provide. Whereas Lee had been able to a compass great deal with her own money and her own efforts, she was eventually stymied within Laos prior to being able to fully realize independence and freedom for herself and her family members. However, just as the moment seemed as if all was lost, an unknown and unrequested entity entered and was able to change the situation entirely. Whereas almost the entire story up until this point had been focused upon Lee at her own individual efforts, the introduction of a secondary character willing and able to sacrifice of their own time and money was something that showed a great deal of the human condition. As such it is this very human condition of understanding difficulties in seeking to ameliorate them that provides the true object lesson in parallels that can be found within Lee’s escape and subsequent citizenship that form the backbone of her biographic story. Conversely, Diana Nyad’s stories emphasize a much more internal and personalized approach. Rather than having impacts upon the lives and freedom of other people, as did Lee’s story, Nyad’s struggle was basically one that was internal. This cannot be discounted to mean less than Lee’s. Rather, it is merely different in that Nyad sought to conquer her own weakness as opposed to seeking the comfort of others. On a broader level, Nyad and Lee show the ways in which the human brain and consciousness integrate with extreme difficulty. Whereas it would been much easier for both Nyad and Lee to merely walk away from the dreams that they shared, the much more difficult and nobler aspect was seeking to face them head on and accomplishing the impossible. As Nyad notes, what she was attempting to do, was ultimately never attempted

Hugo Grotius, from on the Law of War and peace Essay

Hugo Grotius, from on the Law of War and peace - Essay Example Despite the attempt by several government to develop peaceful societies, conflicts exist even at personal levels thereby presenting several ethical dilemmas. War is an evil necessity that as Grotius explains presents realistic solutions to most of the conflicts while at the same time has severe ramifications (Bonevac, 2005). Choosing to engage in war thus presents myriad effects to the people. While war is a social vice that causes extensive loss of lives and destabilization of the society, Grotius explains particular circumstances that justify war. In considering the possibilities to engage in wars, it becomes realistic to weigh the ramifications of war thereby making an informed decision. Firstly, war results in the loss of human life. Nothing justifies the death of another. Engaging in war presents a substantial threat to the lives of the civilians most of who are often unarmed. Additionally, war results in the displacement of many other civilians. The displacement results from large-scale destruction of homes since such readily become battlefields. People therefore flee from their homes in order to seek safe refuge elsewhere. Another equally important effect of war is that it curtails socio economic developments. The heightened insecurity during wars curtails investments besides resulting in massive displacement of people. The two are empirical manifestations that cur b both economic growth and social cohesion. While the above are major concerns that require effective consideration and often serve to prevent people from engaging in wars, wars are at times the only plausible solutions to the social problems in a society. Different countries including the United States have engaged in different wars most of which, the government justified. As Hugo Grotius explains, a war offers realistic solutions to some of the major social problems and is therefore unavoidable in such circumstances. Grotius provides three circumstances which he claims justifies

A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories - Essay Example A Narrative and Analysis of Two Stories Even though both of these stories deal with different subject matter, the fact the matter is that difficulty in seeking to surmount it, form the backbone of both stories. According to this the following analysis will seek to relate these determinants to the reader as a means of comparison as well as greater understanding for the underlying core an ideal that they represent in the means by which humanity integrates with difficulties, reality, and an understanding of goals as well as the impossible. Hyeonseo Lee’s story engages the reader with the cold, harsh realities that exist within North Korea and explains the level of realization that exists within a heroine is a function of time. Where is a maybe difficult for the average individual to understand and appreciate the difficulties of life within an oppressive communist regime, Lee was able to come to such an understanding as a result of the suffering detailed in the letter which was discussed. However, rather than choosing just to run and enjoying her own freedom once she was outside of North Korea, Lee spent a significant amount of her own time as well as all of the money that she it saved in order to rescue the remainder of her surviving family from the clutches of the regime. The tale represents not only extreme sacrifice but extreme loyalty and understanding that can only exist within an individual who is actualized and understands the reality of the given situation. One aspect of this particular story that was no t found in the next story which will be related is the excess repower that an additional and unrequited individual can provide. Whereas Lee had been able to a compass great deal with her own money and her own efforts, she was eventually stymied within Laos prior to being able to fully realize independence and freedom for herself and her family members. However, just as the moment seemed as if all was lost, an unknown and unrequested entity entered and was able to change the situation entirely. Whereas almost the entire story up until this point had been focused upon Lee at her own individual efforts, the introduction of a secondary character willing and able to sacrifice of their own time and money was something that showed a great deal of the human condition. As such it is this very human condition of understanding difficulties in seeking to ameliorate them that provides the true object lesson in parallels that can be found within Lee’s escape and subsequent citizenship that form the backbone of her biographic story. Conversely, Diana Nyad’s stories emphasize a much more internal and personalized approach. Rather than having impacts upon the lives and freedom of other people, as did Lee’s story, Nyad’s struggle was basically one that was internal. This cannot be discounted to mean less than Lee’s. Rather, it is merely different in that Nyad sought to conquer her own weakness as opposed to seeking the comfort of others. On a broader level, Nyad and Lee show the ways in which the human brain and consciousness integrate with extreme difficulty. Whereas it would been much easier for both Nyad and Lee to merely walk away from the dreams that they shared, the much more difficult and nobler aspect was seeking to face them head on and accomplishing the impossible. As Nyad notes, what she was attempting to do, was ultimately never attempted

Internal Curing Concrete Essay Example for Free

Internal Curing Concrete Essay Early-age cracking, autogenous shrinkage and self-desiccation are almost inevitable problems for concrete, especially for mass high performance concrete, for the permeability of which is too low for external curing water to get in and fully hydrate the cement paste inside. The better hydration of the cement paste, the less and smaller cracks the concrete have, and the better durability and reliability the concrete structures do. In order to solve this problem, scientists have consider an unconventional methods to cure the concrete from the inside out so a better hydration can be achieved. As early as 1957, Paul Klieger[1] have mentioned how helpful the saturated lightweight aggregates would be to supply internal curing water and improve the long-term strength in his report. Nowadays, this method as internal curing has been fully developed and widely used to get low-cracking high-performance concrete with better hydration by replacing part of natural fine aggregates with saturated lightweight aggregates. The goal is clear and simple, but the ways to achieve the same purpose is various and have different advantages and disadvantages. In this report, several techniques and materials with different properties that could be used in internal curing, such as expanded shale clay or slate(ESCS)[2] and Superabsorbent polymers(SAP)[3], would be introduced and comment. Internal curing has a good performance especially in fields like mass concrete, or high performance concrete with low permeability. The properties why internal curing is a practical consideration for these instance s would be discussed in this report. 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Concrete has many good properties as modern building material. It has high compression strength, fire proof, and cheap to produce. Since the using of concrete has a long history, the techniques of concrete structure construction may be fully developed. However, there still are some problems that almost inevitable for concrete, such as self-desiccation, autogenous shrinkage and chemical shrinkage. All of these issues may lead to cracking of concrete, and the chloride may penetrate through the cracks easily and cause corrosion of the reinforcement. As we all know, most of the failures of concrete structures are due to the corrosion of the reinforcement. Hence, concrete with less cracks or later to have cracks may contribute to a longer service life of a concrete structure. What’s more, most of these unwanted cracks develop at the early-age of concrete placing. That’s why proper curing, which limits the early shrinkage and lowers the chance of early-age cracking, is so important to ensure the concrete develop the required properties and durability to reach their designed service life. Conventional curing uses methods to provide additional water to keep high relative humidity on the concrete surface, such as ponding and misting, or uses curing compounds, plastic membrane and evaporation retarder to slow evaporation. No matter water adding or moisture loss avoiding work mostly on the upper part of concrete, since the permeability of concrete is limited, the deeper inside concrete, the harder for water to penetrate. On the other hand, self-desiccation (the reduction of the internal relative humidity in the concrete due to hydration reaction) will lead to autogenous shrinkage (concrete volume change occurring without moisture transfer to the environment) even without external moisture loss. Concrete shrinkage over time , will induce cracking that can reduce the service life expectation of concrete structure severely. In short, even proper conventional external concrete curing cannot provide perfect environment for concrete to develop its durability efficiently. Since 1980’s, the production of high-performance concrete(HPC) became more common, and to achieve their much higher strength and durability properties, lower water cement ratio and lower permeability is required. The self-desiccation and autogenous shrinkage problem became even more severe a situation for HPC than for normal portland cement, because external curing water would be more difficult to penetrate deeply into the low permeable concrete to supply the loss water due to hydration and evaporation. When shrinkage happens, cracking is almost inevitable. Concerning a long time situation, internal relative humidity has a strong relationship with free autogenous shrinkage. 1.2 Internal curing Is there any solution that can settle down this problem? Or is there a way that can cure concrete more efficiently so can limit the cracks? The answer is yes. Since curing concrete from outside in has its limit, deeper part inside the concrete cannot be cured properly, how about cure concrete from inside out? As early as 1957, Paul Klieger [1] have mentioned how helpful the saturated lightweight aggregates would be to supply internal curing water and improve the long-term strength in his report. In 1991, Philleo [2] suggested incorporating saturated lightweight fine aggregate into the concrete mixture to provide an internal source of water to replace that consumed by chemical shrinkage during hydration of the paste. Nowadays, this method that use water-containing materials , replacing with normal aggregates to cure concrete, has been well developed and been named as internal curing. Such water-containing material could be saturated lightweight fine aggregates, sup erabsorbent polymers, or saturated wood fibers. Internal curing has been defined by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) as â€Å"supplying water throughout a fleshly placed cementitious mixture using reservoirs, via pre-wetted lightweight aggregates, that readily release water as needed for hydration or to replace moisture lost through evaporation or self-desiccation† 2 Benefits of internal curing Internal curing distributes the extra curing water throughout the 3-D concrete microstructure so that it is more readily available to maintain saturation of the cement paste during hydration, avoiding self-desiccation in the paste and reducing autogenous shrinkage. Along with this process, the main benefits bring about by internal curing may be concluded as below: 2.1 Reducing cracks due to shrinkage Concrete is susceptible to plastic shrinkage cracking at early age, especially when the evaporation rate is high. Right after placing, the concrete paste is still in a fluid state. The aggregates and cement particles tend to settle down due to gravity, while internal water is likely to bleed out onto the surface. Such layer of water will keep the evaporation of the concrete surface in a relatively constant rate. But this situation won’t last for a long time after the cement particles contact each other and start to develop strength. The rate of settlement will highly reduce along with much less water bleeding. During this period, highly tensile stress occur inside the concrete due to surface tension of drying out internal water. Because at this time, concrete is under a plastic state but having develop enough strength to resist this tensile stress, cracks will occur. For internal curing concrete, the pre-wetted aggregates will provide water to replenish the evaporation from the surface of concrete. It makes the pores within the hydrating cement pastes fluid filled and thus helps to reduce the tensile stress. Shrinkage will be much less sever and cracks will less likely to happen. Besides limiting the happening of cracking, internal curing also contributes to delaying the age of cracking. As the volume of pre-wetted aggregates increases, the age of cracking is delayed, until an asymptote appears to be reached when sufficient pre-wetted aggregates has been added according to the research done by Schlitter et al (2010).[3] 2.2 Long-term strength gaining Cement particles inside concrete finish most of hydration in the first 28 days, but the cement particles have not been completely hydrated after 28 days. Some unhydrated cement remain in the concrete and takes time to continue hydration. That’s the reason why as time goes by, the strength of concrete will increase even after a long period of time. For lower water cement ratio concrete, the required time to be fully hydration is longer. As to very low water cement ratio concrete, it may even be impossible for it to be fully hydrated. The hydration will stop when there is no longer capillary water available. In conventional curing, the capillary water inside the concrete will soon run out after early hydration, and the external water is not easy to penetrate into the concrete to hydrate the unhydrated cement particles. By using internal curing method, after most of the capillary water been used, the internal relative humidity drops, and the pre-wet ted aggregates will provide water for cement to keep hydrating steadily for a longer time. As for the using of light-weight aggregates to provide internal curing, the reduction strength due to the light-weight aggregates can be compensate by this long-term strength gaining. 2.3 Reduction of permeability The principal contribution of internal curing results in the reduction of permeability due to a significant extension in the time of curing. It was shown that extending the time of curing increased the volume of cementitious products formed which caused the capillaries to become segmented and discontinuous.Reducing permeability leads to less penetration of aggressive agents that accelerate corrosion of embedded reinforcement. This decrease in permeability results from internal curing could obviously enhance the durability of concrete structures. 2.4 Working well with SCM Environment problem have been paid more and more attention by people today. In order to lower carbon footprint for using concrete, replacing cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs i.e., silica fume, fly ash, metokaolin, calcined shales, clays and slates) is suggested as a way to use substantially less clinker. SCMs (except for silica fume) take longer time to hydrate, therefore requiring water to be present for a longer time. While more than one research has shown both internal curing and SCMs improve long term durability performance. Luckily, recent work has shown that internal curing works particularly well with SCMs. Internal curing enables the SCMs in these mixtures to react for a longer time, since the higher water content needed to support the reaction of the SCMs can be maintained. 2.5 Improving behavior of the contact zone Contact Zone refers to two distinctly different phenomena: (1) the mechanical adhesion of the cementitious matrix to the surface of the aggregate; (2) the variation of physical and chemical characteristics of the transition layer of the cementitious matrix close to the aggregate particle (ASTM STP 169 D [2006] Chapter # 46 Holm Ries). In the contact zone, the C-S-H is not evenly distributed in the outer product, and porosity is greater at aggregate surface within 15-50 µm. What’s more, the obvious elastic difference between aggregate and the surrounding cementitious matrix make the transfer of stress from bulk cement paste to stiffer aggregate causes ‘softening’(microcracking) in interfacial transition zone. High incidence of interfacial cracking or aggregate debonding will have a serious effect on durability if these cracks fill with water and subsequently freeze. All of these factors make the contact zone a weaker location in the concrete. By using internal curing, more internal water can be provide around the aggregates and lead to a better hydration at the interfacial transition zone, which decrease the porosity and increase the strength. The lower permeability also contributes to the difficulty for the chloride to penetrate. What’s more, the lower modulus of the light weight aggregate and the improved transition zone around the light weight aggregate particles due to their generally vesicular surface, helped reduce stress concentrations between the paste and the aggregate and those reductions subsequently reduced the amount of early-age cracking in the concrete. 3 Material and methods for internal curing As long as the principle is the same, different ways can be applied to achieve internal curing. Besides of light weight aggregates, the properties of other techniques and materials will be presented in this chapter. And their advantages and disadvantages will be commented. 3.1 Bentonite clay Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate. It has a high specific surface, most of which more than 100 m2/g, and this property enables them to adsorb several molecular layers of water between their platelet structures [10]. The absorbed water is held by secondary chemical bonds and the bentonite may swell up to 14 times as its original volume as a result of the water absorption. If the relative humidity in the surroundings is lowered, this water is reversibly released. Potentially, bentonite or other layered clay minerals may be used as a water reservoir for internal water curing. However, there still one important problem remain to be solved for the application of bentonite. In high ionic media, such as in cementitious materials, these clays agglomerate and form a compact structure instead of spreading out evenly [11]. And whether inducing same charge into bentonite as water reducer do to make the bentonite particles repel from each other could solve this problem remain to be investigated. Figure 3.2 Superabsorbent polymers A superabsorbent polymer, SAP, is a polymeric material which is able to absorb a significant amount of liquid from the surroundings and to retain the liquid within its structure without dissolving [12], SAPs are principally used for absorbing water and aqueous solutions. With the present polymer types the theoretical maximum water absorption is approx. 5000 times their own weight. However, the absorbency of commercially produced SAPs is around 50 g/g in dilute salt solutions such as urine, and in high ionic solutions such as cement paste pore fluid the absorbency may be below 20 g/g [13]. The absorption of water in the SAP is based on secondary chemical bonds, and the water is so loosely held that all of it essentially can be considered bulk water. Most SAPs are cross-linked polyelectrolytes. Because of their ionic nature and interconnected structure, they absorb large quantities of water and other aqueous solutions without dissolving. SAPs have found a wi despread use as a high-tech material e.g. for contact lenses, breast implants, fire fighting, drug delivery, in baby diapers and as soil conditioners. Today’s world production exceeds 500,000 tons per year of which about 85% is used for baby diapers [14]. Figure 5.1: Superabsorbent polymers are swellable substances which can absorb many times their own weight of liquids by forming a gel. The absorbed liquid is not released even under moderate pressure [12]. The picture shows a dry, collapsed and a swollen suspension polymerized SAP particle. A description of the use of SAP for internal water curing can be found in the literature [2,13,15]. Compared with lightweight aggregate SAP has some peculiarities. SAP can be used as a dry concrete admixture since it takes up water during the mixing process. Furthermore, the use of SAP permits free design of the pore shape and the pore size distribution of the hardening concrete, however, the pores introduced by the SAP in the concrete may preferably be selected in the range 50-300  µm. 3.3 Crushed Returned Concrete Aggregates Recycled aggregate consists of stone particles with mortar from the original concrete attached to them. The volume fraction of this mortar may amount to 20 to 60%, and results in a significantly higher water absorption of recycled concrete aggregates compared to conventional aggregates [8]. The relatively high water absorption of recycled aggregate, however, may be difficult to utilize for internal water curing. The cement paste fraction of recycled aggregate will, typically, have a fine and tight pore structure which cannot supply water to the coarse pore structure of a hydrating cement paste at early ages. For this reason, recycled aggregate may be less useful than normal aggregate for internal water curing. However, some experiments have shown promising results for recycled aggregate. By blending the crushed returned concrete aggregates with an appropriate lightweight aggregate sand, a substantial reduction in autogenous shrinkage will be a chieved, with minimal reduction in long term compressive strength. The mortars based on light weight aggregate sand substitutions alone provided the highest compressive strengths and the greatest reductions in autogenous shrinkage. But, blending the crushed returned concrete aggregates with the light weight aggregate sand may provide the optimum mixture in terms of material costs and sustainable development.[ICwCCA] 3.4 Artificial LWA Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Lightweight Aggregate The Earth has been producing LWA from volcanoes since the beginning of time. This natural material, however, is inconsistent and very little is suitable for making concrete. ESCS is specially made for concrete and has been manufactured from surface†mined raw shale, clay or slate for nearly 100 years. (ESCS raw materials typically do not have any other conventional purpose in the construction industry because they are too soft.) The raw materials for ESCS production are placed into a rotary kiln at approx. 1200 °C until it turns into a strong consistent material which is called expanded shale, clay or lightweight aggregate or just ESCS for short. ESCS is a uniform, high quality, ceramic aggregate that’s about 1/2 the weight of natural aggregates. Pores are created in ESCS during the manufacturing process as gases escape due to the application of heat. The newly created pores are ideally suited to accommodate the absorption of water, much like a sponge. ESCS’s greatest contribution is its ability to desorb water. Unlike a sponge, it does not have to be squeezed for the water to be released. This characteristic naturally permits water to egress or be desorbed from the pores of pre-wetted ESCS when the cement demands more water during the hydration process. The physical ability of the pores to manage water movement is the key to internal curing. However, the manufacturing heating process of ESCS is relatively expensive. Moreover, compared with other lightweight aggregate, ESCS has a relatively fine and less continuous pore system, a large part of the pores are closed. Some of the pore water is held down to at least RH=70%. Consequently only a part of the water held in ESCS will be useful for internal curing [6]. 3.5 Natural LWA – Perlite and Pumice Perlite is a naturally occurring silicious, glassy rock which contains 2-6% combined water. When quickly heated to above 900 °C, the crude rock expands 4-20 times its original volume as the combined water vaporizes and creates countless tiny bubbles. This results in a bulk density in the range 30-400 kg/m3, and a water absorption of 200-600%. Perlite has found multiple uses such as for filtration, as an abrasive and within horticulture to provide aeration and moisture retention. However, perlite is primarily used within the construction area for example as concrete aggregate and as a cavity-filling insulation. Disintegration of perlite particles has been observed during mixing due to their high porosity and consequently low strength [18]. This may have adverse effects on the concrete. Fully saturated, the water content of perlite may be 4.5 kg/kg [18]. Pumice is a porous volcanic rock which resembles a sponge, see Figure 5.2. The porous s tructure is formed by dissolved gases which are precipitated during the cooling as the lava hurtles through the air. All types of magma may form pumice. The connectivity of the pore structure may range from completely closed to completely open. A representative value for the absorption of pumice is 0.27 kg/kg [18].

History and Current applications of Behaviorist Theory

History and Current applications of Behaviorist Theory Behaviorism is a theory of learning. Behaviorism proposes that learning is based on the thought that all behaviors are gained when they are conditioned. The theory of behaviorism supposes that behavior can be studied in a controlled manner and according to John B. Watson we can observe it and it should have nothing to do with introspection because introspection is too subjective (Goodwin, 2008). Besides John B. Watson there were others also interested in the study of behavior, specifically, Ivan Pavlov and Burrhus F Skinner. Behaviorism was a major change from earlier views because it discarded the importance of the conscious and unconscious mind and instead it attempted to make psychology a more scientific field, by focusing just on the observable behavior. Behaviorism had its earliest start with the work of Ivan Pavlovs and his research on the digestive systems of dogs that led him to the discovery of classical conditioning process, which demonstrated that behaviors could be learne d through conditioned associations (Goodwin, 2008). This paper will discuss the work of Pavlov, Watson and Skinner and how they contributed to todays behaviorist theories like cognitive behavioral therapy. It will also discuss how these early behaviorists theories are the same as todays behaviorist theories and how they are different. The History and Current applications of Behaviorist Theory Behavioral psychology otherwise known as behaviorism is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all our behaviors are gained via conditioning. Conditioning occurs through our interactions with our surroundings. Behaviorism proposes that behavior can be studied in an organized and observable way without consideration or thought of inner psychological conditions (Goodwin, 2008). There are two major types of conditioning in behaviorism, classical conditioning and operant conditioning. When you take a natural occurring stimulus and then pair it with a response a behaviorist calls this classical conditioning and is a technique used in behavioral training. It involves taking a neutral stimulus (i.e. the ringing of a bell) and then pairing it with a naturally occurring stimulus (i.e. dogs salivate when presented with food). Continuing this pairing will inevitably cause the neutral stimulus, that was formerly introduced to create the response without the introduction of the naturally o ccurring stimulus (i.e. the dog will salivate with the ringing of the bell even when food is not immediately presented). The two components are then called the conditioned stimulus (the ring of the bell) and the conditioned response (the dog salivating) (Todes, 2002). Operant conditioning is the idea that learning occurs because rewards and/or punishments are consequences for behavior. With operant conditioning, a relationship is created linking a behavior and a consequence for that behavior (Skinner, 1954). Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and Burrhus F. Skinner all developed significant contributions to the advancement of behaviorism. While Pavlov, Watson and Skinner paved the way for behaviorist thinking, what is left of their findings? If we take a critical look at cognitive behavioral therapy we can see how the early behaviorists ideas are still alive today and how these ideas have changed with time. In the late 1800s, Pavlov was studying the gastric function of dogs. Pavlov inadvertently discovered that dogs would salivate prior to the food being presented to them, and decided that his discovery of dogs salivating prior to the actual food arriving was more interesting than gastric functions, and changed the focus of his research (Goodwin, 2008). Pavlov experimented using a tone for dogs alerting them that food was available. What Pavlov found was that his dogs began to salivate when the tone was introduced even when the food was not readily available (Schwartz Lacy, 1982). Pavlov realized that when his dogs salivated at the sound of the tone, this response is not a natural response but instead it was a learned response, and he consequently called this response a conditioned response and the neutral stimulus (presentation of the food) became a conditioned stimulus (Beecroft, 1966). Pavlovs work became known in the West, mainly due to the writings of John B. Watson. Pavlov thus c oined what we now know today as classical conditioning. Pavlovs research also had a direct affect on bringing behaviorism to the attention of the American public in the 1930s. John B. Watson is known as the founder of behaviorism however  Watsons Behaviorism did not catch on immediately and in 1913 when he publicized his Behaviorist Manifesto,   he was initially met with a lot of criticism and doubt (Goodwin, 2008). It was not until the early 1930s when behaviorism began to catch the attention of America, in part due to Watsons continued push on the public to recognize it as a valid theory in psychology. Finally after several articles were published citing the use of behaviorism as a way to improve lives, the public began to recognize behaviorism as a positive, meaning it could help to raise children more efficiently, improve marriages, improve business and overall help people to lead more productive lives (Goodwin, 2008). With Watsons book, Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It, behaviorism for the first time was given well defined goals, methods and thought (Goodwin, 2008).   Watson made behaviorism a discipline that created a structure based heav ily on the principle that learning is the key to development and behavior (Rilling, 2000).   In 1927, Watson and his then assistant, Rayner conducted a study that produced an intense fear of rats in a 9 month old boy they called little Albert. When little Albert reached for a white rat, Watson would make a loud noise that scared little Albert. What occurred in little Albert is what is known as classical conditioning. When Little Albert heard the load noise at the same time as seeing the whit rat he made an association between the two. Little Albert then shifted his fear with the noise to a fear of rats. In addition to classical conditioning, second order conditioning occurred as Little Albert then associated rats, which have fur, to all things with fur (Goodwin, 2008). Because of this second order conditioning, little Albert then believed all things with fur would produce a scary noise and he became afraid of all things that had fur (Mischel, 1993). Although Watson was asked to le ave John Hopkins and essentially could no longer work in academia he continued to promote his belief in behaviorism until it finally caught the attention of the American public. The impact of behaviorism was huge, and was a school of thought that continued to dominate psychology for the next fifty years. Psychologist B.F Skinner advanced the behaviorist perspective with his theory of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning verified the effect of punishment and positive reinforcement on behavior. There are two factors in operant conditioning, the response and the consequence (Skinner, 1954). If the consequence is positively reinforcing, then there is the likelihood of getting a similar response. If the consequence is punishing the likelihood of repeating the response is not probable (Mischel, 1993). Skinner conducted an experiment known as the skinner- box (Goodwin, 2008). In Skinners experiment a rat would press a lever and the lever produced a piece of food which consequently taught the rat that if it pressed the lever it would get positively reinforced with a piece of food (Skinner, 1954). Skinner also produced separate results when he replaced the pushing of the lever with the consequence of a shock. When the rats pushed the lever and received a shock they almost immediately st opped pressing the lever (Skinner, 1954). Skinner also realized that if he stopped presenting food ( in a process called extinction) eventually the rat would stop pressing the lever as well but not as quickly as when a shock was received thus, proving that punishment was a greater deterrent to the behavior (Goodwin, 2008). When operant conditioning is used using the reward and punishment techniques as described in Skinners experiment, the same behaviors can be produced in a child (Schwartz, 1982). During 1950 to 1970 cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) became widely utilized and was inspired by the behaviorist learning theories of Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and Clark L. Hull (Rachman, 1997). In the United States, psychologists were using B.F. Skinners behaviorism and applying it to clinical work and much of this work was focused towards severe, chronic psychiatric disorders such as psychotic behavior and autism (Rachman, 1997). The therapeutic approaches of Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck gained popularity among behavior therapists. These systems included behavioral elements and interventions that focused primarily on problems in the present. Elliss system began in the early 1950s and was called rational therapy and is one of the first forms of CBT. (Ellis, 1975). Aaron T. Beck developed cognitive therapy in 1960 after being inspired by Elliss work and Becks cognitive therapy became a favorite intervention technique to study in the psychotherapy research in academic settings. I nitial research focused on comparing this cognitive therapy with behavioral therapys to see which was more effective (Beck, 1975). During the 1980s and 1990s cognitive and behavioral therapys were officially merged into what we now know as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Rachman, 1997). Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow introduced the idea that CBT approaches can be used successfully with the criminal population (Yochelson and Samenow, 1976). In conclusion, because behaviorism is based upon behaviors we can actually observe, it becomes much easier when performing research, to measure and collect data. Effective therapeutic techniques such as intensive behavioral intervention, rational therapy and CBT all get there beginnings from behaviorism. CBT, rational therapy and behavioral interventions are all useful approaches for changing harmful or maladaptive behaviors in children and adults. Some differences between todays CBT and behaviorism is that behaviorism is to basic of an approach to behavior and it does not take into account an individuals choice of free will or any internal stimulus such as a persons moods, thoughts, and feelings. Another criticism is that behaviorism does not take into consideration the fact that there are other forms of learning, such as the learning that can occur even when reinforcements or punishments are not introduced (Swartz and Lacey, 1982). Finally, behaviorism does not look at the fact tha t people are able to adapt behavior when new information is present, whether or not the initial behavior was established through reinforcement. Behaviorism without the addition of cognitive influences is not enough. When we can get an understanding of the thinking behind the behavior we have a better chance at changing it. In the words of Stan Samenow change the errors in thinking and we can change the behavior (Yochelson and Samenow, 1976).

Essay --

A good day being crawled up on the couch watching television socializing and stacking. Snacks are great! So just chips, cookies, ice cream especially those Caramel choose. Food is not the easiest thing to understand. Food is much more complicated than just eating it, because many foods can lead to a deadly epidemic called obesity. Obesity, a disease of the 21st-century, is causing millions to die each year because of health issues such as, heart disease and diabetes. "Obesity is defined as having excess body fat"(CDC) obesity is quickly spreading and is very dangerous. Obesity is very different than being overweight. Overweight is just another term for being "fat" were as, obesity means that your body is made up of 30% or more fat. (CDC) "Globesity," The term was first used by World Health Organization meaning obesity is affecting a great portion of the population. W. H.O. Termed the word globesity because obesity has turned into a global epidemic and is very popular. (WHO) The older you get the harder it is to lose weight. As you get older is harder to lose weight because your metabolism slows down.(Allman) When it comes to your Weight, a good way to find out if you are overweight or even obese is your BMI or body mass index. If you BNI is between 25 and 29 you were considered overweight. If your BMI is 30+ then you're considered overweight. (Overweight) Many parents often claim that their kid is not overweight and just has a little baby fat. In fact, babyfat often turned into obesity by second-grade. (Robbins) 27% of America is obese and only 35% of America Holds a normal weight. That leaves an additional 35% of Americans that are overweight. Over 40 million, or one out of three children and teens are overweight or obese. Over ... ... understand is that obesity is a problem of its own. Obesity is classified as a disease! If someone is obese they have a disease and they sooner than later will die! However, like all diseases, obesity can be cured. Type 2 diabetes is one of obesity’s biggest causes, it often times makes people very irritable and is a result of low insulin. Obesity causes heart disease such as heart attack and stroke. this is from lack of cardio-vascular exercise. Obesity also cause bone and joint issues, and the main three are, charcot joint, diabetic hand syndrome and osteoporosis. Walking running and standing are all part of bone and joint issues. Obesity also causes sleep apnea and asthma. Sleep apnea causes you to have trouble breathing when you are sleeping and also causes you to have trouble sleeping. Asthma is the shortage of the breath due to the bronchi of the lungs. (CDC)

How Humans and Robots are Presented in Blade Runner Essay -- Papers Bl

How Humans and Robots are Presented in Blade Runner "Blade Runner" is a science fiction film set in Los Angeles in the year 2019. Nuclear war had just ended which caused large-scale devastation such as dramatic climate change, genetic change and all animals on earth becoming extinct apart from artificial ones. The Tyrell Corporation developed the artificial animals, which also happen to be the creators of Androids (Artificial beings) which the film is based on. The film "Blade Runner" revolves around the Nexus 6 series of Androids these androids were built to do the hard, tiresome jobs on off-world colonies. Using androids was a big advantage for the humans of this time because they never get tired so can work non-stop. The problem with replicants is that they are super-humans, intelligent and very omniscient and could over-power the humans at any time. After an incident where many humans were killed on an off world colony by Nexus 6 they were made illegal on Earth. Rick Deckard the main character in the film prowls the steel and microchip jungle of 21st century, LA. He is a Blade Runner stalking genetically made criminal replicants. His assignment: Kill them. Their crime: wanting to be human. The story of "Blade Runner" is familiar to countless fans but few have seen it like this because the version I was studying was the directors cut so we see Ridley Scott's own interpretation of his sci-fi classic. This version omits Deckard's voice-over and develops in greater detail the romance between Deckard and Rachael and removes the uplifting finale. The result is a heightened emotional impact. The new scene (unicorn vision) sug... ...at their lifespan has been shortened. At this point we know they have feelings and a love between two people is a strong force. Whatever they are a being of such high potential is a terrible thing to waste. Overall director Ridley Scott is suggesting that to be human you have to have feelings and emotions (which the robots have) and to be able to empathise with others. If you do not possess those qualities then you are not a true human, Deckard, Tyrell and the two Policemen are shown not to have feelings nor emotions when they "retire" a robot or are they the "real" humans. The qualities of human-ness are shown most shockingly by Roy Battye when he saves Deckard instead of taking revenge. But Deckard's character shows development in that he learns to empathise with the replicants and falls in love with Rachael.

Mead Johnson Ipo Analisis

Perfil de la Compania Mead Johnson Nutrition. Mead Johnson Nutrition es, segun se describen a si mismos en su pagina web, un lider global en la nutricion de neonatos y ninos. Son mejor conocidos por sus familias de productos Enfamil ® y Enfalac ® de alimentacion infantil, asi como por sus productos regionales Enfagrow ®, Enfapro ®, Enfakid ®, EnfaSchool ®, y Sustagen ® en Asia, y Choco Milk ® y Cal-C-Tose ® en Mexico y America Latina. Sus ventas a 31 de Diciembre, 2007 han sido de aproximadamente $2. billones, destacando los siguientes puntos: Lideres globales en ventas de formula infantil, basado en ventas retail. Lideres en US, basado en el share del mercado estadounidense. Lideres en el mercado asiatico, la region de mayor crecimiento en la industria de la alimentacion pediatrica, en ventas de formula infantil, basado en ventas retail. La venta de la formula infantil represento un 67. 2% y un 69. 4% de las ventas totales en los nueve primeros meses de 2008 y en e l ano 2007 respectivamente. draw:frame} Durante los ultimos anos han lanzado al mercado continuos productos innovadores, por ejemplo: La fabricacion y distribucion se gestiona mediante la cadena de logistica totalmente integrada. Initial Public Offering El 10 de Febrero de 2009, Mead Johnson Nutrition Company anuncio el pricing de su salida a bolsa en $24. 00 por accion. El tamano de la oferta fue incrementado de los iniciales 25 millones de acciones a 30. Segun un comunicado de Bristol Meyers Squibb el dia de salida de la IPO: ‘Con su propia accion publica en trading, Mead Johnson va a ser mucho mas capaz de acelerar su crecimiento. Esta oferta tambien permite a Bristol Meyers Squibb fortalecer su estructura de capital, asi como incrementar el enfoque en el portfolio de negocio de BioPharma, logrando aun otro punto de la estrategia en el negocio de la Sanidad que anunciamos hace poco mas de un ano. Nuestra direccion esta de acuerdo en que esta IPO es una fantastica noticia para los empleados de ambas companias. ’ En lineas generales, los terminos de la Oferta Publica Inicial fueron: Distribucion por subscriptores. Entre los Global Joint Bookrunners y los demas subscriptores, la distribucion de acciones fue la siguiente: {draw:frame} Distribucion Geografica y por Inversor Aunque los datos oficiales no se han hecho publicos, diferentes fuentes nos pueden dar una idea de la evolucion geografica y del reparto por inversores entre tramo institucional y el retailer. En primer lugar observamos que el Greenshoe se ejercio en su totalidad, y que la oferta inicial de 25 millones de acciones fue ampliada con posterioridad a 30 millones, podemos suponer que la demanda institucional fue solida. Sin embargo, sin datos mas solidos todo lo que podemos hacer al respecto es especular. Respecto a la distribucion geografica nos encontramos ante un escenario muy similar. Se sabe por fuentes cercanas a la empresa que el roadshow estuvo repartido entre Estados Unidos (siete dias) y Europa (dos dias), y que sin embargo, segun fuentes del Wall Street Journal (articulo de Heidi N. Moore), casi la mitad de los ingresos vienen del mercado europeo, donde la demanda de titulos fue alta.

Starbucks Strengths and Weaknesses

After reading Starbucks’ â€Å"Management Discussion and Analysis† portion of its 10-K, it is apparent that the company currently possesses a highly competitive position and progressive management strategy. Starbucks’ top position in its industry and management strategy comes from the fact that this company has multiple areas of strength and lacks overwhelming weaknesses. Strengths and weaknesses with regard to a firm like Starbucks are based on the internal factors relating to a company.The internal analysis of Starbucks shows that it enjoys much strength as a company. When analyzing the strategic management of a company, a strength is defined as a firm’s â€Å"resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage† (QuickMBA). The â€Å"Management Discussion and Analysis† section of the Starbucks Annual Report features many strengths according to this definition. Starbucks’ capabilities go way b eyond simply selling coffee at Starbucks shops in America.In fiscal 2012, Starbucks experienced a 7 percent growth in global store sales, 50 percent increase in â€Å"Channel Development,† and 20 percent raise in licensed stores revenue (SBUX 2012 Annual Report, 25). This fact alone presents multiple strengths Starbucks has. Starbucks has stores and a positive presence implanted in multiple countries divided into the three sectors of the Americas, â€Å"EMEA† (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and â€Å"CAP† (China/Asia Pacific). Additionally, Starbucks maintains the operating segment of â€Å"Channel Development† which focuses on the sale of Starbucks and Tazo branded K-Cups and other beverage innovations.As stated before, this segment of Starbucks’ operations witnessed a 50 percent increase in revenues in fiscal 2012 which shows how strong Starbucks as a firm really is. On top of these optimistic facts, Starbucks simply continues to show its stre ngth with regard to its market dominance and brand-name recognition throughout America and other countries. On the other side of the internal analysis of Starbucks, few weaknesses are present within the company. A weakness can be looked at as â€Å"the absence of certain strengths. For example, a lack of patent protection, weak brand name, poor reputation among customers, high cost structure, lack of access to the best natural resources, or a lack of access to key distribution channels can all be classified as a Company’s weaknesses (QuickMBA). Starbucks, however, does not appear to possess any of these weaknesses. Especially since Green Mountain Coffee’s expiration of their patent for K-Cup, Starbucks has not been hindered by access to key distribution in their Channel Development sector (Daily Finance).This area of focus may be one of Starbucks’ weaknesses though because, unlike Starbucks franchises throughout America that basically stand untouched compared t o other coffee shops, Starbucks branded K-Cups compete with many other viable brands such as Green Mountain Coffee in the home-brewed portable coffee sector of the coffee industry. Additionally, Starbucks’ expansion into other countries, although proving to produce positive income, can be looked at as a weakness. For example, Starbucks’ presence in Europe has received some resistance due to the strong European â€Å"cafe culture† and preference for different â€Å"regional tastes† (NY Times).In summation, Starbucks has a positive future and experienced a fiscal year filled with strengths and few weaknesses in 2012. Its main strength as a firm is the powerful brand and presence that has been established by Starbucks. This strength is supplemented by Starbucks’ expansion into multiple countries and different areas within the market for coffee including K-Cups. Starbucks’ weaknesses seem to be associated with its strengths stemming from expansi on, which is seemingly normal and acceptable.To increase the firm’s strengths and mitigate its weaknesses, Starbucks senior management plans to â€Å"focus on achieving sustainable growth from established international markets while at the same time investing in emerging markets, such as China† (Starbucks Annual Report, 27). Additionally, Starbucks management seeks to expand upon its Channel Development segment by developing new innovations and ready-to-drink beverages, which will simultaneously bolster their internal strength and disintegrate the current weakness of having less establishment and dominance in this area of the coffee industry.