The London Riots of August of 2011 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The London Riots of August of 2011 - Essay Example One of the dangers of the news is that often rumour becomes presented as fact creating a reaction by the public that can turn to undesirable action. While the news provides an important service to the people of a nation, the reports must be accurate and ethical to have the social importance that is needed to create an informed public. Information that has been created to have the highest inflammatory effect in order to create the best possible entertainment for viewers or readers does not provide an accurate service to the public. A recent example of the dissemination of premature information that incited the public to action can be seen through the example of the riots in London during August of 2011. These riots were the result of both police action that people of the area of Tottenham found objectionable and unjust, as well as the reports made by the media that constituted rumours that had yet to be substantiated. Between the erroneous news releases and the reports on various soci al media outlets by eye witnesses who could refute the news reports, protest was made that was not met with adequate response from authorities, finally leading to riots and looting which resulted in death and destruction. In examining the reports made by the BBC and those made by The Guardian, an understanding of varying perspectives can be achieved as the outlets released news on the events that was based on how the information was that interpreted by the journalists. The following paper will first examine the background as perceived from reading various reports and written from the understanding of how those reports become a story in the mind of the reader. The news reports from the BBC will first be examined for their perspective on the riots, followed by the reports made The Guardian that can be compared to the reports from the BBC. Background During the month of August a series of riots and protested were motivated by the shooting death of a 29 year old man named Mark Duggan as attempts were made to arrest him. The incident occurred on 4 August 2011 at the Ferry Lane Bridge next to the Tottenham Hale station and was associated with Operation Trident, a police investigation into crimes associated with guns within the black community. The IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) was put in charge of the investigation of the shooting according to policy after a death that occurred through police involvement. Confusion within the media occurred through erroneous statements that seemed to be intended to quell the resulting violence after the incident. In the end it is possible that the false information did nothing more than to incite a larger backlash as the inconsistencies emerged through eye-witness accounts and retractions from the police department. One of the primary problems occurred as the media was lead to believe that Duggan fired on the police where eye witnessed did not see him fire. On 6 August a peaceful protest was planned that was to be a march from the Broadwater farm to the Tottenham police

Adolescent Student Attitudes Towards Mathematics Essay

Adolescent Student Attitudes Towards Mathematics - Essay Example Mathematics not only helps one individual in building his skills but also teaches one individual how to use them in his practical life. Keeping the importance of mathematics in mind this subject is compulsory in almost all sorts of education systems. As this subject is compulsory for everyone some students face difficulties while studying it while some do not. However the subject of Mathematics is considered the most difficult one by the students too. The pace of learning of a student depends on many factors. A student's attention should be focused on the topic he is learning. The attitude of learner and the environment in which he is studying are the major factors of his learning process. In this article, I would further discuss the attitude of students and their environment and background in detail to find out the reasons of changing attitudes of students towards mathematics. Students' background means the situations and conditions of their daily routine and their relation to their home. In contrast, the attitude of the students talks about their awareness, approach and feelings about mathematics. It is observed that the situations in the home make the base of the students' future formal learning either strong or weak. A student always needs his mother, who is known to be the first teacher of a child, to help and guide him in solving complex mathematics topics and questions. The understanding, feeling and concerns of students' also play a magnificent role in their progress of learning a particular subject. The pace of learning and level of understanding of a particular subject can be determined and assessed properly if these factors are kept in mind. Many researches have evaluated the result that students' personal and family background contribute to a great extent in the accomplishment of their goals including their success in mathematics. The changing attitudes of students towards mathematics and other studies also depend on their social life. Certain questions must be answered to understand why their attitude changes. Q1: Are their any resources available for the students at their home If so what are they and if not what would be the effect How does it affect their attitudes Home has been verified to be the greatest support for the students to carry good marks along with the willingness to study further and more efficiently. The environment provided to the student greatly influences the student to focus on his studies. Mathematics, being a complex subject for the students, requires attention and time. A student having an educational environment at home is observed to be more competent in his studies than the student having a less-educated environment around him. The learning opportunities, physical and mental relaxation and the peaceful environment of home play a great role in the success of a learner. A number of researches have already shown the positive relationship of learning accomplishments and home issues. The availability of books makes the first impression and acts as the first motivation for the student to work hard in his studies. The students follow the path of their parents and elders. Although books are believed to be the fundamental learni ng resources, other support stuff are thought as supplements which provide ease in the learning particularly that of mathematics. Such materials are calculators, computers, laptops, dictionaries, guidebooks and study tables. The educational qualification of parents also affects the students' academic life. If the parents are well educated and know the importance of education they would always emphasize on the students' learning. Mathematics needs a lot of attention and

Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms

Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms Relative Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms for Printed Document Images Divya Kamat, Divya Sharma, Parag Chitale, Prateek Dasgupta ABSTRACT In the following survey paper, the different algorithms that could be used for document layout analysis have been studied and their results have been compared. For the removal of image mask, Bloomberg’s algorithm and CRLA have been described. For the purpose of text segmentation, we have studied the Recursive XY Cut algorithm, RLSA and RLSO algorithms. Introduction Physical layout analysis of printed document images is the first step of the OCR conversion. For the OCR to work effectively, we need to provide an input wherein no images are present in the document i.e. the image contains only text. If this is not done properly, the OCR will return garbage values. To avoid this, we have discussed two algorithms, Bloomberg’s Algorithm and CRLA that could be used for the removal images from the document images. The next step is the text segmentation wherein we find the text blocks inside the document. The coordinates of these text blocks are then passed as input to the OCR. To perform this segmentation, we have discussed the recursive XY cut algorithm, the RLSA and RLSO algorithms. Removal of Image from Document The first step in the document layout analysis is to remove the images present in the original document. We will be discussing the Bloomberg’s algorithm along with its variations and the CRLA algorithm for image removal. Bloomberg’s Algorithm The Bloomberg’s algorithm is primarily used to find the image mask of halftone images. The implementation of this algorithm uses basic morphological operations. The algorithm has the following steps: In the first step, the binarization of the input image is performed. Next, 41 threshold reduction is performed twice using threshold T=1. 41 threshold reduction is performed using T=4. 41 threshold reduction is performed using T=3. Opening the image with a structural element of size 55. Next, 14 expansion of the image is performed twice. Next the union of overlapping components of the seed image obtained from step 6 with the image obtained from step 2 is performed. Dilation with structural element 33 followed by 14 expansion which is performed twice. The halftone mask obtained from step 8 is then subtracted from the binarized input image. The main issue with Bloomberg’s algorithm is that it is unable to distinguish between text and sketches (i.e. line drawings) in a printed document image. Enhanced CRLA Algorithm CRLA stands for Constraint Run Length Algorithm. In this algorithm we apply horizontal and vertical smoothening to the document image to get a clear separation between text and images in the document. Enhanced CRLA is used to smooth out only the text part in the image and avoid smoothening of non-textual part of the document image. Algorithm: Label the connected components in the document image. Classify the components with respect to their heights as follows: Height less than or equal to 1 cm, label it as 1 Height between 1 and 3 cm, label it as 3 Height greater than 3 cm, label it as 3 Apply horizontal smoothening to the components with label 1 only. Apply vertical smoothening to the components with label 1 only. Logically AND the two images obtained previously. Apply horizontal smoothening to the output image of AND operation. Calculate Mean Black Run Length Calculate the Black Run Length (BRL) row-wise for the region under consideration. Maintain a Black-White Transition Count (TC) for the region. Calculate Mean BRL as MBRL= (BRL/TC). Calculate Mean Transition Count Maintain a Black-White Transition Count (TC) for the region. Calculate W, the width of the region. Calculate Mean TC as MTC=(TC/W) Extract the components from the image with label 1 having values of MBRL and MTC in the acceptable range for the typical document image. Apply horizontal smoothening to the components with label 2 only. Apply vertical smoothening to the components with label 2 only. Logically AND the two images obtained previously. Apply horizontal smoothening to the output image of AND operation. Calculate MBRL and MTC. Extract the components from the image with label 2 and 3 having values MBRL and MTC in the acceptable range for the typical document image. At step 9 we extract the text part of the document image and at step 15 we extract the non-text part of the document image. The main advantage of the CRLA algorithm is that clear separation of text and non-text part of the document image. It also works for sketches as well as halftones effectively. It has considerably less complexity as selective smoothening is done. However, after the removal of the non-textual part of the document image, some stray pixels remain the image. The connected components in the halftone image whose height is less than 1cm are assumed as text elements in the algorithm. This results in presence of unwanted components in the final image. Text Segmentation The next step in the document layout analysis is the segmentation of text into text blocks that could be provided as input to the OCR. The following algorithms have been studied for this: Recursive XY Cut algorithm The recursive XY cut algorithm is used for obtaining text blocks from an image that does not contain any images from the original printed document. The XY cut algorithm works in the following way: The bounding boxes of the image are calculated. Next we calculate the horizontal and vertical projections of the image. After calculating the projections, we then perform X cuts on all the valleys in the horizontal projections which have a value greater than the threshold th. Next we perform Y cuts in between these X cuts at all the valleys in the vertical projections which have a value greater than the threshold tv. We repeat the steps 3 and 4 until there are no further X or Y cuts possible in a region. One of the problems with XY cut algorithm is that there is no method to find a threshold that will work for all the documents. Instead, a new threshold needs to be determined for each document and this cannot be done without manual intervention. Another major issue with the recursive XY algorithm is the time complexity. The recursive XY cut algorithm requires a large time to complete execution. Despite these disadvantages, this algorithm successfully separates the text blocks provided that a manual threshold is provided. RLSA The Run-Length Smoothing Algorithm (RLSA) works on black white scanned images of documents. It finds runs of white pixels and converts them into black pixels whenever they are less than a given threshold. The RLSA works in four steps: In the first step, we perform horizontal smoothing. For this, we scan the image row-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold th. In the second step, we perform vertical smoothing. For this, we scan the image column-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold tv. Next, we perform logical ANDing of the images obtained from the first and second steps. Then we perform horizontal smoothing on the image obtained from step 3 with a threshold ta. RLSO A simplified version of the RLSA, RLSO (Run-Length Smoothing with OR) works as follows: In the first step, we perform horizontal smoothing. For this, we scan the image row-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold th. In the second step, we perform vertical smoothing. For this, we scan the image column-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold tv. Next we perform a logical OR operation on the images obtained from the first and second step. The RLSA algorithm returns rectangular frames of documents with Manhattan Layouts. On the other hand, RLSO algorithm also works well with non-Manhattan layouts. The problem with both RLSA and RLSO is that the threshold for smoothing needs to be determined manually. Also the threshold required for each document image is different and it is almost impossible to be determined manually. Conclusion We have compared the above given algorithms for the document layout analysis. During our research we found that, while Bloomberg’s algorithm faces problems for images that contain sketches, CRLA faces problems for images that contain extremely small non-textual elements. We also observed that the recursive XY Cut algorithm and RLSA both do not work on printed documents having non-Manhattan layouts. On the other hand, the RLSO algorithm gives comparatively better results for Manhattan as well as non-Manhattan layouts. However, all three algorithms mentioned above face the common problem of manual threshold determination which is document specific. References Syed Saqib Bukhari, Faisal Shafait and Thomas M. Bruel, â€Å"Improved Document Image Segmentation Algorithm using Multiresolution Morphology† Jaekyu Ha and Robert M. Haralick, Ihsin T. Philips, â€Å"Recursive XY Cut using Bounding Boxes of Connected Components† , Third International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition, ICDAR, 1995 Stefano Ferilli, Teresa M.A. Basile, Floriana Esposito, â€Å"A histogram-based Technique for Automatic Threshold Assessment in a Run Length Smoothing-based Algorithm†, ACM, 2010. Hung-Ming Sun, â€Å"Enhanced Constrained Run-Length Algorithm for Complex Layout Document Processing†, International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, 2006

Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Tennessee Williams Gl

Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie We all have illusions. We can hardly live without them. Most of the time they are harmless thoughts about things that are usually unattainable. An example would be when a person sees something that they want and then dreams of having it. Whenever someone holds an opinion based on what they think is true, or in some cases what should be true, rather than what actually is true, then that is an illusion. Illusions sometimes help people cope with painful situations, but in the end, illusions are only a false escape from reality. The characters in the book The Glass Menagerie are each affected by their own different illusions. Tom, Laura, and Amanda all survive because their illusions protect them from the painful facts of their lives. However, illusions can prove to be self-destructive as well as helpful. Do the characters’ illusions hurt them, or are they merely harmless aspects of their personalities? Tom, who is the main character and narrator, suffers from his illusions. Tom’s illusion helps him to escape from his own reality. He sees his job at the shoe warehouse as boring and insignificant. He would rather experience the endless possibilities that life holds. But Tom cannot escape his job, so he tries to escape by going to the movies and writing. When he goes to the movies, he expects to find adventure. Watching someone else’s adventures on the movie screen offers Tom a diversion from his boring existence. â€Å"Yes, movies! Look at them-All of those glamorous people-having adventures-hogging it gobbling the whole thing up! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving! Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them! / But I’m not patient. I don’t want to wait till then. I’m tired of the movies and I am about to move!† (p. 96) But since he has to come out of the dark theater and face life again, escape to the movies solves no problems in his life. The vicarious way of life that Tom creates by attending the movies is an illusion because it can never be a true substitute for his own life. Tom realizes in the paragraph above that he is only watching adventures rather than living them. He realizes, also, that movies are only momentary physiological escapes. He uses the movies as a... ...nt from what she wants. Amanda’s life is focused on her children’s happiness because she doesn’t want them to make the same mistakes that she did. This, however, is just an illusion because they will never be what she wants them to be. By trying harder to set them on the right path, she pushes herself even deeper into her illusion. â€Å"Go to the movies, go! Don’t think about us, a mother deserted, an unmarried sister who’s crippled and has no job! Don’t let anything interfere with your selfish pleasure! Just go, go, go-to the movies!†(p.136) By reliving her life, Amanda failed to realize that the personalities of her children were completely different from her own. As a result of her illusions, Amanda drove her son away and hurt herself and the others around her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If someone was to remove the illusion from the lives of the Wingfield family, which of them could survive the real world? Their illusions might be useful for a short time but the world would pass them by if they maintained an illusionary state. Illusions, therefore, are a destructive trait in the lives of the Wingfield family. Works Cited Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie". New York: Random House, 2008.

Advantage of Internet Essay

But its all depends on how we use the INTERNET which is simply called as the backbone of world technology.. You might have heard that everything in this world has the other side, if one side is good, another side may be bad. Similarly, if one side is bad, another side will be good. This is the simple example, which may be applicable on the usage of internet. Internet, no doubt has made this world so wonderful, which we had never even dreamt of. For example, I am writing this answer for a person, who is thousands of miles away from my place. It is only internet, which has made our life so comfortable and informative, you name any information, it is just a click away from you. For professionals and students, this new virtual world has become very useful, it is like a sea or information or a reference book, which is always on your fingertips. As I mentioned, everything has the other side, internet too has the other side or negative side, which could badly spoil anyone especially children, who are exposed to many unwanted information like obscenity, sex, violence etc. They also get addicted to many things like online games, cartoons etc, which led to the deviation from studies and behavioral change. At last, I would like to say that parent should always keep watch on their wards and must ensure that their child don’t get exposed to unwanted content on internet, parents’ can also use the child lock or block the websites, which have the explicit content. The advantages are: information, communication and creation. For example, there is a vast amount of info on the Internet which can be used both by children and adults alike. Everyone uses the Internet for e-mail or blog. And everyday lots of new creations such as websites and forums are created and people use them in accordance to the values of the other 2 advantages. The disadvantages are: people can become addicted to the Internet. They will stay inside all day long and not stretch or anything. And, some people have  their head buried in their Blackberries all day long. Another disadvantage is that there are a lot of inappropriate sites on the Internet which children visit. They see things that are too old for them. Personally, i feel like it gives the child motives to study, because theres a lot to know, and the internet makes it seem interesting to know, it makes finding information easy, helps with answering questions, contacting the teachers, and staying in contact with friends, but then again, there are sooo many distractions; if the child doesnt have much self control, they wouldnt get anything done, but only use facebook, ect. And there are always alternatives to the internet, like cell phones to stay in contact, books to learn, and dictionaries to look up words. You dont REALLY need the internet. For an adult, I feel like they can use it to share things with friends, find out what they need to know, advertise, but theres distraction’s always for them too. There are advantages and disadvantages both aspects we find using internet by the children. To know about world’s information they can grab immediately through it and update themselves with the knowledge. The games, notes, puzzles, outdoor/indoor activities to develop their mind and many things are there which are useful to them. But to see computer continue might harm their eyesight, they may go to see towards negative pictures and video clips, give up concentrations towards study and more unusual moves will be created through internet. Internet has made the world narrow and reachable immediately for friendship and planning for new activities, communicating with different cultures and exchanging ideas as well as to know about new places and see in the picture lively. However, the bad aspect is to keep vulgar pictures in sharing and to scold others or threaten through internet has become much easy. Therefore, we might get both the things in the use of internet by the children in this society. The proliferation of Internet technologies has both advantages and  disadvantages. Internet is defined as a collection of various services and resources. Today, Internet has brought a globe in a single room. Right from getting news across the corner of the world to accessing knowledge resources to shopping, everything is at your fingertips. Internet has tremendous potential and a lot to offer in terms of services. However, like every single innovation in science and technology, Internet has its own advantages and disadvantages. And it has some effects also in students in their development socially, psychologically, physically, emotionally and spiritually. There is so much that students can do with the Internet. Not only can they communicate with other students, they can gain from others’ knowledge and experiences, participate in chat rooms, share ideas and solutions and learn about the many diverse cultures out there. And one of its advantages is the email. Email is a quick and easy way to stay in touch with family, friends, business contacts, and strangers. It doesn’t cost the price of a stamp and you don’t have to wait for days to get a response or answer. In the business world, it is any easy, fast way to keep in touch with co-workers and employers. Emails keep us from wasting valuable time being placed on hold when you need to contact someone regarding business or pleasure. Many students also use it to pass their projects via email and it’s because it is fast and reliable. And the other one is the Infinite storage of information. The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The ‘search engines’ on the Internet can help you to find data on any subject that you need. And for students it could make their work easier like their homework but sometimes the information you get from Internet cannot be 100% right, because everybody can write  on Internet about everything. Entertainment is another popular reason why many students nowadays prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, media of internet has become quite successful in trapping multifaceted entertainment factor. Downloading games, visiting chat rooms or just surfing the Web are some of the uses people have discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the Internet for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. In fact, the Internet has been successfully used by people to find lifelong partners. When people surf the Web, there are numerous things that can be found. Music, hobbies, news and more can be found and shared on the Internet. And like Youtube where students usually visit to listen music. And when one is bored he could search for games he want and play. But despite its numerous advantages the Internet is not absolutely free of weak points. Thus, alongside with useful and beneficial information the Internet sources, sites that make pornography available to students are all over in the Web. In addition, too often the ease with which the information can be retrieved is not directly proportional to its quality and reliability. Many Internet users indicate as a flagrant problem the potential ability of dangerous strange fellows to make contact with students. Disadvanatages your eyes will be destroyed. no appetite in the food. when you’re having an assignment,you’ll immediately copy and then paste without reading and understanding it carefully pornographies unreliable informations you’re going to be a victim of some social networking sites like hacking, etc.

Internal and External Sourcing Strategies Essay

Internal sourcing refers to utilizing internal labor for the official undertakings while outsourcing refers to bringing manpower, goods or services from international organizations. It is a decision on either to produce goods or services internally within the organization or to purchase them from external organizations. The goal of internal versus external sourcing is to secure needed commodities at the finest promising cost, while making best use of the wherewithal of the organization. Factors that might influence our decision may include: rates, standby capacity within the organization, the need for firm quality and agenda control, elasticity, the enrichment of skills that can then be utilized in other ways, size and economies of scale, employment of existing personnel, the need for confidentiality, capital and backing requirements, and the impending consistency of supply. Global Sourcing: According to the definitions of business dictionary, Global sourcing is a procurement strategy used to illustrate the exercise of sourcing from the worldwide marketplace for goods and services. The purpose of global sourcing is to bank on the most cost efficient location to make use of global competence in the delivery of goods and services. For example if a textile industry finds that the production & delivery of their products is economical in some other countries, they would either close the industry in their respective country and start production in the most reasonable location. Or otherwise they can recruit human resource from low cost countries or start a sister outlet of their company in there. These efficiencies comprise low price skillful   Ã‚  labor, reasonable cost raw material and additional financial aspects like tax evasions and reduced business duties etc. Common instances of globally sought out goods or services include: labor- concentrated fabricated product produ ced utilizing low-cost Chinese man power, call centers provided with affordable   English speaking staffs from developing countries like Philippines and India, and computerized work executed by economical operators from India and Eastern Europe. Global sourcing is not bound to low-cost countries. Majority of companies today endeavor to take advantage of global sourcing with reduced cost. Hence it is universally found that global sourcing programs form an essential ingredient of the procurement strategy of several global companies. International procurement organizations (or IPOs) are always a helpful to hunt international market for a company. These procurement organizations assume prime duty to discover plus build up key suppliers to assist gratify intermittent sourcing conditions of the mother organization. Such associations lend a hand to make available center of attention in country- based sourcing attempts. Specifically in the instance of big and composite states, such as China, where a variety of sub- marketplaces continue living and dealers widen the whole value series of goods, such IPOs prove fundamental in that regard for information. Over time, these IPOs may raise to become a holistic procurement organization in their own footing, with entirely occupied category authorities and quality assurance squads. It is therefore fundamental for firms to conspicuously describe an incorporation and range -up sketch for the IPO. According to estimates of A D&B Company, 60 percent of companies in USA today out source from China as a fraction of their low-cost sourcing strategies, and around half of their Low-cost Country Sourcing expenditure is for objects— such as fragments, circuit boards, wires and other spare parts used in finished products. According to a survey, the observance of global sourcing in the retail and customer sector is booming, The following countries according to Aberdeen Group reports are generally hunted as growing markets for low cost country sourcing: China,   Thailand,   Vietnam,   India,   Ukraine,   Romania,   Bulgaria,   Mexico and   Brazil. Advantages:  · Global Sourcing helps businesses to estimate strategies to venture in a latent market.  · It helps tap into talents or means that are available internationally.  · Helps to generate alternate contractors/supplier resources to arouse completion which   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  would elevate gross supplying potential. Disadvantages: Some disadvantages of global sourcing may include:  · Concealed costs correlated with diverse societies and time zones.  · Unearthing reliable contractors or suppliers in unfamiliar zones are also very tough.  · Contact with will developing or emerging economies would result in economical and political risks.  · Foreign exchange regulations may be tough & rigid. Their may be constraints to business licensing.  · Project executive confrontations in relation to migrating manufacturing operations successfully. Why Prefer Outsourcing? According to the findings of Aberdeen Group there are several grounds why manufacturers prefer outsourcing, but too much outsourcing may bring pitfalls and challenges. Cost-adjustment is not the primary cause to subcontract, but its undoubtedly an essential element.  · Outsourcing alters constant costs into variable costs, generates resources for investment somewhere else in a specific industry, and permits to evade enormous expenses in the early stages of business. This act can also make the company captivating to investors.  · An outsider’s rate configuration and economy of scale can bestow company a significant competitive advantage.  · Recruiting and preparing staff for short-term ventures can be an expensive undertaking and short-term employees don’t always live up to company’s expectations. Outsourcing can help concentrate on human resources wherever they need them most.  · A good outsourcing helps start new projects fast. Outsiders come up with more passion and show zeal towards working.  · Through low cost country sourcing developing countries can economically uplift themselves due to investments from global markets which would also attract other potential investors.  · Startup Capital— few countries harmonize government funds venture capital with private capital to begin that businesses in their country.  · Tax relaxations— Countries offer tax relaxations to stir manufacturing undertakings as to defy high business taxes within another country.  · Scalability — the outsourced company is often prepared to handle any temporary or permanent escalation or plummet in production of goods  · Creating leisure time— large organizations may wish to outsource their work as to optimize their work-leisure. Conclusion: In a lot many ways is global outsourcing preferred by multinational in all sorts of their undertakings. Since it helps market their products or services globally bring home more revenues. This process always helps bring innovative minds to the mother organization. But those recruiting corporate have to be very cautious when comes to hiring people from areas that they aren’t much familiar. It can cause security concerns as well. However, big companies undoubtedly deliberate first and then ponder on outsourcing. Thus we can say that global outsourcing which is a procurement strategy helps bring people together creating a diverse or multicultural environment which with managerial expertise can bring innovations and various benefits to our potential customers.

Era of Inequality essays

Era of Inequality essays The women in Jack Kerouac's On the Road were, it seems, not afforded the same depth in character which the author gave the men. The treatment of the women characters in both word and action by Sal and Dean seems to show that women could only be an Eve figure or a Lilith referring to Biblical analogies. Throughout the novel there are many instances in which women and their feelings or actions are either referred to flippantly or blatantly degraded. It can be said, however, that Sal (Kerouac) did not necessarily agree with this narrow female identity, and there is evidence to support this claim. The novel also shows, though, that Sal did participate in this male forced female stereotyping whether he wanted to or not. This is not to say that Sal (Kerouac) is necessarily malicious in his treatment of women but more possibly he is merely acting in accordance with the way he was raised and the way in which society treated women at the time. In effect while Sal and the novel may try to make points against the poor treatment of women, the novel tends to reinforce the sexist male domination at the time. The novel, on a certain level endorses the narrow female identity and the femme fatale dichotomy contained therein, while at the same time attempting unsuccessfully to rise above the limited female identity. Women play a key role in this novel in many ways. In the case of Dean, for example, there always seems to be a woman around to make his experiences more real to him somehow. So, in consequence, there are many instances of the diminishment of the female identity. These can be seen in the novels treatment of the female characters like Marylou, Sal's Aunt, and Terry. Marylou is repeatedly talked about, not talked to. In the part in which Dean wishes Sal to sleep with Marylou the only dialogue that goes on is either Sal's or Dean's. Marylou has no lines. All she really has is a little "go ahead". That is all and that really does not even impl...

Free Essays on Book Prices

Book Prices Books are an essential part in the successful outcome of excellence for students. College students must go through numerous hurdles, one of them is buying books throughout their four years of college. Although many were warned of the stress of it all, very few were actually prepared for the financial attack upon his or her bank account. By its cost, one would expect the book itself to amazingly increase one’s intellect, when in actuality it simply confuses all of those in search of answers. It is a problem that every student must encounter and deal with at the beginning of every semester. Something that no one really looks forward to, I mean, who wants to spend that much money on books? Why not just invest it else where? Maybe buying a Mercedes with a nice leather interior would make more sense, but then again, books will have to do in this case. In truth, it is a problem created out of pure greed by those attempting to make money off their merchandise. This is a problem that the administration of Kennesaw State University should prioritize in order to fin d a solution. As an incoming freshman, I was truly excited about the new journey I was about to embark on. The anxiety is what made me look forward to college so desperately. Although I was warned about the ridiculous prices of books, I was not fully prepared for what I would encounter at the bookstore. As dad and I so naively went through my book Da Silva 2 list, I soon discovered how bad the situation really was. It was a Friday afternoon when my journey begun along with dad . I never knew one could spend over two hundred dollars within a time frame of fifteen minutes to buy five books. The reality of it remained that my books needed to be bought and nothing could be done to change that. Dad was extremely shocked and could hardly believe what had taken place just then. He looked like he had been raped by someone he knew his whole life. He tried to gracefully ... Free Essays on Book Prices Free Essays on Book Prices Book Prices Books are an essential part in the successful outcome of excellence for students. College students must go through numerous hurdles, one of them is buying books throughout their four years of college. Although many were warned of the stress of it all, very few were actually prepared for the financial attack upon his or her bank account. By its cost, one would expect the book itself to amazingly increase one’s intellect, when in actuality it simply confuses all of those in search of answers. It is a problem that every student must encounter and deal with at the beginning of every semester. Something that no one really looks forward to, I mean, who wants to spend that much money on books? Why not just invest it else where? Maybe buying a Mercedes with a nice leather interior would make more sense, but then again, books will have to do in this case. In truth, it is a problem created out of pure greed by those attempting to make money off their merchandise. This is a problem that the administration of Kennesaw State University should prioritize in order to fin d a solution. As an incoming freshman, I was truly excited about the new journey I was about to embark on. The anxiety is what made me look forward to college so desperately. Although I was warned about the ridiculous prices of books, I was not fully prepared for what I would encounter at the bookstore. As dad and I so naively went through my book Da Silva 2 list, I soon discovered how bad the situation really was. It was a Friday afternoon when my journey begun along with dad . I never knew one could spend over two hundred dollars within a time frame of fifteen minutes to buy five books. The reality of it remained that my books needed to be bought and nothing could be done to change that. Dad was extremely shocked and could hardly believe what had taken place just then. He looked like he had been raped by someone he knew his whole life. He tried to gracefully ...

Cardioversion

Cardioversion Have you ever felt like your heart was racing, fluttering or skip a beat? This can be a sign of cardiac arrhythmia and it is common especially in older adults. If you experience this occasionally they are usually harmless. However, some arrhythmias that last longer can be critical and require management and treatment. Cardiac arrhythmia is a class of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is abnormal. One way to correct certain arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter is by performing a medical procedure called â€Å"Cardioversion†. As a group, we will like to explain why it is important to distinguish when cardioversion will be used versus defibrillation. According to heart.com website, â€Å"Arrhythmias can produce a broad range of symptoms, from barely perceptible to cardiovascular collapse and death.† There are different diagnostic tests used to confirm arrhythmias. We will also explain the two types of cardioversion procedures used to correct an irregular heartbeat and what occurs before, during and after cardioversion. We will discuss nursing implications including patient education throughout the process of a cardioversion procedure. An arrhythmia is a change in the rhythm of your heartbeat. Arrhythmias are more serious if you have other heart problems. Cardioversion is a corrective procedure to change or convert an irregular heart rhythm back to normal sinus rhythm. This procedure is usually elective, the patient is awake but sedated and a consent form must be signed prior to the procedure. According to heart.com website, cardioversions are done to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter (AFL) and non-life threatening irregular rhythms in the top of the heart. It is also used in less urgent cases to try to convert the rhythm back to normal. Defibrillation is for immediately life-threatening arrhythmias, the patient does not have a pulse such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). The goal for both is to deliver electrical energy to the heart to shock the heart temporarily allowing a normal sinus rhythm to kick in via the hearts normal pacemaker. For cases where an electrical shock is needed, if the patient is stable, and you can see a QRS-t complex you will use (LOW ENERGY) synchronized cardioversion. However, if the patient is pulseless, or if the patient is unstable and the defibrillator will not synchronize, you will use (HIGH ENERGY) unsynchronized cardioversion (defibrillation). Patients who have arrhythmias can be asystematic. When arrhythmias last long enough to upset how well the heart functions, more serious symptoms can occur such as syncope or near-fainting spells, chest pain and fatigue. In severe cases, collapse and sudden cardiac arrest can emerge. Diagnostic tests used to confirm arrhythmia are chest x-rays, blood tests, stress test and electrocardiogram. There are other tests or procedures used to determine arrhythmias; however, an electrocardiogram is the most common. ECG is used to check for signs of heart disease. Its a test that records the electrical activity of your heart through small electrode patches that are placed on the chest, arms, and legs. The ECG diagnostic test is commonly used because it’s reliable, fast, safe and painless.

QUEEN CHRISTINA IN THE LIGHTS OF GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM Essay

QUEEN CHRISTINA IN THE LIGHTS OF GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM - Essay Example The movie shows us Queen Christina's personal desire for love and happiness and her affair with the Spanish Ambassador, Don Antonio De Pimentel. However, ultimately he dies leaving their love unfulfilled. Another aspect of the movie, which is of significance, is that Queen Christina wanted to be a human and not just some object, like women were treated in that time. Queen Christina displays German Expressionism, which was a kind of film movement and refers to the numerous interrelated artistic movements that had come about in Germany. Interweaving German Expressionist in the movies of the 1930's was an upcoming and new style, which was widely shown in many movies. Most of the developments, which took place in Germany, were due to this movement. A number of movies, including Queen Christina, served an important role in transporting the private emotions of a person in the open and thus, is intimately related to the concepts and ideas of the German Expressionism. As emphasized by German Expressionism the movie gives us emotional and extremely personal reactions. This movie uses many dark and light contrasts with tilted angles, exaggeration and dreamy atmospheres. In the early 19th century, most of the German films were copied from foreign films or were made for commercial usage. However, due to its intense success many other movies displaying expre ssionist style started appearing. After the First World War Germany faced confusion and unrest and there was hysteric misery everywhere. Social pressure created an atmosphere of terror. Queen Christina completely thrives on the continuous and always present fantastic, gruesome and mysterious element of terror. In addition, the film industry in Germany suffered a lot when the German economy was recovering. As inflation grew in Germany, films were very cheap and were easily sold in the foreign markets. However, with these upcoming Expressionist movies their budget raised making them a competition for the foreign movies. (Lamb, 2004) This movie also contains a number of elements of German Feminism. Throughout history, the story and lives of especially the women have been neglected to a larger amount. Their roles in various political matters, cultural and social changes have often been ignored. Queen Christina is feminist in the solid views that it has given. It gives us various views about bisexuality, female nobility and homosexuality. Queen Christina is one of the most appreciated movies of all times and gives us an insight to the personal and delicate struggle that women go through while trying to surpass the feelings she has towards a person whom society does not approve of. It shows us a delicate character of a very strong yet emotional woman facing many difficulties. Since it has portrayed bisexuals, the movie has often been criticized and disputed by a number of people. Queen Christina was one of the greatest movies in the wonderful era of silent movies. Although the movie contains elements of that time, it is amazingly ahead of time. It displays qualities of rich art at several levels. Queen Christina's secret love affair with the Spanish Ambassador served as a catalyst bringing up questions about Queen Christina's perspective, duty and also her

How far neuromarketing can go ethically Literature review

How far neuromarketing can go ethically - Literature review Example The key source to win such intensive battle i.e. capturing target audience’s attention was the use of highly targeted communication based on effective and thorough research along with the integration of science (4imprint, 2010). Traditionally, marketers and advertisers utilised focus groups and interviews to gain insights regarding the needs and wants of the consumers. With such techniques/tools, the marketers were able to read the mind of the consumers by gauging the responses which provided them with superiority in the marketplace. But with the changes in consumer-driven marketplace, organisations have started seeking out new methods and ways to gather consumer opinions and reactions regarding a particular brand in the marketplace (4imprint, 2010). With the improvements in technology, and with increasing research of the marketers, the result has been presented in the form of neuromarketing. Neuromarketing has been highly used and it has been estimated that the usage of neuro marketing will be increasing with the passage of time. It may sound futuristic, but with the advancement of technology in this new era, marketers have been provided with an opportunity to tap into the minds of the consumers. Not only this, these new technologies allow the marketers to scientifically understand the needs and desires of the consumers. With the integration of thorough research and science i.e. (technology), marketers and advertisers have gradually enhanced their ability to exactly pinpoint the reasons and causes due to which people tend to purchase a product. In addition, such technologies have uncovered the response of brain to various advertisement and marketing tactics (4imprint, 2010). Technology that organisations once fantasised is now a reality which has constantly helped the giant organisations like Campbell’s Soup and Pepsi to enhance their brand image along with the marketing of their products (4imprint, 2010). The concept of Neuromarketing came into e xistence almost a decade ago by an Atlanta Advertisement firm i.e. Bright house in June 2002, with a specific aim. The main aim of Neuromarketing was marketing research (Fisher et al., 2009). With the help of neuromarketing, the organisation was able to enhance its knowledge regarding the needs and desire of the customers along with the buying behavior of the consumers in the market. As Neuromarketing is a combination of neuroscience and marketing practices, it provides the organisation with perfect opportunity to understand, predict and eventually control human behavior. As indicated by Fisher et al. (2009) that the problem is based on the fact that such integration of sciences and research is quite unclear that is it only an academic field of research or business practices despite the advantages and benefits associated with neuromarketing through which organisations were able to predict human behavior and eventually consumer behavior. Similarly, Murphy et al. (2008) that several n euromarketing companies claim that with the help of neuromarketing, the organisations would be able to fully understand the buying behavior of consumers but on the other hand, very little academics and scientific approaches validate such claims. The question that has risen is whether such neuromarketing is another trick of marketers and advertisers to manipulate the demands of the products or it is just a practice to

Embodiment and experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Embodiment and experience - Essay Example This creates a system through which people can communicate and share huge volumes of personalised information without having to resort through several challenges and difficulties. From a Communications perspective, social media has various facades and connotations within which it can be deduced and evaluated. This include amongst other things, a view that it is a major communication tool, system and outlet that allows people to interact and also share huge volumes of information with few restrictions and limitations. This paper examines the embodiment of the social media from a communications perspective. To this end, the paper will explore the fundamental research question: â€Å"To what extent can social media be critiqued and understood through viral logic and what practical applications can be made of it†. The paper will thus evaluate various theories and concepts from books, journals and other secondary sources in order to provide critical answers to this fundamental research question. The concept of embodiment has to do with the presentation and identification of a given concept. Embodiment refers to giving a form to different parts and different components in order to give it a collective and holistic view and ideology. A body is a cognitive presentation of duality into a single entity (Blackman, 2008). In the modern concept, there is a tendency to identify and give a view of a given idea or conception to the mind and body (Blackman, 2008). In other words, there is the need to give a conceptual view to something that does not exist in the physical form and also give a name to something physical that has different components. Thus, philosophies seek to bring things that exist in thought into a full existence (Blackman, 2008). Therefore, the idea of a body is more of getting and putting together a view on something that exists and it involves the hard, and soft aspects of a given idea or

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 42

Journal - Assignment Example However, it is not possible without reference to other ethical and religious values​​, such as the purity of the soul and the mind. I strongly believe that everyone should strive to live an honest and righteous life without harming anyone. In addition, my religious beliefs have been influenced by the religious values ​​of people of other religions such as Buddhism and Islam. Buddhism attracts me with its special emphasis on harmony with the outside world, which is perceived as a living organism. In turn, in Islam, I drew attention to the religious conviction of the need to maintain a modest life. My personal experience as well as acquaintance with representatives of other religions allowed me to choose the most valuable religious values ​​that are the basis of my daily life, namely, modesty, honesty, willingness to help another person, and self-improvement. Making an integral part of my everyday life, they are my spiritual reliable

People Organizations and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People Organizations and Management - Essay Example 34). Alignment is described as the extent to which the human resource is linked to the business strategy. Capabilities include the talent, resources and information needed to implement the business strategy while engagement is defined as the extent to which people in an organization are committed to the organization. The productivity of the people in an organization and the quality of services offered to customers is influenced by various factors including the extent of team working, the organization’s structure and culture. Team working involves members of an organization working together and complementing each other to accomplish a particular task. When well conceived and implemented, team work offers various advantages which include enhanced creativity, increased employee satisfaction and it offers an opportunity for one to develop and acquire new skills (REF). Moreover, team working enhances the speed with which results are achieved and creates a support network for employ ees which they can rely on. Organizational design also determines the performance and productivity of the people in an organization. Generally, organizations may fall into either traditional or contemporary organization design. Under traditional organizational design, an organization may have simple structure or a functional structure while contemporary design may be team structure, matrix structure or project structure. Moreover, contemporary organizational design may be either lead to autonomous internal units, boundary-less organizations or learning organizations (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 150). Moreover, the human resource in all organizations is influence by the culture of that organization (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 147). Organizational culture is described as the pattern of norms, beliefs, values, attitudes and all those assumptions which may not have been articulated although they determine the way people behave and carry on their daily businesses. It is a system of informal rules gui ding people’s behaviour in an organization (Campeanu-Sonea et al., 2010, p. 328). This paper will make a comparison of teamwork, organizational design and culture of two different firms; Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Biogenia is an international company involved in the production of farming chemicals such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. It has an employee base of 15000 and operates in ten countries. On the other hand, Sleepeasy is a mid-market hotel chain targeting business travellers and tourists. Comparison of approaches to teamwork and team-working at Biogenia and Sleepeasy Given the many benefits accruing to an organization after fostering teamwork, firms always strive to enhance it. However, different organizations use on varied approaches to achieve teamwork as brought out in the case study the Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Grant et al. (2005. p.165) described six approaches that are used in teamwork. These approaches include shared plans, joint intentions, team plans, cooperative problem solving, collective intentions and cooperative subcontracting. In team plan approach; teamwork is based a group of people with an intention of performing a complex task while in joint intentions all the agents in a group have a specific intention which brings them to work together (Grant, et al., 2005, p. 168). In shared plan approach, agents are bound together by a set of intentions. Cooperative problem solving approach to team work is based on an intention to interconnecting different

Activity based costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Activity based costing - Essay Example With this new era of cost reduction and resource utilization,managers always have to come up with ways to maximize their bottom-line One of the newest ways how companies can get increased cost-savings is by using a technique called Activity Based Costing (ABC). The main objective of this type of system is proper identification of all cost categories and using basing decisions on this information. Most organizations that use ABC systems have two costing systems – the official costing system that is used for preparing external financial reports and the Activity Based Costing system that is used for internal decision making and for managing activities. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Recent Studies in ABC 3 Role of ABC in Industries 4 Role in Manufacturing 5 Role in Financial Services 6 Role in Health Services 7 Role in Retail 8 Role in Government 9 Limitations of ABC 10 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Introduction The main objective of Acti vity Based Costing is to understand the various types of overheads that are affecting the business. In comparison, normal accounting attempts to separate the different type of costs and the focus is on the cost of goods sold (or cost of services rendered in case of service companies). In this section, analysis of the various aspects of Activity Based Costing will be done, and how it is used effectively by managers in order to create the maximum value for the company. A number of examples will also be looked into when it did not prove to be very effective for the organizations. The basis of Activity Based Costing is simple, non-manufacturing as well as manufacturing costs may be assigned to products. Moreover, some manufacturing costs may be excluded from product costs. All overhead costs are attached to a product and activity is used as a measure of all the costs involved. The overhead rates or activity rates may be based on the level of activity at capacity rather than on the budge ted level of activity. To compensate for the deficiencies of the conventional information systems, ABC requires firms to collect costs in specially constructed â€Å"activity pools† rather than service departments or overhead cost centers. Each of the pools corresponds to a group of similar business processes or activities that are homogeneous in that all costs assigned to the pool are influenced or driven by a common factor (Rafiq & Garg 2002). Recent Studies in ABC A study in the year 2005 concluded that nearly half (55%) of respondents suggested within their entirety that their companies were at that time making use of the Activity Based Costing either in an active fashion or in a pilot with another 32% considering use. Only one in ten which amounted to around 11% did not contemplate using the ABC. The manufacturing industry had the highest representation with 24%, followed by financial services at 18%, public sector at 16%, and communications at 8%. Other industries accou nted for less than 5% each. The same study found out that out of all the industries being considered, the communication industry is the most aggressive in adopting the ABC system (Timlin 1998). The primary reason for this being that the Activity Based Costing uses various activities to trace overhead directly to cost objects, such as products, processes, services, etc., avoiding the distortions of traditional costing systems. In order for the ABC system to be affective large investments will have to be made in IT to support this need for categorical information. Role of ABC in Industries Now taking a look at the different industries and trying to analyze how ABC system is used to achieve different goals according to the company. While company goals may vary greatly, the purpose here is to identify how Activity Based Co

People Organizations and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People Organizations and Management - Essay Example 34). Alignment is described as the extent to which the human resource is linked to the business strategy. Capabilities include the talent, resources and information needed to implement the business strategy while engagement is defined as the extent to which people in an organization are committed to the organization. The productivity of the people in an organization and the quality of services offered to customers is influenced by various factors including the extent of team working, the organization’s structure and culture. Team working involves members of an organization working together and complementing each other to accomplish a particular task. When well conceived and implemented, team work offers various advantages which include enhanced creativity, increased employee satisfaction and it offers an opportunity for one to develop and acquire new skills (REF). Moreover, team working enhances the speed with which results are achieved and creates a support network for employ ees which they can rely on. Organizational design also determines the performance and productivity of the people in an organization. Generally, organizations may fall into either traditional or contemporary organization design. Under traditional organizational design, an organization may have simple structure or a functional structure while contemporary design may be team structure, matrix structure or project structure. Moreover, contemporary organizational design may be either lead to autonomous internal units, boundary-less organizations or learning organizations (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 150). Moreover, the human resource in all organizations is influence by the culture of that organization (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 147). Organizational culture is described as the pattern of norms, beliefs, values, attitudes and all those assumptions which may not have been articulated although they determine the way people behave and carry on their daily businesses. It is a system of informal rules gui ding people’s behaviour in an organization (Campeanu-Sonea et al., 2010, p. 328). This paper will make a comparison of teamwork, organizational design and culture of two different firms; Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Biogenia is an international company involved in the production of farming chemicals such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. It has an employee base of 15000 and operates in ten countries. On the other hand, Sleepeasy is a mid-market hotel chain targeting business travellers and tourists. Comparison of approaches to teamwork and team-working at Biogenia and Sleepeasy Given the many benefits accruing to an organization after fostering teamwork, firms always strive to enhance it. However, different organizations use on varied approaches to achieve teamwork as brought out in the case study the Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Grant et al. (2005. p.165) described six approaches that are used in teamwork. These approaches include shared plans, joint intentions, team plans, cooperative problem solving, collective intentions and cooperative subcontracting. In team plan approach; teamwork is based a group of people with an intention of performing a complex task while in joint intentions all the agents in a group have a specific intention which brings them to work together (Grant, et al., 2005, p. 168). In shared plan approach, agents are bound together by a set of intentions. Cooperative problem solving approach to team work is based on an intention to interconnecting different

Learning and Memory Paper Essay Example for Free

Learning and Memory Paper Essay Human memory has been a significant interest concerning how people develop memory and process memory. Researchers and educators are diligently interested on the neuroanatomical neural processes related to learning and the current literature, neuroanatomical and neural processes related to memory and the current literature. In addition, the relationship between learning and memory form functional perspective. Researchers discuss the reasons learning and memory are interdependent, and have performed testing through case studies using animal studies because they are most useful and replicable studies for understanding the learning-to-memory-link. The examples from research help researchers with solving the mystery of the memory processes. Researchers discuss the importance of lifelong learning and brain stimulation to longevity and quality of life to obtain knowledge and how the human individual develops their capabilities to obtain memory and how memory can affect human behaviors. To understand the functional relationship between learning and memory we must first define what both learning and memory is. Learning is described as â€Å"the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study, or by being taught† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). While â€Å"Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present† (Sternberg, 1999). Therefore, as one can tell memory is essential to all of our lives. Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. We would not be able to remember what we did yesterday, what we have done today or what we plan to do tomorrow. Without memory, we could not learn anything. Learning and Memory are linked to cognitive abilities in both humans and animals. A well-known example to show the relationship between learning and memory is the classic rat in maze. Rats have been used in experimental mazes since at least the 20th century. Thousands of studies have examined how rat’s run different types of mazes, from T-maze to radial arm mazes to water mazes. These maze studies are used to study spatial learning and memory in rats. Maze studies helped uncover general principles about learning that can be applied to many species, including humans. Today, mazes are used to determine whether different treatments or conditions affect learning and memory in rats. To take a step further, According to Kolata al, 2005 case study the tasks that comprise the learning battery (e.g., Lashley lll maze, passive avoidance, spatial water maze, order discrimination, fear conditioning) were explicitly chosen so that each one places unique sensory, motor, motivational, and information processing demands on the animals. Briefly, performance in the Lashley lll maze depends on animals’ use of fixed motor patterns (egocentric navigation) motivated by a search for food. Passive avoidance is an operant conditioning paradigm in which the animals must learn to be passive in order to avoid aversive light and noise stimulation. The spatial water maze encourages the animals to integrate spatial information to efficiently escape from a pool of water. Odor discrimination is a task in which animals must discriminate and use a target odor to guide their search for food. Finally, fear conditioning (assessed by behavioral freezing) is a conditioning test in which the animals learn to associate a tone with a shock. We reported a positive correlation between the aggregate performance of individual outbred mice in the learning battery described above and their subsequent ability to accommodate competing demands on their spatial working memory capacity. Specifically, we observe that when mice required performing in two arm mazes concurrently (a manipulation intended to place demands on working memory capacity), their performance in the target maze positively correlated with their general learning abilities. These results are suggestive of a relationship between working memory capacity and general learning abilities in mice. Memory is the process by which information is saved as knowledge and retained for further use as needed. Neuroanatomy, is the study of a particular nerve and are located, or rather memory is stored diffusely through the structures of the brain that particularly in its original state. There are four neural structures that play a role in memory. For example, (1) hippocampus and (2) perirhinal cortex have roles in spatial and object memory and (3) the mediodorsal nucleus and (4) the basal forebrain are implicated in memory. The medial temporal lobe memory system, is part of the system for memory in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), this neural system consists of the hippocampus and adjacent anatomically related cortex, including entorhinal, perirhinal, and parahippocampal cortices. According to (Squire, Larry R.: Zola-Morgan, Stuart, 1991,)†These structures are essentially for establishing long-term memory for facts and events (declarative memory). The MTL memory system is needed to bind together the distrusted storage sites in neocortex that represent a whole memory. However, the role of this system is only temporary.†P1. When time goes on after learning, our memory stored in neocortex slowly and eventually becomes independent of MTL structures. Rats have been used in experimental mazes since at least the 20th century. Thousands of studies have examined how rat’s run different types of mazes, from T-maze to radial arm mazes to water mazes. These maze studies are used to study spatial learning and memory in rats. Maze studies helped uncover general principles about learning that can be applied to many species, including humans. Today, mazes are used to determine whether different treatments or retrieval is established, encoding processes that initiate priming and explicit memory have not yet been anatomically separated, and we investigate then using event related functional magnetic resonance imaging. According to (Schott, Bjorn H.: Richardson-Klavehn, Alan; Henson Richard N. A; Becker, Christine; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Duzel, Emrah, 2006,)†Activations precedicting later explicit memory occurred in the bilateral medial temporal lobe (MTL) and left prefrontal cortex (PFC). Activity predicting later priming did not occur in these areas, but rather in the bilateral extrastriate cortex, left fusiform gyrus, and bilateral inferior PFC, areas linked with stimulus identification,† P 2. However, these areas showed response reductions, and researchers results, illustrated that priming and explicit memory have distinctive functional neuroanatomies concerning encoding with MTL activations being strictly for explicit memory, and influence that priming is initiated by sharpness of neural responding in stimulus identification areas, that are consistent with recent electrophysiological evidence regarding priming related neural oscillations at encoding. Lifelong learning and brain stimulation are essential to mental and physical health, especially in old age. Throughout life, learning is what allows us to adapt to new situations, and learn how to survive and thrive in our current environment at any given time. As we learn, our brain becomes more active, taking in new information and comparing it with old. The new data is either corroborated by the old, or there is a conflict, at which point we must use judgment to determine which information we should keep and what we should discard. Learning can never stop, or it would mean the end of growth, and possibly the end of life, for an individual. Our environment changes every day, and new stimuli are encountered. Even if we have knowledge of what cars and streets are, and know how to practice safety when they are near, we are presented with new combinations and variables on these constructs every day. We must constantly assess the people and places around us, analyze them, and apply any new information to what we already know. This process, some would argue, is what makes us alive, intelligent creatures at the top of our ecological food chain. As for quality of life, very little is more important than keeping the brain active. As we age, the brain and its synaptic processes slow down and decay. Older people are more prone to dementia and other degenerative diseases. Working word puzzles or simply keeping a part time job to occupy the brain and keep it active and learning can extend the quality of life for any aging individuals, doing the same thing, while young can have the same effect. Our mental health is tied closely to our survival and our quality of living. If we can keep our brain learning, it can stay active and alert much longer than if we sit in front of screens and stop learning early in life. Human memory has been a significant interest concerning how people develop memory and process memory. From inspirational design in testing using animals, such a mice and mice being the greater source of exp erimental advances in research in the investigation of memory and human subject use. Researchers have unfolded how memory is developed, through the experiments of these subjects. Although, there is still much more investigation greed towards how memory effects how we learn, to how we store memory and process memory. We must continue the investigation; whereas so many people suffer memory dysfunctions; due to human illnesses and diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, brain damage and learning process needs. Bio-psychologist, work closely with other fields of psychology, biological factors and psychological factors that play a role in the memory processes. Learning can be defined as the process in which one’s experiences are combined into memory. One type of the traditional learning is school learning; this is done by incorporating textbook facts in which is called declarative memory. Not only does one have declarative memory, but also learning of procedural memories. Declarative memory is an explicit memory, a type of long-term memory in which one will store memories of fact (Psychology Glossary). Having memories of things, such as when Columbus sailed to America or on what day and time your baby brother was born, one has declarative memories. Procedural memory is the most basic form of memory. For example, this type of memory is used for procedures or furthermore the basic associations between stimuli and responses (Psychology Glossary). Having the memory of riding a bike is an example of procedural memory. Once an individual has learned what the proper procedure for riding a bike, it is then stored within the procedural memory. The limbic system actually focuses on the frontal lobe and the hippocampus. This system communicates by shooting of the electrical impulses in one’s neurons (Morin 2009). The neurons then become accountable for the storing of information. Brain plasticity refers to the ability for nerve cells to change through new experiences. These neurons take the information when an individual has been exposed to the stimulus to be learned. The retrieving of information is somewhat of a different process, however still maintains some of the same comparisons. Retrieving information becomes an activity of â€Å"re-activating† of those neurons. For both the long-term memory and the short-term memory these types of memories are then stored into many different places. The long-term memory process ensures that an individual will store these memories permanently (Morin 2009). This includes the changes to the cell structure and the creation of the new and unused synapses. Synapses are the junction between the neurons where a neural cell will communicate with a target cell. This is done when translating stimuli into a storage system that is used by the brain, linking the encoded stimuli in the memory and then accessing the memory of the stimuli at the time when it is needed, otherwise known as encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. REFERENCES Kolata, S., Light, K., Townsend, D.A., Hale, G., Grossman, H.C., Matzel, L.D. (2005) Variations in working memory capacity predict individual differences in general learning abilities among genetically diverse mice. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 84:241–246. Learning. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved Jan 16, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/learning Sternberg, R. J. (1999). Cognitive psychology (2 nd ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Neuroanatomical Dissociation of Encoding Processes Relater to Priming and Explicit Memory. By: Schott, Bjorn H.: Richardson-Klavehn, Alan; Henson, Richard N. A.: Becker, Christine; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Duzel, Emrah. Journal of Neuroscience. 1/18/2006, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p792-800, 9p. 5 The Medial Temporal Lobe Memory System Squire, Larry R.; Zola-Morgan, Stuart Science, Vol. 253(5026), Sep 1991, 1380-1386. doi: 10.1126/science. 1896849 Fernandez, A. (2007). Brain Exercise and Lifelong Learning for Alzheimers Prevention Alzheimer Disease. Article Directory Find, Search, Reprint Submit Articles for Free. Retrieved November 02, 2010, from http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Brain- Exercise-and-Lifelong-Learning-for-Alzheimer-s-Prevention/94361 Salthouse, T. A. (2006). Mental Exercise and Mental Aging. Evaluating the Validity of the Use It or Lose It Hypothesis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1(1), 68-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00005.x Morin, Chrisophe; September 14, 2009 The Neural Basis of Learning Psychology Glossary; www.alleydog.com

Organic Solar Cells History, Principles and Efficiency

Organic Solar Cells History, Principles and Efficiency Solar Cells Solar cells are cells or devices use for converting sunlight into electric cur ­rent (electricity) or voltage. They are also called photovoltaic cells (PV) or devices and the process of generating electricity from sunlight is called pho ­toelectric effect. Solar Energy conversion through photovoltaic effect can be achieved with many materials at different lifetimes. Over the years many research and development have been conducted in the area of solar energy (thin film applications)[1]-[3]. But most of these developments have been in inorganic solar cells with conventional silicon base solar cells dominating in the production of solar energy in the commercial market [4]-[5]. Silicon base cells for thin film application have enormous advantages like good absorp ­tion rate of sunlight, suitable band gap for photovoltaic applications, longer lifetimes and improving efficiency. But the process of silicon base cells gen ­eration of voltage is tedious and above all very expensive fo r the commercial market. Research for alternatives to silicon has been ongoing for some time now with some other inorganic materials like Copper Indium Gallium Sele ­nium (Cu-In-Ga-Se)[6], Cadmium Sulfide (CdS)[7], Lead Cadmium Sulfide (PbCdS)[8], etc. But some have similar production problems like the silicon and as well expensive. Others also are of dangerous elements which are not environmentally friendly (CdS, PbCdS, etc). Another alternative to silicon base cells in terms of thin film (solar cells) research for photovoltaic applica ­tion could be organic solar cells (also known as plastic solar cells)[9]. With this, photocurrents are generated from organic materials. In this review, brief history of organic solar cells is discussed, the basic principle of operation is outlined and some performance in terms of the materials absorption rate, efficiency, stability and degradation and comparison between organic solar cells and inorganic solar cells (silicon) are also discussed. Chapter 2 Organic Solar cells (Plastic Solar cells) The infancy of organic solar cells began in the late 1950s [10]. At this time, photoconductivity in some organic semiconductor cells (anthracene, chlorophyll) were measured with voltage of 1 V by some research groups[11] ­[12].They proposed that if a single layer PV cell is illuminated consisting of an organic layer, sandwich cell with low work function metal (aluminum, Al) and a conducting glass of high work function (indium tin oxide, ITO), photoconductivity will be observed. With this interesting result and less cost effective of these organic semiconductor cells and also a possibility of doping these materials to achieve more encouraging results caught up with many researchers in this field. The work done since has been unprecedented as shown in figure 2.1 on the next page. In the 1960s, semiconducting properties were observed in dyes partic ­ularly in methylene blue [13]. Efficiency of 10−5 % in sunlight conversion was reported in the early 1970s to an improvement of 1 % in the early 1980s [14]. This was achieved through an interesting phenomenon known as heterojunction[15]. This phenomenon is a surface between semiconduct ­ing materials of dissimilar layers. Photovoltaic devices were applied with heterojunction where donor-acceptor organic cells were tailored together. In recent years, photoconductivity has been measured in dyes and the dye so ­lar cells have progressively been improved for laboratory cells[16]. Currently power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics in single-junction devices is over 9 %[17] and that of multi-junction cell is over 12 %[18]. Some materials of organic solar cells are dyes and some polymers like origomers[19], dendrimers[20], liquid crystal materials[21] and self-assembled monolayers [22]. All these need to be prepared carefully to obtain optimum efficiency and stability[23] Figure 2.1: Number of publications is plotted against the year of publications. This shows the inception of organic solar cells and how much interest the field has generated among scientists and the commercial entities over the years. Years below 1990 saw less publication (1960 to 1970 -10 and 1980 to 1990  ­29) compared to the years in the figure. Principle of Operations. In recent time, organic solar cells are of different operations due to their usage. Similar to inorganic solar cells, organic solar cells can be used to convert sunlight into electricity with the aid of a semiconductor. The basic principle behind this operation is outline below: Most organic solar cells have very thin material layer either single or multi-layer where there is a strong absorption of light sandwich between two electrodes, an anode (A) and a cathode (C). The anode (usually indium tin oxide ITO) is transparent and has a high work function. The cathode (aluminum) is opaque and has a low work function. The material layer is usually a photosensitive organic semiconductor. When light of appropriate energy (sunlight) is incident on it, an electron is excited from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to a lower uncopied state called lowest uncopied molecular orbital (LUMO) leaving a hole in the HOMO. This leads to exciton formation. That is, there is a creation of an electron-hole pair which is strongly bounded together. As the electron stays at the LUMO, there is a loss in energy by the electron through thermal relaxation as the electron penetrates the energy band gap. The electron-hole pair diffuses in ­dependent of the electric field and are separated (exciton dissociation) at the interface between the donor state (HOMO) and the accepter state (LUMO). The electron is collected at one end of the electrode (cathode) and the hole at the other end of the electrode (anode) thereby generation photocurrent in the process. If the electron and the hole after separation do not reach the interface, their absorbed energies are dissipated out and no photocurrent is generated. Step by step principle is illustrated in pictorial form below: Figure 3.2: a) Light is incident on an electron (red). (b) Electron is excited from the HOMO to the LUMO creating a hole (black) at the HOMO. (c) Exciton formation of electronhole pair. (d) Diffusion of exciton independent of electric field. (e) Exciton dissociation. (f) Collection of charges. Chapter 4 Performance 4.1 Absorption of light. In organic solar cells, the thin organic semiconducting layer is responsible for light absorption. This layer has a valence band which is densed with electrons and a conduction band. These bands are separated by an energy gap. When the layer absorbs light, an excited state is created. This state is characterized by an energy gap. The energy gap is the energy difference between the higher energy state (LUMO) and the lower energy state (HOMO). It is usually of the range of (1.0 -4.0) eV[24] and it is determined as: Eg = ELUMO − EHOMO . (4.1) Where Eg is the energy gap in electron volts (eV), ELUMO is the energy at LUMO (higher energy state) and EHOMO is the energy at HOMO (lower energy state). The energy gap usually serves as an activation energy barrier. This acti ­vation energy barrier needs to be overcome before an electron is excited from the lower energy state to the higher energy state. The excited electron has energy greater than or equal to this activation energy barrier. This energy is determined as: h.c Ephoton = ≠¥ Eg . (4.2)ÃŽ »photon Where Ephoton is the energy of the incident photon (light), h is Plancks constant (6.626 Ãâ€"10−34 Js), c is speed of light (2.997 Ãâ€"108 ms−1) and ÃŽ »photon is wavelength of the photon (≈ (400 -700) nm). As the excited electron remains at the LUMO, a hole is created in the HOMO. The electron undergoes thermal relaxation as it remains at the LUMO and this result in loss of energy by the electron. This energy loss is compensated for as: El = Eelectron − Eg . (4.3) Where El is thermal energy loss of the electron, Eelectron is the energy of the electron at the LUMO and Eg is the energy gap. Figure 4.1: (a) Thin organic semiconductor layer (with both LUMO and HOMO) with energy gap (Eg). (b) Incident light of greater energy than the energy gap excites electron (red) from HOMO to LUMO. This creates a hole (black) at the HOMO (c) Energy lost by the electron through thermal relaxation. 4.2 Stability and Degradation In solar cell application, long operational lifetime performance is required. To achieve this, stability and degradation are few of the key important issues to look at in real-time application. Over the years, stability of organic solar cells has improved very much in terms of their power conversions[25]. This is clearly shown in the figure below: Ideally the advantages of organic solar cells with their low cost materi ­als, recyclable, easy production and production in large quantities, à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡exibility and durability (low weight), stability should be optimum. These advantages somehow also affect the stability of the organic cells. The active layer (thin organic semiconducting layer) component which is a core component of the cells is sometimes prone to degradations. These degradations occur dur ­ing their production (printing in bulk quantities and rolling them together thereby introducing some mechanical properties which then affect the mor ­phology of the active layer) and also reactions from weathering (UV light, oxygen, water). Extensive work on photo stability of some organic solar cells (large number of polymers) has been investigated by Manceau et al[27]. Figure 4.2: Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) production with progression in years shown. The years below 2010 had lower production of OPVs (> 0.5 MW) [26]. Chapter 5 Comparism between organic solar cells and inorganic solar cells (Silicon base solar cells). Organic and inorganic solar cells serve similar applications but they interest ­ing differences in terms of how they are made. Organic solar cells are cheap in terms of materials, production and are recyclable, they have very thin solar cells with little energy in making them, they are à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡exible, durable and have low weight, they are colourful and they have easy production and can be produced in large areas. But they have low efficiency and lifetime compared to silicon base solar cells. Inorganic solar cells are cost effective in terms of materials, production and are not recyclable, much energy is need to have thin layer cells, they are rigid and not durable, they are of dark grey materials with dark blue to black coat ­ing, they have complicated production and are difficult to produce in large areas. But they have good light absorption rate, better efficiency and longer lifetime. Chapter 6 Conclusion Organic solar cells can be alternative to silicon base solar cells with its in ­teresting applications. They can be fabricated into our day to day usage materials and equipment with low cost technology in serving their purpose. Efficiency and stability still remains areas that should be addressed in the future to optimally have good power conversions.

Post-Depression Industrialization in Latin America Essay -- World Hist

Post-Depression Industrialization in Latin America For most of the first century after independence, all republics in Latin America followed an economic policy of export-led growth based on primary-product exports. The tremendous economic crisis of the 1930s that had a crushing and widespread impact on Latin America; precipitated by the global economic depression, forced Latin American nations to re-evaluate this exogenous economic growth model and to transform their economic policies in the direction of long-neglected diversification of the economy, particularly toward an endogenous model oriented to industrialization. In order to understand the economic growth model shift from export-led to industrialization through the substitution of imports (or import-substituting industrialization) it is important to have some historical context in relation to Latin American dependence on the former export-led growth model and the degree to which the global economic crisis of the 1930s impacted Latin America. It is generally accepted that, beginning in the 1930s and continuing for approximately fifty years, Latin America embraced increased industrialization, in the form of import-substituting industrialization (ISI), as the new growth model on which hopes for an economic recovery, long-term stability, and growth would rest. This endogenous model is the primary focus of the analysis to be undertaken in this paper. In order to appropriately complete the discourse in relation to this topic, some brief examination must be turned toward the vast social and political upheaval and the major transformations in the social and political structures that resulted from the crisis, ensuing from the over reliance on an export orientation of th... ...86. Diaz Alejandro, Carlos. "Latin America in the 1930s", In Latin America in the 1930s; the role of the periphery in world crisis, ed. R. Thorp, pp. 17-49. London: Macmillan Press, 1984. Dietz, James. "A Brief Economic History." In Latin America's Economic Development, ed. James Dietz, pp. 3-19. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1995. Furtado, Celso. Economic Development of Latin America: A Survey from Colonial Times to the Cuban Revolution. London: Cambridge University Press, 1970. Glade, William. The Latin American Economies: A Study of their Institutional Evolution. New York: American Book, 1969. Swift, Jeannine. Economic Development in Latin America. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1978. Weaver, Frederick. Latin America in the World Economy: Mercantile Colonialism to Global Capitalism. Boulder: Westview Press, 2000.

Stanlislovskis System: Concepts On Acting :: essays research papers

Stanlislovski's System: Concepts on Acting The Elements of Style, as described by Sonia More in her simplified view of the Stanlislavski System, are clear rudimentary concepts designed to help actors achieve a profound and truthful portrayal of their character on the stage through personal connection with their character. These concepts are designed as tools for the actor so that he may connect to a character or situation on the stage that he otherwise would not be able to connect with. As Sonia Moore put it, Stanlislovski knew that an actor's mind, will, and emotions must participate in the creation of a live human being on the stage. He also understood that it is impossible for people to turn their thoughts and emotions on and off as if by a switch. He also knew that no actor coming on stage without any reason for experiencing emotions would be unable to do so without some connection, or bridge, to the personal and emotional response of their character. So Stanlislovski designed tool for the actor to use to help him connect with the emotional and physical world of his character. Such concepts as The Magic If is a clear example of a tool an actor could use to connect himself the life of the character. The Magic If, simply guides the actor to ask the simple question: "What would I do if I were in my character position?" By asking this question of himself the actor can personalize the given circumstances of the character. The situation of the character becomes more personal, and the stakes much higher, because the actor has divulged some particular issues of himself into the character. Due to these particularities the actor will work out the given circumstance of the character in a much more truthful manner. Even in acting the old saying goes: "You cannot really know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes." This concept of The Magic If also plays a big part in another Element of Action -Imagination. Imagination is another tool that allows the actor to build a substantial relationship with his character by creating the very universe in which his character resides. Through this artistic imagination the actor can create the past, present, and future of the character. The actor, in essence, could play God wherein the character is concerned apart from given circumstances or the circumstances that exist within the play. This artistic imagination is being used to give thoughts and feeling to the character being portrayed by simply infusing honesty and truthfulness into the actor's performance. There are other Element's of Actions that guide the actor to form

How It Affects Economic Growth Essay

In my opinion, supporting and promoting IT investment is one of the best ways to promote economic growth and stability with minimal side effects such as inflation, and easily overcome hurdles like unequal income distribution. While I don’t think you can really influence people’s personal ownership of computers, I do believe that offering tax incentives for IT investment and development will increase overall GDP, lower unemployment, and ensure an economically stable future. First and foremost, investment towards information technology increases productivity, and makes workers more efficient in what they do. With more resources such as faster word processing, 3D Model Rendering, and instantaneous transfer of data over the internet, laborers in every facet of the economy benefit from technology and enjoy greater productivity as a result. This increase in productivity means more products and services are produced with less time invested, and this means that Gross Domestic Product can go up. Furthermore, GDP is often defined as a function of both Capital and Labor. It is widely acknowledged that GDP growth can be measured by K/L, or Capital divided by Labor. Clearly, then, if each worker is using a higher value of capital (here in the form of fancier computers etc), then GDP is sure to go up. The concern then becomes, â€Å"what about inflation?† Surely, if GDP goes up, inflation will follow, no? Not quite. The accompanying graph gives us a rough idea of why. This increased efficiency will shift the Philips curve inward, meaning that for every unemployment rate, there is less inflation. More IT investment will mean that we will require more service technicians, troubleshooters, software programmers, etc, and we will see unemployment go down. Also, with more children learning about IT, they will also be more likely to get jobs when they grow up. When unemployment goes down, though, we typically see that there are less available â€Å"desperate† workers, and thus workers will have more power to bargain collectively. They will get wage increases, which will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices on final goods and services. This is offset by increased efficiency, as it takes less worker hours to make those products and services. As the Philips curve below shows us, the decrease in unemployment WOULD cause higher inflation, but because of increased efficiency, this change in inflation is offset. It is important to note the short run and long run effects of tax incentives on both the macro and micro levels. Here is a graph to get us started: We know that in the short run Demand shifts out as IT becomes more and more necessary. Supply shifts out because manufacturing costs go down, and thus existing firms will produce more at every price. These reductions to cost shift MC and ATC down; we don’t’ know how much each of these shifts is, though. We don’t know what P2 is, but we know that costs go down, so there is abnormal short term profit, and we know that each firm is going to produce more. In the long run, more firms will enter (shifting supply out further) until each player in the market is operating at their lowest cost on the ATC curve, which is the point where long run profits are equal to 0. We know that long run market quantity is greater because there are more firms in the industry, and we know that each firm produces in the long run what it did before all the shifts. Each firm is producing more in the short run than in the long run. Assuming that the government offers tax incentives to BOTH SUPPLIERS AND BUYERS of IT, we can expect to see the same demand shifts and supply shifts as we did in the 90s, when demand shifted out and the cost to produce came down. The tax rebates to suppliers means a reduction of cost (same as in the last example) and the tax rebates to buyers will make the price they have to pay lower, which will increase demand. One of the few drawbacks to the subsequent increased IT spending, of course, is the negative effect on the environment, as computers become obsolete quickly and are usually just thrown out. In my opinion, the environmental effect is definitely a huge drawback to increased IT investment. I believe that the government should give further incentives to companies who donate old or â€Å"B-stock† products to schools (preferably those in bad areas) or charities when they buy new ones . Donating these slightly flawed or last-year-model computers to schools would be an investment in human capital, which would increase GDP in future generations, as children become more tech savvy and productive with computers. Since the government is reducing the cost of production with tax incentives, I think they could get away by contrasting these incentives with slightly stricter environmental regulations as far as waste goes. They should set requirements on the packaging (which is created solely to be thrown out) that comes with IT goods, and should give even more incentives to companies that collect and recycle re-usable components such as circuit boards, plastic cases, and semiconductors – all components that are not biodegradable and are a large part of the junk filling our nation’s landfills. Another set of short and long term effects you must consider is the effect of tax incentives on those already involved in the market: IT workers. Again, we have a graph to help us visualize these effects. For this discussion, because of inflation, we must assume that we are talking in terms of real dollars, and that these wage prices are adjusted for inflation. In the 1980’s (short run), as IT became more important to industry, we see the demand curve for IT work shift outward, causing an increase in price and quantity as more qualified people started doing IT. In the long run, more competitors enter and the number of CS majors doubles; supply shifts outward, but we’re not sure by how much. We know that real wages go back down, but we don’t know if they are above, at, or below the original prices. We just know that they are decreasing, and that the overall quantity is much higher. The last major concern would be the â€Å"Digital Divide† – the concept that low income families do not use computers and thus are isolated from their potential benefits. This â€Å"digital divide† essentially means that poorer families have less access to the computer and tech skills to compete in the modern job industry, such as word processing and online research. They also have less access to online educational resources, and thus have less human capital. This means they are less likely to rise out of poverty, and are at a disadvantage. Those fortunate enough to be able to afford computers & internet access will get more educated and richer, and those who are not fortunate enough get poorer. I personally am against racial discrimination in all forms, and I think targeting out minorities and saying â€Å"here, you need a computer† is wrong. I do, believe, however, that there should be some sort of program to give less fortunate children of all ethnicities the IT skills and access to computers that they will need to function in the modern labor market. This is where my idea of offering tax incentives to companies that donate â€Å"last year model† computers to charities or schools in bad neighborhoods could really benefit these people and help them accumulate human capital. I think that offering tax incentives to people who put computers in their home will be too difficult to manage, and I also think that in many cases, people without the means to get a good job (no technical background) will not be able to afford a computer either way – thus, it’s a vicious cycle. Additionally, I think people who can’t afford $40/mo for DSL are in this predicament because they don’t have technical skills, and thus, probably don’t value technology as much as they should. They probably still won’t be interested in broadband. I think the president’s broadband initiative should focus more on getting faster internet and more technical training into schools, so that the next generation, who still has the desire and patience to learn about computers, can do so at an early age. Overall, you can see that there is a long list of benefits, and a short list of easily overcome problems with increased investment. In fact, even the Fed benefits. Normally, increased investment would make the Fed have to increase interest rates to prevent inflation and â€Å"cool off† the economy. IT is unique, however, in that it also provides greater efficiency, thus shifting the curve as discussed earlier. I would argue that it makes the Fed’s job easier – it’s promotes economic growth and employment, without jeopardizing economic stability. All in all, I say that giving tax incentives to producers and suppliers of IT goods and services is a great plan!