The Gods Must Be Crazy free essay sample

Prior to the introduction of the â€Å"Coca Cola† bottle the people of the tribe were peaceful, satisfied, and shared with each other. There was no sense of possession or greed, no jealousy, nor did they physically harm one another physically or purposefully. The tribe found many beneficial uses for this â€Å"gift†, such as making music, pounding on dough, and grinding flour. All of these things were accomplished before the appearance of the bottle, however now the task seemed to have been made easier. Since all of the members of the tribe had different uses and needs for the bottle, it became a commodity, a desired possession of value; it was no longer a worshipped object. This created discourse among the people and led to the physical injury of a child, due to a malicious act that resulted in hitting the child with the bottle. The tribe now felt shame at their behavior and questioned the â€Å"Gods† for sending them this â€Å"evil thing†, which the tribe removed from their presence and returned to their peaceful cultural ways. We will write a custom essay sample on The Gods Must Be Crazy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A current example of the above situation would be the introduction of cell phones and laptops to a culture based on home phones and office computers. One would consider the technological advances of cell phones and laptops as a gift, that will simplify their life, free up more personal time and save them money. Instead what has occurred is that you spend more time on learning how to use these items, you are now more easily available and thus more occupied, and you spend more money on the attachments and upgrades needed to keep these items current and functional. Now your life is more complicated and busier than ever, however unlike the Sho tribe most people in our culture cannot or more importantly will not go to the end of the earth (or their trash can) and toss them away. Another important point that this films illustrates is the differences in communications and personal views in different cultures. Such as how in most civilized cultures shaking your head from side to side indicates â€Å"No† or negative, however to the Sho tribe this gesture means â€Å"Yes† or positive. This causes a lot of confusion when communicating between the two cultures. There is a scene in the movie when the man from the Sho tribe sees a white woman for the first time, which accurately portrays the cultural differences in personal views and taste. He contemplates her appearance, her actions and physical build. Though the woman in her own culture would be considered quite pretty, normal and physically fit, to this man of the Sho tribe she was ugly, crazy and too fat. In his view the woman’s skin is too white, it was a very hot day yet she is fully covered in clothing, she has a large body shape and must require too much food to sustain her. This can be seen as a difference in opinion, if it were not for the extremity of the opposite points of view. The two cultures considered the woman in different ways because of what they are accustomed to as well as where and how they were raised. When thinking in terms of Globalization a person generally feels that their culture is the best. That their culture should be universal and those that follow other cultures are primitive, difficult, and wrong. Consider how some cultures attempt to change others through political, business, and religious means. For example the United States tries to influence other countries to change to a democratic system of government because it is the â€Å"best†, however they do this mostly to promote or facilitate the political agendas of the United States. Coca Cola uses the popularity of its products to influence other countries to buy more by inundating them with advertisements and business opportunities. As for religion, look at how many cultures within the United States now celebrate Christmas along with or in place of their cultural holidays that occur during the same time period. The movie for the most part points out the differences between a â€Å"modern civilized society† and â€Å"an old world civilization† and how they view life, religion, and politics in totally different ways. However there were also some similarities in the cultures which assist in the processes of communication, in business transactions, and political dealings with each other.

Drug Testing vs. Employee Assi essays

Drug Testing vs. Employee Assi essays Introduction: Drug Testing vs. Employee Assistance Programs In our last meeting we were asked to offer proposals on how we can cut costs. In looking into this I found some interesting research on eliminating drug testing in favor of Employee Assistance Programs. By eliminating our drug-testing program, we will do away with $1,000,000 in the cost of testing and also lost employee productivity in the time it takes to administer the test. (ACLU 5) Also, in this time of low unemployment, it is harder to recruit people with the right skills. The research shows that for people who only used drugs once, the possibility of a test will deter them from applying for a position with that company. This report outlines the results of research I have done to offer a solution; an alternative to drug testing First, I will discuss new findings on how effective drug testing really is. Then, I will discuss Employee Assistance Programs answering the following questions, are Employee-Assistance Programs effective. What are they? How do they help? How do they work? Are they worth the hassle? We have been bombarded with the notion that drug use has reached epidemic proportions in the work force. That we need to screen for drug users because they produce sloppy work, cause accidents and so on. What we must realize is that most drugs that can cause such problems are legal. We must remember that legal drugs can also become addictive. We have always thought that the cost of our drug-testing program is less than the cost of lost productivity due to drug use on the job. Where did all this information come from? In 1986 President Ronald Regan issued and executive order prompting urine testing for all Federal employees. Now, 81 percent of all companies in the United States test their workers. But there was little scientific evidence to back these claims, so the promoters of drug tests gave businesses their statistics and studies. I would i...

Relevant Information for Decision Making session long project 3 Essay

Relevant Information for Decision Making session long project 3 (walmart) accounting - Essay Example Here the two main questions and pieces of information that need to be considered are a) the location of the stores and the relative distance from the competitors and b) the Sales potential for the stores and the estimated revenue that the company might expect from the stores. Both these have a major impact on the overall profitability of the company. The irrelevant information for the company includes a) the sales for the US branch of the company and b) the sales forecast for Wal Mart international. Both these pieces of information do not have an impact on the company or the profitability of the company and hence can be ignored while the decision making process. Using the contribution margin for each of the stores will permit Wal Mart to accurately identify the most profitable locations. The first step to be adopted here will be to finalise the major stores, which are expected to grow and develop to achieve high market shares, following which it is essential for the company to detail the additional costs that relate to the smaller stores. Also the marginal fixed overheads can also be used to do so. The use of marginal costs of the additional stores can be obtained using the above information. Using the contribution margin method proves to be very effective and impactful on the businesses as the full cost and tradition methods of costing are not valid in the present times and hence the demand for the products is high as well. Also, this will provide information to the management which will help make more informed decisions for the additional store. Also this will allow gain a clear picture of the benefits that the additional store can provide and will also help in better estimation of the profitability of the stores as well. However, it is essential to keep in mind that although the contribution margin analysis is a simple process, the efforts to involved in finding the information for the analysis if quite tedious. Also the costs involved for the

Report ( Trade to Flobal Security ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report ( Trade to Flobal Security ) - Essay Example This is to establish that economic growth and human development are inseparable from rule of good governance and law (UNDP Human Development Report, 1996). It is against this background that the ECOWAS Commission has a keen interest in the political situation in member States. As the President of the ECOWAS Commission, I was mandated by the Commission to lead a mediation team to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire for talks for a possible step-down by the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo following his lost in the November 28, 2010 General Elections held in that country. This reason presents details of the said mediation effort; outlining the program structure adopted, key aims and objectives of the program, successes as well as challenges faced. Means and Schedule adopted for the Mediation Effort As this is the very first step taken by the ECOWAS Commission towards the looming political crisis in the Ivory Coast, the team resolved to use â€Å"tactical diplomacy with a carrot-an d-stick dimension, though† (Kabs-Kanu, 2010) nothing else than Peace Talks. This approach is backed by other global bodies such as The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) who has so far said that it is still too early to apply any military force (Graphic Ghana, 2011). For this reason, the mediation team planned four major meeting which were held in the Ivory Coast. Two meetings each were held on each side of the agitators: that Mr. Lauran Gbagbo and Mr. Alassane Ouattara. On each side, the team meet the main leaders who are Mr. Gbagbo and Ouattara and leaders of their forces. It was a four-day schedule to allow for comprehensive discussions with each group met. The meetings which started two days after the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja was led by the President of the ECOWAS Commission and five other members of the Commission who the Heads of State of Gambia, Liberia, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The meetings, which were held behind closed doors and amidst tight security saw all four groups welcome us warmly and presenting their cases in passionate manners. Key aims and objectives involved in the peace mission The Mediation Team set out with one primary aim, which was to convince Mr. Gbagbo to humbly step-down following that â€Å"ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations all recognize results showing Ouattara as the winner of that election† (Voice of America, 2011). To achieve this broad aim, the following objectives were set to lead to the eventual achievement of the aim: 1. Listen to the story from both sides: Talking caution from analysts who â€Å"say the West African nation is on the verge of crisis after both candidates claimed victory and were installed in separate events† (VOA News, 2010), the Commission would continue to be very professional in its mediation effort to ensure that tempers are boiled. To ensure this, the team resolved to give both parties a fair hearing to show that the Commission is not biased though it holds i ts stand that Mr. Gbagbo lost the election. 2. Explain to both sides the need for peace: Central on the team’s discussions was the need for the two leaders and their followers to appreciate the fact that they cannot compromise the peace of the Coat d’Ivoire since peace is needed to for national development. 3. State the stand of the ECOWAS Commission to both sides: As mentioned earlier, the team was clear with the

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) - Essay Example PVC is highly unstable and therefore it requires stabilization which can be done in several ways. One of the common ways is prevention of dehydrochlorination. This process involves the addition of other compounds like metal oxides in order to stop or slow dehydroclorination. Most of the commercially available PVC is understood to be anamorphous glass like polymer that has crystalline structure. These crystallites are made up of few monomers that are arranged syndiotactically. As such, the appearance appears to be flowing grains that has primary aggregates embedded in them. It is often claimed that there are sub-primary particles embedded in the flowing grains but this has remained controversial. The PVC’s phase structure combines with several compounds such as chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer (EVA) and acrylo-nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR). This phase is predicated upon compatibility as well as process temperature and blending during mechanical blending. An increase of the temperature during mechanical processing of PVC to levels higher than the critical levels recommended for first degree particle fusion leads to shift. The shift leads to an inversion whereby there is a higher rubber content with 30% being non

Effects Pine Beetles Have on the Forests

Effects Pine Beetles Have on the Forests Climate change and the effects pine beetles have on the forests. Introduction The ever growing effects of natural and man-made climate change are having a wide-spread effect on many mixed and coniferous forest ecosystems. Particularly as average annual temperatures increase, the habitat for the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosa, has expanded, because the beetle is able to occupy new habitats at higher elevations, which were previously too cold for it. The mountain pine beetle habitat extends from Mexico through the Western United States and up to Canada. The damage caused to cone-bearing trees by the mountain pine beetle is threatening the strength of the North American mixed and coniferous ecosystems at every trophic level, as well as affecting the mountain forest carbon cycle and watershed hydrology. This damage has combined with the effects of human logging practices in the coniferous forest to drastically alter these ecosystems. Though these areas have been severely degraded, there are solutions that can slow or reverse the damage that has alrea dy been done. Background Human-caused climate change is having a pronounced effect on many different ecosystems. One of these effects is the spread of mountain pine beetles through the forests of the Western United States and Canada. Mountain pine beetles inhabit many species of coniferous trees such as jack pine, whitebark, lodgepole, Scotch, ponderosa, and limber pines. Pine beetles typically attack and inhabit trees at lower elevations, but the effects of climate change have allowed them to inhabit ever higher elevations. With mild winters and warmer summers, the pine beetles have been able to infest mature pine trees that could resist the beetles before the change in average temperature (Carroll et al. 2003). There were many pine beetle outbreaks in Canada and the U.S. Rockies since the 1940’s but they are considered mild compared to the more recent outbreaks. The earlier outbreaks were partly contained by human intervention and were ultimately ended by severe winter conditions, the natural regula tor of pine beetle populations. As climate change undermines this natural regulation system, the current infestations are much larger in scope and much harder to contain through human intervention (Ono. 2003). Mountain pine beetles spend their life cycle in four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. In the summer the adults migrate and infest new trees. During the stages of their life they live under the tree bark where they feed and lay their eggs (Carroll et al. 2003). The mountain pine beetles’ life cycle and survival rate is regulated by the temperature of their habitat. Temperature at a particular time of year helps regulate the life cycle stage of the beetles, determining in part when eggs are laid, when the pupas become adults, when they migrate, and ultimately when the beetles die. A rapid decrease in temperature can kill an entire population of beetles. Other factors for survival include the dryness of the tree and the amount of snow insulation, but mainly the change (drop) in temperature is what keeps beetle populations in control (Creeden et al. 2013). Effects on the Ecosystem Changing climate and weather conditions in the higher elevations and their forest ecosystems are expanding the survivable habitat for the mountain pine beetle. The climate change occurring in these areas is weakening the overall strength of mixed and coniferous forest ecosystems. Hotter summers with less rainfall have caused many tree species to lose their natural defenses. Drought conditions have long been an indicator of previous outbreaks and are now a predictor of new pine beetle outbreaks. In turn, extended drought can also have a negative effect on the pine beetles if the drought lasts too long and the number of available hosts drops. Rising temperatures creates tree loss from drought and fires that hinders pine beetle migration (Creeden et al. 2013). At the same time, climate change exposes beetle infested conifers to a greater risk of fire and drought, reduces their resistance to both, and threatens both the beetles and the trees. Climate change is not only affecting the pine beetles, but species at every trophic level. One of the biggest food sources in the forest is new tree growth and seeds from mature trees. With changing climate conditions trees are not able to reproduce at the pre-climate-change rates. This is especially true in drought areas where the mountain pine beetle has infested the trees. The pine beetles weaken and destroy trees and reduce the rate of seed production and new tree growth, which affects small mammals such as squirrels that rely on the seeds pines produce. Decreasing food supply for smaller animals affects the population size of these species, which in turn affects their larger predators on higher trophic levels (Bartos et al. 1990). Climate change and the spread of pine beetle habitat are having such large effects on mountain ecosystems that it can change the diversity of species in the forests. The mountain pine beetle is no longer just an important species in the forest ecosystems they normally in habitat, they have becom e an important indicator species for ecological problems areas they normally do not inhabit. The expansion of their habitat demonstrates that climate change is having an effect on the entire ecosystem. Moreover, climate change is having an immediate effect on biodiversity and the ecosystem of conifer forests, which is increasing and accelerating (Logan et al. 2003). This is why it is important to keep track of the health of the ecosystem and make quick decisions when detrimental changes are observed. Effects on the Carbon Cycle Climate change and pine beetle outbreaks are also having an adverse effect on the carbon feedback cycle. Currently in British Columbia, Canada the outbreak of mountain pine beetles is so large that Canadian conifer forests have turned from carbon sinks to sources of carbon. Because of the combined effects of mountain pine beetle infestation, logging, and forest fires, large sections of forest are being damaged, which increases the amount of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that 435 million trees have been lost to the combined effects of climate change. This is having a big economic effect on the timber industry. The industry has responded by increasing the rate of harvesting and moving into areas that have not previously been logged. (Kurz et al. 2008). In these area loggers are stripping the biomass of the forest and turning it into, among other things, wood pellets as an energy source for Europe. Combining the damage from the mountain pine beetles, increased forest fires, drought, a nd all the commercial uses, these forests will release more carbon dioxide than they absorbs. This will increase both the causes and effects of climate change and worsen the situation years from now (Lamers et al. 2014). Kurtz modeled the effects of the mountain pine beetle in a test area of 374,000 km ² during the years 2000 to 2020. The study estimated that 270 megatons of carbon would be released during the pine beetle outbreaks in the test area. The model showed that if an area was untouched by pine beetle infestation but had moderate timber harvesting and fires, then the test area was a slight carbon sink; in the control scenario the area averaged 1 to 5 megatons of carbon release per year between 2007 and 2020. Two test scenarios were modeled, one in which the forest was infested with mountain pine beetles and one that included both infestation and additional timber harvesting. The scenario with mountain pine beetle infestation and normal harvesting showed the forest to be a net carbon source ranging from 10 to 20 megatons of carbon per year during 2007-2020. The scenario with the section of forest infested with mountain pine beetles and having additional harvesting due to timber damage showed that the forest was a net source ranging from 10 to 25 megatons of carbon per year for the years 2007 to 2020 (Kurz et al. 2008). This model shows that in the forests of British Columbia mountain pine beetle infestation combines with natural disasters and timber harvesting to help drive climate change (See fig 1). Effects on Watershed Hydrology Increased destruction of forests by the mountain pine beetle is causing a large effect on the hydrology of pines forests and the watershed. The increase in dead trees is having an effect on evapotranspiration as less of the sunlight evaporates water from live trees and instead heats the surrounding surface, raising local temperatures. This is turn is causing a change in hydrology locally and in areas downstream. The damage to the trees is also having an effect on the water quality and the biochemistry of the area (Mikkelson et al. 2013). The snow packs are also being affected; there has been an increase in canopy transmittance and a decrease in the amount of snow that is stored in the canopy. As more trees die solar radiation has been able to penetrate farther causing an increase in evaporation and a change in albedo (Winkler et al. 2012). Once an area of forest is affected, it takes several years for the changes in the canopy cover to effect a complete change. It takes an average of two to three years for the needles of the pine trees to change from green to red. During this time only a small portion of the canopy cover is lost and results in only a small change in interception. A few years after the needles turn red is when the trees turns gray and the majority of the needles are lost to the forest floor. During this stage pine needles and branches fall to the forest floor and eventually the entire tree falls and decays. This increases the amount of nutrients in the soil such as carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen, which leads to nitrification of the water supply (Mikkelson et al. 2013). These changes alone will cause noticeable changes in the quantity and quality of the water. Adding more numerous forest fires and increased timber harvesting can have a drastic effect on the local watershed (See Fig. 2). Rita Winkler and her colleagues studied the effects of snow accumulation, forest structure, and snow surface albedo in the Rocky Mountains after a mountain pine beetle infestation. Over a seven-year period they studied these effects in areas that were clear cut, mixed, or young pine forests. Their study showed that areas that were primarily infested young pines completely lost their canopy within six years. Due to the loss of their canopy the snow accumulation decreased while transmittance and snow surface albedo increased when trees turned from green to gray. The study found that as trees turned from green to gray the rate of snow water melt increased. In areas that had mixed species of trees the effects were not as drastic as the areas with only young pines. The primary reason that snow accumulation and surface snow albedo were not as affected was due to a large diversity of tree species. In these areas there was also a more developed understory that reduced the effects seen in areas that were primarily young pine. Moreover, while the effects increased from mixed species areas to young pine areas, the affects in neither area compared to the far greater affects in areas that were clear cut (Winkler et al. 2012). It is easy to see from this study that the type of forest, level of beetle infestation, and timber harvesting practices will have a significant or large effect on the water cycle and the hydrology of the surrounding watershed. In the Rocky Mountains this can have a particularly extreme effect on the quality and quantity of river flow in this region since the Colorado River is supplied largely by snow melt. If this trend continues, the amount of water coming out of the Colorado River will decrease, which could lead to increased water shortages in the Southwest. Managing Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks As the population and habitat of the mountain pine beetle continues to expand several types of management practices have been tried. Currently Western Canada is experiencing one of the largest expansions of mountain pine beetles, with estimates that over 13 million hectares of conifer and mixed forest have been affected. There are two main methods to manage pine beetle outbreaks, or at least slow their expansion. The indirect control is a preventative method that tries to limit host trees through prescribed burning and forest thinning. The direct method tries to limit the population and growth rate of the beetle by destroying infected trees before the beetles emerge to migrate and attack new hosts (Wulder et al. 2009). There have also been studies done using chemicals on non-infected trees to try and limit the expansion of beetles to these areas. While this type of managing technique is effective, it is too costly to use on a large area of affected trees (Fettig et al. 2007). Coggins and his colleagues completed a study in Western Canada to test which management practices were the most effective. In their study, they used two different areas and selected 28 sites with each plot of trees having a radius of 30 meters. Each plot was selected due to the age of the trees, elevation, and the severity of beetle infestation. They broke their plots into two groups. Eighteen of the plots were not managed while management practices were implemented on the other ten plots. For the ten plots that were selected for mitigation they used tree removal techniques to remove the infected trees before beetle migration. In their study, they calculated that at the beginning of their study, the average expansion rate was 0.29 for non-managed plots and 0.12 for managed plots. Over a ten-year period they showed that the plots of unmanaged areas grew exponentially. While during this same period the managed plots went to zero infected trees after ten years with a 43% detection rate. The s tudy found that the time to reach zero infected trees would be shorter if the detection rate was increased (Coggins et al. 2010). It can be concluded that managing practices will have an effect on the migration of the mountain pine beetle. The main problem with controlling their migration is detecting infected green trees. The problem is that they cannot be detected from the sky, so people have to actively go into the field to detect them. This causes a problem because some areas are inaccessible for a variety of reasons. Even with all of the problems associated with managing the mountain pine beetle, it is vital for the forest ecosystems of North America that these practices continue. Conclusion While the mountain pine beetles will continue to expand and inhabit new areas management practices need to be put into place. The main cause of the mountain pine beetle expansion is primarily due to climate change, particularly drier, hotter summers and shorter, warmer, drier winters. These insects in turn are also contributing to climate change. As their habitat expands, they are turning forests that were once net carbon sinks into net carbon sources. When infected trees die and decay, they release carbon dioxide and increase the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the ground. The damage the beetle is causing to forests is also changing the watershed in negative ways. Both the quality and quantity of water is being degraded, which affects the health of the ecosystem. All of these changes combined are having an extreme effect on the ecosystem and negatively affecting every species in it. At every trophic level there is some kind of effect as the mountain pine beetle expands and dest roys the forests. More studies must be done to help mitigate mountain pine beetle expansion and more money needs to be invested in managing them. As a society we will take a major economic hit if the timber we need is destroyed by the mountain pine beetle. Also, if their expansion continues in the Rocky Mountains and damages the watershed there, it could affect a large portion of the drinking water for the Western United States. We need to manage the mountain pine beetle as we reduce carbon dioxide emissions to curb the effects of global warming. Figure 1 Figure 2 Works Cited Bartos, D. L. and K. E. Gibson. Insects of whitebark pine with emphasis on mountain pine beetle. UT 84321. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Montana, United States. Carroll, A. L., S. W. Taylor, J. Regniere and L. Safranyik. Effects of climate change on range expansion by the mountain pine beetle in British Columbia. BC-V8Z-1M5. Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Coggins, S. B., N. C. Coops, M. A. Wulder and C.W. Bater. 2011. Comparing the impacts of mitigation and non-mitigation on mountain pine beetle populations. Journal of environmental management 92: 112-120. Creeden, E. P., J. A. Hicke and P. C. Buotte. 2013. Climate, weather, and recent mountain pine beetle outbreaks in the western United States. Forest Ecology and Management 312: 239-251. Fettig, C. J., K. D. Klepzig, R. F. Billings, A. S. Munson, T. E. Nebeker, J. F. Negron and J. T. Nowak. 2007. The effectiveness of vegetation management practices for prevention and control of bark beetle infestations in coniferous forests of the western and southern United States. Forest ecology and management 238: 24-53. Lamers, P., M. Junginger, C. C. Dymond and A. Faaij. 2014. Damaged forest provide an opportunity to mitigate climate change. Bioenegy 6: 44-60. Logan, J. A., J. Regniere and J. A. Powell. 2003. Assessing the impacts of global warming on forest pest dynamics. Frontiers in ecology and the environment 1: 130-137. Mikkelson, K. M., L. A. Bearup, R. M. Maxwell, J. D. Stednick, J. E. McCray and J. O. Sharp. 2013. Bark beetle infestation impacts on nutrient cycling, water quality and interdependent hydrological effects. Biogeochemistry 115: 1-21. Ono Hideji. 2003. The mountain pine beetle: Scope of the problem and key issues in Alberta. BC-X-399. Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Kurz, W. A., C. C. Dymond, G. Stinson, G. J. Rampley, E. T. Neilson, A. L. Carroll, T. Ebata and L. Safranyik. 2008. Mountain pine beetle and forest carbon feedback to climate change. Nature 452: 987-990. Winkler, R., S. Boon, B. Zimonick and D. Spittlehouse. 2009. Snow accumulation and ablation response to changes in forest structure and snow surface albedo after attack by mountain pine beetle. Hydrological Processes 28: 197-209. Wulder, M. A., S. M. Ortlepp, J. C. White, N. C. Coops and S. B. Coggins. 2009. Monitoring the impacts of mountain pine beetle mitigation. Forest ecology and management 258: 1181-1187.

Les Miserables Essays -- essays research papers

In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo portrays human nature in a neutral state. Humans are born with neither good nor bad instincts, but rather society affects our actions and thoughts. Hugo portrays the neutral state of mind through Jean Valjean and Cosette. The two extremes of good and evil are represented through Thà ©nardier and the bishop. Good and evil coexists in the society and affects Valjean and Cosette. It is the two extremes of good and evil that dictate the lives of Valjean and Cosette. The bishop represents charity and love. Everything he's ever had, he gave to charity. When the bishop first met Valjean, he said, "You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome. And do not thank me; do not tell me that I take you into my house..... whatever is here is yours." (pg. 15-16) The bishop didn't loo k at him as a convict; he looked at him as a fellow brother. Later, when the bishop found out that Valjean stole his silver, he wasn't mad, but offered all of his silver to Valjean saying, "Don't forget that you promised me to use this silver to become an honest man." Thà ©nardier, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of the bishop. He represents the corruptive nature of society. He's the one that changes people for the bad. An example of how Thà ©nardier represents greed and evil is how he... Les Miserables Essays -- essays research papers In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo portrays human nature in a neutral state. Humans are born with neither good nor bad instincts, but rather society affects our actions and thoughts. Hugo portrays the neutral state of mind through Jean Valjean and Cosette. The two extremes of good and evil are represented through Thà ©nardier and the bishop. Good and evil coexists in the society and affects Valjean and Cosette. It is the two extremes of good and evil that dictate the lives of Valjean and Cosette. The bishop represents charity and love. Everything he's ever had, he gave to charity. When the bishop first met Valjean, he said, "You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome. And do not thank me; do not tell me that I take you into my house..... whatever is here is yours." (pg. 15-16) The bishop didn't loo k at him as a convict; he looked at him as a fellow brother. Later, when the bishop found out that Valjean stole his silver, he wasn't mad, but offered all of his silver to Valjean saying, "Don't forget that you promised me to use this silver to become an honest man." Thà ©nardier, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of the bishop. He represents the corruptive nature of society. He's the one that changes people for the bad. An example of how Thà ©nardier represents greed and evil is how he...

Health policy, law and ethics Essay

For the purpose of this assignment I will look at the legal and ethical aspects involved in the following scenario and this will be discussed. I will take into consideration both the deontological and consequentialism theory. Laws relevant to this scenario will be looked at. Scenario To maintain confidentiality the name of the patient has been changed. The patient D is 60 years old male who had kidney cancer he had been admitted to the hospital for further treatment. On the following investigation the patient had been diagnosed with the last stages of cancer which meant it had spread into the surrounding tissue. Prognoses were poor, palliative was to be offered. The family had requested that the patient should not be informed therefore, D was not aware about his current condition. The patient could not understand why medical staff only made him comfortable and were not taking a different approach to his treatment. Consequently, he lost faith in the staff and his will to live and refused everything that was given to him. The nurses made a decision to inform him of his terminal illness, believing this to be in his best interest. He understood the situation and expressed a wish to die at home. Legal aspects The situation that the nurses faced in this scenario was uncomfortable for both the patient and the healthcare professionals. The nurses had a dilemma of legal and ethical aspects on one hand, and patient’s legal rights on other hand. In any discussion of ethical issues in medicine, legal aspects may arise. Both of them set standards of conduct, where law often shows a â€Å"kind of minimal ethical societal consensus† (Emanuel et.al. 1999, p2). The study of law expresses a process of legal thinking and applying legal doctrine to the real-life situation in the healthcare setting (Flight and Meacham 2011). A deontology comes from the Greek term â€Å"deon†, meaning â€Å"duty† (Jones and Beck 1996). White and Baldwin (2004) state, deontological is fundamental in medicine as it means â€Å"do no harm† and â€Å"act in the patients’ best interest† (p.54). Using deontology approach in this case, healthcare providers were following the rule â€Å"Act in the patients’ best interest†. The problem that occurred in this situation is that it was difficult for the healthcare professionals as from a legal point of view the  patient had a right to know the truth if he wish. The NHS Constitution (2013) states, that a patient has the right â€Å"to be involved in discussions and decisions about his the health and care, including end of life care, and they be given information to enable the patient to do this† (p.9). Healthcare professionals were acting according to the Hippocratic Oath and following a set of rules, which are established as a framework of the NHS. One of the rules states, that nurses must â€Å"safeguard and promote interests of individual patients and client† (Tingle and Cribb 2007, p.16). Medical professionals must always act in the best interest of the patient. However, difficulty may be experienced in certain situations as the borderline between legal issues and ethics is narrow. The important professional concept of nursing is accountability for their actions to deliver appropriate care for their patients. This accountability is applicable in the legal context and important professionally, it is based on knowledge and un derstanding. Therefore, legally it is closely related to negligence and duty of care (Young 1995). In this scenario the nurses felt that they were acting as an advocate for the patient by following the rules. Montgomery (1995), state that accountability, responsibility and duty of care are closely linked. Irrespective of professional standing responsibilities, healthcare staff are still accountable, with regard to duty of care within the expectation of their job (Fletcher and Buka 1999). In this case, the patient’s anxiety could have been alleviated if he had been fully informed of the severity of his medical condition. This would then enable him to understand and accept this news, and would not lead the further complications in his psychological condition. Kravitz and Melnikow (2001) suggest that patient’s participation in the decision making process about their care is necessary. Analysing this situation I felt that patient D had a lack of autonomy. A patient should be fully informed about the diagnosis, and consent should be obtained for the treatment proposed; otherwise the autonomous being would be disregarded (Fletcher et al 1995). The importance of patient autonomy came from Nuremberg Trials codes of ethics, which was established in 1948 and stated that â€Å"The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential† (Washington 1949 p.181). The autonomy of D was disregarded by his family as they believed it would not be beneficial for him to know the truth. However, D had the capacity to make autonomous  decisions, such as whether or not he wanted to receive information about his current condition. Ethical aspects The issue that medical staff came across was to respect patient’s autonomy that had been breached in the described situation. Pearson et al (2005) states that patients are individuals, they have the right to be involved in making the decision process about themselves and their future. This belief refers to patient autonomy which is defined as freedom of making decisions within their limits of competency. Being unaware of his medical condition patient D had been deprived of his autonomy. Hendrick (2004) described autonomy as the ability to think about their lives and act accordingly to a chosen set of rules. Respecting autonomy means treating a person as an individual, involving him in discussion about his planned treatment, allowing him make his own decision. This is an essential part of any document of patients’ rights. O’Connell et al (2010) states that there are some ethical principles in nursing which include two important elements such as beneficence and non -maleficence. Both of them have significant implications for nurses. Hendrick (2000) supporting this view states that, in healthcare settings beneficence appears to be a straight forward term, and means to do â€Å"good†. In this situation there had arisen a massive ethical dilemma, and to choose the right approach to do â€Å"good† was not very easy for nurses. From one side, we had the patient who was not suitable for any medical treatment, as he was terminally ill but still had the right for palliative care, hence staff had to comply with all ethical principles. One of them was beneficence, as it seemed beneficial in the beginning not to tell the patient the truth about his condition, according to his family wishes. The family believed that patient D’s unawareness of reality would help him cope with his progressive illness. However, nurses whose responsibility it was to protect the patient from psychological stress and follow another ethical principle, which is non-malefice nce. Beauchamp and Childress (2009) state that, the principle of non-maleficence dictates an obligation not to harm. Both beneficence and non-maleficence were described in the Hippocratic Oath as â€Å"I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I  will do no harm or injustice to them† (Greek medicine 2010). The patient D’s reaction to the atmosphere surrounding him determined the medical staff to change the original approach to his care and give him the correct information about his prognosis. Respect should be shown to the patient; a simple obligation to give him a realistic picture of his condition. The patient had a right to know the truth, as he was approaching the end of his life. He might need to discuss some questions with his family and carers in order to arrange his affairs (Nicoll 1997). Basford and Slevin (1999) state, the principles of autonomy and justice as, are vital in healthcare practice and are dominant in many arguments within medical and nursing ethics. Consequently, there is a conflict bet ween the patient’s right to know and the carers’ duty of care. Honesty is an important part of any relationship. Jeffrey (2006) suggests that â€Å"communication would become meaningless if there was no overriding moral obligation to be truthful† (p. 64). Conclusion In any ethical dilemma healthcare staff should follow the government polices according to the Code of Conduct. As they are responsible for peoples’ health and have an honour to represent the National Healthcare Service, therefore, they cannot take any situation emotionally and personally. The healthcare professionals’ attitude to clinical judgement seemed to have increased during the last decade. Considering this, healthcare staff were taking into account new views of recognition of patient rights, to make an autonomous choice. The patient D had an opportunity for choice and made a decision to die at home. The argument in this situation was that all medical professionals should be telling the truth whether or not the patient’s family agreed. In this case I believe the medical staff were acting professionally and the patient received the attention he required in time, and there were no regrets afterwards. References: Basford and Slevin (1999) Theory and practice of Nursing Cheltenham: UK Beauchamp and Childress (2009) Principles of biomedical ethics (6th edition) New York: US Emanuel L, von Gunten C and Ferris F (1999). The Education for Physicians on End-of-life Care (EPEC) curriculum: US Fletcher N, Hold J, Brazier M and Harris J (1995) Ethics, Law and nursing Manchester: UK Flight M and Meacham M (2011) Law, Liability, and Ethics for Medical Office Professionals Delmar (5th edition): US Greek Medicine (2010) Hippocratic Oath: translated by North M Online at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html [Accessed on: 21/03/14] Hendrick J (2000) Law and ethics in nursing and healthcare Cheltenham: UK Hendrick J (2004) Ethics and Law Cheltenham: UK Jones R and Beck S (1996) Decision making in nursing Delmar: US Kour N and Rauff A (1992) Informed patient consent-historical perspective and a clinician’s view Singapore Med 33(1): 44–6 Kravitz R and Melnikow J (2001) Engaging patients in medical decision making. British Medical Journal 323: 584-585. Nicoll L (1997) Perspectives on Nursing Theory New York: US O’Connell S, Bare B, Hinkle J, and Cheeveret K (2010) Textbook of Medical-surgical Nursing (12th edition) Philadelphia: US Pearson A, Vaughan B, Vaughan B, FitzG erald M and Washington D (1949) â€Å"Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law 10 (2): 181-182 Online at: http://history.nih.gov/research/downloads/nuremberg.pdf [Accessed on 11/03/2014] The NHS Constitution (2013) Online at: http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/NHSConstitution/Documents/2013/the-nhs-constitution-for-england-2013.pdf [accessed on 10/03/2014] Tingle J and Cribb A (2007) Nursing law and Ethics (3rd edition) Oxford: UK White S and Baldwin T (2004) Legal and Ethical aspects of Anaesthesia critical care and perioperative medicine. Cambridge: UK Bibliography: George J. Annas Edward R and Michael A. Grodin (1992) The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code: Human Rights in Human . Oxford: US Morrison E (2010) Ethics in Health Administration: A Practical Approach for Decision Makers (2nd edition) London: UK

Directional Policy (GE

Directional Policy (GE Introduction The GE/McKinsey is a portfolio analysis model that was developed by the General Electric Company in (GE) in the 1960s (Afuah 2011). The model is used to draw a comparison between businesses in terms of their market attractiveness and competitive strengths.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Directional Policy (GE-McKinsey) Matrix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to conduct a directional policy GE matrix analysis for Nintendo and Sony, the two biggest companies in the video gaming industry. The video gaming industry is mainly controlled by three competing firms (Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft) which are constantly trying to combine their talents and strong points, to mix and match their offerings and achieve higher profit margins. Analysis of market attractiveness using the porter’s five forces model The Porter’s five forces tool can be regarded to be a simple but nevertheless po werful tool that helps one to understand where power lies in any business situation (Nag, Hambrick, Chen 2007). It basically provides a framework of five forces that determine how profitable an industry is. The supplier power The video gaming industry utilizes hardware, software and other accessories to run. Some of these components such as game consoles and software are developed by the companies but many others are also provided by third party companies. More than 80% of the products marketed by Nintendo are sourced from third party providers (Mulcaster 2009). The companies also get hardware components from other suppliers. The graphics components for Nintendo are sourced from ATI, processors from IBM and batteries from Panasonic among others. Sony, being an established electronic company, makes many of the hardware components for itself. It however acquires some accessories such as processors and graphic components from third party providers (Jonson Scholes 2008). All these sup pliers have some power but as of now, the power is in the hands of Nintendo, Sony and other leaders in the video gaming industry that can source these products from a variety of providers eager to ride on their success (Gamble Thompson 2010). Buyer Power The video gaming industry is very competitive. The major three companies are fighting for a bigger market share. Many strategies have been advanced but it’s apparent that the buyer has the power to drive prices down. The affordability of Nintendo’s Wii saw other market players cutting their prices to compete (Afuah 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The buyer power has also seen an innovation and technology race by the top three companies in the Video game industry. The company’s are constantly enhancing the capabilities of their products in order to attract more sales. Video gaming belong s to the larger entertainment industry. These companies must also fight to keep their share in the entertainment industry. The industry produces non essential products which have to appeal to the consumer for consideration. Thus as far as the video gaming industry is concerned the customer has more power than the company. Competitive rivalry As described above, there is no one company in the video gaming industry that has absolute power. The industry has a very healthy competition that benefits the consumer. Market performance by any of the three companies depends on how their gaming devices appeal to the consumer (Jonson Scholes 2008). Competition has shifted away from scrambling for the video game market dominated by adolescents, hardcore gamers to expanding the age bracket and getting more casual gamers on board. In the last decade the competition is very strong among the top three companies whose products are more similar. However, Nintendo is currently leading through its inno vative and pricing strategies. Threat of substitution In the Video gaming industry, the threat of substitution is always present. Video gaming is a form of entertainment which can easily be substituted by other forms of entertainment. The threat of substitution also exists within the industry due to the various ranges of products provided. If the customers can get the same satisfaction with a different product they will go for it (Gamble Thompson 2010). There are different segments designed for different gaming experiences which can attract a significant amount of substitution within the industry. The three dominant companies have been outdoing each other with newer innovative strategies and adoption of newer technologies (Afuah 2011). Threat of new entry The threat of new entry is always present in the Video gaming industry. Nintendo had been a market leader for a long time since the 1980’s but its fortunes declined with the entry of Sony’s playStation. Therefore the threat of new entry is significant as long as newer technologies are still being developed. However the top three companies have now held tightly on the industry and this may pose a considerable challenge to any new entrants (Markides 1999).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Directional Policy (GE-McKinsey) Matrix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Summary The video game industry is mostly affected by the technological changes which shape the needs of the consumers. The industry is also affected by the various forces within and outside the industry but the strongest forces are competitive and consumer powers. The video gaming industry can be described as being moderately attractive. Table1: Strategic business units’ (SBUs) strength analysis Product Market share Technology advancement/ Relative product quality Price Market segments Seventh generation consoles Nintendo’s Wii 50% (Console segment) Does not support HDTV Simple, less intimidating Innovative controller Standard CD drive Motion sensors $250 Hard core gamers Casual gamers First time gamers All age groups Sony’s PS 3 23% (Console segment) HD blue ray drive 3.2 GHz microprocessor 60 GB hard drive High definition graphics Between $499 and $599 Hard core gamers Eighth generation handhelds Playstation Vita 20% (In the handheld segment) Blue tooth 3G Touch screen 512 RAM Up to 32 GB memory card 2 cameras $300 Hardcore gamers Casual gamers Nintendo 3DS 70% (in handheld devices segment) Innovative user interface Dual screen LCD touch screen Microphone Wifi capability Autostereopscopic 3D 2 cameras $249 Hardcore gamers Teenage gamers Table2: The GE/McKinsey Matrix for Nintendo and Sony Competitive Strength Market Attractiveness High Medium Low High Nintendo Wii Nintendo 3DS Medium Playstation vita Playstation3 Low Conclusions and recommendations This paper sought to conduct a directiona l policy GE matrix analysis for Nintendo and Sony, the two biggest companies in the video gaming industry. The directional policy matrix has helped establish that the video game products (both handheld and console segments) manufactured and marketed by Nintendo have a larger market share compared to those produced by and marketed Sony (Moncrief 2004). Nintendo video game devices are simpler, less sophisticated but innovative. For instance, the Wii was a success due to its redesigned and unique controllers that seem to naturalize the gaming experience (Gamble Thompson 2010). The addition of motion sensitivity sensors and ports to facilitate more add-ons was a winning strategy for Nintendo (Liebeskind 2003). The company should however ensure that the quality of their products is not compromised. For instance, the poor graphics and lack of a standard DVD rom on the Wii cost significant jitters from the industry analysts. This implies that a significant number of consumers who preferre d better displays were left out. The company should therefore come up with ways of ensuring that up to date technologies are adopted without inflating the costs. On the other hand the video gaming devices produced by Sony have high capabilities as they use advanced technology. This means that Sony has to sell its products at higher costs in order to make profits compared to Nintendo. The sophisticated nature of its video game products also limits their use to hardcore gamers only (Mulcaster 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company should therefore follow in Nintendo’s footsteps and produce innovative video game devices that will appeal to casual and first time gamers. The company should also rethink on its quality strategy as it is resulting into marginally higher prices that are not going down well with the consumers. As a corrective measure, Sony should adopt a cost cutting strategy. Such a strategy can implemented through spreading of the fixed costs on a variety of units to lower the cost of production (Jonson Scholes 2008). References Afuah, A 2011. Strategic innovation: New Game Strategies for Competitive Advantage,  University of Michigan, Michigan. Gamble, J Thompson, A 2010. Essentials of Strategic Management,  University of Alabama Alabama. Jonson, G Scholes, K 2008. Explorig Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall, Essex. Liebeskind, J. 2003. Knowledge Strategy and the theory of the firm, Strategic  Management Journal, vol.11, pp. 345-356. Markides, C 1999. A dyamic view of st rategy Slan Management Review , vol.40, pp. 55-63. Moncrief, J 2004. Is strategy making a difference, Long Range Planning reveiw , Vol.32 no.2, pp. 273- 276. Mulcaster, W 2009. Three Strategic Frameworks, Business Strategy Series , vol.10 no.1, pp. 68-78. Nag, R, Hambrick, D, Chen M. 2007. What is strategic management, really? Inductive derivation of the Consensus definition field, Strategic Management  Journal , vol.28 no. 9, pp. 935- 955.

How to Write a Statistics Research Paper A Complete Guide

How to Write a Statistics Research Paper A Complete Guide A statistics research paper is a piece of original research in written form, primarily aimed to be published in an academic journal or magazine and reviewed by the author’s peers. There are no strict requirements as to the assignment’s size, format, number of sources to be used and other characteristics – it is an extremely versatile kind of work, and you should always consult the guidelines of your particular college and ask your instructor about the specifications required in your case. Research papers in statistics are the main method of moving the research in this discipline forward. They are presented for peer review and don’t exist by themselves, but are intended for discussion and criticism. Although your research paper is just a college assignment, it should fully meet the requirements of this standard. For you, this means that you should carefully prepare your writing for potential counter-arguments and refutations. The quality of your writing depends to a very significant degree on how well you manage to prepare to potential opposition to your point of view. To be fully ready for this, you have to study not just the data sets dealing with the primary subject of your paper, but with all the significant texts about it written before you as well. In this statistics research paper writing guide, we will cover all the factors that define whether your research paper succeeds or fails. Choice of Topic This is, unmistakably, one of the most important stages of your work – a poorly chosen topic means harder work and worse results. That’s why you cannot approach this step carelessly. Reword your potential topics as questions. Then look at each potential topic and ask yourself: can this question be answered with the help of statistical analysis? For example, ‘Is there life on Mars?’ is a fascinating question, no doubt about it, but the answer to it lies beyond the domain of statistics; Check if there is enough data on the topic or if you are going to be able to gather enough of it to support your point. That is why you should analyze the existing body of research before you settle upon a particular topic; If you are having trouble singling out a topic you would like to write about, try checking out online academic databases and search engines, like Google Scholar and EBSCO. By running searches related to the general direction of your future paper, you will be able to discern the topics that are already well-researched to avoid inadvertently choosing them. In addition, it may give you valuable ideas on potential research around which you can build your paper; Don’t forget to discuss the topic you’ve chosen with your instructor. What may seem like an awesome research direction to you may look completely different at somebody who has seen hundreds of papers and knows what topics work and what do not. In the end, the topic you choose should at the same time leave you enough space for independent data collection and analysis and provide sufficient background information to build your argument upon. Here are some examples of good topics you may find helpful in your work: The Study of Diversity in Motion Picture Industry; Statistical Analysis of Home Advantage Influence on Performance of Football Teams; Evidence of Reverse Discrimination in American Businesses during the Last Decade; Effects of Placement Based on Academic Ability vs. Placement Based on Age in Education; Positive and Negative Effects of Net Neutrality. As you can see from this list of topics, statistical analysis can be applied equally effectively to almost any area of human knowledge. Data Collection There are three types of sources to be used when writing statistics papers: Experiments and information gathering activities you’ve carried out personally; Statistical information and data sets received from reliable sources, such as FedStats or Google Public Data Explorer; Published works by other authors (journal articles, books, newspapers, online sources, etc.). Probably more than any other types of academic assignments, statistics research papers are dependent on the information gathered by students themselves and not found in published sources. That is why methods of your data collection occupy a significant portion of your assignment. Be very careful when selecting data collection methods. You may be given some recommendations by your instructor – if so, follow them and don’t try to be original, for they know what works for your particular case and what doesn’t. If there are no recommendations, try to obtain them – if you ask intelligent questions, instructors usually don’t refuse to answer them. You should be as careful as possible when collecting your data. Once the information is collected, it is impossible to correct the mistakes that have been made in the process of gathering it, and the trustworthiness of your entire paper can easily be compromised. Make sure you provide sufficient information about your data collection methods for your readers to be able to reconstruct your results. Experiments that cannot be repeated aren’t given much value in the academic community. Introduction Your introduction should be, on the one hand, based on facts and, on the other hand, be fascinating and thought-provoking, so that the reader becomes interested in the contents of your paper upon reading just a few lines. In addition to that, it should explain the purpose of your work and smoothly lead to the main content of the paper. Begin with the so-called a hook – a sentence aimed at grabbing the reader’s attention right off the bat. It may be some interesting statistical information, unexpected piece of data, not a very well-known fact – anything that can pique the audience’s interest and motivate them to read on. Then move to the thesis statement – a short (no longer than a couple of sentences, and just one if possible) summary of your primary idea behind the entire paper. It is important to understand that a thesis statement is not identical to the topic. A topic simply limits the scope of your research. Thesis statement actively declares what your hypothesis is, and the rest of the paper is dedicated to finding out whether your idea about the subject matter is right or wrong. For example, â€Å"Statistical Analysis of Health Benefits of Weight Training vs. Aerobics† is a topic. â€Å"Aerobic exercises possess much higher relative health benefits for non-professional sportsmen than weight training† can be a thesis statement for a paper on this topic. Body Paragraphs What the body of your paper should contain: Methodology – what methods of collecting and analyzing the information you’ve employed. Here you not just specify the methods themselves, but describe how you went about gathering data and conducting the necessary experiments. For example, if you used a survey, you should not only mention the method per se, but dwell on how you prepared questions for it, how you chose people to participate in it, how their answers varied depending on various factors and so on; Supporting materials – the best statistics papers are supplemented with graphs, charts, diagrams etc., visually supporting your point of view and serving as reliable proof of your findings; Topic paragraphs – here you present your findings. Make sure to never exceed the limitation of one idea per paragraph – papers on statistics are complicated enough without your making their structure unnecessary convoluted. If you always introduce just one point per paragraph, it shows the reader what he can expect and makes it easier to perceive what you try to prove. General Style and Writing Tips: Secrets of Our Best Academic Writers Be wary of plagiarism, i.e., using the other writer’s work without acknowledging the authorship. Plagiarism is a very serious violation of academic rules, and can even lead to expulsion in some cases. So don’t use it intentionally – you will be caught – and use plagiarism checkers to make sure you haven’t done it accidentally, e.g., by forgetting to put quotation marks around a borrowed sentence or writing something that is suspiciously similar to another paper on the same topic; Try to keep your sentences relatively short (20-25 words), but don’t turn it into a goal in and of itself. If you need a sentence that is longer than that, use it – just try to gravitate to suggested length in general; Do not use colloquial words, expression and grammar structures, including contractions. Your writing should look as professional and impersonal as possible; On the other hand, don’t try to make your writing overly scientific through the use of longer and more complex words and more cumbersome sentence structures than necessary. You don’t have to make your writing simplistic, but use complicated terminology only when it is truly needed and don’t look for excuses to make your writing look smarter than it is – it is a very obvious trick; Be ready to go through several drafts before you achieve the results that satisfy you and will satisfy your instructor. A good statistics research paper requires a lot of work and revisions, so if you find it necessary to introduce serious changes into your work or even rewrite some parts of it completely, it is quite normal; Your goal is to find whether the hypothesis expressed in your thesis statement is true or false, not to prove it right no matter what. In statistics writing, it doesn’t matter whether the hypothesis turns out to be false – what your instructor is going to pay attention to is how you reached your conclusion, how you gathered information, how you carried out your analysis. Concentrate on these aspects and let everything else take care of itself; Avoid the passive voice unless it is absolutely necessary. Statistics papers are rather dry thanks to their methodology, and the use of passive voice makes them even harder to read and perceive the information they contain; Never cite books and other sources you haven’t read. It is quite easy to find out if you are familiar with this or that source, and if it turns out that you don’t know anything else about the source you are quoting, it is going to harm your reputation as a scholar. Conclusion A conclusion is a part where you sum up everything you’ve found out by this point, repeat your thesis statement and decide if your original hypothesis turned out to be true or not. There is not a lot to say about this part: you simply sum up your evidence, explain why you believe the research you’ve carried out to be important, make suggestions for further research in the same area and more or less repeat everything you’ve written up to this moment in short. Post-Writing Tips: Revising and Proofreading Your Research Paper You can simply reread your entire paper, trying to notice all the mistakes and flaws in your writing as you go along, but a much more efficient approach to the task of proofreading is using a checklist. You may prepare your own based on the blunders you most often make, or use a ready-made list, like this one: Check basic formatting: cover sheet, page numbers, bibliography, etc. Do all these elements comply with your style guide? Are there any ambiguous cases? Are you sure everything should be formatted the way you did it? Consult your instructor if in doubt; Introduction – is the â€Å"hook† sufficient to attract the reader’s attention? Does it correspond logically to the rest of the paper? Does it flow smoothly into the thesis statement? Conclusion – does it sum up everything important about your paper without missing anything? Body paragraphs – do you introduce no more than a single point in each paragraph? Are they logically connected to each other? Are the points you mention clear and unambiguous? Is all the data clear and backed up with statistical information? Do your arguments follow each other logically? Did you quote all the sources you used in your paper? If you missed some quotation marks even by mistake you can be accused of plagiarism, which can lead to very unpleasant consequences; Are you sure of your grammar, syntax and spelling? Are you sure about the meanings of all the words you used? If in doubt, look them up in a dictionary; Is the flow of your paper natural? Does it read easily? You may need to ask somebody else to read it in order to find out for sure. Writing a statistics research paper is a long, hard and complicated job, but following the right work process, you can make your task considerably easier – we hope that these statistics research paper writing tips will be of help the next time you encounter such an assignment.

WorldCom and Reliant Should be Charged With Felonies Essay

WorldCom and Reliant Should be Charged With Felonies - Essay Example With respect to the USDOJ's definition of corporate crime, in the case of Reliant Energy and WorldCom, the companies were liable for the actions of its officers due to a failure to prevent their actions and allowing a culture that promoted the illegal activity. In the case of Bernie Ebbers, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which he was not aware of the dealings of his subordinates. In addition , he did nothing to affect the methods that WorldCom did business. He had no system in place for oversight or compliance and this placed the corporation as guilty as its officers. As the DOJ has indicated, "management is responsible for a corporate culture in which criminal conduct is either discouraged or tacitly encouraged' (USDOJ, 22003). This was further exacerbated by the WorldCom CEO's insistence on his innocence and refusal to be totally forthcoming in the matter. If there was not a willingness to cooperate, the corporation should be charged as if it was an individual for securities fraud, and filing false reports. Throughout the trial, the defense, "contended that Mr. Ebbers was in the dark about the fraud" and "Ebbers denied discussing any element of the fraud with Mr. Sullivan" (Belsen, 2005).

THEMATIC UNIT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THEMATIC UNIT - Assignment Example The teacher will say: "Today class, we are going to be talking about one of my favorite Japanese festivals! The cherry blossom festival!" (The teacher will pass the cherry blossoms around for students to touch) CD of Japanese traditional songs, (including "Sakura Sakura, "Moonlight on the Ruined Castle, and "Star Festival Song"- these songs are available, free of copyright from Mama Lisas world (see resources). "One important thing to remember before you decorate is that all kimonos have a theme. The theme can be springtime, winter, flowers, cars, anything you like. Write your theme on the sleeve of your kimono before you begin drawing." "The first thing we must do is give our logs a title. The title for this project is Bamboo Bonanza. Please write this down on the front of your folder. Then, write your name in the upper right hand corner." "Write the date at the top right corner of the page. You will date the page, each day. We will be writing on the front and back of each page. Today, you will write your hypothesis and make your first measurements" CD of Japanese traditional songs, (including "Sakura Sakura, "Moonlight on the Ruined Castle, and "Star Festival Song"- these songs are available, free of copyright from Mama Lisas world (see resources). "This song is a song that is normally played at the star festival. This festival is special because it is held at night. During the festival, little boys and girls write their wishes on paper notes, like this" (show pre-made note) and hope that their wish will come