Elevator Speech Draft

Elevator Speech Audience: Diana Gale Purpose: To outline strategies for developing a publicly supported wasteland augment policy â€Å"Seattle Waste utility faces a challenging new mission: not only is the agency t asked with its previous responsibility of delivering waste management services, it is now task ked with developing waste management policy. With the approaching deadline to Rene w the contract with the King County landfill, the utility is faced with an opportunity to recon mend a new longer waste management policy.You have already accomplished a great deal by building SSW into an organize Zion that can be effective in developing policy, but local organizations, politicians and meme beers of the public have strong, competing perspectives about waste management in Seat tale. In addition, confidence in Saw's ability to recommend a policy is low. Under these conditions, it is best if SSW does not make a recommendation a bout a longer waste management policy alone. Instead, yo u should engage key organization s and individuals whose support could strengthen Saw's legitimacy.TO determine a longer asset disposal policy, we recommend that you pursue one of two participator decommissioning processes: the first includes the the public, along with local p Laotians and administrators. If time constraints allow, we feel that this is your best bet to in crease Saw's legitimacy and gain support and cooperation for the policy. The second excels vilely includes local politicians and administrators. This second process would increase the u utility legitimacy on a more limited level, but may be preferable if time constraints prevent you from pursuing the more inclusive process. †

Medical Billing and Coding Essay

Today the cause and effect of medical billing and coding is that they share a relationship because they each share something similar in a way. They are both understood when they are spoke about. But as you know billing and coding are and can be combined together as well. But what I would like my reader to know is my goals and achievements to become a medical billing and coding specialists as well the understanding of medical billing and coding and what is has to offer if you wanted to take up this major or was looking to get a job in this field of work. And because of the cause and effect of billing relationship medical billing and medical coding share is good for coding to have basic knowledge of the billing process and for a specialist to have a basic knowledge of the coding process. What is medical billing and coding? Medical billing and coding specialists is healthcare professional responsible for processing patient data between physician’s such as treatment records and related insurance information as well as third party payers. Without them, healthcare businesses could not function efficiently. Its also the process of submitting and followed up on claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for the service. Medical billing and coding professionals hold pivot roles in hospitals; doctor’s offices; physician’s practices and specialty medical practices. Medical billing and coding is a robust career field that is open to anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent GED certificate. I believe my goals for becoming a medical coding and billing specialists I am going to continue working to achieve my A.A. Degree as well as continue into taking some medical courses such as medical terminology, Coding Courses like Part 2 intermediate coding exercises ICD-9-CM coding Instructions. Sequence the ICD-9-CM principal diagnosis in the first diagnosis position. Assigning all reportable secondary diagnosis including V codes and E codes (both cause of injury and place of occurrence) also some Software courses as well as  business classes. In order for me to achieve to become a medical billing and coding specialists I’m going to have to work hard and stay positive and not be a procrastinator. Achieving to become a medical billing and coding specialists to me will be somewhat challenging considering that having a full time job that requires a certain amount of hours a week, so that means you have to take courses around that schedule. That means I’m going to have to work harder to achieve my goals and achievements to become a medical billing and coding specialists. But you know what? I’m going to overcome every obstacle that comes in front of me to achieve my goals to become a medical billing and coding specialists. I’m going to accomplish every step and every achievement that needs to be done in order for me to become a medical billing and coding specialist. As a child growing up, I have seen aunts; uncles and cousins pursue a career in the medical field. So as I get older I wanted a career in the medical field too. My first step would be to talk with an adviser and see what my options would be in order to start course for medical billing and coding and my second step would be to start out with classes that I know need to be done first in order to get myself in the door in a place were I can start and career and finish out the rest of the courses in the meantime as needed for company policy and also make an effort to better my self for a good career and get on the right path . My final step would be to get a certificate so I can work in an office setting and help patients with a different varieties of payment options that better suits them and there needs and as I am done with all courses I can look back and say I am a very good achiever and be proud of myself for achieving my goals. In Conclusion through this essay I gave an idea on what medical billing and coding specialist are and what they do as well as some information about myself as I am also wanting to achieve and give my self goals to become a medical billing and coding specialists. I plan on becoming a medical billing and coding specialists here in the near future so I can tell my self I have a career and that I am on the right path. It is a very good career to overcome. Its always nice to help patients and make them feel good that they walked away knowing that the specialist who helped them find the right payment option for them that fits there needs. Helping anyone has always been one of my goals I love helping people and knowing that is always  a good thing to do. Knowing to have a good career always gives me hope and happiness. Through dedication, hard work and goals and achievements as well as accomplishment I will become a medical billing and coding specialist in no time.

Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario Essay

Financial principles, financial markets, and business ethics construct a major infrastructure for financial decisions that all managers or supervisors must make on a constant basis. The purpose of this paper is to explain the financial concepts found in this week’s readings and how these concepts relate to the Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. According to the text reading, â€Å"the principles of finance, described in this section and the two that follow, are based on logical deduction and on empirical observation† (Chapter 2, p. 20). Until the late 1990s, Guillermo’s Furniture Store retained its competitive advantage in the furniture market. The arrival of a new overseas competitor entering the furniture market, decreased furniture prices, and increased labor costs posed as a new challenge for the organization (University of Phoenix, 2009). For several years, Guillermo’s Furniture Store dominated the furniture manufacturing market with the ideal supply of timber to create a variation of types of furniture. As a result, the owner did not know how to forecast the new challenges that faced the company. As the new competition starts to enter the furniture market, these competitors have developed an advanced technology that produces a more customized product to meet consumer demand. With labor costs rising, Guillermo did not realize these changes and how this would affect his current business. Guillermo’s Furniture Store will need to consider the principle of self-interested behavior to help minimize the risks associated with the changes in the furniture business to meet customer expectations. The concept of the principle of self-interested behavior basically implies that with a level playing field in the furniture business meaning all aspects of the business equals one another, then Guillermo will need to act or perform in the best financial interest of his own company. One option for Guillermo’s Furniture Store would be to purchase a high-tech laser lather operating equipment for manufacturing the product. This would be an example of the principle of self-interested behavior as it is an important corollary of this principle (Emery, Finnerty, & Stowe, 2007). This action will create a more desirable competing action for the benefit of his organization. Guillermo could also consider becoming a furniture manufacturer for a Norway company by facilitating all distributing pathways and this behavior is an example of the principle of valuable ideas. Emery, Finnerty & Stowe state, â€Å"new products or services can create value, so if you have a new idea, you might then transform it into extraordinary positive value for yourself† (Chapter 2, p. 24). This type of behavior is clear if the owner decides to patent the current process for coating the furniture as it creates new ideas. Guillermo will need to consider ways to create value by developing exceptional customer service with the creation of better products and services at the lowest possible price without sacrificing the quality of the product or service. The competition is fierce overseas as a direct result of inexpensive parts and labor. The furniture store will have to create the lowest and best quality product to meet consumer demands. Guillermo will need to meet the competition with its market presence by focusing on remaining competitive with the patent process. In order to make a strategic decision on which process will be best for the furniture store, Guillermo will need to take a closer look at the financial statements to make the financial decision. Strategic analysis of financial transaction is one of the most vital facets of an organization with regard to important business decisions. This type of analysis assists any business owner or manager in deciding which type of alternative or plan would be most beneficial to the company. These decisions should also consider the impact on the market and the competition as well as the organization. Guillermo will need to discover the financial impact of either choice mentioned above to make the best decision. Reference Emery, D. R., Finnerty, J. D., Stowe, J. D. (2007). Corporate Financial Management (3rd ed). Chapter 2: The Financial Environment: Concepts and Principles. Prentice Hall, Inc: A Pearson Education Company. University of Phoenix. Guillermo’s Furniture Store Data. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website. University of Phoenix (2012). Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website

The Personality of the Holy Spirit Research Paper

The Personality of the Holy Spirit - Research Paper Example The Holy Spirit has a Will    B. The Holy Spirit has a Mind C. The Holy Spirit has Emotions      IV.  The Holy Spirits Work in the Individual Believer (3 pages)      A. The Holy Spirit’s Work at Creation (ruah) B. The Holy Spirit’s Work at Salvation (Regeneration)    B. The Holy Spirit as parakletos      V.  The Holy Spirit and the Church (3 pages)    A.  Power to Witness    B.  Agent of Unity      VI.  Conclusion: (1 page) INTRODUCTION â€Å"An understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is basic to Christian living†¦who He is, is foundational to what He does, and a knowledge of both His person and work is basic to Christian devotion and living.†1 It is not surprising therefore that the subject of the personality of the Holy Spirit remains one of the most controversial issues in Christian academic circles. The topic comes with varying views and opinions on who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit stands for. Rig ht from the beginning of reading scriptures, the Christian is given an idea about the fact that the Holy Spirit is very instrumental in the personality of humankind2. For instance in the book of Genesis, the presence of a third person, whom most scholars argue to be the Holy Spirit is consulted when God says â€Å"let us make man in Our image†. ... In the early openings of the New Testament, Jesus Christ also gives an indication on what the actual personality of the Holy Spirit is. For example, there was the kind of divine relationship that exists between the Father and the Holy Spirit was exhibited when at the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit manifested its presence in the form of a dove after the Father spoke from heaven4. In Ephesians 4:4-6, we read 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.5 The Bible affirms the Holy Spirit as a fully divine, volitional and personal being whose works and attributes bear witness to the same. This thesis sets the pace for this paper, which seeks to confirm the assertion that â€Å"In dealing with the Spirit we are dealing with none other than the personal presence of God.†6 THE DIETY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit i s God Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God, third member of the Trinity, equal with the Father and Son. â€Å"In Christian theology, the term trinity means that there are three eternal distinctions in the one divine essence, known respectively as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.†7 Although the Doctrine of the Trinity has long divided theologians, scholars, pastors, teachers and even laity in the ancient and modern church, the first general council of the church affirmed and clarified the position and Deity of the Holy Spirit in relationship to the other two members, God the Father and God the Son. The most difficult and far-reaching issue the Council at Nicea (325 A.D.) addressed was the attack on the Trinity by a small group known as Arians led by a Presbyter from

CAPM, ICAPM and Multifactor Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CAPM, ICAPM and Multifactor Models - Essay Example Later on research was conducted and the creators of CAPM theory related diversifiable which are unsystematic risks and non-diversifiable which are systematic risks for all the securities in the portfolio. Some management individuals conceived that CAPM is not genuine as it dominates participating management and investment study. Fabozzi and Markowitz (2002) state â€Å"even though the idea is not true it does not mean that the constructs introduced by the theory are not important. Constructs introduced in the development of theory include the notion of a market portfolio, systematic risk, diversifiable risks and beta.† CAPM helps to comprehend the fundamental risk-return trade-offs implied in all cases of financial determinations (Gitman, 2006). The international capital asset pricing model (ICAPM) takes into account countries as stock lists in world market is founded on capital asset pricing model. The difference in the methodical risks of countries results in the differences in excess returns. Previous experiential reports of international CAPM models did not find much proof to back up the model. The bond returns mirror alterations in the cost of bonds as well as coupons. Actually domestic regular risk can be branched out by investing internationally without paying off price in terms of lesser returns. With this viewpoint it is clear that the results got by ICAPM are so helpful to spread portfolio for international portfolio investors. If cross-sectional disparity in anticipated returns can be explicated by the ICAPM, the outcomes can be applied to assess capital market integration. The beginning point of ICAPM is that the construction of the theory of international finance for the most part reflects that of domestic financial theory (Adler and Dumas, 1983). Actually ICAPM normally takes into account the world market portfolio as an alternative to domestic market portfolio. Solnik (1974) also suggests that composite models

Problem set22 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Problem set22 - Assignment Example Based on the presented data regarding the phonology of Ojibwa native language, the morphemes meaning â€Å"I† and "you" take the forms of Verbs animate intransitive (vai) as they are primarily used to refer to animate subjects rather than objects. In this regard, when using the morphemes meaning â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† the verb conjugates or changes their forms depending on the number and person. However, personal affixes are used in conjugation as opposed to personal pronouns. b. Yes, the allomorphs for I† are in a complementary distribution while the allomorphs for â€Å"you† .This is particularly because the allomorphs for I† only appears before the voiceless [-voice] consonants while the allomorphs for â€Å"you† comes before voiced [+voice] consonants and in open syllables. a. What happens to the final consonants of in each of the two children’s language is that the first child (Child1) omits the voice stops and devoice [z] while child 2(the second child) seems to be devoicing the final consonants. However, not all the consonants behave the same way. I would argue that although the statement â€Å"I won’t get nothin’ seems illogical because it involves two negatives, it makes sense in that it has been used in an informal way as seen in the use of the word nothin to mean â€Å"nothing’ I observed a female and a male talking in a popular TV program. Differences between male and female have existed and in different dimensions (Holtgraves, 2013). It has been said that the use of words would tell more about a person’s social inclination and feeling. When it comes to gender differentiation based on the use of language, many differences can be identified. A lot of research has been carried out to identify the linguistic differences between the two genders (Charness & Gneezy, 2012). The common question has been to which extent does each gender use words showing differences from each other? Do differences in language use exist in the current world? If so how

Impacts of the Housing Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impacts of the Housing Crisis - Essay Example The real property market has experienced a melodramatic turmoil with prices abating in some markets as much as twenty-five to thirty percent. Likewise, with interest yields in the credit markets abating intensely, and stock markets having moderate returns at best, investors are very much engrossed to double-digit yields that tax lien investments may provide. The basics of the tax-lien market, the update the environment for individual investors as well hedge funds were affected. There was also a decreasing effect in the property values. According to the  Securities and Exchange Commission  (SEC), the self-regulation of investment banks contributed to this crisis (Randel 5). Another group affected is the traditional house lending companies. This people usually lend out houses to individuals who require the houses for a little time, for example less than one year. The high cost of housing means that this kind of people experienced decreasing demand for their houses thus poor perform ance in business (UN-Habitat 2). The housing crisis affected the government in that it pressurized the government to change the some housing policies. One of them was the community reinvestment act. The president carter had originally enacted this policy in 1977. The act had been set in a place to encourage the banks to halt the practice of lending discrimination. This policy affected every individual since it discriminated some people interested in housing who could not afford housing at that time (Alexander and Malpass 5). Lastly, the housing crisis had a direct bearing on other household insiders such as pets, which live in these houses with their owners. The owners who could not afford to live in large houses shifted to small houses where they... The basics of the tax-lien market, the update the environment for individual investors as well hedge funds were affected. There was also a decreasing effect on the property values. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the self-regulation of investment banks contributed to this crisis.Another group affected is the traditional house lending companies. These people usually lend out houses to individuals who require the houses for a little time, for example, less than one year. The high cost of housing means that this kind of people experienced decreasing demand for their houses thus poor performance in business. The housing crisis affected the government in that it pressurized the government to change some housing policies. One of them was the community reinvestment act. President Carter had originally enacted this policy in 1977. The act had been set in a place to encourage the banks to halt the practice of lending discrimination. This policy affected every indivi dual since it discriminated some people interested in housing who could not afford to house at that time. Lastly, the housing crisis had a direct bearing on other household insiders such as pets, which live in these houses with their owners. The owners who could not afford to live in large houses shifted to small houses where they were congested. This means that they had to squeeze themselves to fit in the houses. However, this increased the risk associated with living too close to animals in the house.

Protein isolation Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Protein isolation - Lab Report Example The aim of the experiment is to isolate, purify and identify Rubsico in spinach leaves using Ammonium sulphate, spectrophotometry, and electrophoresis and ion exchange techniques. Spinach leaves were described, homogenized and rubisco isolated using two grades of ammonium sulphate concentrations (37 % and 50%). Filtrates and supernatants were tested using appropriate techniques to ascertain successful isolation. (Robinson, Streusand, Chatfield and Portis, 1988) The isolate was then purified using DEAE Cellulose fast flow ion exchange chromatography and bound proteins eluted using different shades of salt concentration. Purified proteins were run on a SDS-gel electrophoresis to identify the isolate (Robinson, Streusand, Chatfield and Portis , 1988). Ammonium sulphate (salt) precipitates proteins by altering hydrogen bond interaction between protein and water molecules. Ammonium sulphate a high affinity for water molecules displaces protein molecules (lowers the solubility) thereby causing precipitation. Different protein molecules precipitate at different concentrations of ammonium sulphate and at the rate at which it is added. The effect of salt concentration on the isolation of rubisco is shown on figure 1. The absence of the rubisco band on sample p2 (protein isolated at 50 % salt concentration) shows a significant amount of the protein was isolated at 37% concentrations of ammonium sulphate. A protein molecular weight ladder shown in figure 2 was used to establish a calibration curve that used to identify the protein isolate. Figure 1 The effect of salt concentration on the isolation of proteins; the top arrows represent the samples ( from left to right: MW ladder, leaf extract filtrate, Supernatant of first precipitate (S37%), Pellet of first precipitate (S37%) at low salt, Pellet of first precipitate (S37%) at medium salt, Pellet of

White-Collar Crime Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

White-Collar Crime - Assignment Example The aim of counterfeiting encompasses making profit unfairly off another company’s good reputation. White-collar crimes are not depended upon the application of threat of physical force or violence but involve deception, manipulation, subterfuge, concealment or violation of trust while the other crimes involve threatening the life of an individual directly or causing violence. According to my opinion, white-collar crimes should have face severe punishments than other types of crimes. This is because the result of white-collar crime is increased economic hardship for the normal citizen and consumer. Economic hardship in this case refers to both exploitation and even interferes with a certain state’s currency. Hence, increased cost passes onto the ordinary citizen or consumer in terms of hiked prices and decreased quality of services, for instance, software corporations. Imitating a certain company’s original software or goods, which it produces by these fraudsters mainly tarnishes long earned reputation. This is because consumer may start rating that firms very based on fake components in the market, which criminals have sold out to

Art is a product of its context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art is a product of its context - Essay Example This was the period after Mesolithic which was majorly dominated by human domestication of plants and animals. It was around 9000BCE when climate grew warmer and the ice that covered the north Europe melted separating England from continental Europe and Spain from Africa. Agriculture and animal husbandry became the human kind’s major source of food. This art was mainly manifested in two cultures; the Ancient Near East and the Europe. In the Ancient Near East, Neolithic art is presented by the widespread of agricultural activities among the communities that settled around foothills of the Antilebanon, Taurus and Zagros mountains in the present day Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. These activities were motivated by the sufficient rain that occurred in these regions. The crops which they domesticated include wild wheat and barley while goats, sheep and pigs were some of the herds of animals they had. Due to the massive growth of wealth as a result of different agricultural activities in Jericho, security was paramount leading to the construction of a great stone tower built into the settlement wall of Jericho to protect them from the marauding nomads. This permanent stone fortification had an estimated population of 2000 people. This marked the beginning of the monumental architect. In Catal Hoyuk settlements, there were numerous excavations and different types of Neolithic set ups. Their source of wealth was trade which involved the use of obsidian stone which was chipped to make cutting tools and weapons.

Bloomberg and the Soda Law Essay Example for Free

Bloomberg and the Soda Law Essay The soda law introduced by Mayor Bloomberg to ban the sale of sodas larger than 16 fl. oz. at restaurants across the city will have zero to minimal economic impact on people who are currently buying them. The soda ban will have an extremely small net positive economic impact on businesses. And the rationale behind this is the fact that whoever drinks more soda will acquire more soda, regardless of how big or small the drink is. A 20 fl. oz. soda, when banned will be replaced by a 16 fl. oz. cup of soda. How much soda an individual drinks may even increase if instead of drinking just one 20 fl. oz. soda, he decides to get a refill of his 16 fl. oz. soda, something that most restaurants allow. The benefits projected for the society from this law, that may reduce obesity are preposterous. The cost of soda for restaurants is roughly $0. 0132 per ounce (see Appendix). On a 20 fl. oz. soda, the net cost to the restaurant is about $0. 22 (Appendix). A 20 fl. oz. cup of soda at an establishment such as McDonald’s, perhaps the main target of this law, sells for roughly $2. 50. Once the 20 fl. oz. cup is gone, it will be replaced by the 16 fl. oz. cup, but at the same price. The restaurants will re-label the 16 fl. oz. cup as the new large, introduce a 12 fl. oz. cup as a medium and keep the 8 –ounce cup as a small. But will this add significantly to the revenues of the restaurant? It is very unlikely, since the customers will just get refills for their 16 fl. oz. cups. The only economical benefit for the restaurant might be the people who do not refill their cups and this is minimal since the cost of soda is just a rounding error for most restaurants. This law is ineffective because it does not stop the consumer from consuming any less soda from what was being consumed before. The economic impact on the society will be in the red because of the hundreds and thousands of dollars spent on structuring the bill, the flawed methodologies of research that determined a small cup would result in less consumption of soda, and finally the money spent by various groups opposing or supporting this law. To effectively tackle the problem of obesity, the government needs to look at other avenues. Soda is a big cause of obesity, it is made of sugar and has calories, but the ban on a larger serving is not the solution. An effective solution would be to raise the taxes on sodas. Another solution is to ban refills, thus prompting the customer to purchase another soda, which will either discourage the purchase or add more to tax revenues collected by the government. In turn, this tax revenue can be used to build jogging tracks, exercise equipment and other recreational facilities for the community. Another option for the government is to advertise the ill effects of drinking soda and promote healthier alternatives such as fruit and vegetable juices at affordable prices at those restaurants. There are several other options for soda drinkers to consume the same amount of soda when this law is enforced. Restaurants and movie theatres give free refills, convenience stores such as 7-11 are exempt from this law, and grocery stores still sell the large bottles and cases. The answer to this problem lies in educating the people about the ill effects of soda and only then will this law be economically beneficial for the society. This law does not have any health benefits that can be converted in to economical benefits for the society. Appendix: Costing Out Soda Free Refills How to Price Soda. Wholesale Food Restaurant Distribution by Pate Dawson Company. Pate Dawson Company, 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. http://www. pdco. com/node/88289.

Intelligence Definition Essay Example for Free

Intelligence Definition Essay Evaluate Spearman’s contribution to our understanding of Intelligence. Plan: * Introduction – definition of intelligence, and say what I am going to be talking about * Paragraph one /two– outline Spearman’s theory * Paragraph three/four – evaluate how organisations use Spearman’s theory * Paragraph five – evaluate strengths and weaknesses compared to Gardners theory * Conclusion – relate back to the question Essay Intelligence can be defined as â€Å"the capability of individuals to process information to behave effectively within the environment they are in and learn from previous experiences. † (Arnold 2010). Spearman in the 1900s came up with the General Intelligence Theory. Within this essay I am going to evaluate Spearman’s theory of general intelligence by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. Firstly, looking at how Spearman’s theory can be applied to organisations, then comparing it with Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. Spearman (1900’s) developed the theory of general intelligence. Spearman’s research followed that of Binet, who was commissioned by the school system in France to develop a way to differentiate those students who were uneducable, or severely mentally handicapped, from other students. Binet developed an intelligence test to do so. This test consisted of items (questions) that required complex processes of the mnd and examined the comprehensive individual. The success of Binet’s test led to a much greater question: what exactly are these tests measuring? The claim was that they were measuring intelligence. This led to debates about what intelligence was. In endeavouring to answer this question, Spearman observed that schoolchildren’s grades across seemingly unrelated subjects were positively correlated. He then administered different types of test to many people. A statistical analysis of the results showed that there was a positive correlation between the tests for any given individual. In other words, if an individual performed well on a test of verbal abilities, then that same person also performed well on another test of a different cognitive ability, such as numerical reasoning. Spearman named this positive correlation ‘g’, that is ‘general intelligence’. He argued that ‘g’ was identified by using a large battery (number) of tests, that is ‘g’ was not measured perfectly by any single test. His work led to others trying to create tests that would assess this general underlying ability. Spearman was the first researcher to use factor analysis (a statistical test that he developed to identify underlying commonalities, or ‘factors’). His theory is sometimes called the Two Factor Theory as he concluded that intelligence consisted of two factors. The first of these he called the ‘g’ factor, that is general intelligence that influenced all round performance. The second of these he called the ‘s’ factor, for specific abilities, which he used to account for differences between scores on different tasks, including test-specific factors such as the impact of light, temperature, the time of day that the test was given. Spearman’s major contribution lies in his ideas about general intelligence, particularly the idea that general intelligence influences all round performance. Spearman’s ideas about general intelligence continue to influence the development of cognitive testing today. And it is in the area of testing that organisations most benefit from Spearman’s work. Specifically, the idea that there is one general intelligence influences much of the testing in selection processes within organisations. For example, many organisations use cognitive testing (verbal and numerical critical reasoning) at early stages in their selection process to filter out those candidates that do not perform at the level required. Following Spearman’s theory more thoroughly could suggest that organisations might be justified in basing their selection activities entirely on a measure of general intelligence. However, this would lack credibility, or face validity, for the candidates, and for many managers. Indeed, some would argue strongly that there are more particular skills that they want candidates to demonstrate that are more directly relevant to the particular job. A major weakness of Spearman’s general intelligence theory is that it can be misunderstood, leading for example to the idea that if an individual is good at one aspect of work they must be good at another aspect. For example, a computer programmer may be very good at their job, however when they are asked to write a report they may feel way out of their comfort zone and will perform badly. However, Spearman is not arguing about ability to perform a task. Rather, he is arguing that ‘general intelligence’ explains a person’s ability across a range of cognitive tests. At this point, there is value in contrasting Gardner’s (1980’s) theory of Multiple Intelligences, which could give us a better understanding of intelligence. Gardner disagreed with Spearman’s general intelligence theory (Mullins, 2010). Instead, he thought that there are many types of intelligence and if an individual excels in one topic, it doesn’t mean they excel at everything. Theses intelligences included: Musical, Numeracy, Literacy, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Linguistic. Gardner found, therefore, that individuals can be intelligent in different areas. It might be argued that the value for an organisation would be a test that identified the particular kind of intelligence that each individual has. In conclusion Spearman’s theory of general intelligence has had a significant influence on how selection testing is designed and carried out within organisations. The desire to predict performance before hiring a new employee favours the idea that there is one general intelligence that can be assessed by a battery of cognitive tests. However, new theories such as Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory (1980’s) and Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, challenge such a perspective.

Effect of Genes on Personality

Effect of Genes on Personality To do what extent do genes influence one’s personality? Personality is, traditionally, one of the most important objects of study for psychologists due to its major contribution to individual differences. Previous research explored the mystery of human personality to some extent, people gradually realize what determines their behaviours, why somebody feel excited in a certain situation while others do not. However, there is still huge debate with respect to various perspectives of personality. First debate is about the definition of personality which is much more complex than everyday uses of this term. It can depend on what psychologists believe about the causes and formation of personality. A generally accepted definition was proposed by Robins who defined personality as the distinctive and relatively enduring ways of thinking, feeling and acting that characterizes a person’s response to life situations (Robins et al, 2007). Furthermore, psychologists also ask â€Å"what causes personality differences?† Why some twins rais ed in the same family could have different personalities while others could have more similar personalities (Bouchard et al. 2001)? It is generally believed that personality is formed under the combing effect of genes and environment (Riemann et al., 1997; Bouchard et al.,2001; Caspi et al., 2002); however, there is no final conclusion about to what extent genes and environment influence personality. Some psychologists suggest that genes could play a more important role in shaping one’s personality than environment (Schuett, 2013), and some believe that the plasticity of personality is lost after the age of thirty, that is, people’s personality remains constant as a result of their unchanged genes (Conley, 1985). In this essay, the influence of genes on personality will be discussed and evaluated in relation to two perspectives: Eysenck’s biological basis personality theory and twin studies carried out by various psychologists (Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996). One important theory which is still regularly cited today is Eysenck’s biological basis personality theory (Eysenck 19xx, 19xx; Eysenck and Eysenck, 19xx). This theory explains individual differences in personality in terms of genetic factors based on Eysenck’s â€Å"Gigantic three theory†, which is one of the major theories and instrument for assessing personality traits. According to Eysenck’s account, People’s personality traits can be classified according to three dimensions: Neutroticism the extent to which people experience negative emotion; Extraversion the extent to which people prefer to be alone or with others; and Psychoticism the extent to which people are tough-minded. After the description of â€Å"gigantic three theory†, Eysenck states (1985) that there are two major systems responsible for physiological and psychological variations between individuals: the reticulo-cortical which is located in the brain-stem reticular forma tion as well as the reticulo-limbic which is located in the visceral area and which consists of the amygdala, hippocampus, septum, cingulum and hypothalamus (Eysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Although mutation can occur, these differences in the cortex are genetically determined. According to Eyseneck (1985), differences in the Reticulo-cortical could determine whether someone is extroverted or introverted, as the reticulo-cortical controls the cortical arousal produced by nerve impulses which determines levels of motivation, emotion and condition depending on either inhibitions or excitations of the cerebral cortex. To illustrate, Eysenck claims that introverts are more likely to be cortically aroused than extraverts, as a consequence, they are likely to generate larger arousal by themselves than extraverts when they are in exactly the same situations such as in a party (EysenckEysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Discrepancy between cortical arousa l of extroverts and introverts, which have a genetic origin, means that the former feel comfortable to talk to people in the party because they are seeking external stimulation compensating for their low level of arousal, while the later remain quiet as they have higher level of cortical arousal in their brain and do not need the external stimulation (ibis). Eysenck also accounts for people’s emotional stability in terms of reticulo-limbic activities (Eysenck Eysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Reticulo-limbic in the brain controls people’s response to emotional stimuli. Emotional stimuli induces arousability of limbic system. Eysenck states that the brains of neurotic people are more easily aroused than emotionally stable people (ibid). The arousing activities can then be translated into a predisposition to experience intense emotions such as anxiety or sadness. Therefore, when the same event happens to neurotic and stable person, strong arousability could be generated by the brain of the former, as a result, he or she may response intensely either psychologically and physiologically, on the contrast, little arousability is generated in the brain of the later, leading to very few response in return (ibid). A major limitation of Eysenck’s particular biological account of personality is concerned with its testability. The difficulty to test Eysenck’s hypotheses is considerable, especially due to the lack of appropriate technological instruments (MatthewsGilliland,1999). For example, a measure of cardiovascular activity is sometimes used to measure arousal differences between introverts and extraverts. However, the cardiovascular system has a considerable interaction with the respiratory system which could be a confounding variable in this experiment (ibid). It is very difficult for scientists to exclude all confounding variables and reach a valid result, hence it is difficult to verify the relationship between arousability of brain and personality traits. Nevertheless, further experiments carried out by other psychologists offer evidence that Eysenck’s biological theory was not as well substantiated as predicted. To illustrate, associations between extraversion and t onic measures of central nervous system and automatic nervous system arousal are actually much weaker than that were expected from Eysenck’s prediction (ibid.). It is worth considering, therefore, whether there is any other more important factor giving rise to the differences between extraverts and introverts apart from arousability of cortex as proposed by Eysenck. While the genetic account of personality theory proposed by Eysenck (1985) has remained purely theoretical and is difficult to substantiate, more recent research on twin studies also reveals that personality could largely be influenced by genetic factors (Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996). Twins can be divided into two types: monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Monozygotic twins come from the same fertilized egg and are, therefore genetically identical. Dizygotic twins refer to twins who come from two separate fertilized eggs and only share half of their genetics. In the study of influence of genetics and environments on personality, twin studies prove to be an important strand of research (Bouchard, 2001). Because MZ twins shared exactly the same genes, it is reasonable to assume that any variation in their personality could be attributed to environmental differences in their upbringing, which indicates, to a certain extent, the possible envi ronmental influence on personality. Meanwhile, DZ twins shared only half of identical genes and most of them are raised in the same environment. Their personality differences could largely be a result of genetic variations instead of environmental influence. In 1989, Eaves et al. carried out twin studies using the â€Å"Gigantic Three†(Eysenck, 1985) as three major personality dimensions and differences between twins’ personality traits( Neuroticism, Extraversion and Psychoticism) were thus investigated. Twin meta-analysis suggested a nearly zero correlation between shared environments and twins’ personality traits for all three traits, while correlation for MZ was twice that for DZ, indicating that genes play an important role in this difference. Eaves et al. then used falconer heritability to describe the heritability of a personality trait based on the difference between twin studies. The Falconer heritability for Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism wa s 0.58, 0.44 and 0.46 respectively, which means around half of one’s personality traits could be inherited from parents (BouchardLoehlin, 2001). While Eysenck (1985) described personality traits according to his â€Å"Gigant three † and proposed a genetic account for them. Costa and McCare (1992) proposed an alternative personality trait theory: â€Å"the Big Five† which classifies personality trait into Extroversion, Neuroticism, openness to experiences, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Neuroticism can be described as the tendency to experience negative emotions, notably anxiety, depression and anger. Extraversion refers to high activity, the experience of positive emotions, impulsiveness, assertiveness and a tendency towards social behavior. Openness to experience represents the tendency to engage in intellectual activities and experience new sensations and ideas. Agreeableness refers to friendly, considerate and modest behavior. Conscientiousness is associated with proactivity, responsibility and self-discipline (Costa McCare, 1992, p.xx). There are psychologists, however, who suggested that the â€Å"Big five model† is a more robust and superior interpretation of personality traits compared to â€Å"Gigantic three†, as it could include wider personality scales in the input data(AzizJackson,2000) and more scientifically acceptable nowadays. Similar twin study of â€Å"the Big five† rather than â€Å"the Gigantic Three† was conducted. Those studies yielded similar results as those for the Giant three (Waller,1999 ; Jang et al., 1996a ; Riemann et al ., 1997), stating that around 40 per cent to 60 per cent personality traits was influenced by genes and the rest of them most influenced by non-shared environment(also 40-60 per cent). Although twin studies(Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996) has provided a relatively convincing answer for the question to what extent do genes influence one’s personality, studies from different researchers have not always provided consistent results (BouchardLoehlin, 2001). Furthermore, a main limitation of all twin studies is that MZ twins can not be treated as a homogenous group. MZ twins can be further divided into two types: monochorionic MZ twins who share the same placenta and amniotic sac and dichorionic MZ twins who do not. Sharing the same placenta means the twins have the same prenatal environment, which could lead to their higher correlation in personality traits. However, this high correlation was not resulted from similarity of genes but the same prenatal environment. This could be a large confounding variable of twin studies, giving rise to larger proportion of genetic accounts than reality. REF In conclusion, both Eysenck’s biological basis of personality theory and twin studies have revealed that genetics can play an essential role in the formation of one’s personality. However, limitations of these theories and experiments exist and cannot be excluded due to difficulties of current technology. On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that the extent of influence of genes and environment have on personality could be different depending on individuals. For example, people in adverse situations are more likely to change their personalities sharply, while those without big change happened in their lives could keep relative constant personalities. Nevertheless, it is still very difficult to draw a valid conclusion; more research needs to be conducted in this field in the future in order to draw a more valid conclusion. References Chamorro-premuzic, T. (2011). Personality and individual differences (2nd ed.) 46-48. Blackwell: Sussex. Eysenck,H.J.(1981): General features of the modal. In H.J. Eysenck(Ed). A model for personality. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Eaves, L.J., Eysenck, H.J., and Martin, N.G.(1989). Genes, culture and personality: An Empirical Approach, Academic Press, New York. Eysenck, H. J., and Eysenck, M. W. (1985).Personality and individual differences, Plenum, New York. Matthews, G and Gilliland, K (1999). The personality theories of H.J. Eysenck and J.A. Gray: a comparative review Personality and Individual differences 26(1999) 583-626 Riemann, R., Angleitner, A., and Strelau, J. (1997). Genetic and environmental influences on personality: A study of twins reared together using the self- and peer report NEO-FFI scales. J. Personal. 65:449– 475. Tomas J. Bouchard, Jr.,and John C. Loehlin (2001). Gens, Evolution, and Personality. Behavior Genetics. Vol 31 No. 3. Waller, N. G. (1999). Evaluating the structure of personality. In Cloninger, C. R. (ed.), Personality and Psychopathology, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, pp. 155–197 Schuett W, Dall SRX, Wilson AJ, Royle NJ. (2013) Environmental transmission of a personality trait: foster parent exploration behaviour predicts offspring exploration behaviour in zebra finches. Biol Lett 9:20130120.http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0120 Jang, K. L., Livesley, W. J., and Vernon, P. A. (1996a). Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study. J. Personal. 64:577–591.

Three Varieties of Bathtubs :: Jeffrey Harrison Literature Essays

Three Varieties of Bathtubs Past, present and future are the simplest ways in which humans perceive time. We recognize the past through our memories and our recall of events that already have happened. When looking into the future, we can only look at where we are now in order to guess what our fate might be in the future. Or else we only have our dreams and goals that we look forward to one- day accomplishing. When viewing the present, however, everything around us is not an idea or memory in our head, but a reality that we use our senses to see, feel, touch, smell or hear. We are using our body's functions to live and take in what is around us at the moment. When "living in the present" (as one would say to someone who is constantly aware of the moment and what is around them), there is less chance to miss what's in front of us rather than always looking behind or too far ahead. Jeffrey Harrison, in his poem "Bathtubs, Three Varieties," seems to feel the same way about living in the here and the now. The three varieties of bathtubs Harrison writes about were separated into three stanzas according to their design and their purpose now, in the present. In the first stanza of the poem Harrison describes an old- fashioned bathtub, one that was raised off the floor by porcelain animal paws that extended off each corner. The particular bathtubs that he was describing were no longer serving their intended purpose, but rather were outside in a yard like an old car that was once one's hotrod, now scrap metal. These bathtubs, retired from their original purpose, now just sat through the seasons and let outside forces such as the weather and changes in other living things like the walnut tree carry on without regard to their presence. In the description of these bathtubs, Harrison shows something that although is still here, is part of the past and really does not have a life of its own anymore except just lying underneath the walnut tree. This is very much like a person whose thoughts ar e caught up in the past, because they, too, are still trying to live something that is over and then lose purpose in the present. Harrison also relates these bathtubs twice to sheep, which are commonly viewed as animals that follow each other, never really having a choice or idea of their own.

Inner Asia as a Separate Entity :: miscellaneous

Inner Asia as a Separate Entity The concept of â€Å"Eurasia† is easily identified: it is the combine bodies of both the European and Asian landmasses. However, a concept of â€Å"Inner† or â€Å"Outer† Eurasia is no so easily defined. Whether sub-regions are delineated by culture, geography, politics, or religion is yet to be decided. Denis Sinor and David Christian are two authors that attempted to clarify the discrepancy of an â€Å"Inner Asian† border. Borders can be formed a number of ways. Rivers, mountain chains, and other geographic infrastructure can form visible boundaries. Australia is clearly its own continent based on its geography. However, borders can also be formed simply on the common characteristics of citizens’ culture. Inner Asia is a region that many westerners know little about. Both â€Å" ‘logocentrism’ (the bias towards literate sources and literate societies) and ‘agrocentrism’ (the bias towards agrarian, urbanized civilizations)† have shaped western knowledge (or lack thereof) of this region. The Outer, sedentary civilizations of Eurasia were based on agrarian societies, whereas the Inner civilizations weren't permitted this luxury, due to geographical circumstances. Therefore, "economic self-sufficiency" was a must for the sparsely populated Inner Asian societies. The peoples of Inner Asia survive one of two ways: by migrating to food sources (usually accompanied by raising livestock), and by subsistence-level farming. These lifestyles, Denis Sinor claims, form a border between Inner and Outer Eurasia. The civilizations of Inner Asia were never able to become immensely populated. This is because neither subsistence-level farming or nomadism result in large excesses of food, which is a necessity for a large population. Because of this, a unified army that could conquer surrounding (possible more fertile) areas could never be formed. The small amount of farming that is done in Inner Asia was in the steppe; the other zones, â€Å"the arctic tundra, the forest region (taiga), and the desert [cannot] provide food for a population large enough to muster the political power necessary to initiate conquest.† Sinor suggests that Inner Asia is inarguably a unified region. However, "the links which usually hold together or create cultural entity - such as script, race, religion, language - played only a very moderate role as factors of cohesion". Instead, a common way of life is the main similarity that marked Inner Asia as decisively separate from Outer Asia. In order to survive, Inner Asian peoples had to either provide for themselves completely (which was difficult, as mentioned above), or to trade with more well endowed societies for what goods they could not produce.

Sony vs Connectix :: Argumentative Persuasive Software Essays

Sony vs Connectix Introduction Reverse engineering has become a controversial topic in the software industry. In 1999, Sony filed a suit against Connectix alleging copyright infringement concerning a Macintosh emulator of the Sony Playstation known as the Virtual Game Station. This emulator allows Macintosh users to play Playstation games without a Sony Playstation. A federal judge ruled in favor of Sony, and issued an order that Connectix halt its sales of the emulator. The next year Connectix appealed the ruling, and the Federal Court of Appeals reversed the original ruling. Video game business in the United States alone is a billion dollar industry and legal decisions such as this one have huge ramifications not just for the game industry, but for the entire software industry as well. In order to determine the right decision, one has to examine different ethical perspectives ranging from determining what action results in the most happiness of the stakeholders involved to what inherent rights each individual stakeholder is entitled to. Background Sony is the creator of the Sony Playstation. Video game console manufacturers generally use the console as a loss leader and hope to profit on their gaming platforms by selling licenses to produce games to software manufacturing companies. Thus, Sony created a barrier of entry in console manufacturing because other hardware manufacturers would have to be willing to lose money per hardware unit sold in order to compete with Sony. Also, such a manufacturer wouldn’t receive the software game revenues that Sony receives, which gave Sony what seemed to be a monopoly on the Playstation platform. The Sony Playstation consists of hardware components and software components. The software component is the Sony BIOS, which is resides in read-only memory. Sony holds a copyright on the BIOS.1 The Connectix Virtual Game Station emulates the functionality of the Sony Playstation. A consumer could purchase a Playstation game, load it into his Macintosh CD-drive, and play the game using the Virtual Game Station. Connectix created the emulator by purchasing a Playstation, copying the contents of the BIOS into the memory of a Macintosh, and observing the input into the BIOS and the output of the hardware.

The Journals Impact Factor Health And Social Care Essay

The diaries impact factor is at present, considered a pace stick for mensurating the comparative quality and significance of a diary. It is defined as the frequence with which the ‘average article ‘ in a diary has been cited in a peculiar twelvemonth or period. Despite the acknowledgment that the impact factor is an imperfect step and 45 old ages of unfavorable judgment, there is no obvious option. Thus, those forced to utilize this tool for direct diary comparing should be encouraged to stay open-minded and cautious, with an consciousness of the built-in restrictions of its usage. Extension of journal-impact-factor informations to single articles and writers is inappropriate and should be avoided. Some of alternate indices of impact factor ( Thomson Reuter ) include Google Scholar, PageRank, H-index, Y-factor, Faculty of 1000, Eigen Factor etc. Some of these options may be more recognized than impact factor in future. Cardinal words: Impact factor, h-index, commendation, AlternativeBackgroundThe construct of commendations as tool for ‘evaluating ‘ scientific discipline was foremost proposed by Eugene Garfield in 1955 ( Garfield, 1955 ) . As merely a limited figure of diaries could be included in the Thomson Reuters ( TR ) databases ( presently totaling about 10500 ) , analyses based on such a limited dataset ( besides selected in a non-transparent manner by the TR ) has been widely and badly criticized by both the developed and developing states ( Molloy, 2007 ) . Although holding been widely criticized, the impact factor ( IF ) published in the Science Citation Index Journal Citation Reports by the Institute for Scientific Information is the most normally used bibliometric standard. It quantifies the influence of a periodical on secondary publications ( Garfield, 1999 ) , and is normally used non merely to rank and measure diaries, but besides for academic publicity or for the choice of research grant applications ( ) . There were coincident attempts to happen alternate indexs utilizing the TR databases, and through other advanced methods. Some of these include Google Scholar, PageRank, H-index, Y-factor, Faculty of 1000, Eigen Factor etc. ( Satyanarayana, 2010 ) .Impact factorThe impact factor was first described in 1955 by Dr. Eugene Garfield ( Jacso, 2001 ; Lundberg, 2003 ) and was used in the early 1960s to assist choice diaries for what would germinate to go the Science Citation Index ( Garfield, 1999 ) . The Science Citation Index, a commercial belongings of the Institute of Scientific Information ( Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ) ( Opthof, 1997 ) , is used to bring forth the Journal Citation Reports, produced yearly. The IF is a simple descriptive quantitative measuring of a diary ‘s public presentation computed on the footing of the mean figure of times articles from the diary published in the past two old ages have been cited in the current twelvemonth. It is calculated from this equation: Journal X ‘s 2009 impact factor = Citations in 2009 ( in diaries indexed by Thomson Reuters ) to all articles published by Journal X in 2007-2008 divided by Number of articles deemed to be â€Å" citable † by Thomson Reuters that were published in Journal X in 2007-2008 ( Gisvold, 1999 ) . The diary IF is presently calculated by Thomson Reuters based on commendation informations from the 6650 plus diaries indexed in the Web of Science database, which is so reported in the Journal Citation Reports ( JCR ) , a database that lists the diaries as per their commendation ranking ( Lundberg, 2003 ) . Impact factor is calculated utilizing the undermentioned expression:Impact of impact factorEver since the visual aspect of the JCR in 1972, there has been efforts to utilize the IF informations for comparings of scientific discipline, scientists, groups of scientists, scientific subjects, states and, of class, scientific diaries ( Satyanarayana & A ; Sharma, 2008 ; Seglen, 1997 ) . The IF is chiefly meant to be an index of the success of a paper in a diary and a alternate of its direct application in subsequent research. Such broad and indiscriminate application of IF and commendation informations frequently resulted in lopsided and unacceptable quality opinions, particularly on the scientific discipline and engineering capableness and strengths of states led to severe and serious unfavorable judgment of the really usage of citation-based informations for intents other than journal rating. Despite broad and sustained unfavorable judgment, commendation informations and IF continued br oad application by research workers to take diaries for reading and referencing and more significantly, tracking challengers ‘ publications and commendation profiles to stay competitory. Journal editors and publishing houses merely love impact factors and they use the IF as a major USP for pricing and selling the diaries at their will ( Kurmis, 2003 ; Monastersky, 2005 ) . Librarians continue to trust on impact factors and other commendation informations for make up one's minding which diaries to subscribe. Potential employers use citation-based parametric quantities to measure campaigners ‘ bibliography for determinations of engaging. Many establishments and Universities all over the universe continue to utilize the commendation informations for appraisal of academic excellence, publicities, awards and wagess. Funding bureaus besides seek commendation indices from appliers to measure undertakings for support. Learned societies and national scientific discipline academies and other such organic structures confabulating awards and wagess all over the universe usage commendation informations for determination devising ( Balaram, 2009 ) .Incorrect Application of Impact FactorsThe quality of an single scientific research paper is an highly hard construct to specify and quantify ( Bloch and Walter 2001 ) . The frequence of commendation has been adopte d as a unsmooth index of quality ( Saper 1999 ) . Although a high commendation rate may non ever be associated with high quality, most commendations in most documents are non refuted or discredited by the writers of the paper ( Callaham et al. 2002 ) . Therefore, it is still widely accepted among writers that commendation of work by others imparts a grade of prestigiousness and professional acknowledgment ( Reyes 1998 ) . While impact factors may be utile for the qualitative rating of diaries, the utility does non widen to single articles. In fact, it has been reported that 50 % of commendations recorded in the Science Citation Index come from merely 15 % of articles published ( Walsh and Weinstein 1998 ) and that the most cited 50 % of articles account for about 90 % of commendations ( Seglon 1997 ) . Therefore, the impact factor of a diary is likely to be mostly influenced by a little per centum of its published articles ( Hansson 1995 ) . Similarly, it is of import to observe that the impact factor does non reflect the quality of the peer-review to which a diary subjects its articles ( Neuberger and Counsell, 2002 ) . The Institute of Scientific Information itself suggests that the primary public-service corporation of the Journal Citation Reports is to help bibliothecs and research workers in pull offing journal aggregations. In turn toing the extension of this tool to academic rating, the Institute of Scientific Information states that, while the impact factor may supply a gross estimate of the prestigiousness of diaries, it does non rede utilizing this value as the exclusive agencies of comparative rating. Misunderstanding of the impact factor and inappropriate weighting of its importance have affected the author-journal relationship, frequently greatly act uponing writers ‘ choice of the diaries to which they submit their manuscripts ( Linardi et al. 1996 ) . Many writers may be tempted, or experience pressured, to choose the highest impact-factor-rated diaries likely to accept their article for publication while rejecting diaries whose mark audience may in fact be more suited and recept ive to the publication itself ( Meenen 1997 ) .Restriction of impact factorThough impact factor is widely accepted globally, it is besides criticized every bit good for some restrictions it possess. Some of the restrictions of impact factor are discussed in the followers: 1. Impact factor clearly favours diaries which publish work by writers who cite their ain forthcoming work and who are geographically situated to do their work readily available in preprint signifier. The step punishes diaries which publish the work of writers who do non hold rank of these unseeable colleges and is virtually incapable of observing echt impact ( McGarty, 2000 ) . 2. The 2nd computation job is statistical in nature: the JIF calculates the average figure of commendations to an article in the diary in inquiry. However, many writers have found that commendation distributions are highly skewed. Seglen ( 1997 ) for case found the most cited 15 % of documents to account for 50 % of commendations and the most cited 50 % for 90 % of the commendations. Hence on mean the most cited half of documents are cited nine times every bit much as the least cited half. 3. The impact factor can be influenced and biased ( deliberately or otherwise ) by many factors. 4. Extension of the impact factor to the appraisal of journal quality or single writers is inappropriate. 5. Extension of the impact factor to cross-discipline diary comparing is besides inappropriate. 6. Those who choose to utilize the impact factor as a comparative tool should be cognizant of the nature and premiss of its derivation and besides of its built-in defects and practical restrictions ( Kurmis, 2003 ) . 7. It must be recognized that the Science Citation Index includes merely about 5000 diaries ( Lankhorst & A ; Franchignoni, 2001 ) of an estimated universe sum of 126,000 ( Whitehouse, 2002 ; Seglen, 1997 ) ; therefore, it represents & lt ; 4 % of all diaries. Diaries non listed in the Science Citation Index database are frequently crudely referred to as holding no impact factor ( zero ) . This suggests, falsely, that 96 % , or 121,000, of diaries are ne'er officially cited. 8. Citation Index do non lend to impact factor computations ( Talamanca, 2002 ; Callaham et al. , 2002 ) . Seglen reported that, within the field of mathematics, publications that were non included in the Science Citation Index database were cited more often than were publications that were included ( Seglen, 1997 ) . 9. Review of the diaries included in the Science Citation Index database has besides shown an tremendous prejudice toward those published in English ( Bloch & A ; Walter, 2001 ; Neuberger & A ; Counsell, 2002 ; Whitehouse, 2002 ; Golder, 1998 ; Winkmann et al. , 2002 ) , with non-English-language diaries given lower impact factors ( Rogers, 2002 ; Dumontier et al. , 2001 ) . 10. Differences in commendation ( Saper, 1999 ) and citing ( Linardi et al. , 1996 ) inclinations within single Fieldss limit the cogency of cross-discipline comparing. For illustration, it has been reported that the average figure of mentions per article of biochemistry periodicals is three times that of mathematics periodicals ( Linardi et al. , 1996 ) . Some Fieldss encourage drawn-out mention lists, whereas others dictate more concise or restricted bibliographic listings ( Sieck, 2002 ) . Because of this, Linardi et Al. ( 1996 ) suggested that comparings of diaries on the footing of their impact factors should be limited entirely to intra-area rating ; they warned that inter-area comparings may be both inappropriate and deceptive. 11. Ease of entree to diaries, publication immediateness, and type of publication stuff have all been identified as subscribers to the impact factor. The handiness of diaries to writers and research workers can change ( Curti et al. , 2001 ) . Theoretically, diaries published more often ( Linardi et al. , 1996 ) may be more readily available for commendation or may cut down publication slowdown. The fact that a diary or article is available electronically may besides increase the rate of commendation and therefore the impact factor. 12. The type of research being reported can impact the journal impact factor because of commendation restrictions. Scientific articles tend to mention merely scientific articles, whereas clinical articles cite both scientific and clinical articles, therefore leting a much larger pool for commendation. In a similar context, general diaries tend to hold higher impact factors than specialist diaries because of the larger pool for commendation ( Hecht et al. , 1998 ; Saper, 1999 ) . 13. Finally, those who choose to utilize the impact factor as a step of quality must acknowledge that the Institute of Scientific Information is a private for-profit company that enjoys an undisputed monopoly on the market of citation-frequency recording. Therefore, despite the valuable part that this company has made to the scientific community, it does hold a commercial involvement in the development and application of its merchandises, which may non ever aline itself with pure academic purpose ( Rogers, 2002 ; Sieck, 2002 ) .Recommendation for bettering impact factors of DiariesLack of impact factor does non needfully bespeak hapless quality, unacceptableness and deficiency of freshness in the research work published. It is obvious that there are published a good no of novel and exciting documents in Bangladeshi diaries, but missing of on-line handiness those are non punctually apprehended and cited. To better commendation and impact factor, the undermentioned recommendations can be suggested – 1. Like many other diaries around the universe, Bangladeshi diaries can propose their writers to mention a figure of ( 5-10 ) articles from Bangladeshi Journals related to their subject and it can be considered as added benefit in accepting a manuscript. This will increase the commendation ratio and h-index, hence impact factor of the diaries. 2. Rapid on-line publication of all diaries and articles. 3. Search engine optimisation for the published article. 4. Scientists and research workers of Bangladesh should seek to mention more autochthonal publications in their documents wherever found relevant. 5. Research articles published in local diaries should be circulated more extensively throughout the state in print version and by e- mail. 6. Research workers of Bangladesh should regularly visit and survey documents published in local diaries which is presently extremely unsatisfactory. 7. Local diaries should better their reappraisal and publication procedure doing it quicker to print a paper so that autochthonal research workers feel involvement to print their work in local diaries. 8. Diaries should seek to be indexed in worldwide accepted journal systems and archives and databases such as ISI, SJR, Pubmed, Elsevier etc. 9. More review articles should be published as these articles attract more readers and are cited more than research studies. Therefore, reappraisal articles can raise the impact factor of the diary and reappraisal diaries will hence frequently have the highest impact factors in their several Fieldss. 10. Diaries may take non to print minor articles, such as instance studies in medical diaries, which are improbable to be cited and would cut down the mean commendation per article. 11. Diaries may alter the fraction of â€Å" citable points † compared to front-matter in the denominator of the IF equation. Which types of articles are considered â€Å" citable † is mostly a affair of dialogue between diaries and Thomson Scientific. As a consequence of such dialogues, impact factor fluctuations of more than 300 % have been observed. For case, columns in a diary are non considered to be citable points and hence do non come in into the denominator of the impact factor. However, commendations to such points will still come in into the numerator, thereby blow uping the impact factor. In add-on, if such points cite other articles ( frequently even from the same diary ) , those commendations will be counted and will increase the commendation count for the cited diary. This consequence is difficult to measure, for the differentiation between editorial remark and short original articles is non ever obvious. â€Å" Letterss to the editor † might mentio n to either category. 12. Diaries may print a big fraction of their documents, or preferentially documents which they expect to be extremely cited, early in the calendar twelvemonth. This gives those documents more clip to garner commendations. 13. Several methods, non needfully with villainous purpose, exist for a diary to mention articles in the same diary which will increase the diary ‘s impact factor.Alternate Indexs of journal impactRight from early 1970s, there have been serious efforts to analyze the restrictions of IF and other citation-based indices and to device alternate matrices that can turn to the lacks to do the rating exercises more nonsubjective. Equally early as 1976, a recursive impact factor and tried to calculate and analyse commendation informations to give commendations from diaries that have high impact greater weight than commendations from low impact diaries was proposed ( Narin & A ; Pinski, 1976 ) . The increasing web-based entree to and usage of scholarly literature through powerful hunt engines as Google has facilitated the development of advanced methods and tools to rank scholarly diaries. Such methods have helped farther polish the rating of both scientific discipline and scientists bo th within and outside the citation-based systems. Some of these include Page Rank, Weighed Page Rank, h-index, g-factor, y-factor, Euro Factor, Faculty of 1000, Eigen factor etc. ( Resnick, 2004 ) . There have besides been several efforts to use parametric quantities other than IF to analyze the issue of ‘popularity ‘ V ‘prestige ‘ of diaries, a major restriction of the IF and other citation-based indices. Many surveies have besides been done to compare the commendation based informations with the new and improved methodological analysiss ( Dellavalle et al. , 2007 ) . One such comparative analysis has shown that Y-factor ranking has helped get the better of at least one important restriction of the IF i.e. , the higher ranking of reappraisal diaries as compared to original research documents ( Satyanarayana & A ; Sharma, 2008 ) .Google Scholar:Google Scholar ( hypertext transfer protocol: //scholar.google.com ) is a free-to-use hunt engine developed in 2004 basically to turn up information from learned diaries and other beginnings on the Web. Due to its easy handiness, Google Scholar is possibly one of the most widely used tools by bookmans in all subjects of scientific discipline and engineering. Some particular maps of the Google Scholar include the ‘cited by ‘ option that provides links to other articles that have cited this paper, and more. It is frequently hard to obtain relevant information rapidly due to absence of sifting harmonizing to quality. The major restrictions of the hunt engine are that non all records retrieved are peer reviewed and hence quality is hard to judge. Besides, there is deficiency of lucidity on how the beginnings themselves are selected, content analyzed, the clip span covered how the listing is done ( Satyanarayana, 2010 ) .PagerankTMPageRank is a package system for ranking web pages developed by Google and has besides been applied to rank research publications. The advantage with this tool i s that it uses a wide scope of unfastened informations beginnings from the Google Scholar ( GS ) etc. that can turn up and recover big figure of records. PageRank algorithm references is the issue of ‘popularity ‘ and adept grasp or ‘prestige ‘ of published research that remains the major restriction of other databases like SCI through the Weighed PageRank. Popular diaries are those that are cited often by diaries could be with small prestigiousness. These diaries hence could hold a really high IF and a really low weighted PageRank. Esteemed diaries, on the contrary, are those may non be often cited, but their commendations come from extremely esteemed diaries. These diaries may hold a really low IF but a really high weighted PageRank. Analysis of diaries harmonizing to their ISI IF and their leaden PageRank shows important convergences and differences.h-index and g-indexThe h-index was introduced by Hirsch ( 2005 ) and is defined as follows: â€Å" A scient ist has index H if H of his/her Np documents have at least h commendations each, and the other ( Np-h ) documents have no more than h commendations each. † As a consequence the h-index provides a combination of both measure ( figure of documents ) and quality ( impact, or commendations to these documents ) ( Glanzel, 2006 ) . Therefore, the h-index is preferred to merely mensurating the entire figure of commendations as it corrects for â€Å" one hit admirations † , i.e. faculty members who might hold authored ( or even be the twentieth co-author of ) one or a limited figure of highly-cited documents, but have non shown an academic public presentation that has been sustained over a longer period of clip. The H index is besides preferred over a simple measuring of the figure of documents published as it corrects for documents that are non cited and hence can be argued to hold had limited impact on the field. In amount, the h-index favor faculty members that publish a uni nterrupted watercourse of documents with permanent and above-average impact ( Bornmann & A ; Daniel, 2007 ) . Hirsch index therefore measures the quality and sustainability and diverseness of scientific end product and therefore addresses the jobs with the SCI where a methodological paper could bring the highest impact. A major restriction is that scientists who are really productive tend to hold lower H figure. A disadvantage of the h-index is that it ignores the figure of commendations to each single article over and above what is needed to accomplish a certain h-index. Therefore an academic or diary with an h-index of 6 could theoretically hold a sum of 36 commendations ( 6 for each paper ) , but could besides hold more than a 5,000 commendations ( 5 documents with 1,000 commendations each and one paper with 6 commendations ) . Of class, in world these extremes will be really improbable. However, it is true that one time a paper belongs to the top H documents, its subsequent commendations no longer â€Å" count † ( Braun, 2005 ) . Hence, in order to give more weight to highly-cited articles Leo Egghe ( 2006 ) proposed the g-index. The g-index is defined as follows: [ Given a set of articles ] ranked in diminishing order of the figure of commendations that they received, the g-index is the ( alone ) largest figure such that the top g articles received ( together ) at least g2 commendations. Although the g-index has non yet attracted much attending or empirical confirmation, it would look to be a really utile complement to the h-index. The h-index and g-index have several of import advantages over the Thomson ISI JIF. First of wholly, these indices do non hold an unnaturally fixed clip skyline. Second, the h-index, and to a lesser extent the g-index, attenuates the impact of one extremely cited article, because – unlike citations-per-paper steps such as the JIF – the h-index and g-index are non based on average tonss. H-index measures the overall commendation impact of the diary, non in the commendation impact of one or two extremely cited single documents in that diary. h-index for diaries provides a robust step of sustained and lasting public presentation of diaries, instead than articles. Third, both the h-index and g-index are influenced to some extent by the figure of documents that a diary publishes. A diary that publishes a larger figure of documents has a higher likeliness of bring forthing a higher h-index and g-index since every article presents another opportunity for commendations ( Saad, 2006 ) .The Y-factorThe Y-factor is a simple combination of both the IF and the leaden PageRank. Significantly, the writers claim that the ensuing journal rankings correspond good to a general apprehension of journal position. For illustration, while the IF superior lists five reappraisal diaries, the Y-factor column had none. Two primary research diaries Cell and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, rated extremely by equals, figure in the Y-factor list ( Satyanarayana, 2010 ) .Faculty of 1000Peer ranking of research documents outside the commendation figure game has besides been tried and a outstanding one being the Faculty of 1000, a subscription-based literature consciousness tool. Faculty of 1000 comprehensively and consistently high spots and reviews the most interesting documents published in subjects as biological science, medical specialty etc. , based on the recommendations of 1000s of carefully chosen research workers. ( hypertext transfer protocol: // f1000biology.com/ about/faq ) . These Faculty members evaluate documents based on their perceived virtue than where they appear to germinate a consensus. The restrictions: the manner of choice of the module itself as besides the pick of documents considered to be of high quality as the diaries sample is about 1000 merely. The concluding F1000 Factor is consensual integrating the evaluations it receives and the figure of times it is selected by different Faculty Members. Outstanding work therefore gets its merited equal acknowledgment irrespective and independent of commendation counts ( Meho, 2009 ) .Tocopherol I g vitamin E n f a hundred T O RDeveloped by Carl Bergstrom, the Eigenfactor ( Bergstrom et al. , 2008 ) provides an on-line suite of tools that â€Å" ranks diaries much as Google ranks web sites † . The informations are taken from the Thomson Reuters databases. Available at no charge, the Eigenfactor is considered a step of the diary ‘s entire importance to th e scientific community. The â€Å" Article Influence † metric within the Eigenfactor is comparable to the impact factor, but that is merely one facet of the broader model.Other initiatives-Other current enterprises include the MESUR ( MEtrics from Scholarly Usage of Resources ) undertaking supported by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a two twelvemonth attempt to enrich â€Å" the toolkit used for the appraisal of the impact of scholarly communicating points, and hence of bookmans, with prosodies that derive from use informations † ( Banks et al. , 2008 ) . The MESUR is considered the most comprehensive attempt until now to analyze article impact rating techniques visa- six modern scholarly communicating patterns that have undergone a sea alteration over the last decennary.DecisionWhile the impact factor may, in certain fortunes, be a utile subjective tool for rating journal quality, it is non appropriate for choice appraisal of single articles or writers. The impact facto r is a tool whose utility is declining, but there is non yet a to the full feasible option to it. Therefore, when utilizing impact factor for comparing of diaries, cautiousness should be taken sing the built-in restrictions of impact factor.

Mirror: Sylvia Plath Essay

Sylvia Plath is the author of the poem â€Å"Mirror†, written in the early 1960s. Plath had a history of severe depression due to her father’s death when she was a child and her failed attempts of suicide throughout her life. Many of her poems reflect her emotions, whether they are sad, angry or depressing, and â€Å"Mirror† is one of those poems. â€Å"Mirror† deals with the topic of a woman’s self-consciousness and her vanity in a way that is unusual, yet very effective to the reader. Part of the unusual aspect of this poem is that the entire piece is written from the perspective of the mirror. This is just one example of the personification used in â€Å"Mirror†. Another example is â€Å"The eye of a little god† which contains the woman’s vanity in the way that it is almost a self-worshipping and the fact that the mirror is a very powerful item. This one line depicts the woman’s view of what the mirror is to her and her image. The mirror is given many different actions throughout the poem. For example, â€Å"I meditate on the opposite wall† and â€Å"I have looked at it so long† both describe the mirror performing very human actions and this gives the mirror a personality. The impact on the reader is one of interest and curiosity and this continues throughout â€Å"Mirror† when the theme of personification is explored even further. The mirror is claimed to be â€Å"exact† and â€Å"truthful† in this piece. There is a word in almost every line that continues this theme until the reader gets to line 14: â€Å"She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands†. There are a few interesting techniques used in this to make the reader question the truthfulness of the mirror. For example it is an oxymoron as tears are usually regarded as a bad thing and to be rewarded is usually something good. Just those five words make the reader think that the mirror could potentially have emotions, and a dark side. The impact on the reader at this point is huge as the mirror’s personality is not only one of cruelty but it had been lying and saying it was fair. The words â€Å"I am† are repeated several times in the poem and is another example of personification as the mirror is not a being yet it is still calling itself â€Å"I†. This shows that the mirror is very important and thinks highly of itself, yet further continuing the personification. A woman appears in this poem and is similar to Narcissus, who stared at his reflection in a river and didn’t dare touch the water or go away in fear of losing his image. He eventually died of thirst due to his own vanity. The woman clearly treasures the mirror and the mirror knows this: â€Å"I am important to her† and she is said to repeatedly use the mirror many times a day for quite a while, as shown by the references to a great passing of time in â€Å"she comes and goes† and â€Å"day after day†. Plath uses this form of repetition very well in describing a passing of time and making it seem as if no time had passed at all for the reader which leaves an impact. The woman isn’t mentioned until the middle of â€Å"Mirror†, when the mirror personifies itself as a lake and that the woman was â€Å"bent over it†, which is yet another link to the Narcissus myth. Shortly thereafter, the poem describes the candles and the moon as â€Å"liars† as they only shed a little light upon her features and don’t show every little detail as the mirror does. When the woman observes her own reflection in the mirror she was very distraught and started crying which shows the reader that she didn’t like the way that she looked and went back every day to try and discover what she really was on the inside. However, the line that has the largest impact on the reader are the very last lines of the poem: â€Å"In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish. † These lines – especially the final one – make the reader shocked and horrified at the woman’s horrible self image. For someone to think of themselves as a terrible fish is almost unimaginable yet the woman feels so strongly about this image that she is openly admitting that she looks like one. Additionally, these two lines continue on with the original themes of the poem to counteract that phrase. â€Å"In me she has drowned† is an extended metaphor of the lake description and â€Å"day after day† continues the theme of time passing by quickly. As previously explored, Plath has used many powerful poetic techniques to have a huge impact on the reader. Although it is a short poem – only 18 lines – it perfectly outlines the themes of vanity and superficiality and the pain this can cause a person. The unusual narrator in this poem gives the reader an entirely different viewpoint on vanity: what it actually looks like from an unbiased source. The poem outlines many aspects of vanity and all of its cruel components that makes the reader contemplate what it really means to be vain. An obvious effective technique used was personification; of the mirror and the candles and the moon. This gives the reader a sensation that an animate object is narrating when it is only a mirror: something so simple and ordinary that it completely changes the perspective of the poem. To conclude, â€Å"Mirror† is a very powerful piece of literature that was written with great expertise. Plath successfully used many poetic techniques and utilised them effectively. Both the style in which it was written and the narrator deal with the topic of self-image very well and gives the reader a great impact. Secondly, the use of the surprising language in the poem had a great effect. The word â€Å"fish† at the end is completely different to the rest of the poem which makes it stand out greatly. The reader doesn’t expect such a vulgar description of the woman and that impact is also huge. Finally, the message portrayed in â€Å"Mirror† was delivered very well. It says that we should look beyond the superficial and value what we are on the inside, something that Plath had struggled with over her life.

Critical Film Review on Blood Diamond Essay

A movie filled with shark and unforgettable moments truly gels the substance. It portrays different motives and goals and how each character changes his methodology and ways but the dream remains the same. Each follows his dream and then realizes it. It portrays the various reasons that make a person into a killer. Some do it for survival, some to protect their family, some to escape their life, some for greed, some to win freedom and some because they have been brainwashed. The movie begins with Soloman Vandy played by Djimon Hounson being captured by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels when they invade the small Sierra Leonian village of Shenge. He is separated from his family while his son Dia is brainwashed that turns him into a killer. The movie revolves around two African men, Archer and Vandy with two completely different histories and then their fates become joined in a combined quest to recover a pink diamond. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an Anglo ex-mercenary from Rhodesia gets caught while smuggling diamonds and an American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) who helps Soloman find his family and covers her entire journey and publishes the truth behind the diamond industry. The movie shot in South Africa and Mozambique is an adventurous, thriller movie with strong violence and social conscience, disturbing political and sociological insights. It shows a lot of bloodbath, atrocities, innocence of the farmers and the villagers and political unrest. It gives clear images of human cruelty and sufferings. I as an audience felt waves of different emotions, hope, pride, fear, mistrust, desperation and determination. I felt that each of the characters grew as the film progressed without being overly manipulative. The whole time it builds this tension if either of the two men will betray each other. The film is intended to be watched by all adults as it is an eye opener and gives us an opportunity to see the side of history we were not aware of. It covers the different social levels ranging from the big diamond tycoons to the poor farmers and villagers with journalist and diamond dealers in the middle. The movie brought an explosive impact on the diamond industry. Background knowledge The film puts a new spin to the diamond industry and the expensive, pricey stone that we wear around our neck and on our fingers. Set in the West African country of Sierra Leone during the 1990s, this movie is a historical-adventure-drama that covers a time when the country was in turmoil. Warlords, smugglers and the diamond association all play roles in killing and enslaving men to work on the diamond fields. The title ‘Blood Diamond’ refers to diamonds which are harvested, smuggled and traded to fund the purchase of weapons used in Civil War. Blood diamonds are stones that are increased the death toll and the violence in the region. The movie carefully conveys the message without really lecturing the audience. A right balance is maintained between a historical event and an action-drama entertainment. The movie shows Maddy Bowen publishing in her magazine the complete story of her journey which later led to a conference on blood diamonds that actually took place in 2000 in Kimberly, South Africa. The conference led to the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme that seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade and smuggling of conflict diamonds. Conclusion A captivating plotline and an outstanding cast performance are few words that describe the movie. The movie captures the reality to a remarkable degree. I think it comes at par with other movies I have seen like Hotel Rwanda. There is a great deal of violence which is realistic and very fitting to what happened. Sierra Leone, one of the safest countries in the world gets involved in a civil war. I feel that the movie very accurately tells about the diamond conflict. I feel that Di Caprio did justice to his role, Connelly’s role was short but she was able to make the most of it and Housou truly deserves the Oscar. The ending was simply superb when Di Caprio dies in the mountains. It adds a realistic touch and is very sad as we see that he finally gets what he had dreamt of but he could not cherish it for long. The positive aspects of the movie far outweigh the negative bits. I felt the movie was a little outstretched and the length bogged it down a little instead of strengthening it. The conflict of diamonds, the conflict of Africa keeps you wondering if peace and harmony can ever be attained world wide. It left me with a thought of how violence can be put to an end and how these giant corporations be made to serve the third world, under developed countries and not vice versa. Reference http://www. moviehabit. com/reviews/blo_lg06. shtml http://review-online. blogspot. com/2007/03/blood-diamond. html

Response Essay

Response Essay In reading the three articles, â€Å"From Degrading to De-Grading† by Alfie Kohn, â€Å"And Now He is Nothing† by Michael Specter and â€Å"Dilma Rousseff† by Simon Romero my impressions of each article varies from one of unbelief to affirmation. As compelling as the ideology of not grading is, the practicality of implementation would be enormous. The assumption that Lance Armstrong is now nothing can it really be so easily dismissed? Finally, Dilma Rousseff rise to power as a right of previous wrongs remains to be seen; each writer conveying a very persuasive argument.I embrace Alfie Kohn’s ideology that by grading a student’s work one actually hinders the process of learning. Having three school-aged children myself, I see the effect grades have on their mindset. If they do not achieve an â€Å"A† they feel less than their peers. I also have seen instances where they will pick the easiest assignment or not bother to complete extra credit assignments for grading. Therefore, in this regard I do agree that grading does play a factor in their learning experience.However, the practicality of overcoming the mindset of a nation of people is a daunting task that may very well take years to persuade. As much as I may agree with Mr. Kohn’s ideology, I do not see this becoming mainstreamed within the educational system any time in the near future. His ideology would have to be fully embraced by the educational system for steps of improvement in grading students to take hold. This may very well take a grass roots effort from the parents and citizens themselves before ideology could be changed, which would take much time in educating the public on this subject.As much as I personally would love to see this type of learning be prevalent within our educational system I do not see it happening in my lifetime. One can only hope. Such as the case with Lance Armstrong, our hopes in him as a nation were dashed with the admission of doping. As with many of our athletes, it is always a disappointment when news of their achievement is eroded by one form of cheating or another. His achievements are outstanding and his passion and dedication for bicycling is inspiring, especially having overcome the dread of cancer.We are always looking to others to motivate us, or inspire us to do more than we think we are capable of doing, which is what makes his admission so painful. I agree that I was shocked by the news, but is the punishment truly warranted; to remove all seven of his Tour de France victories? I don’t believe it is warranted, neither can it be proven as he had been tested numerous times over the years and never tested positive. An admission alone is not proof enough and should not warrant such an ardent punishment. Although I agree with the writer’s disappointment I do not agree with striping him of all his wins.People are not always what you think they are. As with Dilma Rousse ff, the darling of the Brazilian government, her rags to riches story is compelling. While I applaud Ms. Rousseff’s accomplishments, it remains to be seen if she in fact will be the savior of her country or the start of its demise. Her ideology that government can fix all the economic problems by stimulating the economy with stimulus packages in my opinion is just a temporary fix. Just as we have seen in our own country with the bank bailouts and the loans to the automotive corporations has only delayed the effects of a slumped economy.The promise that better days are ahead remains exactly that, somewhere over the horizon. Do I feel that it is wrong for the government to stimulate the economy, no, but neither do I believe that the government is our savior. This world’s economy is such a delicate balancing act that anything outside of your own four walls can ultimately be your downfall. Each article evokes a different response from the wish of a complete overhaul of our educational system, to our hopes dashed by choices made by one of our star athletes, to skepticism of big brother being our fix all.As much as I agree with the ideology of De-Grading the implementation would be difficult at best. Armstrong’s rise to fame and demise is one that will be remembered for years by those for and against the ruling levied against him. Finally, everyone loves the underdog such as the case with Ms. Rousseff but it remains to be seen if her ideology of government intervention is truly the best approach for Brazil’s economic future. In conclusion, I would more than likely read more articles written by these writers because of their ability to persuade and keep the attention of the reader.