Construction and Property Management Reflective Report Essay

Essays on Construction and Property Management Reflective Report Essay Construction and Property Management Reflective report    Writing a reflective report can only be organized if one reviews the very first lesson for the first semester that established the coverage of the whole module. For the whole semester, the topics covered well really expansive. Although I have a good background of certain topics such as business, finance, basic accounting and economics, there were still many branches of discipline in social sciences that I must be familiar with. Nevertheless, I resolved to review my notes way back high school days so I would have a good foundation. Also, I took advantage of researching in the library anticipating some topics like business management. I also looked up some construction and property management journals and articles on the Internet and wrote down some terms that I must be familiar with. As expected, I must be able to apply all my previous knowledge to the property and construction industry. Having a concrete background in finance and accounting would really be of great help. The first lecture was all about residential and commercial transactions. I believe the first lecture illustrating the difference of amount between the two transactions caught everybody in the class by surprise. The term commercial is often thought of as something with a higher value than residential especially when speaking of transactions. To my amazement, residential transactions provided the bulk simply because there are more homes needed than just office buildings. Many people even in business circles overlook this fact and fail to explore the opportunity residential property transactions represent. This got me very interested so I tried to read more about such transactions and their sources. This is not to totally discount the good opportunities behind commercial transactions but simply looking deeper at how the housing industry sector affects the whole property business. The figures moved me since I gained a lot of fresh insights and one of them is the fact that doing your homework about a certain industry can give you leverage. This is applicable especially when one is out there in the field with many competitors like in the area of sales. One must be always updated with trends and statistics surrounding the construction industry. Looking back at the beginning of the semester, the first half of the semester was very interesting since most of the topics covered were quite general in nature. The topic that I found interesting most was management. Although I didn’t have a background in management since all I am familiar with is business, I spent some time reading in the library at the very first start of the semester. Management has a very wide scope yet application of theoretical concepts are generally the same. I appreciated understanding the difference between leaders and managers and evaluated myself. I also enjoyed the different management styles and took time in knowing myself better. I took some personality tests and leadership style tests because I believe that a good manager is aware of himself. I also think that the role of managers is very important. In application to Construction and property management, a property manager is usually equipped with skills as well as information about the industry but that does not make him a complete manager. From what I have learned, a good manager must have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, writing and speaking skills that can enhance his leadership. A property manager is not just confined to his desk looking at plans or schematics; rather, he is interacting with all kinds of people on a daily basis. So of one hopes to be a good property or construction manager, he must be ready to deal with people. I think some engineers, architects and technical people need to realize this fact especially nowadays when sales and marketing is part of the whole construction and property industry. Even in residential transactions, rentals of property require good communication and negotiation skills aside from just knowing the safety regulations or blueprint of the property. I n business transaction, clients are lost are gained depending on customer relationship exhibited by property managers. As time passed by, the topics touched on procurement methods. This part of the semester enhanced my skills in working with a team especially when doing group work assignment. During the procurement methods projects, I understood how vital procurement method is in project development. When the delegation of tasks was done, I immediately gave time researching the topics assigned to me. It could be said that group assignment projects should be always be done in class since students develop important team building skills that they would need someday in the field. An important aspect of group work assignments is collaboration so a project can be accomplished. Everyone must help one another because if we let down a team member, all of us would get delayed in a project. There are times when we had to disagree about methods but the leader was a good facilitator so we end up settling our differences. Time is also another issue when working on a project which all team members must realize. In large scale construction projects, tools like PERT can help engineers or managers track a project’s progress but people’s willingness to collaborate and communicate still matters a lot. Another interesting topic that made read me read a lot is marketing. As aforementioned, customer relationship skills can gain or lose customers in property management which is why marketing is very vital. Poor marketing planning can highly affect a property no matter how beautiful it maybe. It is also important to maintain a balance between finances, operations, human resources and project management. Indeed, being a property manager can be very challenging especially if one lacks experience. All the theories and concepts learned must be applied in the right situation which only experience can teach. In conclusion, the whole module is very relevant to students taking this course. I improved my researching skills, communication skills, reading skills and even presentations kills. More group work assignment should be given especially ones that would do a case study so problems can be solved. Learning has never been this enjoyable and meaningful this semester.

Persuasive Essay On Gun Control - 1744 Words

â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† It is these words that give American citizens the right to own guns. These are also the words that allow shooting after shooting to take place in our country. The United States is in desperate need of stricter, more uniform gun control laws so that the country may become a safer place. One of the main issues with gun laws in the United States is the lack of uniformity in the restrictions held by the states. â€Å"We looked at five types of gun control enacted at the state level: assault weapons bans, high-capacity magazine bans, gun possession prohibitions for high-risk individuals [those convicted†¦show more content†¦These are some of the laws that are in effect in the United States, a country that has a very different viewpoint on guns when compared to other high-income countries. When it comes to gun control, other high-income nations have taken a stricter approach than the United States. Canada is an example of one country whose gun control laws came from firsthand experience with gun violence. â€Å"In December 1989, a disgruntled student walked into a Montreal engineering school with a semiautomatic rifle and killed fourteen students and injured over a dozen others. The incident is widely credited with driving subsequent gun legislation† (Masters). Masters also lists Australia as an example of a country whose tightened gun policies were born of tragedy: The National Agreement on Firearms all but prohibited automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles, stiffened licensing and ownership rules, and instituted a temporary gun buyback program that took some 650,000 assault weapons (about one-sixth of the national stock) out of public circulation. Among other things, the law also required licensees to demonstrate a â€Å"genuine need† for a particular type of gun and take a firearm safety course. After another high-profile shooting in Melbourne in 2002, Australia’s handgun laws were tightened as well. These countries, and others, are examples of the changes that Americans need to make. These countries suffered violent gun crimes and tookShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay : Gun Control798 Words   |  4 PagesPersuasive Essay Did you know that in the United States almost 100,000 people are shot or killed with a gun in one year? 10,527 people die a year in handgun related incidents in the United States. This number, by far, outweighs the number of gun related deaths in countries such as Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan, which number 13, 22, and 87, respectively. What is the reason for such drastic differences in numbers? Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan are all countries that have stricter gun controlRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1753 Words   |  8 PagesPersuasive Essay Rough Draft The United States of America has a problem that is growing worse every day. American laws are not protecting its citizens from injury or death. You may think the mass shootings in America the guns used were bought illegally, but â€Å"since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shooter carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Of the 139 guns possessed by the killers, more than three quarters wereRead More Persuasive Articles on Gun Control Essays607 Words   |  3 PagesPersuasive Articles on Gun Control Persuading an audience can be done in several different fashions, one of which is Hugh Rank’s Model of Persuasion. Rank’s model states that two major strategies are used to achieve the particular goal of persuasion. These strategies are nicely set into two main schemas; the first method is to exaggerate an aspect of something, known as â€Å"intensify.† While the second is to discredit it, which is referred to as â€Å"downplay.† Al Franken, Jeffrey SnyderRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1018 Words   |  5 PagesImagine, an America where no citizen, law abiding or not, has the legal ability to own guns. Three gunmen with fully automatic rifles walk into a crowded city and begin firing. No law abiding citizen can defend themselves. It’s hopeless. This future can only be prevented if Americans continue to keep the second amendment. We should keep the current gun control laws, but revise them to make them even better. Most gun own ers are responsible under the current laws, however, I think some laws need to beRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1245 Words   |  5 Pagesand time again. Due to recent tragedies involving firearms, the view of guns and peoples rights to own and operate firearms have been frowned upon and viewed in a bad light due to Media. News sources have cherrypicked pictures of tragedies and stories about bad instances of gun usage in order to fight for Gun Control and the suppression of Americans rights. Due to the recent Vegas shooting, the argument for Gun Control has never been more intense, and Media outlets are having a field day onRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1637 Words   |  7 Pagesbecomingly increasingly unsure of where the line is drawn on being able to have a gun and what prevents people from using them for harm. Some people have argued that even though the Second Amendment does protect our individual rights to have the option to own arms, that it should give the government authority to ban high-crime communities from using handguns. Gun violence embraces every town in the United States. Gun violence in the past few decades continually keeps becoming a bigger and bigger issueRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1190 Words   |  5 PagesHANDS UP!: An Essay in Favor of Gun Control in America Andrew A. McKay Victor Valley College  Abstract Gun ownership is embedded in the fabric of America. The United States has the highest gun ownership rate in the world with 88 guns per 100 people. This is a staggering amount of firearms in the U.S. which our forefathers would ve never imagined when writing the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment states that â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right ofRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1687 Words   |  7 Pagesayehu Yitbarek Levell English 121-325/S25 04/20/2017 Gun Control Gun control is a controversial and important issue all over the world. A gun, as a weapon for defense and protection, has been misused by many resulting in unlawful acts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dedicated protect public health and safety, in 2010, there were roughly 31,670 gun-related deaths in the U.S. About 11,100 were homicides (35%) and about 19,400 (61%) were suicides (Jim). Every day, a lotRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1656 Words   |  7 Pages Gun control has been a huge issue lately, but the focus needs to be on the person handling the gun. We need to make stronger background checks to stop all this unnecessary violence going on in todays society. There has been strong supporters on both sides with very well known support groups, almost all of the people that vote towards stricter gun laws and banning guns have never been in a situation to need one and don’t understand that different guns serve different purposes. There are three differentRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1217 Words   |  5 Pagesproblem, and this is where the controversy of gun control comes into play. Many people are against strict gun control laws or a ban on guns because they claim to need guns for â€Å"protection.† Yet, is it really necessary to have a firearm to protect yourself? Not all gun owners use guns to cause harm, but there is an overwhelming number of those who do. This topic becomes very tricky because owning a gun i s interpreted to be a right, but at the same time guns are extremely unnecessary and can rarely, if

Different Leadership Styles & Approaches-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Managerial Skills. Answer: Introduction Leadership and managerial skills have been pivotal in achieving success within an organization setup. The approaches to be undertaken and implied within an organization depend upon the current situational analysis of the organization. In the essay, the different styles of leadership such as the contingency as well as the laissez fair leadership had been discussed. The study also discusses the effectiveness of individual approach in the context of public health. However, the affectivity needs to be measured to evaluate the loopholes further. The gaps thus identified had helped in providing better health care and support to individual support users seeking medical help. The applications of such models had also helped in the establishment of standard services and models. However, there are a number of loopholes associated with the implications of appropriate set of models within a care set up. In this context, a number of ethical implications attached within a health care setup had been considered. Thus, adopting a person centred approach provides sufficient autonomy to the support users. However, at the same time there had been a number of limitations concerning the health situation of the respective support service users. Leadership approach In the current study, the situational or the contingency model had been applied. The models had been applied in a hospital care set up in order to provide better care and supervision to the elderly patients. The elderly patients were often at a risk of contracting injury to falling down accidentally. Therefore, proper and sufficient care measures had to be applied in order to provide them with safe measures. In this context, application of the contingency model had helped me as a trainee health professional working for the Nightingale hospital. The contingency leadership approach advocates that the effective leadership be subjected to current situational analysis (Aarons, 2015). It was further dependent upon a number of variables and attributes, which were subject to change and constant revival. The contingency approach could be further divided into task motivate and relationship motivated. With respect to task motivated, the leadership style was only dependent upon achieving success in meeting the criteria of the task. However, the relationship motivated aspires for the establishment better and transparent relationship with the care users. I personally had preferred to use the relationship model for communicating more fluidly as well as understanding the requirements of the support users. The contingency model states that the situations could be accessed further based upon these factors such as: There had to be a feeling of confidence and loyalty in the followers towards their leaders The task structure needed to be spelt out clearly and transparently to the subordinates. The leader needed to follow a punishment and award based system to meet the target requirements. The leader had to be efficient enough to generate sufficient motivation in the followers for meeting the target requirements. Moreover, I think the application of the contingency model was based upon the current situation and demands. Therefore, I need to be more flexible with my approach depending upon the requirements of the support users within my care setup. Thus, as health care professional looking after the working of my subordinates I needed to focus both on the attainment of the task goals as well as should have established clear communication and relationship with my subordinates. In this context, failure in establishment of clear communication gaols resulted in less productive work to be extracted from the staff of the nightingale hospital. Thus, I would need to focus more upon the Least Preferred Co-worker measurement (LPC). In this respect, maintaining a high LPC meant that I established better understanding relationship with my subordinates. It also built the foundation for trust and confidentiality within a care set up. This helped me in addressing the employee grievances and uplifting the overall productivity of the care set up. On the contrary maintaining a low LPC meant that I had to focus more upon getting the work extracted from my employees. However, the approach adopted by me was subjected to change depending the situational analysis. In this respect, an unfavourable situation meant that a low LPC had been followed instead. That helped me in meeting the organisational goals and demands. Thus, the contingency model provides the leader with sufficient room to change his options based upon the situational demand and analysis (Slayton, 2015). Effectiveness of the contingency approach A number of benefits were provided by the application of the contingency model within a hospital administrative setup. In this context, the model was more open-minded allowing for effective decision making and application based upon the current situation. The model helped to identify the problem and provide effective solution under different conditions. However, there were limitations as I realized that a particular approach to a problem might not guarantee solution amidst other conditions. The implication of the model helped one in understanding the contextual, organizational as well as relative human dimensions. The requirements vary from each and every individual organization. This called for revision of the contextual policies and frameworks within an organization. The changes attributed were in need to be constantly evaluated in order to understand the benefits or the deficits. The loopholes or the gaps identified helped me in arriving at a suitable and acceptable solution. I think application of the contingency model had help me in meeting the service needs and demands of my current organization along with providing me with better decision making and judgemental skills. Ethical implications There are a number of ethical issues attached with the application of the contingency model. One of the major limitations possessed by the model is its stringent structure, which could result in the development of conflicting situations at work. In my role as a practising health care professional following the contingency model, I think lack of proper set of rules or guidelines was detrimental. The lack of guidelines had put me in a situation of professional fix where the making of the judgments was based upon reflecting in the present situation(Kock, Project Management Journal). Moreover, the set rules and guidelines vary from one organization to the other. Therefore, a model implied within my current set up may not be acceptable in a different situation and surrounding. Moreover, I was also apprehensive about the professional contributions of the model. Moreover, the changing situations had put me in an unfavourable condition where I had to put extra work pressure upon my subordina tes for meeting the target requirements. However, most of the times the health professionals and colleagues working under my instructions found the work load irrational. This often resulted in a situation of organizational dispute whereby the entire team failed to meet the required targets. Additionally, lack of sufficiency guide and help from senior and experienced health care professionals resulted in a situation of huge organizational gap(De Clercq, 2014). I also needed to ensure that by the application of the model I was able to provide sufficient growth opportunities to my employees. This helped me in meeting the productivity of the organization along with raising the services and standards. Evaluation of other leadership approaches One of the other conventional approaches, which could have been implied over here, was the laissez free model. The laissez free model helped in providing sufficient autonomy to the employees within a care setup. The model is also known as hands free model where the leader was just a nominal head. In this context, the leader had little or no role to play within an organizational setup. The decision-making, setting up goals of the organization were dependent upon individual concerns and shared equally by all(McCleskey, 2014). This provided enough room to the subordinates. In my opinion, I think application of the laissez free model would have helped me in avoiding the workplace conflicts. Moreover, I would have been more open to ideas and solutions provided by my subordinates. I could use the vast amount of choice and options available in order to narrow down the options to the best suited alternative. However, there were a number of ethical implications as well. The model lacks any defined leadership involvement and approach, which would have developed into a more chaotic situation(Elsey, 2016). Additionally, the lack of effective leadership could make the organization more directionless in that way. Conclusion The present study focuses upon the different leadership approach, which needs to be adopted within an organizational set up. However, the style of leadership may vary with the organization where the model was implemented. The current study highlights the different leadership styles and approaches such as the contingency model and the laissez free model. In this context, the effectiveness of the contingency model had been demonstrated. The model provides sufficient room for flexibility within an organization. The optimum utilization of the model however demands sufficient participation of the employees. Additionally, for the successful implementation of the model clear and transparent communication practices had to be maintained within the organization. Thus, effective relation building and communication goals helped me in meeting the productivity demands within an organization. Bibliography Aarons, G. A. (2015). Leadership and organizational change for implementation (LOCI). implementation science , 11. De Clercq, D. B. (2014). Servant leadership and work engagement: The contingency effects of leaderfollower social capita. Human Resource Development Quarterly , 183-212. Elsey, J. . (2016). Manipulating human memory through reconsolidation: Ethical implications of a new therapeutic approach. AJOB Neuroscience, 7(4) , 225-236. Kock, A. H. (Project Management Journal). A Contingency Approach on the Impact of Front?End Success on Project Portfolio Success. 2016 , 115-129. McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly , 117. Slayton, R. B. (2015). Vital signs: estimated effects of a coordinated approach for action to reduce antibiotic-resistant infections in health care facilitiesUnited States. 25-35.

Parallelisms Between Essays - Religion, Mythology,

Parallelisms Between Greek and Roman Mythology Western Civ I Greek and Roman mythology have many similarities between them. Each type has there own set of Gods and Goddesses, although they were worshiped for similar reasons. The following will explain each God or Goddess and explain how they compare to each other. The King of Gods in Greek Mythology is known as Zeus. Zeus was the ruler of the sky, and had the power to create thunderstorms and lightning as well as earthquakes. He was the child of Cronus and Rhea. As the story goes he was their sixth child, and the father to protect him from being overthrown had eaten the five previous children. Zeus was taken to a city called Crete and hidden from his father. As Zeus grew older and learned of what happened he found a potion to make his father regurgitate the other children. Once this happened they all teamed up and killed their father. Zeus then became the ruler of Mount Olympus, and head of the new line of Gods. Jupiter was the predominant power holder of Roman Gods. He was ruler of the sky, the daylight, all the weather, and even the thunder and lightening. Jupiter helped drive back the Sabines. His temple was built in the Capitol, and newly elected counsels offered their first prayers to him. Hera was the wife and sister of Zeus, and the High Goddess of the Greeks. She was extremely jealous of the affairs that her husband was having and often tormented or harmed the mistresses he was fooling around with. Although, when she went too far, or tried to cause death, Zeus would intervene and stop her. Hera tried to ship wreak Heracles on his return from Troy, and with that Zeus had her hung by the wrists from top of the mountain with an anvil tied to each ankle. The two had four children together. Juno, Hera's counterpart, was the wife of Jupiter. Juno was the protector of women, especially those who are married. Women often gave offerings to Juno to help with their childbirth. The God of the Underworld, Hades, was the brother of Zeus. He gained Hell, as his share in conquering their father. He is most known for kidnapping his wife, Persephone, while she was picking flowers in a field. As the story goes, Hades had her eat a piece of food in the Underworld, therefore she could not live on the Earth again. Her father, Zeus, made arrangements for her to be allowed on Earth for two-thirds of the year and in the Underworld as Hade's wife for the rest of the time. This is used as the cause of spring and winter. When she returns to the surface she brings spring with her and when she returns to the Underworld she leaves winter behind her. Pluto, the Roman God of the Underworld, who's name also means rich. It reflects the rich mineral resources beneath the ground and the rich resources above the earth. In art he is shown with the Horn of Plenty. This horn is most likely why we associate the Devil, or Satan, as having a horn on top of his head. His name was thought of to be bad luck, and therefore was hardly mentioned in myths. Ares was the child of Zeus and Hera. He was the God of War. Whenever he was seen or portrayed he would be fully armed and ready for battle. Any cause to fight or go to war would bring him out and about. He was the discomfited lover of Aphrodite. Almost all of his children by mortal women were of a violent nature. Mars, The Roman God of War and Agriculture, was the second most important god after Jupiter. The month March was named after Mars, and was also the first month of the Roman calendar. March was the month when agriculture was reborn and when most people engaged in war. Mars was given his own priest and altar in Rome. The wolf and woodpecker were the sacred animals of Mars. A festival in October was held in his honor and all farmers and soldiers would lay aside their weapons and had a celebration. The Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty was Aphrodite. She

Management Styles in the Workplace Essays

Management Styles in the Workplace Essays Management Styles in the Workplace Essay Management Styles in the Workplace Essay Management Styles in the Workplace Purpose Statement: My purpose today is to inform you on four different management styles in the workplace. Thesis Statement: It is important for managers to understand their management style when certain situations arise in the work place, by knowing your management style you will become a better leader. Introduction:Have you ever been told, â€Å"Do it this way or don’t do it at all?† if so do you know what type of leadership or management style this. Well today, I’m going to inform you about four different type of management styles; democratic, autocratic, paternalistic, and laissez-faire. Also, I am going to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each management style.Main Point 1: Democratic Management Style A. What is it? a. According to Building a Management Style, Democratic management builds commitment among employees in order to generate new ideas. It is one that seeks input from all employees and allows the staff to use their own work methods, to get the task done in a timely matter. The Democratic Management Style is similar to the participatory leadership style because it produces moderate task efficiency but high satisfaction, according to the textbook. These two types of management style result in a transformational leadership approach according to the publication by Larry Thompson. This approach results in staff empowerment by making the staff or team feel that they are part of the decision making process, which will motivate your team and generate new ideas. B. What are the Advantages and Disadvantages a. Advantages: i. It is people centered ii. Encourages others to share ideas iii. Tolerating alternative views (understanding at there is more than one way of accomplishing the goal) b. Disadvantages: i. The manager could be taken advantage of due to employees not working to their full potential. ii. Moderate task efficiency iii. Slow down decision making process Main Point 2: Autocratic Management Style A. What is it? a. According to Building a Management Style autocratic managers do a complete 180 has far as treating his/Her staff. The book states this type of manager is single-minded about getting long-term results, and help from others. b. Autocratic management style is very similar to high directive leadership style studied in the textbook, such as; productivity is high, with little concern for people and their satisfaction level. The autocratic management style only offers one-way communication, and that is through the leader. This type of management style falls into the transactional theory according to the publication by Larry Thompson. B. What are the Advantages and the Disadvantages?a. Advantages: i. Although this type of management style seems pretty forceful there are many advantages. According to Managementstyle.org a few of the advantages are: 1. Instructions are forceful,2. can make fast decisions, 3. less unexpected side track situations due to lack of communication. b. Disadvantages: i. With such a Hitler style management approach there will disadvantages to using the autocratic management style, according to Managementstyle.org, such as: 1. The staff may feel useless as they are not consulted 2. Input from the staff is not allowed 3. Staff waiting on instructions (will cause delays) Main Point 3: Paternalistic Management Style A. What is it? a. According to learningmanagement2.com the paternalistic management style is combination of both democratic and autocratic management styles. Paternalistic managers will ask for the staff views and opinions, which allows them to feel involved, but in the end the manager will make the finial decision. b. According to Dr. Daniel Theyagu, who is a corporate trainer and seminar leader, suggest that by using the paternalistic management style approach, the leader will learn to move away from delegation to empowerment. i. Dr. Daniel Theyagu suggests leaders should stay involved with the development of their staff, so that the manager can be aware of his/her staff’s needs. ii. It is important for constant communication, to clear up any uncertainty among the staff and make sure everyone is on the same level for common values and goal of the project or task. iii. Dr. Daniel Theyagu also believes that when people feel involved they are more likely to ‘â€Å"buy in’ the visions and values of the leader.† Main Point 4: Laissez Faire Management Style:A. What is it? a. Laissez Faire Management style is also known as negligent leadership style in the textbook. According to the business dictionary website, laissez-faire management styles is a non-authoritarian approach to management. This type of manager feels that or â€Å"believes that people will excel when they are left alone to respond to their responsibilities and obligations in their own ways. B. What are the advantages and disadvantages?a. Advantages: According to about.com this type of management can be very effect if: i. When leaders are still there for consultation and feedback ii. Members are able to work alone and still be motivated iii. If Members are highly skilled, they do not need to wait on management to tell them how to complete the task. b. Disadvantages: In most cases the disadvantages out way the advantages because i. The lack of guidance may leave the staff feeling neglected. ii. According to the textbook, leader take no part in the decision-making process and offers little advice or direction. Conclusion: We are all managers of your own lives, but one day we will be leaders of others. Democratic management style allows others to take part in the decision-making process. Autocratic management style leaders make decisions without regards to others. Paternalistic allows for others input, but the decision is still up to the leader. Laissez-faire management style is a more hands off approach, and this type of leader style is not recommended for most situations. Knowing what the different types of management styles are, and what they mean, this can be an informative advantage to maybe using certain management styles in certain citations.

Does Black Seed Oil Really Work Scientific Analysis of Benefits

Does Black Seed Oil Really Work Scientific Analysis of Benefits SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The world of natural supplements can be confusing because there are so many misleading claims about their benefits floating around the internet. Black seed oil is one of the more intriguing natural supplements on the market because of its rich history as an herbal medicine. In this article, I'll provide all the most current information on black seed oil, including what it is, black seed oil benefits, what it can't do (according to recent scientific research), and the best places to buy black seed oil. Unlike other guides, we don't want to dwell on hype and false promises- we only want to give you clear, scientifically-supported information. What Is Black Seed Oil? Black seed oil is a substance derived from the small, black crescent-shaped seeds of the Nigella sativa plant. The plant grows in southwest Asia. Black seed oil is usually taken orally, either taken straight as an oil or in a gel capsule. Black seed oil also goes by many other names, including: Nigella cretica oil Black cumin seed oil Roman coriander oil Nutmeg flower oil Fennel flower oil Ajaji oil Kalonji oil Black caraway oil Black sesame oil Onion seed oil The active ingredients found in black seed oil are the following three chemicals: thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ) and thymol. TQ has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it also may help promote healthy liver functioning. Researchers are in the process of testing its viability as a cancer treatment. THQ is a natural acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, meaning it increases the level of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine can help improve memory and motor function through stimulation of the muscles, glands, and the central nervous system. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are used to treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative conditions. THQ is also being investigated for potential in treating cancer. Thymol has antimicrobial properties, so it accounts for black seed oil’s potential viability as a natural antibiotic. Thymol also has anti-tumor properties that are still being investigated. The flower of the nigella sativa plant How Is Black Seed Oil Typically Used? Though many people in the western world are less familiar with black seed oil, it has been used in the Middle East and Asia for thousands of years as an herbal remedy. It is said to treat varied ailments including asthma, hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, bronchitis, headache, eczema, and the flu. In the face of these big claims, it's important to focus on what's been scientifically proven. You’ll see many people promoting black seed oil based on the fact that it’s been used in medicine since ancient times, but this doesn’t prove anything about its effectiveness in a modern context. While black seed oil has shown some promise in lowering triglycerides and blood pressure, treating allergies, improving memory in older people, and treating certain infections, it will not solve serious medical problems. As far as we can tell from the research that’s been conducted, black seed oil has very mild positive effects on a variety of different human health conditions. Black Seed Oil: Benefits and Limitations Are you thinking about buying black seed oil as a dietary supplement? First you should know what these types of supplements can really do for you and why it’s important to remain wary of the dramatic claims sellers make about their effects. Why Should You Be Skeptical of Natural Supplements? The companies and individuals that sell supplements have every incentive to exaggerate their positive effects. Doctors often get monetary incentives for pushing these types of products as well. Always, always look at the research before allowing anyone to convince you that a supplement will cure your medical problems. Ideally, the supplement should have been tested in randomized control trials and shown to have a statistically significant impact on the ailment in question. This is the gold standard for making a strong argument that a substance has a particular effect- if it hasn't been put to this test, then all you're trusting is hearsay. While it’s unlikely that most natural supplements will do harm to your health, in many cases they are a waste of money that could be spent on more effective treatments. Some people make a living by preying on the public's tendency to trust their self-proclaimed "expert" opinions. Verified Uses for Black Seed Oil There are many who claim that black seed oil has hundreds of uses and can treat almost anything under the sun. Although it may be beneficial for some conditions, its health effects aren’t as wide ranging as some people want you to think. There are quite a few scientifically supported black seed oil benefits, but most of them have been shown to produce only minor effects. Here’s a list of various uses in order of how viable they are according to scientific research: #1: Alleviating Allergy Symptoms Several studies have shown black seed oil to aid in the reduction of allergy symptoms like asthma, eczema, and overall congestion. These studies were conducted on people of both genders in varying age groups, so they show wide-ranging validity. #2: Improving Lung Function Black seed supplements have been shown to improve pulmonary function in asthmatics and people who have been exposed to agents of chemical warfare. This evidence is pretty solid because the effects of the seed were compared to a placebo and shown to be statistically significant. Asthmatics were even able to take less anti-asthmatic medication following the treatment. However, these studies had very small sample sizes, so more research still needs to be conducted. #3: Improving Memory and Cognition There is some evidence that black seed oil can mildly improve attention, memory, and cognition in older individuals. This is based on one study conducted on a small group of older male subjects, so more research still needs to be done to confirm the effects of the supplement. #4: Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain from arthritis has shown to be mildly reduced through the use of black seed oil supplements in a small group of test subjects. Stiffness, swelling, and joint pain all decreased modestly with a 1000 mg daily supplement of black seed oil. #5: Treating Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver. One small study showed a 38 percent reduction in the presence of viral RNA in the livers of patients treated with 1350 mg of black seed oil a day for three months. This was without the addition of any other medications. Though this is promising, more research on a higher volume of test subjects must be conducted before any major conclusions can be drawn about black seed oil's effectiveness as a treatment for Hep C. #6: Reducing Blood Pressure, Triglycerides, and LDL Cholesterol There is some evidence that black seed oil can play a very small part in reduction of these risk factors in people who already have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, this is so minor that it would likely have almost no effect on overall health, so black seed oil isn’t a valid overall treatment for any of these issues. There is evidence that black seed oil can help you manage all of your most annoying allergy symptoms. Things Black Seed Oil DOESN'T Do There are some commonly-advertised black seed oil benefits that are not strongly supported by scientific evidence. As far as we know, black seed oil will NOT treat cancer in any significant way. It has shown potential for reducing tumor growth based on studies in rats, but we don’t know yet whether it can treat cancer in humans, and it may not interact favorably with other more aggressive cancer treatments. Always consult with your doctor before supplementing your treatment with herbal medicines. There have also been studies done on black seed oil as a potential treatment for diabetes. However, the effect of black seed oil on blood glucose levels has been overall negligible. Positive effects were only noticeable if people were also medicated in other ways or if no placebo group was used for comparison. This is not a viable treatment for diabetes on its own. Black seed oil also doesn’t help with weight loss. In general, you shouldn’t let anyone sell you a supplement that they advertise as a weight loss miracle drug. The only way to accomplish long term weight loss is to reduce your food intake gradually over time and try to exercise more frequently. Just taking black seed oil won't help you lose weight- you gotta put in the work in other areas. Side Effects and Interactions While black seed oil is pretty benign in terms of its side effects and interactions with other drugs, there are a couple of potential problems that you should know about using it. Skin Irritation Some people get what’s called â€Å"contact dermatitis† from black seed oil, which essentially means their skin becomes mildly irritated. You may experience itching, blistering, pain, and tenderness along with a red skin rash. Allergic Reaction As with any other herbal supplement, you may experience an allergic reaction from ingesting nigella sativa. This could cause swelling, hives, and other common allergy symptoms. (Potential) Kidney and Liver Damage Rats given high doses of nigella sativa experienced kidney and liver damage. We don’t know yet whether these findings can also be applied to humans, but to be safe you should avoid taking more than the recommended daily amount of the supplement. Interaction with Blood Pressure Medications Use of black seed oil in conjunction with medication that lowers your blood pressure could potentially lead to hypotension (excessively low blood pressure). This can be dangerous because your body is unable to get enough oxygen to your vital organs. However, since studies have shown that black seed oil only has a minor effect on lowering blood pressure, this seems like it shouldn’t be a huge concern. Discuss this with your doctor before supplementing your treatment. Risks Associated with Pregnancy You should also avoid taking these supplements if you’re pregnant just because there isn’t enough information on the effects they might have on the child’s development. If you're worried about a natural supplement interacting with medications you're taking, talk to your doctor first to find out about the potential risks. Purchasing Options Here are a few of the best options for supplements in either gel or oil form. The recommended dosage for black seed oil is 250-1000 mg daily. The oils are more expensive, but they also contain a lot more doses in each bottle. An 8 oz bottle of oil will last you at least three times as long as a bottle of softgels, so you get much for your money. It’s a matter of your personal preference - many people just find it easier to take supplements like this in pill form. Softgels Best Naturals Black Seed Oil (90 500 mg softgels for $14.99) Contains gelatin It says to take two softgels twice daily for a total of 2000 mg a day, but I would advise taking just one or two pills a day. Health Logics Black Cumin Seed Oil (100 500 mg softgels for $14.49) Contains gelatin It says to take one softgel 2-4 times a day as a dietary supplement, but as with the other softgels, 1-2 should be sufficient. Oils Amazing Herbs Black Seed Cold-Pressed Oil (8 oz for $19 or 16 oz for $29.95) Organic Non-GMO The recommended dose is 1-2 tsp (500-1000 mg) Sweet Sunnah Black Seed Oil (16 oz for $30) Vegan Non-GMO Organic Glass bottle The recommended dose is 1-2 tsp (500-1000 mg) How to Use Black Seed Oil (And How Not To) Black seed oil is a substance derived from the seeds of the nigella sativa plant, and it has been used in herbal remedies since ancient times. It is also commonly known as black cumin seed oil or kalonji oil. Medical uses for black seed oil that have shown some promise in scientific studies include: Alleviating allergy symptoms Improving lung function in asthmatics and those exposed to chemical toxins Improving memory and cognition in the elderly Treating pain from rheumatoid arthritis Treating Hepatitis C Reducing blood pressure, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol in those who already have elevated concentrations of each (very minor effect) Black seed oil will not cure cancer or diabetes or make you lose weight without other lifestyle changes, so be wary of dramatic claims about its extraordinary health benefits. If you do choose to take black seed oil supplements, remember that 250-1000 mg is the recommended daily dosage.

Family Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Health Assessment - Essay Example â€Å"Partnership, participation and equality† of the nurse health visitor and the family could be promoted (WHO, 2001). Even if there were no health needs at the first visit, the health visitor would be notified when there were any. Planning and delivery of the services comprising of the most effective care was possible. The nurse health visitor could practice the ethics of equity in her approach to care. Social justice could be meted out. Through collaborative association with the community, other agencies and professionals, she would deal with the issues at hand. I have selected Mr. Edwin’s family for assessment. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin had two children and the grandmother staying with them. a).Values and Health perception To my questions about illnesses, the obvious answer was that there was nobody ill in that house. My perceptions were against this notion. Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Edwin and Mr. Edwin’s mother Clara, looked undernourished. The elder boy of five, John, l ooked normal and appeared naughty. The baby of eight months seemed okay but she did not have dentition yet. Their health needs had not yet been recognized by them. Seventy-eight old Mrs. Clara was definitely unable to look after herself due to her confusion, memory loss, incontinence for stools and urine. This family had health-seeking behaviors with incomplete health maintenance. Each had to have a health regime management to support them (Weber, 2005). b). Nutrition At eight months, the baby had only milk (both breast and otherwise) and she had not been weaned yet. This could answer for her lack of dentition. John had been introduced to the food of the house which included fruits, vegetables and cereals but his preferences of chocolate and ice-cream were given value and it made things easier for the mother, what with the baby to look after. Mr. Edwin had alcoholism which caused his malnourishment. Mrs. Edwin who was breastfeeding did not bother to have sufficient milk or extra veg etables or fruits to support her health. Mrs. Clara had to take her own food as the others were too busy. Due to her memory loss and poor executive functions, she was irregular in food intake, hardly bathed and was generally looking fatigued and dirty. Her skin was terribly wrinkled due to dehydration and inadequate nutrition. They could all be described as ready for enhanced nutritional metabolic pattern (Weber, 2005). Mrs. Clara had a risk for impaired skin integrity due to her age and her dehydrated state (Weber, 2005). Her skin was turning red at pressure points even though she was still ambulant. Impaired nutrition, delayed weaning and impaired skin integrity were the diagnoses for this family where nutrition was concerned (Weber, 2005). c) Sleep/Rest Mrs. Clara indicated a readiness for enhanced sleep pattern (Weber, 2005). She had a disturbed sleep pattern probably due to her changed neurological functions. Mrs. Edwin had sleep deprivation because she was the only one looking after the baby and her mother-in-law kept calling her for some reason or the other as her sleep was disturbed (Weber, 2005). Her husband did not participate in any of these duties. Mrs. Edwin at times used to give her mother-in-law sleeping pills to enable her to sleep so that Mrs. Edwin herself could get some sleep. Mr. Edwin’

BUSINESS Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BUSINESS Report - Essay Example Also we can observe that the management has redesigned the job of the workers. The hierarchical structure has been diminished and the teams hold more responsibility. Eventually, this will create new challenges for the members of the team. The jobs of the workers are enriched. The jobs of the team members are halved so that they can concentrate on the development of the team. Every fortnight the team members talk for 45 minutes to solve problems and to gather new ideas. The responsibility of the workers has been increased and the role played by the workers is changed. From mere assembly line work the job now involves various tasks such as planning, organizing, leading and directing. b) The management of BMW has taken the approach to motivate the employees as mentioned in theory Z. Theory Z mentions the major postulates of Japanese management practices and how these practices can be adopted to the environment of other countries. The major features of this theory are building trust, strong bond between the organization and employees, employee involvement and no formal structure. According to this approach, trust is the first primary factor for motivation. Trust between the members of the organization at various levels has to be built through integrity and transparency. At BMW, the work teams have been very effective in building the relationships between the employees across the organization. Another major aspect that has to be noted in this approach is the employee involvement. Any decision affecting the production practices is being done by the team members which increases the motivation of the members. Also this increases the commitment of the employees and gives due recognition to their role. Under this approach the formal structures in an organization are no longer adopted. Here, at BMW, the work teams resolve the issued irrespective of the formal hierarchical structures. The major advantages of

Discuss the importance of dreams in the play Essay Example for Free

Discuss the importance of dreams in the play Essay Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and author. He was a prominent figure in American literature and cinema for over 61 years, writing a wide variety of plays. Miller was born into a moderately-wealthy Jewish family in New York City. His father, Isidore Miller, was a ladies-wear manufacturer and shopkeeper who was ruined in the Great Depression. His mother, Augusta, was a housewife who valued literature and education. His sister, Joan became an actress. Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by Arthur Miller and is one of his most famous and commonly revived works. Viewed by many as the American Dream of achieving wealth and success, Death of a Salesman made both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names. Some of the other titles Miller considered for the play were The Inside of His Head and A Period of Grace. The American Dream is the faith held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to subsequent generations. What the American Dream has become is a question under constant discussion, and some believe that it has led to an emphasis on material wealth as a measure of success and/or happiness. The American dream is a dream of having 2 children and living in a perfect house with financial security. This ideal is closely related to Horatio Algerism. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_dream In the play Death of a Salesman, dreams are discussed and shown in many different ways throughout the play. There are dreams that happen during ones sleep, hopes and ambition type dreams, day dreams, fantasies and national/cultural dreams. In this play all are explored, and the national dream focused on is The American Dream. Dreams in this play stimulate the characters reactions and actions; they also affect the way the play is structured and explain behaviour of both the past and present. The play is unusually structured; there are no scenes just three main sections, Act 1, Act 2 and the Requiem. Within Act 1 and Act 2, there are several dreams and possibly flashbacks but the audience is unaware of what is real or not. The American Dream features in the play but not informing the audience that The American Dream is what it is partly focusing on. On page 82, Biff says Weve been talking in a dream for fifteen years. First of all the reader thinks hes saying hes been taking in the dream for 15 years but reading the sentence over we see talking. The reader thinks that it means the American dream, and at this point in the play Biff realises himself and his family has been trying to live this dream but are unsuccessful. The American Dreams is partly to do with status and having the best of everything. It also focuses on popularity, success, ownership, wealth and your house and objects within it. The American Dream is linked to capitalism and consumer culture, which is when we are sold items we dont really need. This is a symbol of success and if you can afford these luxury items they are a fall back for your family. When someone dies their family receives insurance, not only life insurance but also insurance for the object used in the death, for instance a car. This is all part of Willys plan to make his family more wealthy. Willy is scared of becoming an ordinary man, which in those days was a man that can no longer afford the luxury items that Willy possesses, when Linda is talking to Biff on page 44 she says Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. Hes not the finest character that has ever lived. But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. This shows the reader that Linda knows about Willys depression and that she knows he is becoming and has a fear of becoming a typical, ordinary man. This is not what Willy wants or wanted at all, Willy wanted to be well known around the country and great, successful. The depression that Willy held may have been caused by the lack of positive attention, his lack of progress in his job or his fear of becoming this ordinary man that he never wanted to be. Linda also knows that in his last months or weeks, herself and her sons need to make up to Willy and give him the most positive attention that they can. On page 44 Linda says Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person. This is also evidence to suggest Willys want for death. Willy is not progressing at all in his job, his ex boss son is now at the top of his career ladder but Willy, still near the bottom should have retired. But his dreams and passion to become rich and successful meant that he forced himself to carry on working and hope that one day these dreams will be fulfilled.

Media Affects on the Self- image of Women Essay -- Marketing Advertisi

Media Affects on the Self- image of Women When you first glance at this article, you might say to yourself â€Å"I know what women in the media is about, it's stereotypes and sexism.† What you probably don’t know is that however subtle, these visual cues are affecting women individually and collectively, in how they view themselves and other women. Relationships are a fundamental aspect of women’s behaviorism and advertising exploits this. It turns people into objects and offers products as a replacement for human contact, producing serious affects on the self- image of women and adolescent girls. Young women aged 15 to 30 are a prime industry target since 80 per cent of all consumer products are purchased by women in this age group. Advertisers spend large amounts of money on psychological research and focus groups, and what have they learned? That women are vulnerable to the promise of a relationship with a product and these advertisers make use of this on the basis that purchasing and use of certain products will resolve women’s social, emotional, and financial difficulties. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘You can never be too rich or too thin.’ The most widely read magazine among teenage girls, Seventeen, states that it ‘encourages independence’ and is a girl’s ‘Bible,’ but more than half of the magazine is fashion, beauty, and boys. It teaches adolescents that the most important thing on their minds should be appearance and attracting men. Through advertising, these young women are encouraged to portray themselves as sweet and passive, but sexy and attractive. They are taught to be quiet and kind, but to compete with other girls for attention from boys. They hav... ... supposed to be competing with other girls for attention from boys. Of course we don’t take all ads literally, but we have to remember that they add up and we are exposed to up to 1500 ads daily. The cultural messages that we are receiving from these ads do affect young women immensely. To be aware of this issue is important to everyone. As author and lecturer Jean Kilbourne says â€Å"These days, self-improvement seems to have more to do with calories than with character, with abdomens than with absolutes, with nail polish than with ethics.† References Calvine, Howard. (1999). Depicting Women as sex objects in television advertising: Effects on body dissatisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Vol. 25, pages 1049-1059. Kilbourne, Jean. (2000). Hidden Persuaders. Adweek. Vol. 41, pages 44-60.

Are we born with knowledge? Essay

Are we born with knowledge? Of course we are. In this speech, I am going to argue about how ability is knowledge and what knowledge we have when we were younger. As a child, we have been brought up by our environment and culture. Without this, what knowledge would we have? Let’s say, the minute a child is born, and you throw this new born baby into a â€Å"swimming pool† or â€Å"water† it will immediately be able to swim or float. Now the question is, where did this baby get the knowledge of being able to swim from? They were born with it. Many people would disagree with the fact that babies are born with knowledge. For example, David Hume suggests that we are born with a ‘Tabula Rasa’ a blank slate. That we have no knowledge at all, and that we need to experience things and have ideas of these things to gain knowledge. However, the reason we ARE born with knowledge is so that we can have a starting point in life. Our baby knowledge is a foundation for us to build and gain knowledge on. An example of this would be, when we are young we have the privilege of being able to eat and sleep or anything else related. As Hume said, if we were born with ‘blank slate’, then we would not even be able to do these simple things. Also, we are born with many abilities to do many things. Such as â€Å"swimming† when we are younger, it is an ability we have. However, when the time comes and we start to learn how to ‘swim’ we lose this natural ability of being able to swim. Many people would argue that ability ISN’T knowledge. Yet, if ability means we are able to do something, then we must be able to KNOW how to do it. This means that ability is KNOWledge. Furthermore, it is clear that we ARE born with knowledge, and that even if our knowledge has changed over the years, it has been growing since then. This proves that when we were born, we all started off with a basic foundation of knowledge, and are able to develop that knowledge as we grow older. ï » ¿Are we born with knowledge? Essay Are we born with knowledge? Of course we are. In this speech, I am going to argue about how ability is knowledge and what knowledge we have when we were younger. As a child, we have been brought up by our environment and culture. Without this, what knowledge would we have? Let’s say, the minute a child is born, and you throw this new born baby into a â€Å"swimming pool† or â€Å"water† it will immediately be able to swim or float. Now the question is, where did this baby get the knowledge of being able to swim from? They were born with it. Many people would disagree with the fact that babies are born with knowledge. For example, David Hume suggests that we are born with a ‘Tabula Rasa’ a blank slate. That we have no knowledge at all, and that we need to experience things and have ideas of these things to gain knowledge. However, the reason we ARE born with knowledge is so that we can have a starting point in life. Our baby knowledge is a foundation for us to build and gain knowledge on. An example of this would be, when we are young we have the privilege of being able to eat and sleep or anything else related. As Hume said, if we were born with ‘blank slate’, then we would not even be able to do these simple things. Also, we are born with many abilities to do many things. Such as â€Å"swimming† when we are younger, it is an ability we have. However, when the time comes and we start to learn how to ‘swim’ we lose this natural ability of being able to swim. Many people would argue that ability ISN’T knowledge. Yet, if ability means we are able to do something, then we must be able to KNOW how to do it. This means that ability is KNOWledge. Furthermore, it is clear that we ARE born with knowledge, and that even if our knowledge has changed over the years, it has been growing since then. This proves that when we were born, we all started off with a basic foundation of knowledge, and are able to develop that knowledge as we grow older.

Bertrand Russell Essay

I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what the facts are and what the truth that the facts bear out is. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. But look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say. The moral thing I should wish to say†¦I should say love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world which is getting more closely and closely interconnected we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.

Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn

written to reveal their true meaning. On the surface, the reader might think this poem is light and airy, when in fact; it is a sad tale of lost chances never to be r... Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn The Death of the Human Spirit in â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† Although Langston Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† and John Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† were written about 130 years apart and they differ in their structure, they seem to share a similar underlying theme. Both of these poets are trying to convey a feeling of death. They are not talking about a superficial death but rather, a dying on the inside. This is the type of death that robs them of their spirit. To the reader, it is fairly clear to see in Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† whereas in Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look beyond the outer layer of the poets words. In Hughes’s extremely short poem, â€Å"Harlem†, the poet asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (1). If not for this opening line, the reader might be left wondering what the objects in the poem symbolize. Hughes uses a raisin, a sore, meat, a syrupy sweet, and a load. The â€Å"raisin† represents the plight of the black man in a dominant white society. The black man (raisin) refuses to give in and thus turns into a â€Å"sore†. The â€Å"meat† turned rotten in â€Å"Harlem† symbolizes the fight of the African American in making their place in the world. The â€Å"sweet† represents the satisfaction to be found in an existence full of harmony. The â€Å"load† is the culmination of all of these objects. As time goes by, the burden of the â€Å"load† gets harder and harder to carry. The heavy burden causes the black man to falter and â€Å"sag†. Eventually, the immense pressure causes an explo sion to the reality of the situation that the African Americans face. In order to understand the meaning behind John Keats’ somewhat longer poem, â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look past the words written to reveal their true meaning. On the surface, the reader might think this poem is light and airy, when in fact; it is a sad tale of lost chances never to be r...

Listado países que piden visas a ciudadanos americanos

Listado paà ­ses que piden visas a ciudadanos americanos Los ciudadanos americanos se encuentran entre las personas del mundo que pueden viajar como turistas o por asuntos de negocios  a ms paà ­ses sin necesidad de visa. En la actualidad sà ³lo los superan en este privilegio los nacionales de Bà ©lgica, Dinamarca y Holanda. En este artà ­culo se informa sobre quà © paà ­ses piden visa a los ciudadanos americanos y cules requieren que se cumplan otro tipo de requisitos. Adems, se trata previamente de 4 asuntos muy importantes: dà ³nde obtener la  visa, casos de doble nacionalidad, sellos de entrada o salida de Israel y plazos. 3 posibles lugares donde obtener la visa En el listado que aparece ms abajo estn los paà ­ses que piden visa a los ciudadanos americanos que quieren viajar como turistas o para hacer negocios. Obviamente para otro tipo de actividades se requiere siempre visa, como por ejemplo trabajar o estudiar. Adems tener en cuenta que sà ³lo un pequeà ±o nà ºmero de paà ­ses pide que se solicite la visa en una embajada o consulado. La mayorà ­a permite que se obtenga a la llegada al paà ­s que se desea visitar o que se obtenga por internet.   Doble nacionalidad Estados Unidos permite la doble nacionalidad pero para ingresar y salir del paà ­s sà ³lo se puede utilizar el pasaporte americano, nunca el del otro paà ­s. Y esto es asà ­ en ms paà ­ses. Asà ­ que si se viaja entre Estados Unidos y el otro paà ­s del que se tiene la otra nacionalidad se va a tener que viajar con los dos pasaportes y en cada frontera utilizar el que corresponda. Se puede prohibir el ingreso y/o la salida si no se cumple con este requisito. Sellos de Israel Es muy problemtico o imposible ingresar a un paà ­s rabe si se tiene en el pasaporte el sello de ingreso o salida de Israel. Por esta razà ³n este es uno de los casos en los que Estados Unidos permite   que se solicite un segundo pasaporte vlido simultneamente. Plazos Cada paà ­s permite un nà ºmero de dà ­as o meses para los ingresos tanto con visa como sin visa. Es muy comà ºn 90 dà ­as o 6 meses, pero los hay quienes las aprueban por menos tiempo y eso hay que respetarlo. Adems, tener en cuenta matices como los espacios aduaneros como los paà ­ses Schengen. Los estadounidenses pueden ingresar por 90 dà ­as sin visa pero en el plazo de un aà ±o y se computan todos los paà ­ses Schengen. Es decir, en plazo de 12 meses no se puede estar sin visa 3 meses en Francia, 3 en Espaà ±a, 3 en Italia, etc. Los 26 miembros de Schengen son: Alemania, Austria, Bà ©lgica, Dinamarca, Eslovenia, Eslovaquia, Espaà ±a, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia, Holanda, Hungrà ­a, Islandia, Italia, Letonia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Malta, Noruega, Polonia, Portugal,  Repà ºblica Checa, Suecia y Suiza. Listado de paà ­ses que piden visas u otros requisitos a los ciudadanos americanos que viajan como turistas Estos son los paà ­ses que piden visa. Se incluyen naciones que en vez de visa demandan obtener antes de volar una autorizacià ³n electrà ³nica del viaje y tambià ©n caracterà ­sticas de las aduanas de determinados paà ­ses que deben ser tenidas en cuenta antes de viajar. Afganistn.  Llegar sin visa  puede llevar a la confiscacià ³n del pasaporte, a imposicià ³n de multas y a la deportacià ³n. Las à ºnicas excepciones son los estadounidenses nacidos en afganistn o los militares que llegan y salen del paà ­s en transporte militar.AngolaArabia Saudà ­. No hay visa de turista asà ­ que se tiene que obtener otra.ArgeliaAustralia.  No se precisa visado pero antes de viajar hay que aplicar por una Autorizacià ³n Electrà ³nica para viajar (ETA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Es similar a la ESTA que aplica Estados Unidos para ciertos paà ­ses en el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas. El plazo de estancia que se otorga es de 90 dà ­as pero no se puede repetir dentro del tà ©rmino de 12 meses.AzerbaynBahraà ­n.Se puede solicitar una visa electrà ³nicamente en la pgina oficial del gobierno de Bahraà ­n o tramitar una al llegar a la aduana.BangladeshBielorusiaBenin.  Adems de visa es recomendable  la tarjeta WHO para probar que se ha recibi do la vacuna contra la fiebre amarilla.Birmania. eVisa por un mximo de 28 dà ­as. Butn. Sà ³lo se aprueba la visa de turista a aquellas personas que reservan un tour con una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a local.Bolivia.  Se puede solicitar en las embajadas y consulados del paà ­s andino o en sus fronteras o aeropuertos internacionales. En este à ºltimo caso hay que pagar una cuota de $160.Brasil.  La visa debe obtenerse en la embajada o en el consulado ms cercano. Al llegar a Brasil los viajeros deben completar una pequeà ±a planilla que es sellada y se le entrega al turista. Es muy importante no extraviarla ya que debe entregarse para poder salir del paà ­s. En caso de no poder entregarla ser necesario conseguir un OK de la Policà ­a Federal para poder abandonar Brasil y puede que haya que abonar una multa.Burkina Faso.  Llevar tambià ©n la tarjeta de la Organizacià ³n Mundial de la Salud (WHO, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) para probar que se tiene la vacuna para la fiebre amarilla.Burundi.Se precisa probar vacunacià ³n para la fiebre amarilla. Respecto a la necesi dad de visa, consultar antes de viajar ya que la normativa es cambiante. Cabo VerdeCamboya. Se puede obtener al llegar a una frontera o a travà ©s de la aerolà ­nea.Camerà ºn.  Visa y prueba de vacunas.ChadChina. Puede no ser necesaria la visa para viajes en trnsito por menos de 72 horas y a travà ©s de ciudades previamente designadas.Comoros. La visa se puede obtener a la llegada.Congo.  Adems del visado, llevar prueba de vacunacià ³n contra la fiebre amarilla. Tambià ©n es necesaria una carta de invitacià ³n y/o prueba escrita de reservacià ³n hotelera.Corea del NorteCosta de Marfil. Existe la posibilidad de obtener una eVisa.Cuba. Se necesita visa. Adems, antes de viajar enterarse en detalle de la limitaciones que existen para todos los ciudadanos y residentes permanentes de los Estados Unidos.  Djibouti.  Visa que se puede obtener a la llegada y prueba de vacunacià ³n frente a la fiebre amarilla.Egipto. Se puede obtener a la llegada. Adems los turistas que permanecen hasta un mximo de 15 dà ­as en los resorts la penà ­nsula de Sinaà ƒ ­ y llegan a travà ©s de ciertos aeropuertos pueden no necesitar el visado. Emiratos Arabes Unidos. A la llegada.  EritreaEtiopà ­a.   Se puede obtener a la llegada.Fiji. Se necesita sacar un permiso de visitante a la llegadaGabà ³n. eVisa y prueba de vacunacià ³n contra la fiebre amarilla.Gambia.Visado y vacunacià ³n para la fiebre amarilla.Ghana. Visa y cartilla de vacunacià ³n.Guinea. Visa y cartilla internacional de vacunacià ³n.Guinea Bissau. Se obtiene a la llegada.Guinea Ecuatorial.  Requiere que se presenten en la aduana o punto de entrada carta de invitacià ³n, vacunacià ³n, fotografà ­as, etc. Pero en la prctica no se suelen pedir.India. eVisaIndonesiaIrn. Aquà ­ ha habido un cambio en respuesta a la polà ­tica migratoria de Donald Trump e Irn en estos momentos permite viajar a los estadounidenses que tienen visa, pero no emite nuevas.IraqJordania. Se obtiene a la llegada.Kenia. eVisaKwait. eVisaLaos. A la llegadaLà ­bano. A la llegada, vlida por 1 mes.LiberiaLibia. Pasaportes con sello de entrada o salida de Israel no son permiti dos.Mali. Visa y certificado internacional de vacunas. Madagascar. A la llegada.Malawi. A la llegada.Maldivas. A la llegadaMauritania. A la llegadaMà ©xico.  Aunque no se necesita visa hay que tener presente que si se entra al paà ­s vecino por tierra y uno se adentra ms de 20 kilà ³metros o por ms de 72 horas debe tener documentos inmigratorios vlidos (Forma  Migratoria Mà ºltiple). Si se llega por mar o aire, adems del pasaporte se puede utilizar la tarjeta de pasaporte o una licencia de manejar segura (enhanced).MozambiqueNauruNepal. A la llegadaNà ­ger. Adems de la visa se requiere el certificado internacional de vacunacionesNigeria. Se puede obtener onlineOmn. A la llegadaPapà ºa Nueva Guinea. A la llegadaPakistnParaguay. Si se llega por aire al aeropuerto Silvio Pettirossi se puede pedir allà ­. En caso contrario hay que solicitarla en persona en un consulado o embajada paraguayo.Qatar. A la llegadaRepà ºblica CentroafricanaRusia.  A tener en cuenta es que ninguna persona podr salir de este paà ­s con una visa expira da. Tendr que solicitar una nueva, lo cual puede demorarse hasta tres semanas. No se necesita visado si se forma parte de un tour en un crucero y la estancia no es superior a 72 horas. Ruanda.  A la llegadaSamoa. Permiso de entrada que se obtiene a la llegada.Santo Tomà © y Prà ­ncipeSeychelles. Permiso de visitante que se obtiene a la llegada.Sierra LeonaSiriaSomalia. Se obtiene a la llegadaSri Lanka.  Se requiere o bien visa o bien una Autorizacià ³n Electrà ³nica de Viaje.SudnSudn del SurSurinam.  Se puede adquirir una Tarjeta de Turista en cualquier punto de entrada al paà ­s.Tajikistn. Se obtiene a la llegada.Tanzania. Se obtiene a la llegadaTimor. Se obtiene a la llegadaTogo. Se obtiene a la llegadaTurquà ­a. eVisaTurkmenistn.  Tuvalu.Uganda.En estos momentos se puede obtener a la llegada.  Consultar con la Embajada ugandesa ya que su polà ­tica cambia frecuentemente.Uzbekquistn.Venezuela. Estos son los requisitos para solicitar la visa.Vietnam.YemenZambia. A la llegadaZimbabwe. A la llegada A tener en cuenta Para regresar a los Estados Unidos, estos son los documentos que pueden utilizar los ciudadanos americanos.   A la hora de salir con nià ±os es muy importante evitar situaciones que pueden dar lugar a que se cataloguen como secuestro internacional, que puede pasar en casos de divorcios o separaciones nada amistosas. En todo caso, se necesita autorizacià ³n de ambos padres para sacar pasaporte para menores. A la hora de viajar puede resultar conveniente registrarse en el programa STEP, para que la embajada del paà ­s de destino envà ­e informacià ³n sobre la situacià ³n y pueda establecer comunicacià ³n en casos de emergencia. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Current Event Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Event Assignment - Essay Example At present, we are at 385 ppm and increasing at 2 ppm each year primarily because of burning of fossil fuels. Because of this, the global temperatures have slowly been rising. The scientists claim that previous observations of melting ice in the polar region and the discovered release of greenhouse gases from our warming soils and waters indicate that the deterioration in our atmosphere is now moving at a faster pace. â€Å"Once CO2 gas is released, a large fraction of it stays in the air for hundreds of years† (Krajik). These same scientists believe that the dreaded process is still reversible if emissions from coal would be eliminated by the year 2030. The use of alternative fuel sources would also contribute a great deal to slowing down the process of global warming. Geoengineering solutions, which are said to artificially remove 50 ppm of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, would cost a hefty amount of money. Directing said funds to reforestation would yield similar results. Our present age of industrialization has plunged our world into this environmental crisis and â€Å"the greatest danger is continued ignorance and denial, which would make tragic consequences unavoidable." (Sato & Karetcha as quoted by Krajik). The article presents a grim picture of our environment. Where before, our thoughts were in sparing the following generation of the effects of global warming, the article now points out that the devastating effects of global warming is something that our present generation may suffer. The article pointedly brings to our attention the alarming levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, and how these levels are speedily rising. We have no one to blame but ourselves with this grim occurrence. The strides that our industries have taken in the past few years have made us very vulnerable to global warming. Our demands for easier and

Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Financial Services - Essay Example ave assumed new perspectives with most of the advisory services being focused on marketing specific financial products to the customers rather than highlighting the potential benefits, scope and efficiency of different products. The financial advisor receives commission based on the sales of the specific financial product. In view of this lack of transparency and increasing variation in financial charges by service providers are considered the primary reason behind the framing of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR). The RDR was initiated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in June 2006 with the primary objective of shifting the retail financial service industry away from commission based revenue paid by customers for financial advice. The RDR proposes to remove such practices and provide a ground for fair customer treatment. â€Å"Under the proposed FSA rules, an advisor firm will be prohibited from holding itself out to a retail client as acting independently unless the advisory service that it offers to the client is unbiased and unrestricted; and based on a comprehensive and fair analysis of the relevant market† (Smith, 2009). The key features of the RDR are improving the clarity for customers about financial advisory services, addressing the potential for remuneration bias, and increasing the potential standards of advisors (Davies, 2009). The RDR will have an impact on any financial institutions or agencies involved in retail investment dealings, trading and professional bodies, financial product providers, advisory firms, distributors, investment advisors, banks, building societies, mutual funds, and consumers (Davies, 2009). To gain an improved understanding of the impact of RDR on retail investment markets, firms should conduct an impact analysis to evaluate the effects of this framework on their business (KPMG, 2010). There are number of challenges facing the effective implementation of RDR in the present industry environment and existing business

Fish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fish - Essay Example The success of tilapia fishing has been its profitable aspect due to its omnivorous feeding habits, its rapid growth that allow high populations in the ponds, its high tolerance level allows the species to be harvested in large quantity (Halweil and Mastny, 56). The reason for tilapia farming is that its farming helps in the acquirement of Omega 6 and Omega 3 that are so important in the human body. Tilapia farming has also helped to reduce the disease occurrence of the fish species. Tilapia population in the world is around 1,500000 metric tonnes. Trout fish are a native fish of the north west America parts, but in the recent days they have been introduced into the rest of the world. The most cultivated trout are the rainbow trout due to its hardy species. It has been a successful farming because of the tolerability of the fish species in a wide range of temperatures (0-27ÌŠ C), trout fish are also farmed due to their ability to survive in fresh water. The population of trout in Britain is 16000 tonnes each year. The farming of trout in ponds and cages in the world has really helped in controlling its wild population because wild trout help in cleaning the river streams and oxygenation of the water (Halweil and Mastny, 63). Carp fish are of many different types such as common carp, grass carp among other types. Carp fish is a native fish from the Asia and Europe. Carp fish has a hurting effect on the other wild fish, this is because they interfere with the vegetation found on the sea bed, and hence other fish starve to death or migrate to other areas (Halweil and Mastny, 67). Fish farming has had a negative effect on the environment in the world. Most of the wet areas along the coast of the planets have been dried up as most of them are cleared in order to create space for putting up a fish farm. The mangrove vegetation is cut down for easy flow of water (Halweil and Mastny 2008). It is known that fish

The Zero Crossing Detector Engineering Essay

The Zero Crossing Detector Engineering Essay The X 10 transmitter sends data timed with the zero crossing of the power line, thus each unit needs to have a built-in zero crossing detectors. Mainly, the X10 manufactures are using PIC16F8XXX family to detect zero crossing by applying the external interrupt on the RB0 pin, which links to the power line through 5M resistance (to limit the current into the PICmicro) as it is shown in the figure 00. The PICmicro has a protection diodes which are designed to clamp any voltage higher than VDD or lower than VSS. Thus, when a negative half cycle of the AC voltage is applied, the RB0 pin clamps the voltage to VSS 0.5V, this can be interpreted as a logic-0. At the same time, as the AC voltage rises to or over VDD, the logical value will become logic-1. RB-0 is configured for external interrupts, whereas the input buffer is a Schmitt trigger. Therefore, the input threshold (0.2 VDD = 1V) on the falling edge and (0.8 VDD = 4V) on a rising edge. So there is an interrupt occurs on every zero crossing. The following equation is used to calculate the RB0 pin state which will change in relative to the zero crossing V = Vpk*sin(2*Ġ¢*f*t), where Vpk = 320Vand f = 50 Hz On the rising edge, RB0 can go high about 64  µ s after the zero-crossing. However, on the falling edge, it can go low about 16 ÃŽ ¼s before the zero-crossing. 120 kHz Carrier Generator X-10 transmitters use 1msec bursts of a 120 kHz to send information over 50 Hz power lines. Different techniques could be used in order to generate 120 kHz, however, in x10 units are mainly use one of the PICmicro MCUs CCP modules as it is shown in the figure100. The CCP (Capture/Compare/PWM) module of PIC 16F67xA is used in PWM mode to produce a 120 kHz square-wave with a half duty cycle of (50% of the duty cycle). In order to generate the carrier frequency of 120 kHz, the system oscillator capacity was chosen to be 7.680 MHz, Where the frequency of the PWM is the inverse of the period (1/period) And since one instruction is taking four oscillation periods we come up with the term of 4Tosc Main oscillator is 7.680MHz, Tosc = 1/7.680MHz PWM period = 1/120 kHz = 8.333 µs PWM period = [(PR2) + 1] * 4 * Tosc * (TMR2 prescale value) = [(0) + 1] * 4 * 1/7.680MHz * (16) = 8.333 µs After initialization, the CCP (Capture/Compare/PWM) is always enabled, and the register TRISC bit is used to gate On and Off the PWM output. By sitting the TRISC bit = 1, then the pin is an input and the 120 kHz signal is blocked and not accessible to the pin, other than When the TRISC bit = 0, the pin becomes an output and the 120 kHz signal is free and coupled to the AC power line. Before the 120 kHz coupled to the powerline, it will pass through 200à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistance, a transistor amplifier and high pass filter as depicted in the Figure 5. Since the impedance of a capacitor is Zc = 1/(2*Ġ¢*f*C), If f = 120kHz Zc = 1/(2*Ġ¢*120k*0.1*10-6) If f = 50kHz Zc = 1/(2*Ġ¢*50k*0.1*10-6) The capacitor of the high pass filter is equal to 0.1 ÃŽ ¼F which presents low impedance to the 120 kHz carrier frequency, but with 50 Hz power line frequency it will present high impedance. Therefore high pass filter will safely couple the 120 kHz signal to the 50 Hz power line. Finally, the 12 kHz signal should well match with the synchronize of zero crossing with maximum delay about 300 ÃŽ ¼s from the zero-crossing to the beginning of the X-10 envelope in order to be compatible with other x10 receiver. Since the maximum delay of the zero-crossing detector = 64 ÃŽ ¼s 300 ÃŽ ¼s 64 ÃŽ ¼s = 236 ÃŽ ¼s Thus the firmware must begin the transmission of the 120 kHz envelope with maximum time of 236 ÃŽ ¼s after detection of the zero-crossing to. 120 kHz Carrier Detector In order to receive a x10 signal, it is essential to detect the presence of the 120 kHz signal on the 50Hz AC power line. This application requires a specific hardware structure which? contains three blocks placed between the PIC and the power line and subsequence the 120 kHz carrier will bass through all of them to reached RC pin of the PIC. The first block from the power line side is the decoupling capacitor which contains e a 0.1 µ capacitor in parallel with 1Mà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistance. The next one is the high bass filter and the final one is the envelop detector which is connected to the PC pin of the PIC as it shown in figureXX. Since the impedance of a decoupling capacitor is Zc = 1/ (2*Ġ¢*f*C), If f = 120 kHz Zc = 1/ (2*Ġ¢*120k*0.1*10-6) =1/ 0.075 = 13.26 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Zc of 120 kHz = 13.26 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ If f = 50 kHz Zc = 1/ (2*Ġ¢*50*0.1*10-6) = 1/3110^-6 = 32.25 k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Zc of 50 Hz = 32.25 k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ The capacitor of the decoupling filter is equal to 0.1 ÃŽ ¼ farad which is presenting low impedance (13.26 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦) to the 120 kHz carrier frequency, but with 50 Hz power line frequency it will present high impedance (32.25 k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦). Therefore the decoupling filter will safely couple the 120 kHz signal detector to the 50 Hz power line and allow only 120 kHz to bass through it. The next block is another high pass filter, design an RC filter that will pass only 120 kHz carrier and attenuate the entire 50Hz. The second high pass filter scheme is shown below Where the high pass filter characteristics is shown in the next scheme ωp is the passband edge of the high pass filter ωp = 1 / CR where C = 150 pF and R = 33 k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ ωp = 2 Ġ¢ fp fp = 1 / 2*Ġ¢*C*R fp = 1/(2*3.14*33*10^3*150*10^-9). fp = 32 kHz. Where, fp is the frequency of the passband edge that will assures all the 50 Hz signal is completely attenuated, at the same time as the 120 kHz signal is passed through the filter to the amplifier stages. The signals are inter the amplifier stage with a value between ten millivolts to a few hundred millivolts. The module must amplify the carrier to certain limit and converted to a logic level signal that the PIC can detect. The amplification, however, must be carefully selected in order to prevent the signal will pass through the first stage which is the tuned amplifier stage where the 120 kHz signal is amplified by using a series of 4069UB inverters to configure as high gain amplifiers. The tuned amplifiers operate with peak response at 120 kHz at the first two stages while the next two stages are untuned amplifier but provide additional amplification. The amplified 120 kHz signal is passed to the envelope detector block which is containing a diode, capacitor, and resistor. The out put of the envelope detector is buffered through an inverter and finally the inverse of the amplified 120 kHz is presented to an input pin (RC3) of the PIC16F8xxx. When the zero crossing is interrupt the RC3 will checked to see whether or not the carrier is present within the 1 ms transmission envelope. A stream of 1 volt is representing the presence of the carrier while 0 is the absence of the carrier. Transformerless Power Supply X10 modules used PIC16F877A or any other PIC requires a 5V supply to feed the board circuit. Since X-10 units are intended to be plugged into a wall outlet, a transformerless power supply is used to provide the require voltage. There are two significant characteristics of transformerless supplies that should be kept in mind: lack of isolation from the 240 volt AC and limited current capacity. Figure00 illustrates the transformerless power supply diagram used in this application. As it shown in figure00, a 220v VDR (voltage dependent resistor) being and connected between Line and Neutra to protect the circuit from spikes on the AC power line. 1Mà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resister connects in parallel with two capacitors to provide a discharge path for the voltage left on the capacitors when the module is unplugged from the wall. The voltage across 1000Mfarad was rectified by using two diodes and finally a 5.1V Zener diode to produce a 5V supply for the circuit. Load Switch There are two options to control a mains rated load, either to use a Triac or a relay. Electrical designers used relays in many different applications because they are suitable for very high power loads and very low power loads also when the main rated load need to be isolated and finally when the load require a relatively slow toggling rates. A Triac is the best option for switching non isolated medium power loads and they have a rapid switching capability and subsequence they are very suitable for dimming and lamp control. x10 manufacturer used a Triac as a load switch of the x10 units because its medium power switching capacity and most of the home appliances are consumes a medium power. In addition, Triacs are an inexpensive three-terminal device designed to switch a medium current load and has been used extensively in home appliances such as lamp dimmers and motor speed controllers. The main two terminals M1 and M2 are wired in series with the load figure00. A Triac is, three-te rminal device that acts as a high-speed, bidirectional AC switch, two terminals, MT1 and MT2, are wired in series with the load. A small trigger current between MT1 and the gate allow conduction to occur between MT2 and MT1.when the latching occur between M1 and M2, the load current continues to flow even after the gate current is disconnected, as long as the load current exceeds the latching value. Therefore, when the 50Hz AC voltage falls below the latching voltage near each zero-crossing, the Triac will automatically switch off. There are two ways to maintain the load current beyond each single half cycle of the 50Hz AC supply, either the gate current have to be maintained continuously or the triac have to be retriggered each half-cycle of 50Hz. the advantage of the pulse trigger is that only lower average current is required. Typically, the trigger pulse duration must be long enough for the load current in order to reach the latching current. A L4008L6 Triac was selected for X10 module because it has a sensitive gate that the logic level output of the PIC MCU I/O pin will directly control it. Although, the PIC MCU can provide only positive voltages to the gate, the sensitive gate Triac can control the alternative AC current in both directions through the device. A lamp dimmer can be created by including a delay between the time that the trigger current is provided to the Triac from the PIC MCU and the time of each zero-crossing. In other words, TRIACs can be used to control the brightness of a light by switching the 50Hz AC power on part-way through each half cycle (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Therefore x10 maker allows the PIC MCU to directly drive the gate of a TRIAC through a current limiting resistor. By controlling the power-line cycle, the PIC MCU can control the average voltage across the lamp, and therefore the brightness . . .(unclear) http://www3.telus.net/Whalco/SDim.htm ftp://ftp.efo.ru/pub/cypress/psoc/capsense/app/TD-AN_LampDimmerAppNote.pdf http://www.freescale.com/files/microcontrollers/doc/app_note/AN2839.pdf

Global Warming :: Greenhouse Gases Climate Change

For decades and decades, human factories and cars have discharged billions of tons of artificial greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show many signs of global warming. On the other hand, some people want you to believe that global warming does not exist. There are many people who are only out for personal gain and are outright liars. According to a scientist at NASA "Global warming is the single largest threat to our planet"(Weier 2002). Over the past two hundred years we have seen significant changes in the effects on our environment, primarily due to humans and both their lack of awareness, or their total disregard for the effects that their actions have on the environment. Global warming is one of our toughest environmental challenges. It threatens the health of people, wildlife and economies around the world. The problem is carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollution. This pollution mainly comes from cars, power plants and other industrial sources that burn gasoline, coal and other fossil fuels. This matter collects like a blanket in our atmosphere. As a result, the planet gets warmer. We can say that the amount of radiation from the sun that reaches the earth each year has been fairly consistent from year to year and century to century until recently. Thirty percent of the total solar energy that strikes the earth is reflected back into space by clouds, atmospheric aerosols, reflective ground surfaces, and even ocean surf. Seventy percent of the solar energy is absorbed by the land, air and oceans.  ¡Ã‚ °The absorbed light is mostly in the form ultraviolet and near infrared solar radiation ¡Ã‚ ±(Weier 2002). Absorption of this solar energy makes life on this planet possible. The energy does not stay bound up forever. If it did our planet would wind up being hotter than the sun. Instead, when the rocks, air, and sea heat up, they give off thermal radiation, which escapes into space and allows it to cool down. This radiation is invisible to our eyes, but our hands can feel it radiating from a fire or a car engine. What we should be worried about now is that over the past 250 years, we have been artificially raising the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Factories, power plants, and cars, burn coal and gasoline and spit out a seemingly endless stream of carbon dioxide. Power plants are the largest contributors to global warming.

The Mexican & American Economy

Growth has slowed considerably in early 2001 in response to the hard downturn in the US economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2001 is forecast to slow to 2%, from 6.9% in 2000. A rebound of growth in 2002 will depend on an upturn in the U.S. economy and continued conventional economic management. A tightening of monetary policy should enable inflation to fall to under 7% by the end of 2001. With hopes in 2002 of a further reduction in inflation, provided the peso depreciates gradually. The first year of the Fox administration, combined both the fiscal and monetary tightening that will characterize the administration, this will limit GDP growth to only 2% in 2001. A pick-up in growth to 4.5% can be forecast for 2002 as private consumption and export-oriented industrial output rebound with the beginning of a turnaround in the US economy. A sharper slowdown than currently forecast is possible if the US economy goes into recession. A slowing domestic economy, combined with tight monetary and fiscal policy, will ensure that inflation continues to fall in 2001-02, although not as quickly as officials have targeted. With inflation already at single-digit levels and the peso likely to depreciate during the next year, further large reductions in inflation will be difficult to achieve. To reach its inflation target of 6.5% for 2001, Banxico will have to tighten monetary policy again following several tightening moves over the past 12 months. Even considering a relatively tight fiscal deficit target ceiling of 0.6% of GDP, year-end inflation will probably be around 7.5% in 2001 and about 5% in 2002. Positive investor sentiment towards Mexico, fuelled by expectations of an investment upgrade, has resulted in a strengthening of the peso in 2001. However, with the trade deficit widening on the back of the US slowdown and a possible cooling of sentiment towards Mexico, the peso seems bound for depreciation against the US dollar of more than 10% in total during 2001-02. The depreciation would be more severe except for rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (the US central bank), which began in January and are likely to continue during the year in reaction to a slowing US economy. Both exports and imports will grow at a much slower rate in 2001-02 than in the previous two years, reflecting a slowdown in the US economy as well as in domestic demand. Mexican exporters are facing an unfavorable environment for their products for the first time since the beginning of NAFTA in 1994. In 2000 growth in the import bill outstripped export earnings growth, a trend that will continue into the next year. Were the peso to depreciate more suddenly than currently forecast, export earnings growth could trend higher than import growth, resulting in a downward revision of the forecast for the current-account deficit. If the peso depreciates as expected, the current-account deficit will widen in 2001 and will further expand in 2002.