The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - Essay Example The story reveals the misguided beliefs of the villagers and their specific customs. The day, in which the lottery was conducted, Mr. Summers, an old man in the village, gives guidance for the villagers. He arrives in the village square carrying a black wooden box with slips of paper in it and Mr. Graves, a young man in the town, follows Mr. Summer, carrying a three- legged stool. People keep a distance from the box and the reader can see that the villagers show their willingness as well as their hesitations towards the rituals. Amelia Tibbet observes that â€Å"Basically, the story revolves around the misguided belief that if the villagers sacrifice one of their own to what readers are led to believe is a Rain God, then they will have good crops the next year† (Tibbett). The villagers believe that if they fail to follow the tradition of the lottery, they will face some tough consequences like starvation, poverty and drought. Before the lottery is conducted, various lists had to be made, such as the heads of households, heads of eminent families, and the members of each family. The old man keeps and classifies all the details and begins the lottery. From the words of the old citizens in the town, the reader can see that there had been a ritual solute which the officials of the lottery used to practice. They had addressed each and every person who come up and draw from the box. Examining the procedures, the reader can see â€Å"there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year† (Jackson). After the drawing, the winner is stoned to death by the villagers, and their activity exposes their superstition and brutality. Here, the modern reader may feel the situation as absolutely ironic because they have positive expectations

Evaluating the Historical Capital Budgeting Method Essay Example for Free

Evaluating the Historical Capital Budgeting Method Essay Currently AES employs Project Finance Framework. Project finance tends to be used in projects with tangible assets with predictable cash flows in which construction and operating targets can be easily established through explicit contract. The key to AES projects financing lies with the precise forecasting of cash flows. In effect, the possibility of estimating cash flows with an acceptable level of uncertainty allows for allocation of risks among various interested parties. The ensuing certainty in cash flows allows for high level of leverage and enables project assets to be separated from the parent company. Let us now take a closer look at the pros and cons of the Capital Budgeting System currently in place. Principal Advantages Non-Recourse The separation of the parent company is structured through the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). This SPV is the formal borrower under all loan documents so that in event of default or bankruptcy AES is not directly responsible before financial creditors. Instead, their legal claims are against the SPV assets. Maximize Leverage Currently AES seeks to finance the cost of development and construction of the project on highly leveraged basis. High leveraged in non-recourse project financing permits AES to put less in capital to put at risk permits AES to finance the project without diluting its equity investment in the project. Off-Balance Sheet Treatment AES may not be required to report any of the project debt on its balance sheet because such debt is non-recourse. Off balance sheet treatment can have the added practical benefit of helping the AES comply with covenants and restriction relating to borrowing funds contained in loan agreements to which AES is also a party. Agency Cost The agency costs of free cash flow are reduced. Management incentives are to project performance. Most importantly close monitoring by investors is facilitated. Multilateral Financial Institutions One of the four constituents that have contractual arrangement with the SPV in a typical project are the banks (an integral part group of financiers that include share holders, insurers, equipment manufacturers, export credit agencies and funds). Among these banks there are multilateral financial institutions (like IFC, CAF and etc). Presence of these institutions as financiers helps in raising capital from these institutes at lower cost and secondly it is also read as a positive sign by commercial banks. Drawbacks Projects V/S Division The company is not only expanding its geographical boundaries, but it is also diversifying its business through backward and forward integration. The current financial model does not provide the AES with the big picture, which now constitutes more number of variables that are being influenced by multiple factors due to the increase in depth and breadth of the organization. Complexity Financing of projects requires involvement of a number of parties. They can be quite complex and can be expensive to arrange. Secondly it demands greater amount of management time. Macroeconomic Risk The current methodology employed by AES for capital budgeting does not take into account the exchange rate risk. This risk will be of higher magnitude in the developing countries because of their unstable monetary and fiscal policies[2]. As we have seen that fluctuation in exchange rate has greatly hurt the AES business and they were unable to mitigate this risk as they haven’t anticipated it. This risk becomes important when the exchange rate fluctuation affects balance sheet items unequally. Thus keeping check on the foreign exchange rate requires timely adjustment of both the items of revenue and expenditure, and those of assets and liabilities in different currencies. Political Risk: This is another important factor which the current financial management system does not take into account. This will be of significant importance when it comes to investing in developing countries where frequent changes in government policies occur. Does this system make sense? The financial strategy employed by AES was historically based on project finance. This approach solely took into account those factors that minimized AES exposure to the project and achieved the most beneficial regulatory treatment thus ensuring availability of financial resources to complete the project. The model worked well for the domestic market as well as for the international operations, provided the opportunities undertook by AES were either in the sector of building and running a power plant or simply buying an existing facility and upgrading it and then operating. The underlying assumption over here was that the symmetrical and asymmetrical risks faced by the project were more or less same irrespective of its geographical location (Refer to Exhibit 3). However when AES started diversifying the breadth of its operations by incorporating other offshoots of energy related business and transforming from a cogeneration to a more utility organization with majority of expansion occurring in developing economies. This diversification of business increased the symmetrical risks like business risk, a classic example of which we see in Brazil where AES experience shortfall in demand /sales volume due to Energy Conservation Policy of Brazilian government and this had a chain effect on debt servicing capacity of the SPV as well the stock price of the parent company. Other factor that current model was not able to include was the risk of devaluation of currency in developing economies which resulted in significant losses due to the inability of the company to survive its international debt obligations. Expansion in developing economies also exposed the business to political risk where the policies change erratically with changes in government. Hence we see that the geographical diversification of business causes asymmetrical risk to increase causing bimodal behavior in the result. Project financing becomes less recommendable as a symmetrical risk becomes more manifest. This constitutes a problem for emerging countries where these risks tends to be at the forefront. Lal Pir Project Valuation Scenario 1: Pakistan In order to calculate the value of project for the Lal Pir project in Pakistan, we first need to calculate the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) using the new proposed methodology. For this we have followed the approach given in exhibit 8 of the case. The first step is to calculate the value of levered ? using the formula and information given in the case[3]. The value of the levered ? comes out to be 0. 3852 or 38. 52%, which essentially means that our project is not very highly correlated to the market return. Using this value of ? we now calculate the cost of Equity (refer Exhibit 4A). We have used the return on U. S. Treasury Bond (i. e. 4. 5%) as the risk free return in calculating the cost of equity. The cost of equity comes out to be 0. 072 and similarly, using the risk free return and the default spread (given in exhibit 7a of case) we calculate the cost of debt which comes out to be 0. 0807. It is important to note that the cost of debt and the cost of equity also need to be adjusted for the sovereign spread (0. 0990 for Pakistan). Once we have the adjusted costs of equity and capital we can now calculate the WACC for the project using the formula given in case where we essentially multiply equity and debt ratio with the adjusted costs of equity and debt respectively[4]. The WACC in this scenario comes out to be 0. 1595 or 15. 95%. However, now we need to adjust this WACC for the risks associated with doing the project in Pakistan and we do this by using Table A given in the case. We know that the total Risk Score for Pakistan is 1. 425 and since there is a linear relationship between business specific risk scores and cost of capital[5] we need to adjust our WACC by 7. 125% thus making our final WACC 23. 075%, using which we calculate our NPV (refer to Exhibit 6) from the year 2004 to 2023, and it comes out to be negative $234. 34 million. Scenario 2: USA For USA similar calculations are made to calculate the WACC (Exhibit 4B). However there are two things that are different. First we see the sovereign spread is equal to zero. Secondly, in this case we would need to calculate the business risk using the information given in exhibit 7a of the case (refer to Exhibit 5). This score comes out to be 0. 64 and using this score, our business risk comes out to be 3. 23% and adding it to our calculated value of WACC, we get our final WACC of 9. 64%. Using this we calculate our NPV for USA which comes out to be negative $ 35. 92 million (refer to Exhibit 7). Adjusted Cost of Capital and Probabilities of Real Events in Pakistan In calculating the adjusted cost of capital for Pakistan the WACC is adjusted for six common types of risks: Operational, Counterparty, Regulatory, Construction, Commodity, Currency and Legal. We can clearly see from table A given in the case that besides construction there is a probability of all these risks actually effecting the project in Pakistan. In these, the highest probability is that of currency risk and the legal risk. The adjusted cost that we have calculated is adjusted by the total risk score for Pakistan. There is a linear relationship between the total risk score and adjustment to the cost of capital, i. e. a score of 1 leads to an adjustment of 500 basis points in the WACC. When we calculate the WACC for Pakistan through traditional formula it comes out to be 15. 95%, however in order to incorporate the risk factor associated with Pakistan we need to adjust it for the Total Risk Score, which in this case is 1. 425. So we simply multiply this by 500 and we find out that we need to adjust our WACC 23. 075%. Since this 23. 075% is adjusted using the total risk score we can safely assume that it incorporates for the probability of the afro-mentioned six types of risks in WACC with respect to Pakistan. Discount Rate Adjustment: USA v/s Pakistan As mentioned earlier the discount rate is adjusted based on the total risk score of the country. This total risk score is compiled from 6 main types of risks, the probability of which varies from country to country. If we simply compare the risk scores for USA and Pakistan[6], we can see that there is a major difference between the risk profiles of both the countries. For instance, while currency, regulatory and legal risks are significantly high in Pakistan, they do not exist in the USA at all. Also we see that operational, counterparty and commodity risks are higher in USA as compared to Pakistan. Similarly when the respective WACCs of the two countries are adjusted for their risk we see that the adjusted WACC for Pakistan (23. 075%) is much higher as opposed to that of USA (9. 64%), which essentially implies that Pakistan is inherently a riskier country to invest in as opposed to the USA and any investments made in this region would have to cross a higher hurdle rate than if they were made in the US region.

Anabolic Steroids for Non-Therapeutic Use Essay -- Sports Athletes Ath

Anabolic Steroids for non-therapeutic use Competition is in our blood. The human drive to compete-and-win—in the Ice Age hunters fighting to drag home the biggest woolly mammoth, the ancient Greek athlete aiming for a greater distance in the discus toss, and the modern weightlifter pushing for the gold medal—has been linked to steroid hormones, namely testosterone and its derivatives, circulating within us. In the latter half the last century, many looking for an added edge have turned to synthetic testosterone-like anabolic-androgenic steroids to build muscle and enhance competitive drive. The ingestion of substances for better performance is not new. Ancient Greek athletes took in lots of protein to build muscle. Norse warriors known as Beserkers looked to hallucinogenic mushrooms for inspiration in preparation for battle. The earliest documented modern "doping" with xenobiotics for enhanced performance is among swimmers in Amsterdam in the 1860s. In the decades that followed, doping with nonfoods such as strychnine, caffeine, cocaine, and heroin spread to other sports (24,4). The synthesis of testosterone in the 1930s sparked the introduction of anabolic steroids into competitive sports. In the 1952 Olympics, synthetic testosterone enhanced the Russian weightlifting team’s ability to pump metal, and heave off with a heap of medals. In 1958 the first anabolic steroids were developed by a U.S. pharmaceutical company. Use of anabolic steroids spread through the wide world of sports in the 1960s and 1970s and by the 1980s the drugs were discovered by nonathltetes in search of a better body (24,8). Reports from the 1990s have indicated use of steroids among college, high school, and even middle school students (24). Exa... ...ropionate injections on serum lipoprotein concentrations in rats. Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise. 31 (1999) 664-9. Plalatini, P et al., Cardiovascular effects of anabolic steroids in weight-trained subjects. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 36 (1996) 1132-40. Mewis, C et al., Manifestation of severe coronary heart disease after anabolic drug abuse. Clinical Cardiol. 19 (1996) 153-55. Ferrandez, MD et al., Anabolic steroids and lymphocyte function in sedentary and exercise-trained rats. J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol. 59 (1996) 225-32. Boada, LD et al., Evaluation of acute and chronic hepatoxic effects exerted by anabolic-androgenic steroid stanozolol in adult male rats. Archives of Toxicology 73 (1999) 465-72. NIDA Report, Anabolic Steroids: A threat to mind and body. DHHS Publication No. (ADM) 91-1810. Norman, A, Hormones, 2 Ed. Academic Press, 1997.

Alfred Russel Wallace Essay

There are numerous advances caused by the development of science and technology in human life. Such discoveries and inventions led to the advancement of human civilization. Many definitive statements were given about science and most of these statements focus on the conventional approach in scientific endeavors. Little or no definitions were formulated exercising other non-conventional approach in doing researches in the field of science. Aside form the fact that there are other factors involved in recognizing one’s work and classifying it as a work of scientific methodology, human interventions on these processes are still influential in determining a specific work and accept it as a valid scientific research. As a result, proper recognition of a person’s work greatly depends on these limited criteria which are based on a narrow A person named Wallace ventured into the works of discovering things that he thought then as part of the laws of nature. He worked on the same area with Sir Charles Darwin with his evolution theory and findings. During that time, Wallace findings were not classified as a work of science due to a lot of reasons and as a result, he was not recognized then as a scientist but an outsider. Science then was defined in a narrowed approach wherein it encompasses only limited principles and classifications. A specific study can only be classified as a work of science when it is associated with human intervention brought about by the search for facts. All supernatural phenomenons were ruled out of contention and only those studies that involve findings from thorough experimentation are considered. Studies should follow the causality rule and must follow the laws of physics. Wallace study did not fall into this classification, thus, making his research disqualified. There are researches in the historical accounts that lead to statements that Wallace’s work did not suffice to the lists of scientific works. The authority responsible during that time in recognizing a work is the British Association. This body was founded by persons who hold good positions in the society. These people dictate the decision of the organization about the funding and citations of a given work. These people saw Wallace works as unacceptable and radically made, making it excluded from further recognition of the body. Religion also has a big factor in making up restrictions in the researches being made by people which provides a definite line between topics that are allowed to be studied and those that are not. Their decisions were greatly influenced by the social, political, and cultural aspects which was very evident on the group’s dealings with Wallace and his research. Accounts tell about the decision of the British Association tagging Wallace’s work to be excluded for reasons including the fact that his findings only repeats that of Darwin’s theories about evolution. Another factor that made Wallace unfit to be called as a scientist is because he has no formal schooling, a clear standard emphasized by the body who classifies researches and studies to be scientific or not. Wallace belongs to the labor sector compared to those individuals who were classified to belong in the upper class. For some people, these criteria are unfair and uncalled for since this focuses on the personal circumstances of a person and not on his works or contributions. However, the decision made can also be traced with other factors other than what was classified to be more of a personal attack on a person’s life. Wallace developed his interests in the evolution topics during his stint as a land surveyor in England. He combined several disciplines in his works and findings in his field of interests which is on the evolution theory. During that time, evolution was unacceptable and firmly rejected by the church ministers and their teachings. As an advocate of evolution principle, Wallace continued with his study and made declarations that were found out to be eccentric. He included in his paper the principles that humans and orangutans have direct relationship with each other. He accepted this principle of believing people really came from the ape ancestors. These findings were made years before other papers were written establishing the same principle as he has made. His work and that of Darwin has a strong correlation but what made its distinction is that Darwin’s result was very conservative and was carefully illustrated in a well mannered style. He still declared the superiority of white men over the people who lived before, different from Wallace’s declaration on the same concept of study. His findings did not found enough support from the British land where conservatism and religion matters a lot. He did not receive due acknowledgments for his work but Darwin did have the recognition for the same work he has. However, this scenario did not bother him and he continued his openness in his works and findings. Such situation that happened to Wallace should open up the minds of other people who sees things only as they want to see. There should be no distinctions between individuals who have submitted their studies and researches that belong to various states in life. The concerned body responsible for the recognition of such works should be aware that having a formal education should not be a major factor in considering a person to be a great scientist or not. What should matter is the validity of the results obtained by the study and the totality of the work submitted by any individual hoping for due recognition. Each should keep in mind that what matters are the character and dedication in the work like that of Wallace’s. Even he was not recognized then, it cannot be denied that Wallace still has a vital contribution in our present society and he can be considered to be one of the giants that made us see things that we have and developed for our society as a whole. Works Cited Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography. Retrieved on January 27, 2009. Retrieved from < www. wku. edu> Quanmen, D. (2008). The Man that wasn’t Darwin. Retrieved on January 26, 2009. Retrieved From

Bbd post

A Winning Process for Launching Your Engineering Career† by Dean C. Millard Course Topics include the Career Planning Process and Task/Project Planning: Understand Yourself Career Development and Choice Theories Interest and/or (Holland) Personality Assessments Understanding your personal values, skills, interests, and traits and their impact on career possibilitiesValues and ethics relating to career choices Your strengths and promoting your strengths (will be used for elevator speech) Explore Options Researching and Exploring Engineering Careers and Employment Options Use of career libraries and other resources for occupational and major choices Databases and other on-line resources Decision making about your career Informational and behavioral interviewing Interacting with Engineering Professional(s)/Faculty at Careers Discussion Take Action Marketing Yourself: â€Å"How can you make yourself stand out? Resume and cover letter design twittering skills Networking Internships Systems Engineering: Understand the systems/team approach to modern engineering design What skills and experiences during your undergraduate career will prepare you best for the reality of today's workforce and its expectations? The role of graduate studies and how to assess the need, and undergraduate course selection implications. Leadership skill development and experiential learning opportunities. Entrepreneurship may be a goal. What strategies should you follow? The importance of excellent communication skills.Team functioning guidelines The course consists of mandatory lectures together with homework and class exercises that will allow you to tailor the material presented in class to make appropriate career choices and enhance your career development. Topics will be presented in a summary fashion during lectures and will be investigated in more detail through outside assignments and subsequent in- class presentations and discussion. Some readings may be at profession websites . The course blackboard website will be the primary method of distributing information, assignments, and class documents.One other note about the rouser website: Please be sure you are registered with your name exactly as you are registered in this course. And only use your official Cornell email as the email address when you sign in and log in each time. Also, send ALL emails only from your official Cornell gamma account, others will not be opened, including if they are a nickname or an alias. Please be sure to keep electronic (backup) copies of ALL the documents you turn in to this course until after you receive your final grade.If anything is lost along the way, you can then easily locate, and resubmit any missing comments for credit. You will also find your assessment results you AC aired in the course may be useful to you later in your career. Please keep these materials for your personal use once you finish our course! Course Grading: On-time class attendance, participation in in-class discussions, and satisfactory, on-time completion of course assignments will determine your final grade in this seminar course. This seminar only helps you make good career plans if you are a serious, motivated, and active participant. Opts. Will be earned for every lecture attended on time and only if attending or the entire class period. 10 Opts. Will be earned for each homework satisfactorily completed, typed, and submitted on time – in class. A 40% penalty will be assessed for all late materials turned in after they are due in class, up to one week late or for turning in an unsatisfactory submission which must be redone. O Opts. Credit will be earned for homework turned in more than one week after the due date – although all assignments still must be completed satisfactorily and turned in to pass the course.Several homework assignments may be given higher weighting particularly he final project and these will be announced in class and on the assignment sh eet posted on Blackboard. In addition, some assignments will be group- oriented. Absences from lecture will only be excused for official university reasons and for communicable diseases such as the flu when you should remain at home and take care of yourself. The official university reasons are illness and absence from campus on official university business, the later must be documented in writing.Proof of any missing work must be submitted prior to the final exam date, ND be of acceptable quality. Remember, any assignment turned in more than 1 week late will receive zero credit towards your grade, but the assignment must still be submitted in satisfactory form to complete the course. Final Letter Grading will be based on the percentage score out of the total possible as follows: AAA – 100 % – 89. 9 % ICC – 79. 9% D 60-69. 9% Below 60 % OR if missing or unsatisfactorily completed any required assignments #1. Tuesday, January 27th In class: Introduction/overview of course and course materials (â€Å"Ready for Takeoff')

Movie and Drama. A Few Good Men

Movie and Drama. A Few Good Men The presentations of A Few Good Men play version contrasts considerably with the movie version. The dissimilarities are exposed by the way the characters have been molded. Also the camera and sound effects plays a considerable role in separating the two versions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Movie and Drama. A Few Good Men specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It ought to be noted that in movie version the characters are more vibrant and realistic than is in the play version. Another notable thing is that the use of diverse camera angles such as close shots, close ups and extreme shots makes the movie version more captivating. Although the play version is more engaging than the movie, it lacks the glamour and flamboyance brought by the lighting and effects. Therefore, the movie is crisply captivating and solidly moving. This can be supported by the fact that though the play version is etched on humor the movie is tied to professionalism. Thus, such dynamics as low and high camera angles are exploited to give the characters diverse features. For instance, the manner the soldiers are depicted in the two versions exposes another considerable dissimilarity. The play version depicts soldiers who look weak and unmotivated. However, the movie version adds glamour and elegance as it depicts the soldiers being glamorous and thrilling. Also, the setting and the backdrop background lighting is quiet contrasting. With the panning and zooming of camera to introduce new scenes the dissolving effects ushering in new scene paves a paramount view that is lacking in the play version. Despite the consistency of play version it precedes the movie in that it is presented in its original form without any cuts and insertions. Therefore, it can be argued that the movie presentation is more dynamic. Consider the fact that the introduction of technology in the movie set the pace for thrilling incidents. That is why the ca lculated use of light and sound effects, compositing and fine editing makes the movie to be magnificent. However, the play version is sustained by its humorous angle with its well developed suspense. Comparing the two versions it is apparent that the play version is anchored on the aspects of conventional theatre. While on the other hand the movie is tied to dynamics of technology.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Though, the theme and the plot revolve within the same axis, the movie generates more dramatic fireworks than the play. These differences are all linked to the fact that in the movie precision and suspense are more concentrated. More so, the play though dramatic in nature does not provide the audience with the variety of cinematic changes. This includes dialogue, climax and background variances. The only apparent similarities in both instances rest on the story but the dialogue is in one way or the other a little different due to the short anecdotes of humor in the movie version. In conclusion both versions have been developed differently. Though, the movie version is an adaptation of the play it is evident that the movie version is more interesting. These profound changes can be correlated to the fact that technological changes have played a role in shaping the movie. Though, the play is also incorporates diverse technological aspects but it lacks that profound consistency. Therefore, the elegancy of lightings, camera angles, compositing, effects as well as the background sets the two versions aside. More so, the characters depiction and engagement provides a rich ground for these variances. While the play is engrained in employing multitude the movie went of a lean cast.

Poverty Essays

Poverty Essays Poverty Essay Poverty Essay As a citizen of the Philippines for almost eighteen years today, Vive always dreaming off better nation. I always want the Philippines to be In Its highest glory. But as I witness It every day, the social problems In our country became worse as the time pass by. Just Like the social reality that Is mentioned In the film that poverty Is the main problem of our country because corruption seems more fun in the Philippines corrupt officials enjoy higher standard of living while millions pay the price of poverty, hunger and death. And still many of our countrymen lack basic access to elate, food and shelter. Eel sad and deep pity for those people who experienced poverty. But for me, it is not just the corruption that causes the poverty in our country, but also, our lack of love for our country. We are blinded by the thinking that it is merely the corrupt politicians, in the first place were elected by most of us Filipinos, which cause our misery. We always put the blame on them without t hinking that we also have to blame ourselves. We should not Just work for ourselves but also for our neighborhood and country. We should love them as much as we love God. Love Is the keyword, which we should remember because If we have love for our neighbors and for our country we can help solve the poverty that our country was experiencing. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from us. Love must start in ourselves, in a small scale and have to grow. So, in my own little ways, the solutions that I can help to solve the problem in poverty are the following: First, I should educate myself. I should have DISCIPLINE and HARDWOOD. I will follow the laws and regulations and avoid laziness. Second, I should help myself and my Emily to stop poverty or (uplift the way of living) we have. Sociologists would study the relationships between people who are poor. They may also look at ideas that the poor have towards the wealthy. Symbolic interactions generally look at the face-to-face interactions between individuals. From a functionalist perspective, they believe that everything is important to the world functioning. Many things can cause poverty. One of the main things that leads to poverty is a lack of education. Many people lack the education to compete for the higher paying Jobs and find themselves at a disadvantage. In the United States, African Americans have higher number of poor members than whites. This can be directly associated with the fact that many African Americans dont have the same educational opportunities as whites. In many other countries, people are doomed to a life of poverty because of the lack of educational opportunities. A conflict theorist would believe that education can actually lead to poverty in society. This belief is based on the belief that areas that are already wealthy will naturally produce a better learning environment for their students. This better opportunity to learn better prepares those students to one ay obtain higher paying Jobs. Conflict theorists also believe this can lead to a chain effect when it comes to crime in poorer areas. There are distinct differences between crimes and punishment when you look at wealthy and poorer individuals. Wealthy people have the advantage of having access to better lawyers and a understanding of the Justice system, while poorer individuals are often thought of as guilty as soon as the trial starts. Another aspect of conflict theory is the idea of capitalism, which is a competitive social structure that creates winners and losers. Often times many people cant compete in this system because of various factors that affect us from birth. In the capitalist system a minority of people often called elites are the bosses, the ones who run the companies and make the money. This in turn leaves the workers left to fight and compete over the limited amount of resources. With the vast amount of people left to compete, it is only natural that some people would get left out of the wealth. This is how poverty is created. In a way poverty is started like this because the system is set up that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. But which leads to Jobs being moved overseas because they can be done for cheaper wages. This is natural in the case of capitalism but it has a dramatic effect of the millions of Americans who need those Jobs. In current times a full time Job may not be enough to support a family with Just one partner working. Ultimately, conflict theorist believe that society is Just a collection of groups that push and promote their ideals in order to get ahead, thus leading to poverty and crime. Social interaction theorist looks at the relationships between people and the beliefs they have. The hemolytic interactions perspective believes that norms, values, and beliefs are learned through social interaction. There is an idea that those who are poor must be lazy and if they want to be rich, all they have to do is work harder. Poverty is a social problem simply because of the fact that it affects everyone, even those who themselves are not poor. Poverty leads to other things that affect our everyday lives. Crime and poverty go hand in hand. Poverty is more prevalent in urban areas where poor whites and minorities stay, and crime statistically is more prevalent in these areas. The stress of poverty drives these individuals to resort to crime and this leads to a cycle as their children are raised in this environment of poverty with no way out. Conservative and traditionally upper class Americans blame our current welfare system for this, stating that people have no desire to move up in life when they can just live off of government assistance. This is a common occurrence among the elite upper class. The perception on poor people has always been that if they Just work harder, then they can achieve what I have. This idea is supported by the upper class noncreative Americans who most likely havent had to struggle in their life and havent been on the other side of the argument. Interaction between individuals from different social backgrounds can lead to certain culture gaps. Poorer individuals may believe the wealthy people have had everything given to them seeing as some people are born into wealth, while wealthy individuals that work for their money believe that hard work and determination can lead to wealth. Stereotypes and beliefs can lead to conflict and differences between people from different backgrounds. Individuals from Rorer backgrounds can also become stuck in a perpetual loop of poverty. Morals and ideas are passed down from generation to generation and poorer individuals tend to have suspect morals. Leaving children with grandparents, sex at an earlier age, and unmarried parenthood are considered normal and acceptable among individuals living in a culture of poverty. Certain groups, according to this belief, remain poor over time as the culture of poverty is given from one generation to the next. The functionalist perspective of poverty believes that poverty is society is a system. This macro belief means that society is like a machine, every part needs to be working or it will fail. This belief means that poverty is needed for society to function, to provide balance. Without poverty, there can be no rich people and the wealthy are needed for society to run smoothly. A functionalist would say that those who are poor are in that situation because they dont have the knowledge, work ethic, or opportunity to achieve in society. This means that everyone has the capability to become wealthy with the right circumstances and resources. Functionalists believe hat poverty wouldnt have a place in society if it didnt have a place and a purpose. Poverty can actually lead to more Jobs for people such as social work, counselors, Poverty, no matter how you view it, is a social problem that has no true solution. Social theorist may have different beliefs and views but one constant is that poverty remains a social problem in our society. Whether its Marx and his communism and poverty belief, or Weber and his theory of social stratification, it can be said that social theorist, no matter how different their beliefs, agree that poverty is indeed a social problem.

85 Synonyms for Help

85 Synonyms for Help 85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help† 85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help† By Mark Nichol There are so many ways to help at least eighty-five, I discovered. Here are that number of synonyms and idiomatic phrases for the verb help: 1. Abet: to actively help with an endeavor 2. Accommodate: to offer something, especially to help meet a need or want 3. Advance: to speed up the development of an initiative or cause 4. Advise: to recommend or warn 5. Aid: to provide something necessary to help 6. Alleviate: see relieve, and to help correct or remove a problem 7. Ameliorate: to make better or more manageable 8. Amend: to help by improving 9. Assist: to supplement an effort 10. Attend: to stand ready to help 11. Back: to help with actions or words, or to help financially 12. Backstop: see bolster 13. Bail out: to help someone suffering hardship; also, to abandon an enterprise 14. Ballyhoo: see hype 15. Bear a hand: see â€Å"lend a hand† 16. Be of use: see benefit 17. Befriend: to become a friend of 18. Benefit: to be helpful 19. Bolster: to help in order to strengthen 20. Boost: to physically help one up from below, or to help publicly; also, slang for â€Å"steal† 21. Buck up: see bolster 22. Buttress: to strengthen figuratively or literally 23. Care for: to help someone recover 24. Champion: to advocate or protect 25. Cheer: to make someone feel better through deeds or words; also, to applaud vocally 26. Comfort: to provide hope or strength, or to console 27. Contribute: to give financial or material help or to provide services 28. Cooperate: to proactively offer help, or to compromise 29. Counsel: see advise 30. Deliver: to convey something to another 31. Ease: to make easier 32. Embolden: to give courage to 33. Encourage: to inspire, or to help by offering a positive comment or making a helpful gesture 34. Endorse: to approve or recommend 35. Facilitate: to help enable something to occur 36. Favor: to give partisan help to someone 37. Forward: see encourage 38. Foster: see encourage and nurture 39. Further: see encourage 40. Go to bat for: see back 41. Guide: see advise, or to show or demonstrate 42. Hearten: see encourage 43. Hype: to provide extravagant publicity 44. Intercede: to become involved on another’s behalf 45. Launch: to help someone start an enterprise 46. Lend a hand: to provide material help 47. Meliorate: see ameliorate 48. Mentor: see advise 49. Minister to: to give help to, especially in terms of emotional or physical needs 50. Mitigate: see relieve and mollify 51. Mollify: to assuage, soften, or soothe 52. Nurture: to help develop 53. Oblige: to indulge a request for help 54. Open doors: to provide help through influence or recommendation 55. Palliate: to reduce discomfort or pain, or to excuse 56. Patronize: to provide help through influence or financial support 57. Plug: see promote 58. Promote: provide help by advertising or by enabling publicity 59. Prop up: see bolster 60. Push: to help in reaching an objective 61. Reinforce: see encourage, or to strengthen 62. Relieve: to remove a burden or obligation, or to take one’s place in performing a task 63. Remedy: see relieve 64. Rescue: to help someone or something harmed, in poor conditions, or in financial straits 65. Restore: to improve by returning to a previous, better condition, or to help rejuvenate 66. Revive: to bring back to life or former improved circumstances 67. Root for: to publicly make positive comments, or to applaud vocally 68. Sanction: to approve, especially in an official capacity; can also mean to ratify, or to censure) 69. Save: see rescue 70. Second: see assist and reinforce 71. See (something) through: to help accomplish or complete a task 72. Serve: to satisfy or supply needs or wants 73. Sponsor: see patronize 74. Stand by: see back 75. Stick up for: see back 76. Stimulate: see restore 77. Stump for: see promote 78. Succor: see relieve 79. Support: see assist and promote 80. Sustain: see assist and relieve 81. Take under (one’s) wing: see patronize 82. Treat: to care for 83. Stand one in good stead: see bolster 84. Uphold: see assist 85. Work for: to help accomplish a goal Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Beautiful and Ugly WordsWhat to Do When Words Appear Twice in a RowCareful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

Market Research Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Market Research Master - Essay Example There is a growing consensus among management professionals on the role and significance of research in marketing decision-making. While there is a popular belief that more money spent on marketing research may reduce the chance of a bad decision, business owners and marketers are often esoteric, [Chiba, 2005] and even critical of marketing research, considered costly in terms of money and time and lacking accountability and precision, being only a recommended action. [Chee and Harris, 1998; p. 193] The paper attempts to understand and establish the significance of marketing research in decision-making and for business success. As a prelude to the topic, it may be imperative to define and understand the scope of marketing research. "the systematic collection and objective recording, classification, analysis and presentation of data concerning the behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions, motivations etc., of individuals and organizations (commercial enterprises, public bodies etc.) within the context of their economic, social, political and everyday activities" [Cited Cannon, 1996; p.100] According to Bennett's Dictionary of Marketing Terms, marketing research provides information for identifying and defining marketing opportunities and problems; generating, refining and evaluating marketing actions, monitor marketing performance and improve understanding of marketing as a process. It also designs the method for collecting information; manages and implements the data collection process, analyses the results; and communicates the findings and their implications. [Bennett, 1998; p. 117-18] It is significant to note that the definitions, while placing an emphasis on the measurement and analysis of markets, goes beyond the confines of market research to solve a particular company's marketing problem, encompassing the broad field of marketing. [Cannon, 1996; p.100] Accordingly marketing research essentially encompasses the '4 Ps' of marketing; Lancaster and Massingham present the major types of research, as including: 1. Marketing and sales research, which encompasses Determination of market size of both developed and new markets Identification of market characteristics and segments Identification of market trends Sales forecasting Obtaining information on customers and potential customers Obtaining information on competitors 2. Product research, which covers Generation of new product ideas Product concept testing Product testing Test marketing of products Packaging research focusing on different types of packaging 3. Pricing research focusing on Identifying the relationship between a product or service's price and demand 4. Marketing Communications research covering Effectiveness of advertisement campaigns and marketing communications Media selection research Copy testing Sales territory planning 5.

Risk Management Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Risk Management Plan - Assignment Example regarding legal risks; reputation damage, firm position, claims from third parties due to tax schemes, contractual risks and regulations and policy changes. Legal risk management for accounting firms should start with an engagement letter that contains terms of business, scope of work, and a reasonable liability cap. Engagement letters ensures the identity of all the contracting parties that rely on accountants work. This letters are important to the firm to reduce the amount of claims from third parties in the company. There are also different policies and regulations that govern the accounting firms; Ontario requires that all certified general accountants should have a mandatory errors and omissions insurance (Buchan, et al., 2012). These policies can change with time and this poses as risk to the company. A legal risk management framework is advised to ensure that the organisation will pursue its corporate objectives and aims within its legal obligations for example, legislation, codes of practice, and significant contracts. Compliance with auditing standards has to be followed in accordance with the Auditing Practices Board. Training of employees and proper planning of the work is therefore essential. The relationship between the accounting firm and the entity being audited maybe the source of audit failure to detect issues in audit (Buchan, et al., 2012). Training of employees should be thorough to allow them to pick up the warning signs for example, unexplained debts, late information provision and risk management lack in an entity. Failure to incorporate such information in audits may lead to the closure of the firm. Audit software packages should be revised on yearly basis and professional sceptism should be maintained when carrying out an audit. In reference to insurance, indemnities and warranties should be well considered to avoid catastrophic claims against the accountant professional. It should be ensured that the indemnity clause is well capped

Becoming A Coder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Becoming A Coder - Essay Example Coding providers give coding that can be used to describe diagnostic information that is in line with the patient’s condition, services offered and procedures followed. These codes are so detailed that they can provide an accurate description of the medical diagnoses and medical procedures performed. They can also correct diagnoses made. The profession of medical coding does not involve the practice of medicine. Instead, it is a simply the application of coding rules to a set of medical or clinical facts. Coder Credential Organizations One of the key necessities in the coding profession is credentialing. This is because the government recommends that only those coders who have the necessary credentials should be allowed to provide coding for Medicare patients. At the same time, credentialing validates the knowledge and skills of the coders to the world. In the US, two national organizations certify persons as having medical coding expertise. The two coder credential organizati ons are, the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). AAPC targets experienced coders and as such offers specialist credentials that enable medical coders to portray very high levels of expertise in their various specialty disciplines. Their 20 specialty credentials are independent or stand-alone certifications that do not have requirements for holding of the CPC credential. AAPC allows coders to validate the knowledge they have gained in a specialty with compliance challenges, unique coding and reimbursement (AAPC, 2005). AHIMA is a professional organization that deals with the management of medical records. The organization gives professionals dealing with medical records educational resources and programs. AHIMA certification distinguishes a person as knowledgeable, competent and committed to quality healthcare through quality information. As compared to AAPC, a specialist credential offered through AHIMA f ocuses more on facility coding. Facility coding refers to the kind of medical coding done for hospitals in in-patient settings (Michelle and Jo, 2004). Credential requirements and exams. Examples of credentials offered by AHIMA include RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCA, CCS-P and CHPS (AHIMAa, 2010). A Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) functions as a critical link between patients, care providers and payers. Professionals holding RHIA are experts in managing patient medical records and health information, collecting and analyzing patient information and administering computer information systems. One of the initial requirements for RHIA is a degree from a CAHIIM-accredited program. The pattern of its examination changes annually in response to organization demand or market trends. On the other hand, a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) is a health information technician who ensures that medical records are of good quality by verifying their accuracy, completeness an d correct entry into computer systems. They often specialize in coding procedures and diagnoses in patient records for purposes of reimbursement and research. Just like the RHIA, a degree from a CAHIIM-accredited program is one of the initial requirements for an RHIT. In addition, one must pass an AHIMA-administered written examination. According to AHIMAa (2010), 30% of RHIT exam tests on the knowledgeability in the management of health data. Thirteen percent of it tests on biomedical research, health statistics and quality management. Twenty five percent of this exam tests on information technology and systems. According to AHIMAb (2010), professionals with a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification credential are skilled in classifying medical data from the medical records of the patient in a hospital

Culture and Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Culture and Organisations - Essay Example However, it is true that national and cultural boundaries often overlap each other and most countries have their own culture. However, there are various typologies created by scholars that help connect cultural differences to national boundaries. The term ‘cultural distance’ can be used to show the difference that exists between two cultures. At this stage, it is worth remembering the Convergence Hypothesis which states that the combination of technology and economics is making countries more alike. For such a huge group of companies like Mitsubishi, this seems correct to a great extent. However, there is the Divergence Hypothesis which states that despite all the developments, countries will exhibit certain distinctive characteristics. There are two key cultural issues that require special attention. They are cultural etiquette, and cultural stereotypes. The former means the manners and behaviour that are expected in a given situation while the latter indicates beliefs about others, their attitudes and behaviour. The different identifiable layers of culture are ethnicity, industry, demography, and ideology. It is very evident that three of these factors except industry can have serious impact on the policies of a company. It is very evident that international business, to a great extent, is affected by culture. First of all, it can affect the way companies make strategic moves. Thus, culture directly influences important corporate decisions. Thirdly, culture is the easiest way through which motivation can be instilled. Thus, management, decision making, and negotiations are all influenced by culture. The company in concern The company in analysis here is Mitsubishi. In fact, Mitsubishi is a group of companies, and the number of companies under the label is around 400. In addition, there are many more Mitsubishi companies that do not have the name ‘Mitsubishi’ with them. The company was started by Yataro Iwasaki in the year 1870, and i t was initially a shipping company. Later on, the founder spread the business into banking, shipbuilding, mining, and insurance too. With the large number of independently operating business under one roof, the company has developed a special kind of working culture. All the members companies share the same founding management philosophy, and cooperate in areas of common interest. It is really surprising to note that the company has its operations in Asia, North America, Central and Latin America, Europe, Oceania, Micronesia, Middle East, and Africa. It is very evident that managing such a great organisation strictly following the philosophies of good human resource management is a tremendous task. As a result, it is quite natural that the company, at times, may face issues related to human resource management. However, the success of the company, to a great extent, is dependent on how the company manages the issues, and what further steps are taken by the company to prevent the occ urrence of the same kind of issues further. The problem in concern A few years ago, in 2003, the Mitsubishi Bank acquired the Tokyo Bank. However, the merger was not a cakewalk, because there was much dissimilarity in the nature of both the organisations. First of all, the employees of Mitsubishi bank were used to reporting for their duty in time. In addition they were used to wearing uniform, especially white shirts, at work. In addition, they used to thank their

Final assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final - Assignment Example Project management is a crucial part of organizational management that ensures the accomplishment of a series of organizational objectives within stipulated timeframes and budgets. Project management enables organizations to successfully pursue competitive strategies in their bid to achieve the desired organizational performance. Unlike conventional approaches, current literature acknowledges project management as a vital business process (Jamieson & Morris, 2004). This paper explores the significant principles of project management and how to use project management as a discipline to successfully achieve organizational objectives. Project Life-Cycle Management and the Benefits of Project Management to an Organization Project Life-Cycle Management Successful projects and campaigns usually rely on quality research, proper and careful planning, insights and regular adjustments on the basis of feedback. Project management life cycle basically has four interrelated phases (Gido & Clement s, 2012). For instance, in a packaged water project that I was involved in some time back, the project was divided into four phases: initiation, planning, execution and conclusion or closure. The figure below represents phases of project management life-cycle. ... It is essential top conduct a review in order to establish the viability of the project during the initiation phase. This will help in determining the likelihood of achieving the desired deliverables of the project. Also, a proper project team must be created that will ensure the accomplishment of every project task within the right timeframe. The creation of project office will set clear all the tasks that are supposed to be executed for successful completion of the project. The project charter is crucial for identification of the vision and objectives of the project, scope, project deliverables and overall implementation strategy among others. Finally, there is need to review the overall performance of the initiation phase so that any deviation can be rectified before it is late (Gido & Clements, 2012). Planning Phase This entails the development of schedules, strategies and necessary tools for implementation. This is where project plan is created. The organization develops plans f or resource acquisition and use, financial, risk, quality, acceptance and communication. The organization uses project team to accomplish the tasks involved in this project management phase. Execution Phase This phase focuses on building project deliverables. It entails transforming organizational needs into actionable objects. The project team designs and develops the planned solution and authenticates the solution in accordance with organizational requirements. This phase also involves monitoring and control, which entails time management, cost management, quality control, risk management and procurement among others. Closure Phase This is the final phase of project life-cycle. It

Payday Lending Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Payday Lending - Assignment Example h interests charged on these funds going as high as over 100%, coupled with the disadvantages of this practice, there is every reason to criminalize payday lending. Although high interest rate is one of the reasons for rendering payday lending illegal, the practice negatively affects economic growth and development. Most of the economies rely on the private sector and private investors. While the government and the financial industry provide individual investors with credit to start up small and medium scale enterprises, individual investors rely on their savings to raise income for investments. By promoting the culture of saving among the people, it positively contributes to the growth and development of individual investments, subsequently increasing the growth of the private sector. This contributes to the economic growth and development by providing employment opportunities, creating innovation, and creativity among the people. However, payday lending hinders this development. The fact that most of the people rely on this as a source of income to run their lives during the month is discourages saving among the people. Moreover, this practic e promotes a culture of consumerism, which leads to poverty in the subsequent years of employment. With people having liquid money with them, this increases the rate of inflation as they spend on most of their money on consumer goods. Lending at over 100% is also unreasonable and unethical, and as such, ought to be illegal. By choosing to criminalize the practice, a number of people are likely to suffer from such a development. Whenever people face emergencies, and others have financial constraints, they cannot access financial support and assistance through payday lending. Thus, people have to find other sources of satisfying this need. Making the practice illegal can further lead to loss of jobs for the moneylenders, thus increasing the rate of jobless people in the

Final assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final - Assignment Example Project management is a crucial part of organizational management that ensures the accomplishment of a series of organizational objectives within stipulated timeframes and budgets. Project management enables organizations to successfully pursue competitive strategies in their bid to achieve the desired organizational performance. Unlike conventional approaches, current literature acknowledges project management as a vital business process (Jamieson & Morris, 2004). This paper explores the significant principles of project management and how to use project management as a discipline to successfully achieve organizational objectives. Project Life-Cycle Management and the Benefits of Project Management to an Organization Project Life-Cycle Management Successful projects and campaigns usually rely on quality research, proper and careful planning, insights and regular adjustments on the basis of feedback. Project management life cycle basically has four interrelated phases (Gido & Clement s, 2012). For instance, in a packaged water project that I was involved in some time back, the project was divided into four phases: initiation, planning, execution and conclusion or closure. The figure below represents phases of project management life-cycle. ... It is essential top conduct a review in order to establish the viability of the project during the initiation phase. This will help in determining the likelihood of achieving the desired deliverables of the project. Also, a proper project team must be created that will ensure the accomplishment of every project task within the right timeframe. The creation of project office will set clear all the tasks that are supposed to be executed for successful completion of the project. The project charter is crucial for identification of the vision and objectives of the project, scope, project deliverables and overall implementation strategy among others. Finally, there is need to review the overall performance of the initiation phase so that any deviation can be rectified before it is late (Gido & Clements, 2012). Planning Phase This entails the development of schedules, strategies and necessary tools for implementation. This is where project plan is created. The organization develops plans f or resource acquisition and use, financial, risk, quality, acceptance and communication. The organization uses project team to accomplish the tasks involved in this project management phase. Execution Phase This phase focuses on building project deliverables. It entails transforming organizational needs into actionable objects. The project team designs and develops the planned solution and authenticates the solution in accordance with organizational requirements. This phase also involves monitoring and control, which entails time management, cost management, quality control, risk management and procurement among others. Closure Phase This is the final phase of project life-cycle. It

Quiz 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Quiz 1 - Essay Example These cultural differences accounts for the different modes of fighting where the Chinese use massed infantry technique, while the Western European applied the armed chariot technique (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Therefore, it is possible that China would not have fought the way Europe fought between the 16th and 18th century, but would have rather organized the warfare into a major conflict that would have resolved the series of problems the Western Europe was addressing all this time. The most important principles among the nine principles of war were the objective principle, which requires the military to focus the warfare on a direct, well defined and attainable objective as well as the mass principle, requiring the combat power to be concentrated at one decisive place and time of war (Sawyer, 1993). On the other hand, the European most important principle was the offensive principle; providing for the military to seize and exploit any loophole or chance created by the enemy and the manoeuvre principle, requiring the military to place the enemy at a disadvantaged position through manipulative combat power (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Nevertheless, after the Military Revolution, these emphases changed in Europe, and the principle of war as a continuation of politics was adopted, thus making the European wars henceforth political, for example the first and the second world wars were purely political wars (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Warfare is both an art and a science. It is an art that entails the actual method of fighting, for example the Maoist mass infantry armed fighting art (Sawyer, 1993). It is also a science since it entails the science of war strategy formulation, for example, the Clausewitz war strategy (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). The argument that the West has demonstrated consistent military superiority since the Golden Age of Greece is partly

Technology and Communication in Criminal Justice Essay Example for Free

Technology and Communication in Criminal Justice Essay Technology affects our everyday life. Technology also affects the criminal justice field, especially in communication. The criminal justice system has different databases thanks to technology. These databases do things that humans wouldn’t be able to do or wouldn’t have the time to do. Two specific types of databases are AFIS and Iris scan. AFIS (also known as IAFIS) stands for Automated Fingerprint Identification System. AFIS is just that, a database created to keep track of fingerprints. Iris scan is the scanning of the iris as a method to identify people based on unique patterns within the ring-shaped region surrounding the pupil of the eye. Even though we use technology every day it can also have its drawbacks. Technological advancements will always come with positives and negatives. A positive is that technology makes life easier for everyone who works in the criminal justice field. A negative would be if a form of technology breaks down or there isn’t any electricity to keep it up and running. AFIS is one of the most important and commonly used databases available to officers. This special database searches the fingerprints of over 74 million subjects in the National Criminal History Record File. AFIS is a system that compares fingerprints. It isnt precise enough to make a final determination on a case but what it does do is cut out all of the people whose fingerprints dont compare very closely to the initial fingerprint at hand. This is a huge asset to the criminal justice system because its probably close to impossible for an officer to sit and compare a million different fingerprints to one single one without the probability of overlooking the correct fingerprint. As humans we are more open to errors where as databases are more reliable with the information they give out. The AFI system comes up with a short list of candidates and the officers can compare that short list instead of 74 million other fingerprints. Another very important and extremely reliable database is the Iris scan which came around in about 1994. The name of the Iris scan pretty much describes itself. Iris scan is the scanning of the iris as a method to identify people based on unique patterns within the ring-shaped region surrounding the pupil of the eye. The color of the iris is different from person to person. If looked upon closely you would be able to see the complex patterns of the iris that make each person unique. The iris is like a snowflake, no two are alike. Since every iris is unique and different it is a perfect way to identify people and it  is harder for people to commit identity fraud since it is an internal organ. A sophisticated high resolution camera is used to take one or more images of the eye. The images are then put into a matching engine where it searches a database for similar irises. This database can search thorough millions of images per second, something physically impossible for a human being to do. Because of this, the technology behind the iris scan is very important to the criminal justice system. The AFIS and Iris scan databases are similar in some ways but also very unique each in its own. These databases can do things in a matter of seconds or minutes that are physically impossible things for offic ers to do in any acceptable amount of time. Both of these types of technology make cases and work life easier for every officer using them. The AFIS and Iris scan make information available to officers as well. They both have to do with peoples unique and distinct body parts so they are able to separate one subject from the other like other databases can’t. They are different because AFIS deals with fingerprints while Iris scans deal with the iris in the eye. Also, a fingerprint can change slightly over time whereas an iris stays the same for the most part throughout someone’s life. Fingerprints are more commonly used though mostly because they are more cost effective. Fingerprinting is also faster and easier to do. In my opinion, technology in the criminal justice field has made communication so much better and easier. Even though technology makes things easier and faster it still has its drawbacks. One of the many positive effects of technology is that communication in the criminal justice field goes around much quicker. At their disposal are technological advancements like faxes, internet, and email. All three can help get information to other counties or stations a lot fas ter than if that technology wasn’t available. For example, if there is a man that is wanted and on the run an officer can fax over the information and a picture to another county. The same officer can also send out a massive email to other stations and counties to keep the eye out for the suspect. An email or a fax can be done in a matter of seconds to just a few minutes. If it wasn’t available the officers would have to depend on phone calls or snail mail which just doesn’t do the job a fax or email with an attached picture would do. The internet is also at their disposal and it is completely stocked with information of great magnitudes. With any great things there are drawbacks. One of the main drawbacks of fax, email or internet is if there is no power. If there is a shortage or a blackout these types of technologies are no longer available for use. They all depend completely on electricity and without it cannot function. There is also the problem of breaks or glitches. There are times when internet or email runs very slowly because of glitches. There could also be a problem with the cords that doesn’t let the internet be used. A fax machine or computer can also easy break or get damaged. They can give out at any given time and will need to be repaired. Sometimes it is easier to use technology but not always convenient. As can be seen, technology is a part of our everyday life. Thanks to technology many useful databases are available to the criminal justice field. Two specific types of databases are AFIS and Iris scan. Technology is used every day but it can also have its many drawbacks. Technological advancements will always come with positives and negatives. A positive is that technology makes life easier for everyone who works in the criminal justice field. A negative would be if a form of technology breaks down or there isn’t any electricity to keep it up and running.

Insight Meditation :: essays research papers

Buddhist meditation practices often emphasize mainly concentration, particularly on a certain person, place or thing. They teach the mind to focus on one point or object, which achieves strength of concentration. The results are peaceful states, and in some very rare cases are said to create supernormal powers. That is no wonder why many people steer in that direction, in hopes of achieving "superpowers". Insight meditation is quite different however, and although some degree of concentration is needed, the meditator focuses more on mindfulness of the situation. Insight is defined in the dictionary as "the capacity to discern the true nature of a situation". The basis of insight meditation is the four foundations of mindfulness. They include contemplation of the body, contemplation of feelings, contemplation of the mind-state and contemplation of mind-objects. To achieve mindfulness one must try to be aware of these foundations as they exist in their bodies. For example to be mindful of the body, it is necessary to be aware of breathing in, breathing out, posture, bodily movements inwardly and outwardly etc. One must be conscious of mind-objects such as desire, and understand hoe feelings like that come about and how they are eliminated. To understand mindfulness as simply as possible, one can look at the difference between an unmindful person and the opposite. Everyday we see people who are unmindful of their actions, unmindful of their movements. Someone on the street who steps into a large puddle is unmindful of walking, such as someone who slips and falls. The state of mind of this person is unclear and possibly confused. We can compare this to ourselves in everyday life. Almost everybody has moments of calmness and moments of panic in their lives. When we are calm and composed, our minds are bright and clear, and our actions involve more thought. If we were to take a long walk on a desolate beach, with not a single soul around, we would have a higher degree of mindfulness than say, a walk to the subway station. A walk along the beach is much more peaceful, thus easier for us to achieve that mindfulness. On the other hand most of us have experienced a time in our lives when we have been panic-stricken, for whatever reason. In those cases, are mind is cluttered, we cannot think clearly and make rational decisions. In a way we are separate from our mind

Sexual Selection and Sexual Conflict Essay -- Mating Biology

Charles Darwin characterized sexual selection as â€Å"variance in the number of mates†. The purpose of sexual selection is to perfect the secondary sexual characteristics, which are the morphological differences between the two sexes. On the other hand the primary sexual characteristics are the differences between the reproductive genital systems of the two sexes. Sexual selection instead of adapting the individual to the environment, like natural selection, it does enhance traits involved in mate acquisition. Sexual conflict, on the other hand, occurs when males and females have different reproductive interests and deriving from the urge of sexual reproduction. This is boosted by promiscuity when males and females have several partners. (www1, www2, www4) Futuyma (1998) defines sexual selection as â€Å"selection that arises from differences in the mating success (number of mates that bear offspring)†. Sexual struggle can be divided into two categories. The first category is the struggle between individuals of the same sex (generally males) in order to be victorious against their rival by killing it or make it retreat. In this category the females remain passive. The second category is the struggle between individuals of the same sex but this time this happens in order to attract individuals of the opposite sex. There are also some theories for the existence of sexually selected traits. There is the intrasexual selection, in which males compete aggressively with each other for access to the females. It includes weapons such as horns, antlers, tusks and spurs, which are examples of sexual dimorphism. Weapons are mainly male characteristics and some possible explanations for their existence are: protection against predators, used for co... ...he same sex as they compete for mates and also between the sexes as individuals choose their partners. Sexual conflict arises because strategies that maximize the fitness of one sex can reduce the fitness of the other. To sum up, sexual conflict can lead to sexually antagonistic co-evolution, in which one sex evolves a favorable trait, which is countered by a countering trait in the other sex. (www5, www6) Works Cited †¢ http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~otto/PopGen500/Discussion3/Overheads.html http://bio.research.ucsc.edu/~barrylab/classes/animal_behavior/SELECT.HTM#anchor460576 : http://aarongoetz.netfirms.com/My%20Articles/SexualConflict-bookreview-atg.pdf†¢ http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21967.php http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470015902.a0003669.pub2/abstract †¢ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/npg.els.0001718/abstract

Structural Functionalist

A society is a complex unit, made up of interrelated parts. All these parts form the structure of the society and each sub unit has to perform its given task. Social structures are stressed and placed at the center of analysis and social functions are deduced from these structures. This perspective looks at how the various parts of the society come together and perform their individual tasks interdependently and interrelated to promote social stability and order and in turn the smooth functioning of the society. Structural functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. This approach looks at both social structure and social functions. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. As a structural theory, Functionalism sees social structure or the organisation of society as more important than individual. Functionalism is a top down theory. Individuals are born into society and become products of all the social influences around them as they are socialised by various institutions such as the family, education, media and religion. Functionalism sees society as a system; a set of interconnected parts which together form a whole. There is a relationship between all these parts and agents of socialisation and together they all contribute to the maintenance of society as a whole. Structural functionalism concentrates on the positive and negative functions of social structures. Societal functionalism is a particular type of structural functionalism that aims to explain the role of social structures and institutions in society, the relationship between these structures, and the manner in which these structures constrain the actions of individuals. According to structural functionalists, individuals have little to no control over the ways in which particular structures operate. Indeed, structural functionalists understand individuals in terms of social positions. It is not individuals who are ranked, but positions that are ranked according to the degree to which they contribute to the survival of society. High-ranking positions offer high rewards that make them worth an individual’s time and effort to occupy. The structural functionalist perspective also takes into account the concept of value consensus. Functionalists believe that society is held together by this consensus, or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole. They share the same ideas, beliefs and morals which bind them together. Functionalists believe that without such collective shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible and social order is crucial for the well-being of society. They believe that value consensus forms the basic integrating principle in society. And if members of society have shared values they therefore also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. Value consensus also ensures that people have shared: – Goals, Roles and Norms. Any social system has four basic functional prerequisites: * adaptation * goal attainment * integration and * Pattern maintenance. The function of any part of the social system is understood as its contribution to meeting the functional prerequisites. Adaptation refers to the relationship between the system and its environment. In order to survive, social systems must have some degree of control over their environment. Food and shelter must be provided to meet the physical needs of members. The economy is the institution primarily concerned with this function. Goal attainment refers to the need for all societies to set goals towards which social activity is directed. Procedures for establishing goals and deciding on priorities between goals are institutionalized in the form of political systems. Governments not only set goals but also allocate resources to achieve them. Even in a so-called free enterprise system, the economy is regulated and directed by laws passed by governments. Integration refers primarily to the ‘adjustment of conflict’. It is concerned with the coordination and mutual adjustment of the parts of the social ystem. Legal norms define and standardize relations between individuals and between institutions, and so reduce the potential for conflict. When conflict does arise, it is settled by the judicial system and does not therefore lead to the disintegration of the social system. Pattern maintenance refers to the ‘maintenance of the basic pattern of values, institutionalized in the society’. Insti tutions that perform this function include the family, the educational system and religion. No theory has been there without any criticism. The structural functionalist perspective also has been criticized on the grounds that it neglects the negative functions of an event such as divorce. The perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of society's members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them. Functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise.

Apple Research Project Essay

To help Apple figure out what can be done to maintain and/or surpass its current level of success within the smartphone market Team D created and administered a ten question survey. The purpose of the survey is to gain knowledge on what consumers think about the iPhone and determine any desired changes to ensure Apple’s top rating within the smartphone market. The results of the survey will be analyzed to identify any trends or similarities between all of the different respondents. Sampling Process and Data Collection The survey was distributed via Facebook to current and future smartphone owners. It was not a requirement for respondents to be previous or current iPhone users. Each team member was instructed to post a link to the survey using her personal social media account along with a brief description of the survey’s goal. The website www.surveymonkey.com is a free way to collect the necessary data. Survey Monkey collected and grouped the data from the responses. Most statistical studies are based on samples of relevant data with the main criteria ensuring that the sample provides a faithful representation of the totality from which it is selected, and to know as precisely as possible the probability that a sample is reliable (Sociology Guide, 2014). There are several types of sampling methods that can be used. The sampling method that is used for this survey is random sampling. This type of sampling includes choosing subjects from a population through unpredictable means. All subjects have an equal chance of being selected out of the population being researched. This type of sampling is beneficial because a survey is the best way to show unbiased results. It is also a faster, less expensive, more efficient way to obtain results (Random Sampling, 2014). Types of Data Collected The first step to collecting the data was figuring out the sample population for the survey. The target population was current and future smartphone users. The second step to collecting data was to use survey questions that showed interval and ratio data. The results from the questions obtained some good data that could help Apple make some good decisions to better their product. The third step to collecting the data was to conduct the survey, via social networking, and analyze the results that were collected through the Survey Monkey website. Data Analysis The majority of the survey respondents, 61.54%, has owned or used an iPhone for 2-4 years. Most of the respondents seem to be pleased with the iPhone giving between a 7 or 8 ranking on a scale of 1 (Least favorable) to 10 (Most favorable). There was a great demand for a larger storage capacity with features/camera/apps coming in a close second. Other suggestions were free access to iCloud, Apple’s digital storage hub, improved GPS/navigation, and multi-tasking capabilities. Most of the respondents (73.08%) agreed that improvements would persuade them to keep their current iPhone or purchase a new one. A few respondents suggested that Apple offer features comparable to that of other smartphone manufacturers. Over 60% of respondents agreed that the iPhone is in jeopardy of not being the most popular cellular device in the future. The comments ranged from Apple having strong brand awareness to the necessity of improvements and adjustments for the smartphone to remain competitive. A price increase proved to be a determining factor for future sales. The majority of respondents said they would not purchase an iPhone if the price were raised. On the contrary, most respondents said that they would still use the phone if Apple performed software upgrades instead of rolling out a new phone. 73% would recommend the iPhone to family and friends. Conclusion Overall, consumers were pleased with the iPhone as it is but most agree that the smartphone could benefit from additional storage. The survey  successfully identified points for improvement while providing insight into consumers’ thoughts on the iPhone. The consensus is that Apple should aim to be more competitive within the market. The responses show that without adjustments the iPhone may become less popular among consumers. Team, There were 10 questions in your survey. I am having trouble finding the results for these 10 questions. Map your analysis and graphical representations to the questions. Any question on a survey should be providing needed information for decision making or it should not be on the survey. Only one question collected interval data – question 1 of your survey. How would you rate your device on a scale of 1 to 10. This question produces interval data – your results should include calculations such as the mean and standard deviation. Such calculations are important to business decision making. The survey should include at least two such questions. Include an additional question so that further analysis can be done. Review the McClave text chapter two for methods to analyze interval and ratio data. Consider mapping to the survey questions – 1. How would you rate your device on a scale of 1 to 10? 2. Would you suggest the iPhone to your friends and/or family? 3. What features would you like to see improved and/or offered on the next version of the iPhone that is currently available on other smartphones? 4. What changes if any would you like made to the iPhone? 5. What do you consider its best feature? 6. What does the main use of your iPhone consist? (school function) (work related activities) (social media and personal contact) 7. Is your iPhone black or white? 8. Are you male or female? 9. Which age range do you fit? (16-18) (19-25) (26-35) (36-45) (46+) 10. Have you owned a cell phone besides the iPhone? If yes, what phone was it? Group_______ References Random Sampling. 2014. What is Random Sampling? Retrieved from: http://www.randomsampling.org/ Sociology Guide. 2014. Sampling. Retrieved from: http://www.sociologyguide.com/research-methods&statistics/sampling.php SurveyMonkey. 1999-2014. Analyze results. Retrieved from https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/hHbfL6HljUGg73j7C6aWevOJJJrKp6glQfbrCAUt9_2Bg_3D Content 70 Percent Pts. Earned /Pts. Possible Comments: Identifies sampling process by sampling contact, distribution and collection methods Include a description of the sampling method (i.e. random, systematic, convenience,†¦) Includes complete administrators of surveys and data collection deliverables Review concludes students have used correct organization, analysis, and interpretation of the data attained during research Includes visual representation of data collected using tables and figures with descriptive elements to discern categorization See embedded comments. Review the sampling methods to determine and support the method being used in your study. Review the visualization and presentation of the 10 questions in your survey and how to best communicate the results. A table or additional graphics to clearly indicate the results of the 10 questions. Include analysis of two questions that produce interval/ratio data. Information can be found in the McClave text chapter 2 for the calculations of such values as the mean and standard deviation. 15/20 Writing Guidelines 30 Percent Comments: Tables or figures should include all the appropriate labeling, can be easily understood, even in the event of administration difficulty. Participants’  names and identifiable data should remain anonymous to avoid perceived bias towards the sampling. Intellectual property is recognized with in-text citations and a reference page. APA guidelines followed. Consider the research design flow to communicate the data collected from your survey. I could not follow from your week 4 project. 7/10 Assignment Total 22/30 Additional comments:

Adult Learning and Learning Styles Essay

When one thinks about education thoughts are naturally turned toward adolescents. In today’s society the media is quick to expose flaws in the educational system. One rarely thinks about the educational needs of adults, but for many adults there is a large need for continuing their education. One might venture to ask the question what is adult learning? According to Malcolm Knowles adult learning is a process of self-directed inquiry (Urological Nursing, 2006). Although there are many adults that are driven to continue their education, the idea can be overwhelming for most. It is best for the adult learner to prepare for the journey by knowing the process of adult learning, identifying the types of learning styles, and identifying one’s personal learning style. Assessing the level of the above traits and the readiness to learn will equip the adult learner with an arsenal of tools. Learning is defined as, a relatively permanent change in an organisms behavior (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner 2004). There are a multiple theories as to how people learn. The more popular theory is the Learning Theory. The learning theory encompasses five orientations to learning: Behaviorist, Humanist, Cognitivist, Social Cognitive, and Constructivist (Merriam et al. , 2007). This paper will focus on the behaviorist aspect of learning, the permanent change in behavior. Understanding how and why adults learn will increase the chances of teaching success. The reason most adults enter any learning experience is to create change. This could encompass a change in (a. ) their skills, (b. ) behavior, (c. ) knowledge level, or (d. ) even their attitudes about things (Adult Education Center, 2005). The degree of motivation is what separate adult learners from school age children, previous experience, engagement in the learning process, and applied learning. Adults learn best when convinced of the need for knowing the information (Urologic Nursing, 2006). For example, an employee who is offered a training opportunity that will directly impact one’s job will be more likely to take advantage of the opportunity, as compared to an employee whose training opportunity is not directly related to the employee’s job description. Adults have a greater depth, breath, and variation in the quality of previous life experiences than younger people (O’Brien, 2004). Former experiences can lead the adult learner to connect current learning to something learned in the past. For example, if an adult learner is taking an advance course in Accounting. One might be able to recall a mathematical strategy used previously in a basic course that can apply to the current accounting class. Utilizing experience in this fashion can lead to making the learning experience more meaningful. In a classic study, Rogers (1969) illustrated that when an adult learner has control over the nature, timing, and direction of the learning process, the entire experience is facilitated. Adults tend to be self-directed and decide what they want to learn. For instance, in today’s economy many adults have decided to return to school in order to become more marketable in the current economic slowdown. The website for the Higher Education Statistics Agency ( HESA) states that 24% of undergraduate students are now classified as mature students (i. e.21 years of age), many of whom have arrived in university after completing a foundation-level access course at a further education college. Choosing to return to school allows learners to have more control over the educational process. It allows the adult learner to choose which program to enroll, and the level of commitment towards the program the learner is willing to give. It is important to remember that in order to engage the adult learner and facilitate the transfer of knowledge, patience and time on the part of the teacher and learner are needed (Urologic Nursing, 2006). As skills and knowledge are acquired, it is paramount to include return demonstrations by the learner (Urologic Nursing, 2006). It is important for the teachers to observe the learned skills in the learner, and for the learner to experience the progress in their understanding, and application of the education. Seeing progress and realizing a tangible movement forward in the learning process may increase the learner’s motivation to learn even more. Table 1. Characteristics of Adult Learners * Autonomous and self- directed. * Accumulated a foundation of experiences and knowledge * Goal oriented * Relevancy oriented * Practical * Need to be shown respect Characteristics of Adult Learners Source: Knowles, 1970 Table 2. Sources of Motivation for Adult Learning * Social Relationships * External Expectations * Social Welfare * Personal Advancement * Escape/Simulation * Cognitive Interest Source: Lieb, 1991 Learning styles refers to the consistent way in which a learner responds to or interacts with stimuli in the learning context (Robert Loo, 2002). Learning styles are related to cognitive styles of the learner’s personality, temperament, and motivation. According to Riding and Cheema (1991) the concept of learning styles seem to emerge in the 1970’s as a replacement for the cognitive styles. Activity in the learning styles field has been so strong that some 21 different models have been developed (Curry, 1983). Kolb’s Experimental Learning Model (ELM) is one of the most popular and utilized learning models today. ELM has attracted a wide audience as well as application. His model is founded on Jung’s concept of types or styles through which the individual develops by using higher level of integration and expression of non-dominant modes of dealing with the world (Kolb, 1994). Experience is formed into concepts that guide the choice of new experiences. Kolb’s model reflects two dimensions based on (a) perceiving , which involves concrete experience (feeling) and abstract conceptualization (thinking), and (b) processing, which involves active experimentation (doing) and reflective observation (watching) (Robert Loo, 2002). These two dimensions form the following four quadrants reflecting four learning styles: accommodator, diverger, assimilator, and converger (Robert Loo, 2002). FIGURE 1. Kolb’s Two–Dimensional Learning Model and Four Learning Styles Accommodator Diverger Converger Assimilator Concrete Experience Active Experimentation Reflective Observation Abstract Conceptualization Accommodators are described as â€Å"hands on† or â€Å"gut feelings, divergers deal best with concrete situations, assimilators understand a wide range of information, and convergers are best at finding practical uses for ideas (Kolb, 1994). As more adults are participating in learning activities, adults are beginning to seek ways to improve their learning experiences. One way in which adult learners are achieving these goals is to familiarize themselves with their individual learning styles. How do adult learners identify their personal learning style? Many have been interested in how one learns. Even before the 1970’s, scholars have known that matching teaching styles and learning styles would result in improved grades, which logically reflect greater learning. Understanding ones learning style can lead to successful learning for all learners. Over the past fifty years researchers have learned a great deal about learning styles and how to identify them. Adult learners can improve test scores and increase content knowledge by identifying styles. Dunn and Dunn (1992) demonstrate that when students are taught using their preferred learning styles, the show increased academic achievement and improved attitudes toward instruction than when they are taught using their non-preferred style (Joseph Pitts, 2009). The problem has been that instruments are often time consuming in administering, scoring, and implementing. Research on learning and cognitive styles evolved from psychological research on individual differences (Curry, 1987). In the process, scholars began to develop inventories and other measures to identify the learning styles they discovered (Joseph Pitts, 2009). In the early 90’s more than thirty published instruments that assess the dimensions of learning styles were in use. In order for adult learners to identify their learning style they most use a valid learning style inventory. There is a multitude of learning inventories. Many are composed of self-report rank ordered questions. For example, Curry (1987) organized a three-layer system composed of twenty one learning styles. The first level focuses on learning behavior, the second level centers on information-processing dimensions, and the third presents instructional preferences. TABLE 1. Curry’s Classification System of Learning Styles Instruments| Level| Author| Instrument| 1. Instructional and environmental preferences| Canfield and LaffertyDunn, Dunn, and PriceFriedman and Stricter| Learning Styles InventoryLeaning Style InventoryInstructional Preferences| 2. Information-processing preferences| BiggsEndwise and RamsdenHuntKolb| Study Process QuestionnaireApproaches to StudyingParagraph Completion MethodLearning Styles Inventory| 3. Personality-related preferences| KaganMyersWitkin| Matching Familiar Figures TestMyer-Briggs Type IndicatorEmbedded Figures Test| Source: Curry 1987 Dunn et al. (1992) classified individuals as analytical or global learners that analytical learners are more successful when information is presented step-by-step in a cumulative, sequential pattern that builds towards conceptual understanding (i. e. , a part-to-whole pattern of learning). These individuals prefer to learn in a quiet, well-illuminated, formal setting: often have a strong emotional need to complete tasks; like to learn alone or one-on-one with a teacher; prefer highly structured assignments; and rarely eat, drink, smoke, chew, or bite on objects while learning. Global learners have the opposite set of characteristics, learning more easily when they master a concept first and then concentrate better with distractors such as sound, soft lighting, and informal seating arrangement and some form of intake (e. g. eating or drinking). They take frequent breaks by studying and often work on several tasks simultaneously. Global learners prefer to work with their peers and structure tasks in their own way. In conclusion, many adults for different reasons are choosing to return to some form of educational activity. Some are motivated because of social relationships, personal advancement, or cognitive interest, but whatever the reasons, adults should be prepared for the journey. Adults can prepare by knowing the process of adult learning, identifying the types of learning styles, and identifying one’s own style. Reference Page Londell D. Jackson (2006). Revisiting Adult Learning Theory through the Lens of an Adult Learner. Harold Pashler, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Robert Bjork (2009). Learning Styles, Concepts and Evidence. University of California, San Diego, Washington University in St Louis, University of South Florida, and University of California, Las Angeles. Joseph Pitts (2009). Identifying and Using a Teacher Friendly Learning-Styles Instrument. Sally Russell (2006). An Overview of Adult-Learning Processes. Urological Nursing.