Facts About the Prehistoric Xilousuchus

Realities About the Prehistoric Xilousuchus Initially delegated a proterosuchid (and in this manner a nearby relative of the contemporary Proterosuchus) an ongoing examination has found Xilousuchus a lot nearer to the foundation of the archosaur family tree (the archosaurs were the group of early Triassic reptiles that offered ascend to dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodiles). The criticalness of Xilousuchus is that it dates to the absolute starting point of the Triassic time frame, around 250 million years prior, and it appears to have been one of the most punctual crocodilian archosaurs, an indication that these decision reptiles split off into ancient crocodiles and the progenitors of the primary dinosaurs (and subsequently of the main flying creatures) a lot sooner than had recently been suspected. Coincidentally, the Asian Xilousuchus was firmly identified with another cruised archosaur of North America, Arizonasaurus. For what reason did the feline measured Xilousuchusâ have a sail on its back? The most probable clarification is sexual choice; maybe Xilousuchus guys with greater sails were increasingly alluring to females during mating season, or maybe the sail tricked predators into believing that Xilousuchus was greater than it was, in this way saving it from being eaten. Given its little size, however, its impossible that the sail of Xilousuchus served any mild guideline work; that is an almost certain speculation for 500-pound reptiles like Dimetrodon, which expected to warm up rapidly during the day and scatter overabundance heat around evening time. Whatever the case, the absence of any cruised crocodiles in the later fossil record indicates that this structure wasnt significant for the endurance of this far reaching family. Quick Facts About Xilousuchus Name: Xilousuchus (Greek for Xilou crocodile); articulated ZEE-loo-SOO-kussHabitat: Swamps of eastern AsiaHistorical Period: Early Triassic (250 million years ago)Size and Weight: About three feet in length and 5 to 10 poundsDiet: Small animalsDistinguishing Characteristics: Small size; sail on back

Lycurgus - Spartan Lawgiver

Lycurgus - Spartan Lawgiver Dateline: 06/22/99 Back to Sparta: A Military State In spite of the fact that the development of Greek law codes is muddled and cant truly be diminished to crafted by a solitary individual, there is small time who stands apart as liable for Athenian law and one for Spartan law. Athens had its Solon, and Sparta had its Lycurgus the lawgiver. Like the sources of Lycurgus lawful changes, the man himself is enclosed by legend. Herodotus 1.65.4 says the Spartans thought the laws of Lycurgus originated from Crete. Xenophon takes an opposite position, contending Lycurgus caused them to up; while Plato says the Delphic Oracle gave the laws. Notwithstanding the beginning of the laws of Lycurgus, the Delphic Oracle played a significant, if incredible, job in their acknowledgment. Lycurgus guaranteed that the Oracle had demanded the laws not be recorded. He fooled the Spartans into saving the laws for an apparently brief period while Lycurus went on an excursion. Due to the authority summoned, the Spartans concurred. In any case, at that point, rather than returning, Lycurgus vanishes everlastingly from history, consequently unceasingly obliging the Spartans to respect their deal to avoid changing the laws. See Sanderson Becks Ethics of Greek Culture for additional on this. Some think the laws of Sparta were basically unaltered until the third century B.C., except for a rider to the rhetra cited by Plutarch. See Legislation in Sparta, by W. G. Forrest. Phoenix. Vol. 21, No. 1 (Spring, 1967), pp. 11-19. Source: (amherst.edu/~eakcetin/sparta.html) Lycurgus Reforms and the Spartan SocietyBefore Lycurgus there had been double majesty, division of the general public into Spartiates, Helots, and perioeci, and the ephorate. After his movements to Crete and somewhere else, Lycurgus brought to Sparta three advancements: Seniors (gerusia), Redistribution of land, and Common wrecks (dinners). Lycurgus denied gold and silver coinage, supplanting it with iron coinage of low worth, making exchange with other Greek poleis troublesome; for example, there were evidently portion formed and measured iron coins. It is additionally conceivable that the iron coins were esteemed, as iron had been in the Iron Age of Homer. See The Iron Money of Sparta, by H. Michell Phoenix, Vol. 1, Supplement to Volume One. (Spring, 1947), pp. 42-44. Men were to live in garisson huts and ladies were to experience physical preparing. In everything he did Lycurgus was attempting to smother voracity and luxury.[www.perseus.tufts.edu/cl135/Students/Debra_Taylor/delphproj2.html] Delphi and the LawWe dont know whether Lycurgus asked the prophet just to affirm the law code he previously had or requested that the prophet give the code. Xenophon picks the previous, while Plato accepts the last mentioned. Theres a likelihood that the code originated from Crete.Source: (web.reed.edu/scholastic/offices/works of art/Spartans.html) Early SpartaThucydides proposed that it was not the rulers who announced war, and the way that seven helots went to every Spartan demonstrates the helots parcel might not have been so awful. The Great RhetraPassage from Plutarchs Life of Lycurgus on his acquiring a prophet from Delphi about the foundation of his type of government: At the point when thou has assembled a sanctuary to Zeus Syllanius and Athena Syllania, isolated the individuals into phylai, and separated them into obai, and set up a Gerousia of thirty including the Archagetai, at that point now and again appellazein among Babyka and Knakion, and there present and nullification measures; yet the Demos must have the choice and the force. Xenophon on the SpartansNine sections from Herodotus about the celebrated Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus. Sections incorporate notification that female slaves were to deal with garments while free ladies, since creation of kids was the noblest occupation, were to practice as much as the men. In the event that a spouse were old, he should flexibly his significant other with a more youthful man to conceive youngsters. Lycurgus made it noteworthy to fulfill regular longings by taking; he precluded free residents from participating in business; neglecting to carry out ones responsibility would bring about loss of status of the homoioi, (similarly favored residents). Occupation Index - Leader Plutarch - Life of Lycurgus

Advanced Macroeconomics

Advanced Macroeconomics Advanced Macroeconomics Home›Economics Posts›Advanced Macroeconomics Economics PostsBusiness cycles are the recurring and variable levels of economic trends that a specific economy experiences over a long duration of time in terms of its productivity. These trends depict a fluctuation of the production levels of thee economy. The recurring economic trends are grouped into various stages which include the expansion or growth phase, contraction or diminishing stage, peak or the high season stage, depression and finally the recovery stage. These phases are a presentation of how the economy progresses either in a negative or a positive formula depending on the indicators or facilitators available (Coonley Thomas, 1995).It is worth noting that, at a specific time business cycles were regular and the durations were knowable but today they vary irregularly in terms of frequency of occurrence, scale and duration spent. In view of the Keynesian theory, business cycles mirror on the poss ibility that the economy may attain short-run equilibrium at standards that are below or above full employment. At the high unemployment rate this theory shows that the monetary and fiscal policy has an affirmative role to play in the fluctuations that are present in the business cycle. There are particular stylized facts that have been discussed below to show how business cycles fluctuated in various periods of time (Bernard Beaudreau, 1996).The European business cycle was broken down into a European component as a continent, national and a regional perspective. The share of the regions of Europe had a variance in its Gross Domestic Product ranging between 40% and 60% (Coonley Thomas, 1995). There are particular stylized facts that have been discussed below to show how business cycles fluctuated in various periods of time. The stylistic facts that depict the appropriateness of these business cycles are discussed below.One stylistic fact is on persistence of the economic activitie s which deplete or wear off at a very high rate. They are not as persistent due to the fact that it is based on the short run. The long-term character of the economic activities is irregular and they are symbolized by fluctuations therefore its predictions in the long run become too difficult to analyze (Coonley Thomas, 1995).Another stylized fact that argues this notion is based on cyclic variability which is an aspect of regularity. Standard deviations are mostly used in this sector as they define the magnitude or scale with which fluctuations are present in output levels and the level of working hours by the employees and they are almost equal. In this stylized fact consumption rate and production are more regular as compared to productivity while the investment level fluctuates more than the amount produced. In this case the capital stock is the least unpredictable of all the indicators (Beaudreau Bernard, 1996).Co-movement is another stylistic fact that is measured between th e level of output and other associated macroeconomic variables. These variables are measured using correlations and are divided into procyclical and countercyclical variables. To start with procyclical variable has positive correlations as it increases in times of booms or economic expansion while during recessions it subsides. Countercyclical variable on its part has negative correlations as it is not associated with the business cycle which includes recession or booms of economic activities (Beaudreau Bernard, 1996). The implication of this correlation is that human resources and capital are more productive when the entire economy is facing a lift or a boom. The vice versa is true in that they are not as productive when the economy on its part is experiencing a meltdown of any nature or there is a recession like the one in the United States or even European countries explained above.In terms of consumption and investment, they are strongly on the side of procyclical variables. Th is means that the rate of consumption and investment is related to the economic situations that are prevailing in a particular country. When the economy is positively growing more investors will flock the markets so will the consumption rate go high. Labor is also procyclical as it happens that during economic prosperity the rate of employment also increases as compared to when the economy deteriorates which makes the employees to lose jobs through retrenchment or bad performance of businesses (Beaudreau Bernard, 1995).A general school of thought that supports this notion is that people prefer booms to recession types of business cycles and they are all involved in the decision making process of the economy. However, the causative agents of fluctuation are outside the decisions that are made by humans. Stylistic facts like persistence have been motivated by shocks that cause fluctuations in the market. Examples of these calamities are: innovations, poor weather, increase in price o f imported oil and harsh environmental rules that derail development like mining activities (Coonley Thomas, 1995).In conclusion persistence stylistic fact definitely affects labor and capital efficiency thus output is compromised. Co-movement stylistic variables influence output and the general productivity in relation to other macroeconomic variables. Using appropriate procyclical variables it can be argued that facts such as allocation of consumption and the distribution of investment opportunities are determined by the relevant business cycles available under natural conditions.

Analysis Of Simone De Beauvoir s The Second Sex

The first text we explore in this step is Bonaventure’s â€Å"On Seeing God in his Image†. Bonaventure shows us that through inward reflection we can see God. God can then lead us to God’s two most important laws, and the best ways for us to live in community with others; by loving God, and our neighbors. The next text is from the 2nd Vatican Council called â€Å"Pastoral Constitution,† which focused on bringing the church into modern times. This text focuses on the importance of helping those being marginalized, those who are on the brink of society, and what is the best way that the Church as a community can fight to protect them. The following text comes from Simone de Beauvoir called â€Å"The Second Sex,† which discusses the ideas of the feminist†¦show more content†¦One major link includes the fight between an oppressed group and their persecutors. Whether it’s the proletariat and the bourgeois in â€Å"The Communist Manifesto,† or the inequality of genders in â€Å"The Second Sex,† or the flight of the African Americans in the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. In all of these texts we are shown how easy it is for one group to abuse their power and create unfair rules and regulations only imposed on the more inferior members of society. Each group of oppressor thrives off of alienating, and subjugating their inferiors. So it seems the theme of solidarity is the only way to combat this linkage of oppression. In all of the texts we are shown that through solidarity comes freedom. We see in Bonaventure, and Vatican Council II that all God wants for God’s people is inclusion, and to fight for the rights of the â€Å"others† of the world. In the more secular texts from King, de Beauvoir, and Marx and Engels, we see the same ideas. The only way to fight prejudice is to unite the people of either side of the problem, and have them work together to make the whole of society a more inclusive place. By uniting together to fight oppression we overcome the trivialities that separate seemingly opposing groups. The next theme contingent throughout the step is the benefits of community. This is similar to the inclusiveness that comes from solidarity, but through community we can prevent oppression from happeningShow MoreRelatedThe Second Sex By Simone De Beauvoir888 Words   |  4 Pages In 1949, Simone de Beauvoir commenced the development of second-wave feminism. The publication of her theoretical work, The Second Sex, issued a fervent response to gender-based oppression during the twentieth century. However, the philosophy that de Beauvoir espoused in The Second Sex still proves relevant to contemporary women. In the United States, conservative politicians have sought to eliminate legalized abortion, thereby limiting the reproductive freedom of women. The enforcementRead MoreBeauvoir s Feminist Beliefs : Simone De Beauvoir924 Words   |  4 PagesBeliefs (An educational analysis of Simone de Beauvoir s feminist beliefs) Simone de Beauvoir is to this day one of the key central figures in the women’s rights movement. She inspired people all over the world. Although she may not be the extreme feminist that people believe her to be. Beauvoir said many times that she naturally didn’t believe that women were inferior to men, but she also didn’t believe that they were naturally equal either. Beauvoir wrote the book The Second Sex which holds manyRead MoreThe Society Today, People Still Belittle Women And Treat Them Like Second Class Citizens1457 Words   |  6 PagesBruce Guu Raven Pfister Communication 412 5 May 2015 Theme Analysis In our society today, people still belittle women and treat them like second-class citizens. Women are just as important as men, if not better, and should be treated equally in society. I do acknowledge the fact that we are living in a heternormative society put upon us in the United States. As a heterosexual male, I see the bias, prejudice, and injustice that go toward gays, lesbians, transgenders, and woman. Even though some sayRead MoreThe Second Sex : The Fight Against Women s Oppression2230 Words   |  9 PagesSimone de Beauvoir â€Å"The Second Sex’: The Fight against Women’s Oppression Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir simply referred to as Simone de Beauvoir was a French intellectual, writer, political activist, existentialist philosopher, social theorist and feminist born in 1908. Often subscribed to the schools of Existentialism, French Feminism and Western Marxism, she did not regard herself as a philosopher even though she is heralded for her significant influence of feminist theoryRead MoreThe Sources Of Injustice Explained By Simone De Beauvoir1365 Words   |  6 PagesWoMEN (An Analysis of the Sources of Injustice Explained by Simone de Beauvoir in Second Sex) The idea of feminism and women’s rights have been under attack for years. Women themselves have been under attack for their entire lives. Women always have to be doing things correctly or men attack their very being. Men have expected women to be submissive to them from the beginning of time, as life has always been a patriarchy. Feminism has always been buried under the dirt but in the last 50-100 yearsRead MoreSimone Ernestine Lucie Marie Bertrand De Beauvoir1784 Words   |  8 PagesSimone Ernestine Lucie Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was born January 9, 1908 in Paris, France. She died of a pulmonary edema on April 14, 1986. The seventy-eight years between her birth and death were filled with rigorous academia, philosophical exploration, rich literary production and fascinating polyamorous intimate relationships. Although astutely aware of the philosophical ponderings of God’s existence, de Beauvoir struggled with religious ideas until the age of fourteen, despite her mother Franà §oiseRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Other Towards `` The Subject Essay1984 Words   |  8 Pageswill analyze Evelyn Nesbit’s personalities presented in Ragtime as a recreated character that is not lifted straight from the pages of the history books. With the concept â€Å"the Other† coined by French feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir in her book about existentialism, the Second Sex, I would mainly focus on analyzing Nesbit’s struggle and try to prove she eventually changes her position from an â€Å"Object† to a â€Å"Subject†. Keywords: Ragtime, Feminist existentialism, Evelyn Nesbit I. Introduction RagtimeRead MoreSimone de Beauvoir: the Woman in Love Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesBeauvoir discusses love in relation to sexual difference. She also discusses the difference between authentic and inauthentic love. What differences between women and mens experiences of love does she discuss? How does she think the problems of love can be rectified? Simone de Beauvoirs text The Woman in Love, taken from her book The Second Sex (1988) describes her theories on men and women in love. This essay will explore her propositions about the differences men and women experienceRead MoreSylvia Plath the Colossus2027 Words   |  9 Pagesfeminine, patriarchy, etc.). In your analysis of the poem you may want to ask questions concerning Plath’s personal life and her relationship to male figures in her family. Do you read the poem as a personal or a political poem? Would you characterize Plath as a feminist poet? Always justify your answers with reference to the poet’s works as well as the critical articles as much as you can †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. To solve this TMA in a good way we should know about Sylvia Plaths life, because in the students notesRead MoreThe noun feminism is derived from the French in the 19th century . It refers to the campaign at700 Words   |  3 PagesFeminism Theory Simone de Beauvoir pioneered . Beauoir paper entitled The Second Sex has given a tremendous influence in the field of feminism . It developed in France after World War II . The function of this theory is to rebuild the confidence of the public after the war . Beauvoir denies weakness and softness of the female form naturally. He thinks women should give the definition of themselves . He also proposes that the traditional role of women reject them for independent life . Beauvoir alleged that

Comparing Grimm’s Fairytale Snow White to Snow White, by...

As a child, I was told fairytales such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs every night before I went to sleep. Fairytales are an adventurous way to expand a child’s imagination and open their eyes to experience a new perspective. Modernizations of fairytales typically relate to a specific audience, such as adolescence, and put a contemporary spin on the old-aged tale. Instead of using whimsical themes heavily centered in nature, the contemporary poems connect with the reader in a more realistic everyday scenario. Also, many modernizations are written in poetic form to help reconstruct a flow in the piece and to develop or sometimes completely change the meaning from that of the original fairytale. Comparing Grimm’s Fairytale Snow White†¦show more content†¦The dwarves are amazed by the girl’s beauty and allow her to stay with them forever as long as she handles all the household chores. Snow White happily obliges and begins to take care of the dwarves. Un fortunately, the evil step-mother gets word of Snow White’s death being a fraud and makes three attempts to trick and fool the princess. On the third attempt, the old hag is successful and upon biting in to a deliciously plump red apple sends Snow White tumbling to the ground. The seven dwarves decide Snow White is to captivating to be buried underground so they decided to encase her in glass and take turns guarding her remains. One day a handsome prince happens to come across the beautiful dead princess and begs the dwarves to let him purchase her. Reluctantly, the dwarves give the prince Snow White and a bump on the transport home causes the poisonous apple to fall out of her mouth and the princess magically comes back to life. The prince marries Snow White, and the evil step mother is forced to dance in hot-iron boots until she dies. As happy as this stories summary seems, it is clearly not even remotely realistic in our society. Entering adolescence teens are less concerned with imaginary stories and more worried about meeting social and family expectations while trying to shift through an awkward phase and find their own identity. Duhamel refers to the original version of Snow White and the Seven DwarvesShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Snow White And Snow White1405 Words   |  6 Pages Comparing Snow White Fairytales are an imaginary and adventurous way to open children’s eyes to a make-believe land and use their imaginations. Fairy tales have also changed drastically throughout the years. One fairy tale that is very well known and has been around for a while now is Snow White. Modernizations of fairytales usually are aimed at a specific audience, such as children, with a little more of a modern spin on the old tale. Rather than having the story of Snow White take place in and

Software development and engineering Free Essays

à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ There are two features which are common to most engineering definitions à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The solution of practical problems for the benefit of humankind à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The use of scientific and other formalised knowledge to design and build artefacts within economic constraints Difference between scientists and engineers: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Scientific reasoning and research is essentially inductive, scientists try to infer general rules or laws from the results of a limited number of observations or experimental results à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The activities of engineers are quite distinct, their objective is for human benefit rather than explaining the natural world. They make use of scientific results in a deductive way (to verify designs and ideas that are feasible and safe. Development of engineering disciplines QUESTION: How does engineering come to make use of scientific and formalised knowledge? ANSWER: The discipline starts in a state of craft practice: At this stage engineering is carried out by practitioners with little or no formal training and knowledge is acquired during apprenticeship. We will write a custom essay sample on Software development and engineering or any similar topic only for you Order Now The second stage is the development of commercial exploitation when pressures arise to make economic use of resources or to increase output. Practice becomes more organised and standard procedures are established. The third stage in development sees the emergence of professional engineering. At this stage engineering is carried out by educated professionals who use formal analysis and scientific theory to understand and verify their designs. Characteristics of engineering Engineering projects tackle clearly defined and quantified problems. Another aspect of modern engineering is the use of systematised knowledge, this knowledge gives the engineer a good understanding both of the problems that he or she is addressing and the materials available for their solution. A science-based knowledge engineer will have considerable knowledge of proven procedures and designs which they can reuse where appropriate. An important aspect of this codified knowledge is the ability to learn from failures. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AS ENGINEERING? Development of compiler technology à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In the 1950s when high-level programming languages were first being designed and implemented, compiler writing was regarded as difficult. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The development of the first compiler for FORTRAN, completed in early 1957, required about 18 person-years of effort. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Compiler technology has progressed dramatically since, that a compiler can now be implemented in anything from 6 person-weeks to a person-year. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Modern compilers generally produce executable code that is very efficient and it is rare for programmers to need to resort to lower-level languages. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Compilers are usually extremely reliable being at least as free from errors as most other software on a typical computer. Large-scale development projects Large-scale projects have always been much more prone to problems or failure than smaller developments, such as compiler implementations, due to difficulties of organising and co-ordinating teams, and dealing with clients. But this is not always the case, as seen in these two examples of large and highly successful projects. Example 1: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ SABRE, an Airline Reservation System developed for American Airlines. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The project delivered about one million lines of code and involved around 400 person-years of effort. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ This success is all the more striking because of the lack of supporting software – there were no database systems available at that time, for example. Example 2: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ NASA Space Shuttle. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The project involved introducing rigorous control of software development, tracking all changes and errors, and constantly refining the development process to ensure that errors are eliminated at the earliest possible stage. Other branches of engineering which have resulted in major disasters: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In 1968, Roman point (a high-rise block of flats in London) collapsed after a gas explosion in a top flat. The block was constructed using prefabricated components. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In 1980, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, a suspended walkway which connected hotel floors collapsed causing deaths of 114 people. The failure was due to a combination of design and construction flaws. QUALITY AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT In modern industry and business there is enormous concern to try to produce goods and services of high quality. Definition of Quality – ‘The set of characteristics of a product or service which satisfy a customer’s requirements and expectations’ American Joseph Juran, one of the early advocates of quality management, defined quality as the fitness for uses. Detailed tracking of error statistics during development has been found by developers such as Microsoft, to be extremely useful even though they may adopt a more informal approach to managing software development (Cusumano and Selby 1997). Development of ideas about quality Total Quality Management (TQM): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Clearly defining quality in terms of customers’ or consumers’ requirements à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Concentrating on achieving quality by improving production processes rather than by inspection of end products à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The clear specification of processes and the use of statistical analyses and other techniques to track down the sources of faults so that the process can be improved à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The involvement of everyone in quality improvement à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Constantly trying to improve quality by learning from faults and improving processes and designs. The application of quality management to software development Applicable to software development? Each development of a system is a one-off project so it is not obvious that insights derived from improving manufacturing processes are applicable. The argument of Deming and others that quality cannot be achieved by testing alone is borne out by the experience of many software developers. Quality standards – ISO 9000 In order to achieve ISO 9000 certification: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ It has standards against which to measure all aspects of its development practices à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ It has procedures in place to access performance against these standards à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Both the standards and the assessment methods used are recognised in the industry ISO 9000 has been criticised on its particular criteria for introducing too much paperwork and ignoring the importance of continuous improvement. Capability Maturity Model This model is primarily concerned with the way in which projects are managed and organised, so it proposes five levels of maturity in development practices. 1. Initial Level-Not stable environment for developing software. Success heavily dependent on key project staff. 2. Repeatable Level-Managing software projects based on previous experience. Project progress is tracked and under control. 3. Defined Level-A standard process of software development is used across the organisation. Adapted and tailored appropriately for individual projects. 4. Managed Level-Measurable quality targets are set for projects and the results achieved by all projects are monitored. 5. Optimising Level-Measurements obtained from the monitoring of software development are used as a basis for refining and improving the process used. This level is one of continuous improvement. Chapter 11 – Societies for computing professionals WHAT ARE PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES? à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Professionals, such as medicine or the law, are distinguished from other occupations by the long period of training and experience which are required in order to qualify as a practitioner. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Regulated by professional societies à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Societies are run by the members of the profession and represent its interests à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Not under the immediate control of the government or employers Professional institutions can be made in two ways: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ By stature (by passing a law) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Royal Charter The Engineering profession (the institution of Civil Engineers, the institution of Mechanical Engineers, the British Computer Society) have similar rights and responsibilities: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To advance knowledge in their area à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To uphold and seek to improve standards of practice (e.g. code of conduct for members) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To set educational and training standards in their field (e.g. running professional exams and accrediting certain degree courses) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To advise the government on issues within their area of expertise (e.g. BCS on the Computer Misuse Act) THE HISTORY OF ENGINEERING PROFESSIONS à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ When engineering was at the stage of a craft practice, there were few formal mechanisms for the training of new engineers à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Throughout most of the nineteenth century British engineers were firmly convinced of the value of practical experience as the basis of training PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERS Two professional institutions which have most relevance for computer professionals are the British Computer Society (BCS) and Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). Engineering Council à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Created by Royal Charter in 1981 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Contains 290000 qualified engineers, including about 200000 Chartered Engineers FEANI FEANI represents the engineering profession at a European level and is made of engineering institutions from 27 countries. It was formed in 1951. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP Members of professional societies gain the benefit of meeting other professionals in their field as well as access to other resources, such as libraries, seminars and special interest groups. Course accreditation Computer Science degree courses which cover similar materiel to that of the BCS exams are often accredited by the British Computer Society. For a degree course to give full exemption it must: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cover the underlying theory and mathematics appropriate to computing à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Have an emphasis on design à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Promote understanding of ideas of quality à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cover systems development approaches à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cover ethical, legal, social and professional issues à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Include a substantial student project which involves the implementation of an application or tool using an engineering-based approach. Registration with the Engineering Council The Engineering Council maintains a register of qualified engineers. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ EA1 – introduction to the fabrication and use of materials à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ EA2 – application of engineering principlines à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ EA3 – a thorough and structured introduction to industry, involving practical assignments à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ EA4 – preparation for the post with responsibility EA1 and EA2 = accredited in engineering degree EA3 and EA4 = period of appropriate work Professional development BCS has developed the Industry Structure Model to classify different roles and responsibilities which computing professionals must have. It identifies some 200 professional functions ranging from programming to management. The purpose of the model is to help individuals and organisations to plan training and career development by identifying current gaps in knowledge. BCS runs two development schemes: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Professional Development scheme – computing professionals have properly planned and verified training Continuing Professional Development – those who have achieved qualification but who need to broaden their knowledge. How to cite Software development and engineering, Papers

PHM499 Research Project Calcium Transport Study Of SF-9 Lepidopteran C

PHM499 Research Project Calcium transport study of SF-9 lepidopteran cells and bull frog sympathetic ganglion cells ABSTRACT The intracellular calcium level and the calcium efflux of the bull-frog sympathetic ganglion cells (BSG) and the SF-9 lepidopteran ovarian cells were investigated using a calcium-sensitive fluorescence probe fura-2. It was found that the intracellular calcium levels were 58.2 and 44.7 nM for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells respectively. The calcium effluxes following zero calcium solution were 2.02 and 1.33 fmole?cm-2?s-1 for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells. The calcium effluxes following sodium orthovanadate (Na2VO4) in zero calcium solution were 6.00 and 0.80 fmole?cm-2?s-1 for the BSG cells and the SF-9 cells. The SF-9 cells also lost the ability to extrude intracellular calcium after 2-3 applications of Na2VO4 while the BSG cells showed no apparent lost of calcium extruding abilities for up to 4 applications of Na2VO4. INTRODUCTION Spodoptera frugiperda clone 9 (SF-9) cells are a cultured insect cell line derived from the butterfly ovarian tissue. SF-9 cells are used by molecular biologists for the studies of gene expression and protein processing (Luckow and Summers, 1988). However, there is not much known about these cells' basic biophysiology. Since calcium is involved in many cells' activities such as acting as a secondary messenger, it is important for cells to control their intracellular calcium level. This study was aimed toward looking at the some of the basic properties of the SF-9 cells such as resting calcium concentration and rate of calcium extrusion after being calcium level being raised by an ionophore 4-bromo-A23187. The effect of sodium orthovanadate (an active transport inhibitor) on calcium extrusion was also looked at. Microspectrofluorescence techniques and the calcium-sensitive probe fura-2 were used to measure the intracellular calcium concentration of these cells. In addition, the BSG cells were used to compare w ith the SF-9 cells for the parameters that were studied. It was found that the SF-9 cells appeared to have a calcium concentration similar to the BSG cells. Moreover, the calcium extrusion rates of both cell types with no Na2VO4 added seemed to the same. However, due to insufficient data, the effects of Na2VO4 could not be statistically analyzed. From the data available, it suggested that the BSG cells' rate of calcium extrusion was enhanced by the Na2VO4 and was greater than the SF-9 cells. It was more important to note that the calcium extruding capabilities of the SF-9 cell seemed to impaired after two to three applications of Na2VO4 but it had apparent effects on the BSG cells even up to 4 applications. After obtaining these basic parameters, many questions raised such as how does the SF-9 cells extrude their calcium and why the Na2VO4 affected the calcium efflux for the SF-9 cells but not the BSG cells? The SF-9 cells may have a calcium pump or exchanger to extrude their calciu m and they may be very sensitive to the ATP (adenosine 3'-triphosphate) supply. This was apparently different from the BSG cells' since their calcium extrusion were not affected by the Na2VO4.. It may be useful to find the mechanism(s) of the actions of Na2VO4 on the SF-9 cells because it may find possible applications in agriculture such as pest control. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals and solutions 4-bromo-A23187 and Fura-2/AM were purchased from Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR). Na2VO4 was purchased from Alomone Lab (Jerusalem, Israel). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was obtained from J. T. Baker Inc. (Phillipsburg, NJ). All other reagents were obtained from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). The normal Ringer's solution (NRS) contained (mM): 125 NaCl, 5.0 KCl, 2.0 CaCl2, 1.0 MgSO4, 10.0 glucose, 10.0 N-[2-hydroxyethyl] piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] (HEPES). The calcium free Ringer solution (0CaNRS) is the same as the NRS except CaCl2 was substituted with 2.0 mM ethylene glycol-bis(b-aminoeh tyl) ether N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Fura-2/AM solution was prepared as follows: a stock solution of 1mM fura-2/AM in DMSO was diluted 1:500 in NRS containing 2% bovine albumin. It was then sonicated for 10 minutes. It was then kept frozen until the day of the experiment. 20 SYMBOL 109 \f "Symbol"M 4-bromo-A23187 solution was prepared by diluting a stock of 5mM 4-bromo-A23187 in DMSO 1:250 with NRS. Na2VO4 solution (VO4NRS) contained 100 SYMBOL 109 \f "Symbol"M. Na2VO4 in 0CaNRS. All

How does Willy Russell make the audience sympathise with Shirley Valentine Essays

How does Willy Russell make the audience sympathise with Shirley Valentine Essays How does Willy Russell make the audience sympathise with Shirley Valentine Essay How does Willy Russell make the audience sympathise with Shirley Valentine Essay In this essay I will be exploring how Willy Russell, the author of the playShirley Valentine, makes us sympathise with his main characters. Russell himself comes from a working class background and was born in Liverpool which is where half the play was set. He started of as a hairdresser and from here he got an insight into womens life .He started to attend night class on drama and this is where he picked up his love for script writing. After this he began to write comical songs and then he began to write scripts.His first play Blind Scouse was premiered at Edinburgh festival and then in 1990 he wrote Shirley Valentine. Kitchen sink drama deals with working class people and their everyday lives, and this is related with Shirley as this play deals with her everyday life. Kitchen sink drama relates with Shirley Valentine in many aspects and this play may be influenced by kitchen sink drama. Therefore, Russells past experiences of him growing up in a feminine hou sehold has influenced this play by being the basis of Shirleys aspects on life. It also concerns working class lives, social problems and relationships.Willy Russell invite us to feel sympathy for Shirley by portraying her as a person with many hopes and need unrealised. For instance, how she is treated by her husband almost like a slave, how she is treated by her daughter who took her for granted, how she was treated by her intolerant teachers and finally the fact that she was born into a lower class.I believe that Russell is successful at making his readers feel sorry for her and in doing so he becomes a supporter of female rights.Russell writes the play with characters trapped in realistic social situation. The title sequence and opening scenes help to establish Shirleys character, by demonstrating atmosphere background and expressions. Moreover, there is a lot we can deduce from images. Firstly there are sketches in the opening of the film which instinctively grabs the audiences attention towards the main motif of the film, from the continuous references referred by Shirleys point of view, to the implication of Shirleys incompleteness as a person. Similarly, The colour schemes used in the images are blues and purples which symbolises a connotation of sadness and depression, also the colour white indicates plain/ emptiness, these visual devices show a replication of the Shirleys life as a whole. Shirley has an unsociable life and that builds up to her being a woman with a lack of confidence. Shirley is portrayed as a sad house bound woman, forgotten, not appreciated nonexistent, and a woman with a loss of identity. A girl is born to fly; This is shown as a metaphor, as she is supposed to be free but is trappedDrinking through the day, indicating that she is bored, lonely and doesnt have a very good social life: Theres a woman three doors down the road talks to her microwave! Wall, whats the world coming to? When Shirley drinks through the day, it shows tha t she is really quite depressed and that the alcohol actually took her away from the dull predicament that she was in. This appears to have been quite common in housewives during the 1980s. By 6 oclock, Shirleys in the kitchen preparing Joes dinner and talking to the wall, Do you know what i would like to do wall This clearly shows that she is desperate and using the wall to replace her absent social life, and perhaps the lack of communication that has now built up between her and her husband.A married couple painting their kitchen. They are playful and loving. Willy sets the atmosphere as a happy one. Shirley has a high self a steam and she is enjoying herself with Joe. The language used in the first extract is in a rude manor but its playful as they are young and happy. He uses words like you little bugger and youre a bloody head case. Some people may find this offensive but I think it sets a joyful scene. The language is appropriate and funny. Russell uses the swear words to a go od quantity, enough to not get too rude and enough to have a laugh about. There is a bit of word play used as well like when Shirley says here, Van Gogh and Joe replies this is for you moaning Lisa this shows that they are young, happy and free.Willy Russell allow the audience to hear Shirleys true thoughts. Flashbacks are used to reveal events from her school days and early married life. It is through these techniques that we observe Shirleys world and transformation. The main titles at the start of the play show the audience the rough outlines of the play. The actual script starts of with fifteen or more drawings of Shirley Valentine doing a series of domestic activities. From here we realize how overlaid and domesticated Shirleys life is. At the start of the play Shirley is found expressing her thoughts to the wall. This establishes the exact feelings of loneliness Hello wall (shown by Shirley talking to the wall) and desperation of someone to talk to. Within the first few pages the audience see Shirley talking to the wall quite frequently so therefore we form the opinion that Shirley and Joe have a lack of communication.It has become a one sided relationship between them with Joe demanding what he wants. Shirley can still remember though vividly what their relationship used to on holiday with her. Shirley can not imagine going away on holiday on general principles and she can not see herself as being independent. She feels guilty how Joe would cope if she went away for two weeks, leaving all the cooking and cleaning for him to do! Jane eventually convinces Shirley to accompany her on the holiday. Shirley and Jane leave in the day and they get on the plane to leave for Greece. When Joe gets in from work he finds a note attached to a Greek tourist poster pinned on the door saying gone to Greece, be back in two weeks. The first additional scene takes place at Joes work. A medium sized factory with workers in it. Joe walks in front of a moving forklift truck w ith his head facing the floor and nearly gets run over by it. Travelling to Greece is the way in which Shirley rediscovers herself and becomes truly liberated.One of the ways in which Russell encourages us to sympathise with Shirley is through the characters that she interacts with.Shirleys most dominant feeling through-out the play is that of powerlessness. Joes marriage starts off as a good marriage where they are both pleasant to each other and Joe is speaking in a admirable way. This is demonstrated in the play when Shirley has a flashback of her early marriage years, when she and Joe are decorating the house and they end up in the bath together. Joe says to her I love youShirley Valentine . The word love is powerfully emotive and also says her name which suggests that he is thinking carefully about who she is. The fact that he loves her as a individual woman. This shows that Joe was kind and loving towards Shirley at the beginning of their marriage. This is what Joe is trying to do in the scene when he uses words from his early marriage. Joe says: You little bugger. This shows that Joe is using his head to try to get Shirley to come back.Her best friend Jane and challenges her reality. Shirley follows her dream Id like to drink a glass of wine in a country where the grape is grown. Sittin by the sea just sippin wine and watching the sun go down. The audience see Shirleys character develop. Shirley starts off very unsure of herself but Jane gives her the confidence despite Joes criticisms to be independent and make decisions for herself. This is also highlighted when Shirley buys a bikini. With my stretch marks? Id get arrested for bringin the human form into disrepute. Before she would not have had the confidence to wear it. Shirley follows her dream. Throughout the play Willy Russell conveys the truths using Shirleys conversations with the wall and the rock. Hello wall and voice-overs. This helps the audience understand Shirleys character and what she i s thinking.Joe is key to understanding Shirleys unhappiness as he has lost his sense of fun. This is also supported by Millandras unreasonable demands and lack of respect for her mother. When Millandra returns from living away from home, she disregards Shirleys feelings and claims that her mother should be grateful for her return. She demands her mother to bring the Telly upstairs and when Shirley comes upstairs with a cup of cocoa Millandra asks her to go down and get another spoonful of sugar This shows us how she treats her badly as a slave and with no respect.When Millandra hears that her mother is going to Greece, she is disgusted by the shame that it will bring her. She talks about two middle aged women going to Greece on their own . She analyses that Shirley is doing something wrong. She is used to her mother doing everything for her and has no regard for her needs. This emphasised how many of Shirleys needs are not met and in turn makes the audience sympathise with her. Marjorie is an old peer of Shirley from her school days. In Shirleys eyes Marjorie was very smart, favoured by teachers and had really good grades. She appeared to be very friendly and open minded even though she was of higher class. Shirley always wanted to be like her. When Shirley was at the school she was humiliated by the teacher who said; Oh, Shirley, do put your hand down. You couldnt possibly know the answer . She felt as if it was an attack on her lower class. She thought that those of higher classes have better start and chances in live. However after many years when she meets her again she realises that she became prostitute. In the 80s the social roles were becoming less fixed. Shirley was still under impression that your class decides who you are. That is why the revelation of Marjorie shocked her. For example I just cant believe it. You. A Hooker. Honest, Marjorie? It changes her way of thinking. It makes her aware that anything is possible. Theaudience can see that there is hope for her, but at the same time cannot help but feel sorry for her for all those years she has lost.

Delphi String Handling Routines

Delphi String Handling Routines The CompareText  function compares two strings without case sensitivity. Declaration:function  CompareText(const  S1, S2:  string):  integer; Description:Compares two strings without case sensitivity. The comparison is NOT case sensitive and does not consider the Windows locale settings. The return integer value is less than 0 if S1 is less than S2, 0 if S1 equals S2, or greater than 0 if S1 is greater than S2. This function is obsolete, i.e. it should not be used in new code - exists only for backward compatibility. Example: var s1,s2 : string; i : integer; s1:Delphi; s2:Programming; i: CompareText(s1,s2); //i Copy Function Returns a substring of a string or a segment of a dynamic array. Declaration:function  Copy(S; Index, Count: Integer):  string;function  Copy(S; Index, Count: Integer):  array; Description:Returns a substring of a string or a segment of a dynamic array.S is an expression of a string or dynamic-array type. Index and Count are integer-type expressions. Copy returns a string containing a specified number of characters from a string or sub array containing Count elements starting at S[Index]. If Index is greater than the length of S, Copy returns a zero-length string () or an empty array.  If Count specifies more characters or array elements than are available, only the characters or elements from S[Index] to the end of S are returned. To determine the number of characters in string, use the Length function. A convenient way to copy all the elements of S from the starting Index is to use  MaxInt  as Count. Example: var s : string; s:DELPHI; s : Copy(s,2,3); //sELP; Delete Procedure Removes a substring from a string. Declaration:procedure  Delete(var  S:  string; Index, Count : Integer) Description:Removes Count characters from a string S, starting at Index.  Delphi leaves the string unchanged if Index is not positive or greater than the number of characters after the Index. If Count is greater than the rest of the characters after the Index, the rest of the string is deleted. Example: var s : string; s:DELPHI; Delete(s,3,1) //sDEPHI; ExtractStrings Function Fills a string list with substrings parsed from a delimited list. Declaration:type  TSysCharSet   set of  Char;function  ExtractStrings(Separators, WhiteSpace: TSysCharSet; Content: PChar; Strings: TStrings): Integer; Description:Fills a string list with substrings parsed from a delimited list. Separators are a set of characters that are used as delimiters, separating the substrings, where Carriage returns, newline characters, and quote characters (single or double) are always treated as separators. WhiteSpace is a set of characters to be ignored when parsing Content if they occur at the beginning of a string. Content is the null-terminated string to parse into substrings. Strings is a string list to which all substrings parsed from Content are added. The function returns the number of strings added to the Strings parameter. Example: //example 1 - requires TMemo named Memo1 ExtractStrings([;,,], [ ], about: delphi; pascal, programming , memo1.Lines); //would result in 3 strings added to memo: //about: delphi //pascal //programming //example 2 ExtractStrings([DateSeparator], [ ], PChar(DateToStr(Now)), memo1.Lines); //would result in 3 strings: day month and year of the currnet date //for example 06, 25 ,2003 LeftStr Function Returns a string containing a specified number of characters from the left side of a string. Declaration:function  LeftStr(const  AString: AnsiString;  const  Count: Integer): AnsiString;overload;  function  LeftStr(const  AString: WideString;  const  Count: Integer): WideString;  overload; Description:Returns a string containing a specified number of characters from the left side of a string. AString represents a string expression from which the leftmost characters are returned. Count indicates how many characters to return. If 0, a zero-length string () is returned. If greater than or equal to the number of characters in AString, the entire string is returned. Example: var s : string; s : ABOUT DELPHI PROGRAMMING; s : LeftStr(s,5); // s ABOUT Length Function Returns an integer containing the number of characters in a string or the number of elements in an array. Description:function  Length(const S:  string): integerfunction  Length(const S:  array): integer Declaration:Returns an integer containing the number of characters in a string or the number of elements in an array.  For an array, Length(S) always returns Ord(High(S))-Ord(Low(S))1 Example: var s : string; i : integer; s:DELPHI; i : Length(s); //i6; LowerCase Function Returns a string that has been converted to lowercase. Description:function  LowerCase(const  S:  string):  string; Declaration:Returns a string that has been converted to lowercase.LowerCase only converts uppercase letters to lowercase; all lowercase letters and nonletter characters remain unchanged. Example: var s : string; s:DeLpHi; s : LowerCase(s); //sdelphi; Pos Function Returns an integer specifying the position of the first occurrence of one string within another. Declaration:function  Pos(Str, Source:  string):  integer; Description:Returns an integer specifying the position of the first occurrence of one string within another. Pos looks for the first complete occurrence of Str in Source. If it finds one, it returns the character position in Source of the first character in Str as an integer value, otherwise, it returns 0.Pos is case sensitive. Example: var s : string; i : integer; s:DELPHI PROGRAMMING; i:Pos(HI PR,s); //i5; PosEx Function Returns an integer specifying the position of the first occurrence of one string within another, where the search starts at a specified position. Declaration:function  PosEx(Str, Source :  string, StartFrom : cardinal 1):  integer; Description:Returns an integer specifying the position of the first occurrence of one string within another, where the search starts at a specified position. PosEx looks for the first complete occurrence of Str in Source, beginning the search at StartFrom. If it finds one, it returns the character position in Source of the first character in Str as an integer value, otherwise, it returns 0. PosEx also returns 0 if StartFrom is greater then Length(Source) or if StartPos is 0 Example: var s : string; i : integer; s:DELPHI PROGRAMMING; i:PosEx(HI PR, s, 4); //i1; QuotedStr Function Returns the quoted version of a string. Declaration:function  QuotedStr(const  S:  string):  string; Description:Returns the quoted version of a string. A single quote character () is inserted at the beginning and end of string S, and each single quote character in the string is repeated. Example: var s : string; s:Delphis Pascal; //ShowMessage returns Delphis Pascal s : QuotedStr(s); //ShowMessage returns Delphis Pascal ReverseString Function Returns a string in which the character order of a specified string is reversed. Declaration:function  ReverseString(const  AString :  string):  string; Description:  Returns a string in which the character order of a specified string is reversed Example: var s : string; s:ABOUT DELPHI PROGRAMMING; s:ReverseString(s); //sGNIMMARGORP IHPLED TUOBA RightStr Function Returns a string containing a specified number of characters from the right side of a string. Declaration:function  RightStr(const  AString: AnsiString;  const  Count: Integer): AnsiString;overload;function  RightStr(const  AString: WideString;  const  Count: Integer): WideString;overload; Description:Returns a string containing a specified number of characters from the right side of a string. AString represents a string expression from which the rightmost characters are returned. Count indicates how many characters to return. If greater than or equal to the number of characters in AString, the entire string is returned. Example: var s : string; s : ABOUT DELPHI PROGRAMMING; s : RightStr(s,5); // s MMING StringReplace Function Returns a string in which a specified substring has been replaced with another substring. Declaration:type  TReplaceFlags   set of  (rfReplaceAll, rfIgnoreCase); function  StringReplace(const  S, OldStr, NewStr:  string; Flags: TReplaceFlags):  string; Description:Returns a string in which a specified substring has been replaced with another substring. If the Flags parameter does not include rfReplaceAll, only the first occurrence of OldStr in S is replaced. Otherwise, all instances of OldStr are replaced by NewStr.  If the Flags parameter includes rfIgnoreCase, the comparison operation is case insensitive. Example: var s : string; s:VB programmers love About VB Programming site; s : ReplaceStr(s,VB,Delphi, [rfReplaceAll]); //sDelphi programmers love About Delphi Programming site; Trim Function Returns a string containing a copy of a specified string without both leading and trailing spaces and control characters. Declaration:  function  Trim(const  S:  string):  string; Description:  Returns a string containing a copy of a specified string without both leading and trailing spaces and non-printing control characters. Example: var s : string; s: Delphi ; s : Trim(s); //sDelphi; UpperCase Function Returns a string that has been converted to uppercase. Declaration:  function  UpperCase(const  S:  string):  string; Description:  Returns a string that has been converted to uppercase.UpperCase only converts lowercase letters to uppercase; all uppercase letters and nonletter characters remain unchanged. Example: var s : string; s:DeLpHi; s : UpperCase(s); //sDELPHI; Val Procedure Converts a string to a numeric value. Declaration:  procedure  Val(const  S:  string;  var  Result;  var  Code: integer); Description:Converts a string to a numeric value. S is a string-type expression; it must be a sequence of characters that form a signed real number. The Result argument can be an Integer or floating-point variable. Code is zero if the conversion is successful. If the string is invalid, the index of the offending character is stored in Code. Val does not heed the local settings for the decimal separator. Example: var s : string; c,i : integer; s:1234; Val(s,i,c); //i1234; //c0

Administrative Challenges Employers can expect with Current Health Research Paper

Administrative Challenges Employers can expect with Current Health Exchanges - Research Paper Example Heath exchanges are significantly important despite the cost and implementation challenges. Despite the positive contributions of the health exchange, employers face administrative challenges including training needs for employees, cost control challenges, compliance complexity and procedural difficulties. Employers need to train their employees on how to use the health exchange marketplace to suit the health insurance needs of their families, including how to use the price calculator to determine the amount of subsidies (HealthCare.gov, 2015). Employers also expect cost control challenges because the healthcare exchange will require them to provide medical benefits and attempt to reduce the cost burden associated with the current health exchange (Kingsdale & Bertko, 2015).Complying with the health exchange is also complex for employers because they need to monitor their health insurance plan to ensure that they achieve compliance with minimum standards of the health exchange (Pauly and Herring, 2007). The procedure for obtaining coverage for several employees through the health exchange marketplace is also challenging because it takes time and may be costly. Employers can, therefore, expect several challenges with the current health exchange including training needs for employees, cost control challenges, compliance complexity, and procedural difficulties. These challenges are experienced because the health exchange brings new methods of complying with insurance requirements for employees. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues to burden the administration of employees’ processes for a greater part of employers. In fact, the likelihood of the Supreme Court to uphold a ruling by a lower court opposing the legitimacy of the federal marketplaces is taking the place of state managed. According to Sally Doubet King and James McEllgot, who have a partnership at McGuire Woods LLP,

The culture of punishment in America. Deathpenalty Essay

The culture of punishment in America. Deathpenalty - Essay Example It has been observed that since the 1970s, the number of death penalty cases have increased manifold, and America continues to justify the use of cruel methods of punishment for those indicted for all sorts of crimes. â€Å"The use of mass incarceration and the use of torture in prisons including Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay are other shining examples of resurfacing of earlier held mentalities with regards to meting out of punishments.† (Silberman, pg154)But then, in the latter case, one has to take into account the fact that most of the prisoners were terrorists; what was at stake was the security of the citizens of America which had to be safeguarded under all circumstances! In this paper, the primary focus is going to be on the attitudes of the various states of America towards the use of the death penalty. The primary area of concern would be the justificatory statements pertaining towards the use of or abolishment of death penalty though initially the American attitude t owards the use of punishment techniques in general will be touched upon, for that has a strong bearing on present-day attitudes towards death penalty, and the use of numbers and figures would merely be to put the claims under clearer perspective. It would be well to learn about the general attitudes maintained by the federal and state machinery with respect to treatment of prisoners in American jails. The federal and many state prison systems have gradually done away with trying to rehabilitate prisoners, instead opting to keep them in prisons for longer periods of time. And the ones indicted of death penalty are finding it tougher to get their sentencing reduced to life-imprisonment. Throughout the 1970s, religious fundamentalism has played a major part in increasing the use of corporal punishment, long prison terms and death penalty. â€Å"Alongside, there is also evidence to show that America had never fully abandoned extreme forms of punishment before the 1970s, nor had she com pletely rejected the rehabilitative ideal since. The widespread abuse of the mentally retarded in institutions such as Willowbrook and the torture of prisoners in Arkansas and at other places showcases the contradictions in American culture with regards to punishment†. (Silberman, pg 155)Going by these incidents, the reader will have very less cause for wonderment as to the use of more innovative and sophisticated gadgetry to execute death row inmates. The Enlightenment philosophy and the religious traditions that has to do with the Universalist principles of famous political figures like Benjamin Rush have resulted in the â€Å"development of the modern penitentiary, designed to isolate prisoners from the negative influences of other prisoners and encourage them to seek redemption by reading the Bible. The restorative justice movement and its historical antecedents are as much a part of the American story as the moralism of the early Protestant settlers.† (Silberman, p g 155) â€Å"A growing chorus of voices is insisting on the re-examination of the death penalty in Ohio. Among the most powerful voices include Ohio’s Catholic bishops, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer; former attorney general Jim Petro; and former state prison director Terry Collins.†(McCarty pg A9) The only US manufacturer of pentobarbital--the drug Ohio

Good vs. Evil in John Steinbecks East of Eden :: East Eden Essays

Good vs. Evil in East of Eden "God saw that all he had created was very good. You are part of gods creation, and he is pleased with how he made you. If at times you feel worthless or of little value, remember that god made you for a good reason. You are valuable to him." ( Genesis 1:31) I believe that all things created are at first good. The Bible gives pages upon pages of quotes and stories on the battle of good versus evil, but in the story East of Eden we are given what might be the greatest question of it all, and that is if the main character Cathy a.k.a. Kate was born good or evil. Kate was born and brought up an only child. At first Kate was a normal child and no one thought anything of her. When she got a little bit older Kate began to do things other children wouldn't normally do. At one point she was caught in her Barn with two boys and her tied up. Her mother and father punished her for this and whipped her until she was good again. Kate was doing great things, she was doing things that made her look like a perfect child. One day though Kate made a plan to kill her parents by locking them in the house while she sets it on fire. Kate did this and immediately got out of town. This is when Kate made her and ended up with Adam Trask another main character. Adam fell in love with Kate and ended up marring her and moving into a ranch with her. Kate the whole time stayed silent and not very sociable. She became pregnant gave birth to twin boys. Right after the boys were born she went on a mad rampage and shot Adam in the shoulder and ran off to be a whore. She told Adam she was Evil and didn't want anything to do with him or the boys. Kate ran away to a whore house and there she tortured and blackmailed many important men in the community. These man could not stop coming back, as though she had some power over them. All the while Adam was home trying to deal with the heart break of Kate leaving and her almost killing him.

Iron Crowned Chapter 26

â€Å"So, let me make sure I'm following this correctly.† I sighed and shifted on the bed, knowing Dorian was repeating this conversation mostly because he liked seeing my discomfort. â€Å"Your ‘technology' can tell you you're having a boy and a girl, when they're due, and allow you to hear their heartbeats,† he continued. â€Å"But some medicine inexplicably totally counteracted the other one you take to prevent pregnancy.† â€Å"Took,† I muttered. â€Å"Seeing as it's kind of pointless now.† Dorian leaned back in a plush armchair, face expressing overly dramatic pondering. After fainting, I'd been given a guest room befitting my status, a good sign since â€Å"hospitality† simply meant protection and in no way related to one's accommodations. It wasn't quite as nice as Dorian's room, of course, but the mattress was thick and fluffy, and the green velvet canopy coordinated with the heavy brocaded bedding. As sick as I'd felt, I honestly would have been content to curl up on the floor somewhere. I'd been awake for about an hour now, alone in the vast room save for Dorian. â€Å"What a fascinatingly bizarre turn of events,† he mused, stroking his chin. â€Å"If you thought the Iron Crown scared people, just wait until this news spreads. Which, of course, it already has.† I draped a hand over my forehead. â€Å"Isn't it bad enough that I'm carrying a world-conquering prophecy child? Why all the political fallout?† â€Å"Because you're carrying a world-conquering prophecy child,† he responded. â€Å"It's the type of thing people tend to have strong feelings about.† â€Å"I thought almost everyone wanted to conquer the human world.† â€Å"Most,† he agreed. â€Å"But not all. Especially those who – after observing your record thus far – might fear you'll conquer this world first.† I rolled over to my side, giving me a better view of him. Since the earlier spectacle, Dorian had masked whatever personal feelings he had about my pregnancy, switching into cunning ruler mode. â€Å"But not you,† I said. â€Å"You've always been in favor of this – fulfilling the prophecy.† â€Å"I've never made a secret of that,† he agreed. â€Å"From the moment we met.† That was true, at least. He'd sat on that desire while we were involved, but I'd always known it lurked. â€Å"You've just kept other secrets instead,† I blurted out. He didn't answer me right away, but those green-gold eyes weighed me thoughtfully. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I have. Secrets I now regret.† That silenced me for several moments. I hadn't expected any kind of apology. Something in me softened toward him. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"If I hadn't deceived you about the Iron Crown,† he explained, â€Å"we would still be together.† I could only stare. The piece of me that had never stopped loving him tentatively reared its head. It was hard to believe he was here confessing his feelings, admitting that what we'd had had been more important than his scheming. It gave me a new insight into him, one that astonished †¦ yet pleased me. â€Å"And if we'd stayed together,† he continued, â€Å"I would have been the lucky beneficiary of this medicinal slip.† So much for new insight. I groaned and turned away. â€Å"Of course. Of course that's the real source of your regret. You don't get to lead the revolution.† I heard him get up and sit on the bed beside me. A few seconds later, he actually had the audacity to lie down. I wiggled over to make room. â€Å"It's more than revolution,† he said. â€Å"I also told you the first time we met that I'd have a child with you, regardless of any prophecy.† â€Å"I'm not convinced that the ‘with me' part was so relevant.† Dorian touched my cheek and turned my face toward his. â€Å"Do you really believe that? Do you really believe my feelings for you were so small that your being the mother of my child wouldn't have meant the world to me?† I started to snarkily correct him with worlds, but it seemed petty. â€Å"I don't know what I believe,† I said honestly. â€Å"I don't even know if I have the energy or motivation to analyze our relationship when I have this going on.† I rested my hand on my stomach. Dorian's eyes followed that motion, utterly captivated. â€Å"Despite your foolish fathering choices, this †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reached toward my stomach as well, then pulled back. â€Å"This is a miracle. This is a prophecy fulfilled. This is life. And really, Kiyo is no longer relevant. He's given up any claims to these children. They are yours and yours alone now.† My fingers tightened on my stomach, not painfully, but more in a possessive type of way. My gaze grew unfocused. â€Å"I still can't believe that. I can't believe that he'd dismiss his own children so easily. That he'd dismiss me so easily †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I doubt it was easy. You aren't that easy to get over.† A small note of bitterness there. â€Å"But his opposition to the prophecy was too great. Just as my support is great enough to take you in – despite your betrayal – and embark in the madness to come.† Betrayal? I started to tell him he was the last one who should accuse anyone of that – but held back. â€Å"Will people think you're crazy to do it?† â€Å"Hardly,† he snorted. â€Å"Most will think they're my children anyway, ironically enough.† No one except Jasmine had heard my brief paternity exchange with Dorian in the hall. I frowned. â€Å"I think sometimes Kiyo does too.† â€Å"They can be.† My first reaction was that this was some sort of joke of his, but all humor had disappeared from his face. â€Å"I don't think you fully understand genetics.† â€Å"I understand that parenting is more than just blood,† he said, still deadly earnest. â€Å"And as I said: he's relinquished any claims. You are in control, and if even he and others question the children's parentage, then so much the better. Simply declare me the father. Have it recorded, and by our laws, the children will be mine for all intents and purposes.† Something about that set off my alarms. â€Å"What do you mean ‘intents and purposes'?† He shrugged – a bit too casually. â€Å"Titles. Prestige. Protection. Inheritance – if either is strong enough to hold my kingdom. Which, according to the prophecy, your son should be.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. There might be some safety benefits to this sort of gentry â€Å"adoption,† but I had a feeling that Dorian wasn't telling me all of them – particularly things that benefited him alone. He was still upset with me. He didn't like Kiyo. There was no reason that I could see for this. â€Å"I have to think about it.† â€Å"Think fast,† Dorian said. â€Å"Things will be in motion soon, particularly once we get you back to your own lands.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Why would you want to claim someone else's children? I mean, I get your wanting to see the prophecy come true, but you don't have to take that extra step.† â€Å"Maybe someone else's children are better than no children at all,† he said. It was another odd statement from him, a surprising one. Both philosophical and touching. Yet, I still believed there was a deception here. This wasn't out of love for me. Not anymore. His hand moved toward my stomach again and he didn't pull it away this time, though he made sure to keep away from my hand. â€Å"Let me ask you a question,† he said when I made no response. â€Å"Why did you choose to keep these children? Do you fear the unholy procedure your people use to end life? Were you unable to live with your daughter's blood on your hands?† My mind rewound back to that day at the doctor's. That day? Hell. It had only been earlier today. So much had happened since then that weeks might have gone by. My horrible ordeal with Kiyo had blurred the memories, but now, the ultrasound came back to me, the sights and sounds as real and vivid as though I were experiencing them all over again. â€Å"I heard their heartbeats,† I said at last. â€Å"And I saw them.† Well, kind of. Those blurs still didn't look like much to me, but the point was irrelevant. â€Å"And when I did †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groped to explain my feelings. â€Å"I just †¦ I just wanted them. Both of them. None of the rest mattered.† A slow, strange smile spread across Dorian's face. â€Å"That,† he declared, â€Å"is the most gentry thing I've ever heard you say.† Normally, I would have mocked him for using â€Å"gentry† instead of â€Å"shining ones.† It was a slip he sometimes made around me. His words' content, however, was of more importance. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† â€Å"Not so. Humans overthink things. They throw away life heedlessly. Honestly, after all this time, I was beginning to think you were more human than shining one.† â€Å"I hate to tell you, but I am,† I said. Dorian made himself more comfortable, and the hand on my stomach moved so that his arm lay over me, almost – but not quite – an embrace. It was possessive, like I was a prize that had fallen into his lap. â€Å"Are you, my dear? You're expressing philosophies very like my own. You're carrying a child that will allegedly conquer the human world – a world you can't go back to for a while, seeing as it would give the kitsune an edge. You're safer here in this world where, I'd like to add, you rule not one but two kingdoms. That,† he declared triumphantly, â€Å"makes you, by my reckoning, more like a gentry than a human.† I looked away, not meeting his eyes – because I had a crazy feeling he was right.

Why Did I Choose This Career - 1241 Words

Q: How and why did you choose this career?†¨A: I was a ballet dancer and had been accepted into the Royal Ballet of Canada when I had a foot injury that required surgery and follow up physical therapy. That was my first introduction to the field. I think the possibility of PT as a career just simmered in my subconscious because I actually started university studying math and French. I ended up getting a degree in psychology and then entered physical therapy school.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Q: What are the most important skills and abilities required for your job?†¨A: The critical skill in a physical therapist is the passion to do what they do and to make a real difference in the lives of the patients they serve. Besides that they must be very strong in the sciences, a creative and critical thinker, have great interpersonal and problem solving skills, and be able to multitask.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Q: What is a typical day in your work like?†¨A: I am currently in healthcare administration s o my day revolves around establishing a working environment to provide high quality patient-centered care.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Q: What do you wish you knew (but didn t) when you first contemplated this career?†¨A: I wish I had a better understanding of all the different venues of care options available and the different therapeutic goals specific to the setting. I think it is important to find out what aspect of PT you are most passionate about and what setting best fits your personality/your life.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Q: What parts of your job do you find most challenging?Show MoreRelatedWhat Does You Do For Your Life?1511 Words   |  7 PagesEver since I was a little girl I always knew that I wanted to help people. 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