STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Case Study Example For example, Gupta et al. (2009) gave example of intellectual capital in research & development division of pharmaceutical companies as the core competency which can not only be copied easily by competitors but also being developed over the course of long period. In such context, core competencies of Microsoft Corp can also be understood in context to core competency model proposed by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). According to the Microsoft case presented by Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (2012), from the foundation of the company in 1975, Microsoft Corp always strive for getting the â€Å"first mover† advantage by continuously innovating with product application and design. It is evident from the research works of Gupta and Dwivedi (2012) and Edgar and Lockwood (2012) that core competence is a customer driven approach and providing value to customers should be integrated with core competency models. Now, the question may arise that is it possible for all products of Microsoft Corp to have at least one core competency? For answering this question, study of the product portfolio performance of Microsoft Corp will be conducted. However, there is not much scope to do, the limitations being the lack of time and resource. To overcome such difficulties, the report will use case study of Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (2012) in order to understand key core competencies of Microsoft. Product portfolio of Microsoft Corp can be segregated into seven segments such as Windows, Business Solutions, Xbox Game Console and Entertainment, Developer Tools, MSN, web browser and Servers, mobile solutions (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson, 2012). For example, Windows and windows live segment accompanies by Windows Operating System (OS), Internet Explorer etc are highest revenue earner for the company. On the other hand, business division segments of Microsoft accompanied by Dynamics ERP, Microsoft Office, CRM, Office Web etc are second largest revenue earner for the company (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson, 2012). Interesting fact is that, Microsoft has acquired more than 80% of market share in the field of operating system and business division which show that the company has successfully integrated its technological core competencies in order to achieve market leadership. Microsoft is even performing well in the field of Entertainment & Gaming Solution with the help of its product portfolios like Xbox, Zune digital music platform, Windows phone and successfully defending its market share (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson, 2012). However, same cannot be said for online service division of Microsoft such as Bing search engines which has incurred consecutive operational profit loss due to unequal revenue distribution right agreement with Yahoo. Drejer (2002) and Clulow, Gerstman and Barry (2003) stated that core competencies can be achieved by deploying internal resources such strong intellectual capital, financial resources, technological capabilities, efficient human resourc e, marketing expertise, strong supplier relationship etc. In such context, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) stated that core competence gets enhanced with the use and sharing while other capabilities might get reduced with extensive use. Microsoft is still struggling to compete with Smartphone and technology companies like Samsung, Apple and existing competency of Microsoft is not helping them

Physiological life-long process Essay Example for Free

Physiological life-long process Essay Aging primarily is a physiological life-long process, starting at conception and ending with death (Kart, 1994). Persons grow old whether they like it or not. These changes, both positive and negative, place demands on the aging person’s abilities to cope with and adapt to new life situations. It is a challenge for any given society to assist their aged in coping with the new life situations they are facing. Unfortunately, the rapid social changes taking place in society do not always lend themselves toward helping the elderly meet the demands of their life situations. For one, the attitude toward this population is not helping them cope with it as well. According to historian Fischer, 1977 in Doress-Worters Seigel, 1994), the old is regarded as useless, unattractive, and unwanted especially in the west. Acknowledging these realities of aging, the current research has been undertaken to study the experience of subjective well-being of senior citizens of Gladys Spellan. This shall be from the point of view of their administrators, particularly on their views on well being and the factors that influence it. Objectives / Outcomes This study therefore, will strive to achieve the following objectives: 1) Understand the experiences of the senior citizens of Gladys Spellman in the home for the aged from the perspective of their administrators: a) Their understanding or idea of well-being b) And the components of well being and factors that influence it. I personally chose this topic because I believe that as more and more elderly are placed under institutionalized care in contemporary society, a study such as this is needed to explore this phenomenon. It would shed light into the subjective lives experiences of the aged from an administrators’ view point. This would also contribute to the literature in this area and serve as groundwork for further studies in this area. This study will explore the subjective well-being (SWB) of the elderly in Gladys Spellmen who opted to live in an institutionalized set up or in a home for the aged by choice. The following framework will be used as a guide in the study: Method The first step in the research was the gathering of secondary data that are pertinent to the current topic, collating literature on the concept of well-being, indicators of the cognitive and affective components, and the factors which contribute towards it. A case study will be used in the current study, focusing on Gladys Spellmen Specialty Center. A semi- structured interview guide has been used in gathering primary data from the administrators of the institution. Interviewing. All the interview sessions with administrators will be one-on-one or individual interviews, for which the researcher has jotted down notes. A session with the participants lasted about 45 to 90 minutes,sometimes with a break in between or without it. The personal information sheet will be completed before or after the interview session with them. The researcher will take down notes while interviewing which shall be thematically analyzed. References Kart, C. S. (1994). The realities of aging: An introduction to gerontology (4th ed. ). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Doress-Worters P. B. , Seigel, D. L. (1994). The new ourselves growing older. Women aging with a knowledge and power. New York: Simon Schuster.

A Woman’s Place Is Not in the House Essay -- Argument, Argumentative,

First of all, some men should stop thinking that a woman’s place is in the house. Because, it is not! If men would try to adapt some of the attitudes, and behavior of women, we may see a reduction in the divorce rate or a more stable relationship amongst couples. Some women tent to talk about things that are bothering them, while the men keeps everything inside, hence he becomes isolated in the relationship. Some men were taught at an early age to believe that a woman’s place is in the house. However, things have changed over the years, and more women are now working. And the men are expecting the woman to continue doing everything around the house without offering their help. This will create a stressful atmosphere because the woman is now overwhelmed. She is overworked because her partner sits in the â€Å"big chair† and waits for her to pick up the children, fix the dinner, give them a bath, and then take care of him. The woman puts his dinner on the table, and serves him this favorite beer. Then, after that she checks homework before the children retire for bed. Most wom...

Benjamin Franklin…A Misogynist? Essay

You asked us to read â€Å"Old Mistresses Apologue† to see how Benjamin Franklin begins as a solemn friend and adviser to a young man but soon reveals himself as a hedonistic lecher, then after reading you asked if we see any signs of a misogynist in Benjamin Franklin’s letter. To begin I looked up the word misogynist to get a better understanding of what it meant. According to Webster’s Dictionary, misogynist means a hatred of or hostility toward women, a women hater. After reading Benjamin Franklin’s letter, it was hard to see Mr. Franklin as a women hater. I find him being finicky about his women preferring older to younger women being almost discriminatory towards younger women in general, but not actually a women hater. If anything, he has good things to say about women as a whole. In the very first paragraph of his letter, Benjamin Franklin says great things of women in the state of union with a man. First, he states that â€Å"It is the Man and Woman united that make the compleat human Being.† [sic] Those are powerful word to say if you are a women hater. He also states in the same paragraph that man would be of less value if they were not married and they are incomplete without their better half. Hence his words, â€Å"A single Man has not nearly the Value he would have in that State of Union. He is an incomplete Animal. He resembles that odd Half of a Pair of Scissars.† [sic] Beginning after the first paragraph Benjamin Franklin begins stating increasingly how he would prefer an older woman to a younger one saying; â€Å"you should prefer old Women to young ones.† [sic] Then he proceeds to explain why he believes this theory with eight different reasons. The very first point, Franklin explains that older women are better because they are smarter, more experienced and can hold a conversation that is more interesting than that of a younger women. In his second point, he explains how when women get older they can do more for you and take better care of you. He even states that â€Å"there is hardly a thing as an old woman who is not a good Woman.† [sic] Therefore, if Benjamin Franklin was a misogynist I hardly think he would have stated that women were even good in any right. Benjamin Franklin’s fourth point explains how older women are less likely to stray and if they did it would be more accepted by an older woman than a younger one. Since older women are so willing to take care of younger man and help to shape his values and manners. This can be seen best in this line, â€Å"Because thro’ more Experience, they are more prudent and discreet in conducting an Intrigue to prevent Suspicion.† [sic] Now in Benjamin Franklin’s fifth point I see him saying something that can be seen as misogynist comment, â€Å"and regarding only what is below the Girdle, it is impossible of two Women to know and old from a young one. And as in the dark all Cats are grey.† [sic] That comment to me can be taken as an insult to women, I don’t think that everything below the â€Å"girdle† or waist is what makes all women young and old alike, but I do see Franklin’s point. Now lastly, my favorite comment had to have been in his eighth point when he states that older women are better to marry than young ones because, â€Å"They are so grateful!!† That comment in it self should be an indication that Benjamin Franklin was not a misogynist, he may have said one or two things that can be taken that way. Nevertheless, Franklin seems to like women in general he definitely had more nice things to say about women than anything else, almost as though he couldn’t be without a woman.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 44

Booyah! When Danny finishes reading Tiffany's latest letter, he sighs, scratches his Afro, and looks out my bedroom window for a long time. I want his reaction because he is the only person I know who doesn't already have a strong opinion about Tiffany. Everyone else is obviously biased – even Cliff. â€Å"So,† I finally say from my bed. I'm sitting with my back against the headboard and my cast propped up on a few pillows. â€Å"What do you think I should do?† Danny sits down, opens up the Parcheesi box, and takes out the hand-painted wooden board and pieces my mother gave me for my birthday. â€Å"I feel like being red today,† he says. â€Å"What color you want?† After I pick blue, we set up the board on the little table my mother put in the room for us when I first came home with a broken leg. We play Parcheesi like we always do when Danny visits, and it becomes obvious that he isn't going to weigh in with an opinion regarding Tiffany, probably because he knows that only I can make this decision – but maybe because he just wants to play the game. He loves Parcheesi more than any man I have ever met, and when he lands on one of my spots and sends one of my pieces back to the start circle, Danny always points at my face and yells, â€Å"Booyah!† which makes me laugh because he is so goddamn serious about Parcheesi. Even though I don't really enjoy playing Parcheesi as much as Danny does – and he won't answer any of my questions about Tiffany – it's nice to have him back in my life again. We play Parcheesi for so many hours – days pass, and my record against Danny grows to 32 wins and 203 losses. Danny is a supreme Parcheesi player, and the best dice roller I have ever met. When he says, â€Å"Papa needs a doublet,† he almost always rolls two sixes. Whatever Papa needs, Danny rolls.

Free Essays on Melatonin

MELATONIN Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, located within your brain. Every day, as it gets later, the pineal gland goes to work by releasing increasing amounts of melatonin into your bloodstream. This hormone may play a role in many body processes. Your blood vessels, ovaries, gastrointestinal system and brain all have cells that are specially equipped to utilize melatonin. The main influence it has involves sleep. The time period in which the pineal gland releases the hormones coincides with the hours you typically sleep. It doesn’t cause you to fall asleep, but it initiates changes throughout your body that make you feel ready for sleep. Several studies have shown that 1 to 2 milligrams a day may help improve the quality and duration of sleep in some people. However, it appears melatonin supplements may help only the small number of insomniacs who have a melatonin deficiency. Much remains unknown about this hormone and its effects on your body, particularly when it’s used long-term or with other medications. There also concerns about the quality and purity of the supplements. Because it is not a drug, the FDA doesn’t regulate its safety. No serious side effects have yet been attributed to taking melatonin supplements, but doctors and scientist believe it may cause hypothermia, reduced fertility, suppression of male sex drive, and damage to the retina of the eye.... Free Essays on Melatonin Free Essays on Melatonin MELATONIN Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, located within your brain. Every day, as it gets later, the pineal gland goes to work by releasing increasing amounts of melatonin into your bloodstream. This hormone may play a role in many body processes. Your blood vessels, ovaries, gastrointestinal system and brain all have cells that are specially equipped to utilize melatonin. The main influence it has involves sleep. The time period in which the pineal gland releases the hormones coincides with the hours you typically sleep. It doesn’t cause you to fall asleep, but it initiates changes throughout your body that make you feel ready for sleep. Several studies have shown that 1 to 2 milligrams a day may help improve the quality and duration of sleep in some people. However, it appears melatonin supplements may help only the small number of insomniacs who have a melatonin deficiency. Much remains unknown about this hormone and its effects on your body, particularly when it’s used long-term or with other medications. There also concerns about the quality and purity of the supplements. Because it is not a drug, the FDA doesn’t regulate its safety. No serious side effects have yet been attributed to taking melatonin supplements, but doctors and scientist believe it may cause hypothermia, reduced fertility, suppression of male sex drive, and damage to the retina of the eye....

Muslims Essay Example

Muslims Essay Example Muslims Essay Muslims Essay Essay Topic: The arabian Nights One Thousand and One Nights The Muslims have been a part of the American History ever since the Pre-Columbian times. The Early explorers used maps that were made by Muslims. At the time, the Muslims had advance Geographical and Navigational information. Also, aside from this, during the time when African slaves were imported in the Americas, half of the slave population could be estimated to be Muslims. The Msulims arrived in Europe in different ways, these were through, Muslim Explorers, Muslim Armies, Traders, and through Scientific Research and Arabic Manuscripts. Europe being influenced by Muslim Culture was famous for exploring the Western Continent. These are some instances in History that could usher a great influence in Culture.Islamic ScienceIn 750 AD, Abbasid caliphs of Baghdad, helped Science not only to thrive, but also spread towards the West(Spain) and East(Central Asia) in a period of over six hundred years.Influenced by Greek, Indian and Persian Culture, the early Arab Muslim scholars were able accrue an insurmountable amount of scientific knowledge. In doing so, they were able to make it flourish through their own innovations and discoveries.Astronomy and Mathematics were two of the bodies of knowledge which the Muslims paid attention to. Astronomy was particularly important to them specifically because of their religion. In Muslim Religion, one must pray towards a specific direction, specifically towards Mecca. Wherever a Muslim follower is, he must pray towards that direction, and at the time, they did not rely on any instruments such as a compass, but simply relied on the stars. Mathematics is relatively important to them as well with regards to dividing their property with regards to Inheritance in the Islamic Law.Although Science developed with the help of Islam’s, there are no active figures in Science that were Muslims. But during the 12th and 13th Centuries, the Research paper done by these people were translated from Arab to Latin and was passed to the wes tern continents.Medical ArtsA book that may be found in on-line, Islamic Medicine, Proviedes studies and various essays pertaining to different Physicians and scholars which would contain chapters on Islamic Medical Ethics, euthanasia and AIDS. The advance stages of Arab Medicine came in 12th and 13th Century, wherein we can find entries pertaining to Medical Schools flourishing in the Muslim Society.Some achievements of Arab medicine that were overlooked by the west was Muslim(Arab) roots of European Medicine, and the Discovery of how Pulmonary Circulation works in the Body. In fact it was discovered later by two doctors in the U.S. that the Pulmonary Circulation was indeed discovered by a Muslim that goes by the name of Ibn Nafis. This proves that the Pulmonary Circulation was not discovered in the 16th Century by the Europeans, but by Ibn Nafis who was actually a famous physician of the 13th Century.Alchemy and ChemistryAlchemy is often related to magic. It is described as the Ma gical transformation of different kinds of metal, specifically; Lead, into gold which is the most precious metal of the time. Alchemy in reality is the precursor to Modern Chemistry as we know it.A record from the 14th Century of the Arabs maid by Abu al-Qasim Muhammad Ibn Ahmed al-Iraqi, pertained to a book which was about the cultivation of Gold.Literature and PoetryAn Arab named Al Biruni, born in Khawarizm(Caspian Basin), who lived in 1050’s was a man of letters and words who gave the Arabic Culture a universal dimension. Al wrote in the Persian and Arabic languages. He said, I was brought up in one language (that of Khawarizm) †¦ I learnt Arabic and Persian later, and I therefore come as an outsider to both these languages, my command of which I strive to perfect. But I must confess that I would rather be insulted in Arabic than praised in Persian.In the 8th Century, the first Arabic Literature that could be called a masterpiece was â€Å"Ibn Al-Muqaffas Kalila Wa Dimna†. This was an indication to the nature of this epoch and also it was a collection of Indian Fables translated in the Arab language. These Indian fables may it be the Persian or the original Sanskrit version is now lost.Arab grammarians were able to establish rules for the language which was developed to be pure and as much as possible, close to its origins. This was the time that the first Arab dictionary was created. During this time, the paper industry developed and the rulers began to take a liberal approach with regards to arts. Soon after, the aristocracy supported and patronized the evolution of Literature.Literary genres such as the Epistle, the short story(risala) and the maqama(a mix of diction and reality in a form of a rhythmic prose, where in the action is centered towards one character), prospered. It was at this time that the champions of Reason started to debate against the conservative majority, whether to keep their native tongue or propagate diversity.T he Arabian Nights, Alf Layla Wa Layla, or the World famous â€Å"A Thousand and One Nights† is an essence of ‘peddlers’ literature’. Peddler’s Literature in laymen’s terms would mean a form of public speaking. In Muslim countries, public speaking is a form of entertainment or communication that is loved by all. Public Speeches are done in city squares and is often used to deliver poetry, which comes with gestures. The Public speaker must have a god command of the literary piece and must also command the public to continually gain their attention.Geometrical OrnamentationBecause of the Geometrical style of Ornamentation, the art of Muslims moved towards pure abstraction. Art of Astronomers and Mathematicians would be described by the series of modifications and superposing of star like shapes with six, eight, ten, or even twelve points. With these kinds of designs which has countless foci, constitutes an invitation to meditate.Moral SystemIsla m has done a really good job of creating foundation for Human rights all through out the world which is not only observed but respected as well, what ever the circumstance may be. Not only do Muslims provide legal safeguards but they also provide and effective moral system. This moral system can be discussed as such: Anything that would lead to the welfare of an individual or the welfare of the society is morally good, and such, whatever provides to be injurious to the society and its people may be considered as morally bad.Muslims have never claimed the right to call their Moral system to be one of its kind, or a breakthrough when it comes to other moral systems, nor did it ever seek to minimize or exaggerate the importance of other moral systems. They address the well known moral virtues with equal importance with regards to its role in the scheme of life. The Muslims wanted to ensure that their sense of morality overcomes one’s selfish desire.May it be literature, science, medicine, astrology, geometry or Alchemy; Muslims have indeed made a mark in History. Their culture is rich and has done a great job of influencing other nations, specifically the Western Nations. The Influence was neither forced nor was it intentional. It was the inevitable outcome of two civilizations meeting, mixing and taking the best from each other at the boundaries of the Muslim encroachment on the Christian Civilization in Europe.

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God The Kitchen God is assigned by Yu Huang, the emperor of heaven, to watch over each family and record what they do throughout the year. A paper picture of the Kitchen God is hung in a prominent location in the kitchen. Each year during Chinese New Year, the Kitchen God returns to heaven to report on what the family has done throughout the year. The family has a thank you dinner in which a bowl of sticky rice is placed in front of the Kitchen God. It is believed that if the Kitchen God’s mouth is full of glutinous rice, he will not be able to speak about the family’s activities. Others give glutinous rice balls served in sugar soup and brown sugar bars as a bribe for the Kitchen God to say favorable things about the family. After the thank you dinner, the picture of the Kitchen God is burned and thereby sent back to heaven. A new picture of the Kitchen God is hung in the kitchen after the start of Chinese New Year festivities.

Dealing with Economic Externalities in the Real Estate Industry Essay

Dealing with Economic Externalities in the Real Estate Industry. Letter addressed to a mayor - Essay Example One of the most important externality can be found in the mortgage subsector. In the housing industry, an externality called a positional externality has led to products being very expensive. Positional externalities happen when the individual using the product or the service intend to one-up each other. This is something that has been witnessed in the real estate industry for a long time. As Grant (37) says, externalities affect all categories of land use and this is something that must be considered in a more modern and serious manner. While this kind of an economic externality has affected the industry in a long time, the effects have been felt the most in recent time. In fact, economic externalities in the mortgage subsector were highly associated with the recent economic recession in the United States. Increased availability of mortgage service has led to most people affording to buy their own homes through mortgage financing. While increased home ownership is important and nece ssary for the growth of the economy, it can lead to dire repercussions when done in the wrong way. As the availability of mortgage financing increased and more people were now looking for homes to buy, the costs of homes increased in a very fast rate that exceeded the market growth and inflations rates. This sudden hiking of the cost of owning a home happened so fast that at some time, the market started imploding. At this point, many individuals could who had taken loan could no longer to be able to remit their mortgage repayments and this unfortunately led to foreclosure of their homes. They could also not be able to sell off the homes at a cost high enough to cover the original costs of the homes. In this way, mortgage financing can be seen as having a great external cost to most individuals who would otherwise be able to buy their own homes without having to depend on mortgage financiers. A closer analysis reveals that increasingly availability of rarely controlled mortgages hav e two types of external costs to the economy. First, it makes homes unfairly expensive for would-be home owners. Secondly, it leads to the crunching of the real estate market making it impossible for individual who had bought their homes at exceedingly high costs to be able to recover their costs by selling their homes. Need for control The mortgage subsector has been left uncontrolled and unregulated for a very long time. This has led to the participators in the industry to operate in a way that is less professional and also in a way that has led to many individuals having to lose a lot of money through a mortgage industry that is operated in a racket manner of operation. Most mortgage regulation laws are archaic and are not able to meet the needs of the modern mortgage market. Regulating the industry will be important for protecting the many people who will definitely otherwise be affected by the poorly managed mortgage industry. Regulation in the industry should be geared towards ensuring that mortgage providers are careful and professional in the way they offer this product. Of essence will be to ensure that the mortgage providers do not operate in a way that will negatively affect their customers. The government should come up with a framework to guarantee that the mortgage providers are careful in the way they provide the product in terms of ensuring that they serve customers who are ready and capable to repay the mortgage. This will reduce or eliminate the number of home

Marketing Fundamentals Fall 2012 Midterm Exam Essay - 1

Marketing Fundamentals Fall 2012 Midterm Exam - Essay Example Studies show that it has 50% less fats than Zinger burger of KFC and Subway. It was introduced with different styles to the customer like Mega-MAC, Big-Big-MAC and Maharaja-MAC (India) etc. McDonalds is a dominant company that consumers have trusted in and have the power to change as tastes changes.   Mc Donald’s Offers Valued pricing as its products are much cheaper price as compared to its competitor’s i.e. KFC, Burger King, Subway etc. McDonald’s is viewed generally as a fast food restaurant with low price that they offer. They have â€Å"value meals† for being inexpensive in price provided the amount of the servings and drinks. McDonalds communicates a psychosomatic value to consumers. Competition is tough that’s they have done a great job differentiating from other challenging brands letting them position McDonalds as a Pioneer in fast food Industry. It uses bundling strategy as well by serving combo packs to raise market share in arrangement with competitive pricing. Publicity, branding, promotion, packaging and Advertising are key significant regarding to the marketing tools which are used to create products and services more attractive which causes to increase sales and profits. The Happy Meals are also a fine product strategy that targets kids by providing French fries and chicken nuggets with small toys. They have also â€Å"Play zone† where kids are welcome to place and hang out with other kids with under the supervision of their parents. Toyota Co. Ltd. was established in 1937. In the 1960s and 70s the company stretched speedily, exporting large records of cars to markets. It has assembly plants and distributors in many countries, now it owns subsidiaries that manufacture cars and parts, steel, trucks, synthetic resins, and equipments for numerous industries. Honda and Toyota are prime competitors in the automobile

Story analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Story analysis - Assignment Example He has come to know that, if he truly loves his brother, he should respect his desire for freedom and individuality and to appreciate how music frees all of them from their inner struggles. The story has the theme of brotherly love. The narrator cannot seem to show his love for his brother whom he has harshly judged, when the latter chose to be a jazz player instead of finishing college and especially when he became addicted to heroin. This short story includes their mother’s narration of what happened to their father’s brother. Their father lost his brother due to racism and injustice. His mother reminds the narrator to take care of his brother: â€Å"You may not be able to stop nothing from happening. But you got to let him know you’s there† (Baldwin par. 112). She tells his son to love his brother whatever happens because the world is already cruel, and the only way to make it less cruel is to ensure that they have each other’s back whatever happens. If they suffer, and they will, they must suffer

Health education ( Research Based) Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health education ( Based) - Research Paper Example In particular, the study’s aim is to identify the psychological factors, which influence HIV disclosure among PLWHA, including HIV cognition, personality, and perceived stigmatization (Adejumo, 2011). A cross-sectional design was adopted in this study. Personality, stigmatization and HIV cognition were the independent variables. HIV self disclosure was the dependent variable. The research was carried out in PLWHA’s four centers in Nigeria’s Oyo State. These centers included Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, St. Mary Hospital, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (AFRH), and Family Health and Population Action Council (Adejumo, 2011). An 80-item self-report questionnaire, which had five sections, was used for data collection. In order to conduct the research, permission was obtained from the University of Ibadan, Department of Psychology. To establish the participants who met the inclusion criteria, a review was conducted on the participant’s medical records, at the centers. The number of those who met the inclusion criteria from the four centers was 500. Out of the participants, 71 did not fill the questionnaires appropriately, which led to their cancellation. The questionnaires that were successfully filled were coded, sorted and entered for analysis (Adejumo, 2011). The impact of perceived stigmatization, gender, age, and HIV cognition on HIV self disclosure was entered into a table, to compare their relationships. Those who recorded the highest mean on HIV disclosure were the females, low on perceived stigmatization, old, and with good HIV cognition. The ones who took the second position in regards to HIV disclosure were the old, males, good in HIV cognition and with high rate of perceived HIV stigmatization. The ones who came third on the HIV disclosure were the male respondents who had high rate of perceived stigmatization, old, and without good HIV cognition. The young males with poor HIV cognition and high rate of perceived HIV

Hammerhead Sharks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hammerhead Sharks - Research Paper Example The characteristic hammer shaped head of these ocean predators is called cephalofoil and is the reason why they are called hammerhead sharks. The nostrils and eyes are located at the tip of the extensions. All hammerhead sharks belong to the genus Sphyrna. There are nine identified species of Hammerhead shark and all have the characteristic projections on both sides of the head. The largest Hammerhead species, the Great Hammerhead shark, can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, although smaller sizes are more common (National Geography). The smallest of this species is the Bonnethead, which can reach an average length of 3-4 feet and can weigh up to 24 pounds (University of Florida). Cephalofoil: Structural Variations There are two main theories regarding the development of the cephalofoil. Some scientists believe that the shape evolved gradually over numerous generations, while others suggest that it was a sudden mutation that rapidly proved to be an advantage (Aquatic Community). The shape of the cephalofoil has been found to vary considerably among the various species of Hammerhead sharks. The great hammerhead has a cephalofoil that is broad and nearly flat across the front, with a single shallow notch in the center. The scalloped hammerhead is arched more and has a pronounced center notch with two matching notches on either side, giving it a scalloped appearance. The smooth hammerhead is smooth with no notches but a slight broad arch. The cephalofoil of a bonnethead is rounded at the front and resembles a shovel more than a hammer. Function of Cephalofoil Researchers are not sure about the function of cephalofoil in hammerhead sharks, but they have a few theories, some of which hold up well under research. The prominent theories which have been tested are listed below: 1. Enhanced binocular field In this study, scientist hypothesized that one of the main features of the cephalofoil is to enhance frontal binocularity (McComb et al. 4010 ). As part of this study, they compared the visual fields of three hammerhead species: the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and the winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii) with the visual field of two carcharhinid species: the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) and the blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus). Scientists also quantified the eye rotation and head yaw of these sharks in order to determine if species compensate for large blind areas anterior to the head. The study revealed that the winghead shark possessed the largest anterior binocular overlap which was nearly four times larger than that of the lemon and blacknose sharks (McComb 4013). The binocular overlap in the scalloped hammerhead sharks was greater than the bonnethead sharks and carcharhinid species (McComb et al. 4013). However, the bonnethead shark did not differ from the carcharhinids (McComb et al. 4013). The hammerhead species did not demonstrate greater eye rota tion in the anterior or posterior direction. However, both the scalloped hammerhead and bonnethead sharks exhibited greater head yaw during swimming than the lemon and blacknose sharks, indicating a behavioral compensation for the anterior blind area (McComb et al. 4013). The results indicate that hammerhead species have larger binocular overlap compared to the carcharhinid sharks which is consistent with the ‘enhanced binocular field’ hypothesis. 2. Head Morphology Scientists have conducted a comparative morphology test to determine if the sphyrnid cephalofoil offers better stereo-olfaction, increases olfactory acuity and samples a greater volume of the medium compared to the carcharhiniform sharks (Kajiura et al., Morphology 253). The broadly spaced nares provides significantly greater separation between the

Interaction between Information Systems (ISIT) and business strategies Essay

Interaction between Information Systems (ISIT) and business strategies in an Banking organisation - Essay Example The study will use case studies where a sample size of 10 banks will be randomly selected in London and used for the purpose of study. For data collection, face to face interview will be conducted with the general manager and the IS manager of these banks. An observational check list will be used to collect information to assess the effectiveness of the model in each bank. Data will be collected over a period of one month. The data collected will be analyzed using simple analytical means of percentages, means and deviation and later subjected to regression analysis. The study will assume that the sample selected will be a representative of the whole population and that researcher will secure appointments with the managers. With the world turning to a global village, the world financial sector is under pressure to catch up with the new developments. Having been a conservative economic sector confined to their indigenous areas of operation, banks are facing pressure with increasing competition. Many banks have resulted to expansion strategies in order to serve their customers wherever they travel in this dynamic world. This has posed a challenge to many banks in terms of coordination of its services. Many other banks have resulted to mergers in order to have an international presence. Ideally, all banks have resulted to expansion strategy in one way or another. Due to large area of operation, banks have been faced with a problem of coordinating all their braches or merger partners. Banking industry has been in the front line in embracing the ever changing face of information system in order to coordinate their services well. But at the same time, many banks have found that embracing information systems may not stream line their services as intended. They have found information system has come up with its own woes. In some banks it has been found to be too expensive, cumbersome and creating a lot of inconveniences. It has lead to a lot of frauds which has led to losses to many financial institutions. This research aims at investigating how banks are implementing their information system, the reason for turning to information system, and the challenges they are facing in implementation of the strategy. The research hopes to compare information systems strategies in different banks to show models which have succeeded and which have failed in order to provide banks with resource material which they can refer if they want to implement a new IS strategy or to upgrade their existing one. Statement of the problem Many financial institutions have found it difficult to keep up with the changing demand of the banking sector in wake up of globalization. They have been faced with numerous challenges in streamlining their operations and relationship with their customers. Having resulted to new strategies using IS, many of them have found that the systems are not that efficient and they are faced with the same problem of efficiently. Purpose of the study The study aims at proving a critical comparison of different IS models that are being used in the banking sector today to provide resources information for the banking sector on the most efficient models as it will have studied. It aims at giving

Hammerhead Sharks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hammerhead Sharks - Research Paper Example The characteristic hammer shaped head of these ocean predators is called cephalofoil and is the reason why they are called hammerhead sharks. The nostrils and eyes are located at the tip of the extensions. All hammerhead sharks belong to the genus Sphyrna. There are nine identified species of Hammerhead shark and all have the characteristic projections on both sides of the head. The largest Hammerhead species, the Great Hammerhead shark, can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, although smaller sizes are more common (National Geography). The smallest of this species is the Bonnethead, which can reach an average length of 3-4 feet and can weigh up to 24 pounds (University of Florida). Cephalofoil: Structural Variations There are two main theories regarding the development of the cephalofoil. Some scientists believe that the shape evolved gradually over numerous generations, while others suggest that it was a sudden mutation that rapidly proved to be an advantage (Aquatic Community). The shape of the cephalofoil has been found to vary considerably among the various species of Hammerhead sharks. The great hammerhead has a cephalofoil that is broad and nearly flat across the front, with a single shallow notch in the center. The scalloped hammerhead is arched more and has a pronounced center notch with two matching notches on either side, giving it a scalloped appearance. The smooth hammerhead is smooth with no notches but a slight broad arch. The cephalofoil of a bonnethead is rounded at the front and resembles a shovel more than a hammer. Function of Cephalofoil Researchers are not sure about the function of cephalofoil in hammerhead sharks, but they have a few theories, some of which hold up well under research. The prominent theories which have been tested are listed below: 1. Enhanced binocular field In this study, scientist hypothesized that one of the main features of the cephalofoil is to enhance frontal binocularity (McComb et al. 4010 ). As part of this study, they compared the visual fields of three hammerhead species: the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and the winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii) with the visual field of two carcharhinid species: the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) and the blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus). Scientists also quantified the eye rotation and head yaw of these sharks in order to determine if species compensate for large blind areas anterior to the head. The study revealed that the winghead shark possessed the largest anterior binocular overlap which was nearly four times larger than that of the lemon and blacknose sharks (McComb 4013). The binocular overlap in the scalloped hammerhead sharks was greater than the bonnethead sharks and carcharhinid species (McComb et al. 4013). However, the bonnethead shark did not differ from the carcharhinids (McComb et al. 4013). The hammerhead species did not demonstrate greater eye rota tion in the anterior or posterior direction. However, both the scalloped hammerhead and bonnethead sharks exhibited greater head yaw during swimming than the lemon and blacknose sharks, indicating a behavioral compensation for the anterior blind area (McComb et al. 4013). The results indicate that hammerhead species have larger binocular overlap compared to the carcharhinid sharks which is consistent with the ‘enhanced binocular field’ hypothesis. 2. Head Morphology Scientists have conducted a comparative morphology test to determine if the sphyrnid cephalofoil offers better stereo-olfaction, increases olfactory acuity and samples a greater volume of the medium compared to the carcharhiniform sharks (Kajiura et al., Morphology 253). The broadly spaced nares provides significantly greater separation between the

FIRST and Second Amendment Assignment (CRJ 733) Essay

FIRST and Second Amendment Assignment (CRJ 733) - Essay Example In Virginia v. Black et al. certiorari to the supreme court of Virginia, no.01-1107 (2003) Justice O’Connor announced the following, â€Å"In this case we consider whether the Commonwealth of Virginia's statute banning cross burning with intent to intimidate a person or group of persons" violates the First Amendment. Va. Code Ann.  §18.2-423 (1996). We conclude that while a State, consistent with the First Amendment, may ban cross burning carried out with the intent to intimidate, the provision in the Virginia statute treating any cross burning as prima facie evidence of intent to intimidate renders the statute unconstitutional in its current form.† (Virginia v. Black 1) As a result of this prior decision made the appropriate decision at this time would seem to support the actions of the defendant and while the use of an effigy burning may be seen as a threat it does not by itself constitute a threat to said individual. The action of effigy burning is an approximation and does not promote violence in and of it. Additionally the burning of an effigy remains a political act and in concert with the prior decision in (Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397) which held that the desecration of the flag at this time while in violation of local state law is not in fact a violation of the First Amendment, meaning the conviction of Ms. Monique shall be overturned as a result as the law of the land is the Constitution and as such the actions taken by Ms. Monique are in line with the allowances for protest that are outlined in the First Amendment. Additionally in the prior case the as with this current case the individual has been convicted based on their engagement in expressive conduct and while the defendant may have disturbed the peace, they did not effectively violate the First Amendment. The expulsion should therefore be overturned. First Amendment, "United States Constitution, Bill of Rights." Cornell University Law School, Legal Information Institute. N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011. http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/billofrights#amendmenti TEXAS v. JOHNSON, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), "491 U.S. 397 TEXAS v. JOHNSON CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS No. 88-155. Argued March 21, 1989 Decided June 21, 1989." Find Law for legal professionals. N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=491&invol=397 VIRGINIA v. BLACK, â€Å"Virginia v. BLACK et al. certiorari to the supreme court of Virginia No. 01-1107. Argued December 11, 2002--Decided April 7, 2003." Find Law for legal professionals. N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&navby=case&vol=000&invol=01-1107 Opinion two, supporting the expulsion The Teaching Fellow Ms. Monique engaged in an act of civil disobedience that resulted in the State University President Max Piker feeling that his life had been threatened. While the initial action was meant as a symbolic statement a nd that is protected by the First Amendment it should be noted that threats or intimidation are not. The First Amendment specifically protects peaceable protest however, does not protect protest in which there is used threats and intimidation. In using an effigy that was

The Chrysalids Essay Example for Free

The Chrysalids Essay Despite what many might think, It is a clear fact that The Chrysalids has been written, read and acknowledged as a warning for today’s society in many ways as I will elaborate more within the following paragraph such as; different types of racism still in our society, we still have this fear that god might be sending us a message through actions like disasters and This book is well known across hundreds of nations all over the world. Chrysalid has been around for several centuries and has a very important meaning in the lives of many. It would be safe to assume that this specific piece of Wyndham’s work is going to be around for a long time and have an enormous impact on the lives of many people. If a person or community fears change and diversity in my opinion they are refraining themselves from a better tomorrow, instead of creating a convergence to create and work towards a better future. In the chrysalids the Waknukian community is inhumane to any deviation by showing inflecting rejection and degradation, in simple terms the waknukians are racist. In the Chrysalids, by john Wyndham, the people of the frontier community are those who discriminate against those who are different in any way both physically and mentally, this act of discrimination has done nothing but foster and nurture a society that is cruel and inhumane. They think anything different is blaspheme, which is sent by the devil to misguide them into another tribulation. I think even people in today’s society still act in this way, maybe not to this extreme or obviousness but to an extent. For example, when someone is overlooked for a job because of the color of their skin, nationality or their appearance, it might not evident or they might not be straight forward

Career Report - Pharmacist and Physician Essay -- Job Working Research

Career Report - Pharmacist and Physician Over the past few weeks I have been researching my interests, values, and goals. Throughout this research a lot of things that were already evident to me, were proven for a fact. My interests included researching different aspects of science and data analysis. Analysis has always been a big part of my life because I analyze everything. My values have been proven to be centered toward helping people and being around people. These interests and values are almost equivalent with what my goals in life have been over the past years. For the past few years I have wanted to become some type of pharmacist or physician. In this paper, I have researched what being a pharmacist and physician involves. Pharmacists have a very tedious job because it requires a lot of attention to detail. Pharmacists dispense drugs and provide information to the patients about medication. Not only do they provide information to patients about side effects, but also they inform physicians of the ever-changing selection of drugs and dosage. Weighing, measuring, mixing drugs, finding the identity and purity, and strength of medications is also an important part of the job. Pharmacists must be sure not to dispense drugs that will have a negative reaction to the other medications that the patient may already be taking. Pharmacists work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas. They work with dangerous materials and sterile pharmaceutical products, which require them to wear gloves and masks. Many full time, salaried pharmacists work at least about forty hours per week. Community pharmacists research and dispense information and help for diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, and high blood press ure.... ...ed throughout this paper that a career as either a pharmacist or physician would be perfect careers for me, due to the fact that they are equivalent with my interests, values and goals in life are. There is a lot of hard work involved in these professions, but my love for helping people would carry me through the stresses involved in the schooling and work required of a physician or pharmacist. Bibliography: ?Miniscript #178-Pysician.?Michigan Occupational Information System. n.d. 7 Oct 1999. ?Pharmacist.? Career Guidance System. CD-ROM. Coin Educational Products, 1999. ?Pharmacists.? Collegeboard Online. n.d. 6 Oct 1999. ?Pharmacists.? Occupational Outlook Handbook. Ed. Theresa Cosca. 24 Feb 1999. 6 Oct 1999./ ?Physicians.? Career Guidance System. CD-ROM. Coin Educational Products, 1999. ?Physicians.? Collegeboard Online. n.d. 6 Oct 1999.

Is Translations about Language or Politics? Essay -- English Literatur

Is Translations about Language or politics? Friel famously said of Translations, â€Å"it is about language and only language.† However, the political statement which Friel denies need not be active, but passive, as seeking an understanding of the situation must consider politics, however Friel actively avoids political comment perhaps due to the volatile situation in the 1980s when the play was first put on. D.H. Lawrence famously said, â€Å" Never trust the teller, trust the tale† and with that in mind, I wish to explore the reasons why audiences and readers may perceive translations as a political play. The action of the play over three acts shows the profoundly disturbing influence of the English domination over the Baile Beag community and its life. Lenin once said, â€Å"politics is who whom† considering who acts and who is acted upon. Exploring politics from this point of view, one is easily able to perceive the numerous political aspects of the play. One such clearly political aspect of the play is the colonial force arriving from England. A movement of armies from one country to another, is a clearly political act, â€Å"a gesture†, â€Å"to indicate a presence† as was Doalty’s movement of the Theodolyte. On the other hand, if the play is about language (as Friel says) then perhaps it is about language on two levels. On the one hand it considers language on an international level (for example, the Irish and English languages) whilst on the other it considers language on an interpersonal level, the way perhaps we â€Å"interpret between privacies† or our choice of individual words in our speech. There are numerous ways in which one may consider the play to be about national language. Many would consider language as ... ...haracters acting as a mouthpiece for Friel’s political points of view, and because of this, I believe Friel’s play must concern politics to some degree. In conclusion I believe Friel is telling a half-truth, when he says the play is about â€Å"language and only language.† This is true insofar as the only issue the play is directly and aggressively considering is the importance of language. However, I believe Friel knew all to well that anyone watching of reading the play would have to consider politics, at least on a social level, in order to fully understand the importance of the social and national issues in the play. Therefore, Friel’s play is neither a play solely about language (as he asserts) or solely about politics; the two are inextricably linked leaving us with a socio-political play which emphasizes the importance of language as a political tool.

Reality TV shows Essay

Reality TV shows have become very popular on the small screen nowadays. There are many realities TV shows out there that can relate to anybody watching them. There are a lot of topics about how reality TV shows gives out different characteristics to the viewers. For example in the article â€Å"The Distorting Mirror of Reality TV† Sarah Coleman focuses on all the different characteristics that many reality TV shows provide for the people watching. In this paper I am going to talk about two characteristics that the reality show Hoarders provides to the viewers. The first characteristic is that it can promote stereotypes. The second is that it is informative. Finally I will decide whether or not Hoarders provides these characteristics or not. The first characteristic that I noticed on Reality TV is stereotypes. For example on â€Å"The Distorting Mirror of Reality TV† by Sarah Coleman, she states that reality TV perpetuates stereotypes. Her article also explains why stereotypes are constantly being used in many reality shows. â€Å"To make shows more dramatic† this is one of Coleman strongest reason why many reality TV perpetuates stereotypes. Another subject that Coleman mentions in the article is that Reality TV shows want to make real people interesting, so they give people characters to play. Reality TV shows are now more scripture than just showing people how â€Å"real† people actually act. In the Reality TV show Hoarders stereotypes is the first characteristic I noticed that was shown. This reality show, shows to the viewer how a hoarder lives and how their home looks like. The stereotype given towards the hoarder will always be someone that is depressed, sad, or hopeless. For example on Lisa’s episode, her hoarding problem started when she first lost her husband. Losing her marriage made Lisa depressed and hopeless. After her daughter left Lisa because of her hoarding problems, Lisa became worst. Lisa felt incomplete without anybody, but herself. She continued hoarding things because it made her feel like she had something and made her feel complete. The stereotype show that hoarders are always people that might has had a really bad lost in the family or has had a hard time in their lives. Showing this type of stereotypes to the viewers can show them that hoarding can be a problem that can happen to anybody in the world. Hoarders clearly want to show to the viewers some of the problems real people face in the real world  and what type to people are the ones facing this problems.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Name: Jasmine Chan Date: 26-7-12 Summer holiday book report |Book Title: |Change of Heart |[pic] | |Author: |Jodi Picoult | | |Publisher: |Atria Books | | Plot summary: June’s daughter, Claire, needed a heart transplant. However, it was Shay, a man on death row for killing the rest of June’s family years ago, who wanted to donate his.After a grim, life-and-death struggle and careful consideration, June accepted Shay’s â€Å"grand† offer grudgingly, so Claire’s life was saved. Commentary: Before reading the book’s brief introduction, the words â€Å"change of heart† gave me the impression that this book is about a person suffering from heart failure and had to get a heart transplant from an unknown donor just like so many others did. After reading the blurb, I discovered that this is not the case. Actually, the plot is very special and the issue is very controversial and worth discussing so I started reading this book.I have to assure everyone that this book is a page-turner that impels readers to read towards the very last page. Would you fulfil your enemy’s dying wish to save the life of somebody you love? In this novel, Jodi Picoult delves into questions of vengeance, mercy, salvation and redemption by exploring the rage of June who already lost a daughter, the bitterness of Shay the criminal on death row and the fate of a critically-ill child to force them to think about a question: â€Å"Can even the most understandable thirst of vengeance be squashed if it means saving someone you love? In my opinion, as there is an old saying : What’s done, is done, I think June should forgive or at least put aside Shay’s wrongdoings and accept his kind offer because this would be an act of forgiving herself and other’s too. Moreover, this would be the only way to save her daughter (There was no one except Shay whose heart was suitable for Claire. ) However, of course, as a reader, we know that June’s family did not die of murder but manslaughter.So, that’s why I actively encourage June to accept Shay’s giving, which came out of love. As a result, my answer to June’s question : â€Å"Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you loved? † is definitely yes. Besides, I truly appreciate Jodi Picoult having the courage to write about these themes, which are novel, controversial and meaningful. Secondly, concerning about the characters, I think Shay was a hero because he was humble and willing to sacrifice himself.For example, when there were miracles –water turned into wine, Calloway’s pet robin was brought back to life and a tiny piece of gum became enough for all to share—happening under his finger in the prison, he did not boast about himself, but instead denied that he was a â€Å"Messiah† and said that he was just an ordinary man who wanted to donates his heart to sa ve a little girl called Claire for redemption.Besides, although nobody knew the truth—it was only because Shay wanted to protect Elizabeth from being sexually-abused by her stepfather, Kurt that he was compelled to shoot Kurt and accidentally shot Elizabeth too. He still insisted to die for Claire because he loved that family and wanted for redemption for his big mistake. Having lost a daughter and two husbands, June’s life was fraught with grief. I can vividly see how that grief shaped her character and informing the choices that she makes.At first, when she had lost her first husband, she was willing to take a second chance and let go of the past and start a new life by remarrying and giving birth to another girl. However, when her first daughter and second husband were â€Å"murdered†, she broke apart. When it came to the decision whether to have a restorative justice meeting with Shay and accepting his heart, June initially refused, which showed that she was no longer that flexible and easy to adapt to changes. Fortunately, in the end, being more rational, June made the correct decision—to take Shay’s heart.I think she made this choice in hopes of a better future, which was also a wise move. Last of all, looking upon the writing strategies, the way Jodi Picoult presents the story generates readers’ interest in finding out what’s going to happen. Each chapter is written from the perspectives of a different character. I get to know all the characters’ inner thoughts: their fear, hope, bitterness and above all, their reflections of what makes sense of them. I felt as if I were one of the characters while reading. I understood their feelings.I explored their complex minds. I walked with them in their life journeys. I felt deeply what they underwent. I could view things from different people’s perspectives. Through this, I could experience the sorrow and difficulties of June and her family. In the e pilogue, it is the first and the last chapter written from Claire’s perspectives, which makes the ending very unique. In conclusion, Change of Heart is a true-to-life story, which I love so much and would strongly recommend to all my fellow schoolmates.

Charles the Great

Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe, â€Å"By the sword and the cross.† (Compton†s 346) As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A.D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had all but forgotten the great gifts of education and arts that they had possessed at one time. Charlemagne solidly defeated barbarians and kings in identical fashion during his reign. Using the re-establishment of education and order, Charlemagne was able to save many political rights and restore culture in Western Europe. Charlemagne was born in 742 A.D., to a very famous and well-known family. Charlemagne†s grandfather was Charles Martel, the man who was responsible for the defeat of the Saracens. Charlemagne was also the eldest son of Bertrade (also known as Bertha Greatfoot) and Pepin the Short, the first to become king of the Franks. With the almost full extinction of schools in the 8th century, many historians say that Charlemagne received very little education, but did learn the art of reading from Bertrade. The one thing that kept Charlemagne motivated throughout his entire life was his deep devotion to the church. Charlemagne was a tall young man with light blond hair, and was described by his secretary as, â€Å"face laughing and merry. . . his appearance was always stately and dignified.† (World book 452) Charlemagne had great wit, but was stern at times. He had simple and moderate tastes; he enjoyed hunting, riding and swimming. Charlemagne had a large wardrobe with many Frankish dresses, linen shirts and breeches, silk-fringed tunics, hoses wrapped with bands, and for the winter he had coats made of otter or marten skins. Charlemagne asked his people to improve their lifestyles, but he divorced two of his four fives without any given cause. In 768 A.D., Charlemagne at the age of 26, along with his brother Carloman inherited the kingdom of Franks. However, in 771 A.D. Carloman died, making Charlemagne the sole ruler of the kingdom. At this time the northern part of Europe was out of order and unruly. In the south, the Roman Catholic Church was asserting itself alongside the Lombard kingdom in Italy. While in Charlemagne†s own kingdom, the people were becoming and acting as barbarians and neglecting education and faith. But Charlemagne was determined to make his kingdom as strong as possible. In 772 A.D., Charlemagne put forth a 30-year campaign to conquer and Christianize the extremely mighty Saxons in the north. He charged over the Avars, a large tribe on the Danube. He forced the Bavarians to surrender to him. When possible Charlemagne attempted to settle his conflicts peacefully. However, he was forced to use brute in some situations. For instance, Charlemagne offered to pay Desiderius for the return of lands to the pope, but after Desiderius refused, Charlemagne seized the kingdom of Desiderius and restored the Papal States. The most important aspect of Charlemagne†s conquests was his uncanny ability to organize. Charlemagne sent out more than 50 military missions during his time in power and he led the missions as commander more than half of the time. He was able to lead his troops through vast lands in unprecedented times, but his every move was planned ahead of time. Before every crusade, he informed all those involved the number of men needed, the weapons required, and he even went as far as to tell what should be in the supply wagons. These tactics were later studied and used by another great man, Napoleon. One of the smallest campaigns undertaken by Charlemagne became on of the most well known. In 778 A.D., Charlemagne led his troops into Spain and laid an attack on Saragossa. The movement failed and upon their recoil they were attacked from the rear and Count Roland one of the leaders of the group was killed in that battle. Roland went on to become a hero in medieval songs. By 800 A.D. Charlemagne was the sole ruler of Western Europe. His immense kingdom included what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It also covered half of present-day Italy and Germany, part of Austria, and the Spanish March. This Spanish March stretched to the Ebro River. Through his establishment of a single government over the entire Western Europe, Charlemagne re-established much of the old Roman Empire, which paved the way for the progress of present-day Europe. It was on Christmas Day in 800 A.D. that while praying in St. Peter†s in Rome, Pope Leo III approached Charlemagne with a golden crown and placed it on the head of the king. The crowd in the church shouted concurrently, â€Å"To Charles the August, crowned by God, great and pacific emperor, long life and victory!† (Compton†s 347) It is said that Charlemagne was surprised by what happened and stated that he would not have come into the church had he known the pope†s plan. However, other historians say that the pope would not have gambled doing what he did without Charlemagne†s knowing about it. (Compton†s 347) Charlemagne was a very noble man and he had great compassion for the peasant people and had a belief that that government was in place to benefit those that it governed. When Charlemagne came into power many of the people working under him were very careless and sometimes unfair. To change the ways of these people Charlemagne expanded their work, wrote down everything they did and forced them to work in groups of people. This helped those lacking in their work effort to restore some law and order. Two times a year Charlemagne would summon the leading man in the kingdom to talk about the happenings going around. Charlemagne always had the final word in everything including church matters. Charlemagne was determined in establishing improvement in lives of his people. By setting up money values he encouraged trade, he attempted to build a Rhine-Danube canal, and gave advice on different farming techniques. Charlemagne preached the most on education and Christianity to his people. He was responsible for the restoration of Palace School at Aachen, his capital. He also set up other schools for noble boys as well as peasants. Charlemagne was very devoted to education and he never stopped studying himself. He brought in scholars of many languages to his courts. He learned to read in Latin, some Greek, however, he was not too keen of mastering writing. During his dinners, he preferred to have men reading books to him rather than having jesters performing. For his churches, Charlemagne sent his monks to Rome to learn to sing. For his art collections, Charlemagne brought some valuable pieces from Italy. In the cathedral at Aachen there is a large monument, which stands in loyalty to Charlemagne for his religious devotion. Charlemagne built and was buried in the cathedral in Aachen. At the time of Charlemagne†s death in 814 A.D. only one of his three sons, Louis, was alive. Louis had a weak ruling after his father, which brought on many civil wars and rebellions. Charlemagne brought back order to Western Europe; he led his people to many victories and was responsible for the rise of Western Europe. Charles the Great Charles the Great, or Charlemagne as he is more commonly known, was born a Frank, a member of the Carolingian bloodline. He was born in 742, the illegitimate son of Pepin III and an Austrasian noblewoman. He served as the king of the Franks from 771-814, and during that time, during a campaign that lasted nearly 30 years, extended his rule through Western Europe. In the year 800, on Christmas Day, he was crowned Emperor of the West by Pope Leo, and he served as such until his death fourteen years later. Upon his father’s death in 768, Charlemagne and his brother Carloman inherited joint ruler hip of Francia.However, his brother died three years later, and Charlemagne exiled his family and claimed sole rulership. While he was one of a line of what became known as warrior chiefs, he strived to stretch past that with his broader mind that craved contact with â€Å"men of religion, learning and culture, not just as officials who could help him run his empire, but for themselves. † It was his belief in God that helped to make him such a formidable leader, and kept him focused on his objectives with the determination and faith that would help him to become a legend.The year after Carloman’s death found Charlemagne engaged in the Saxon Wars. The relationship between the Franks and the Saxons had long been tense, with the Saxons periodically attempting to expand to accommodate an ever growing population in finding more hospitable lands to inhabit. Border clashes were common, with peace in between being tenuous and short-lived. What also added to the tension was the fact that the Saxons believed in pagan gods, which inevitably added more tension with the Christian Franks. Biography Page 2 of 5 Charlemagne’s first action against the Saxons was to take on both military andreligious connotations. He marched his army into Saxony and captured the castle of Eresberg and then traveled further to destroy a Saxon idol known as the Irminsul, which was a giant tree trunk that was considered a shrine, believed to be one of the pillars of heaven. It was considered to ensure the protection of the gods, and it was considered a demonstration of defiance to the Franks. Thus, by striking in such a way, Charlemagne made a strong statement about his determination to strike both at the Saxon people and at their religion, which is something that he considered to be his duty as a Christian.Following this blow to the Saxons, Charlemagne was called in by Pope Hadrian I to help defuse a situation with Lombardy. There had long been conflict between them, and so Charlemagne decided to put an end to it once and for all, marching his army in autumn of 773, making haste to cross the Alps before it started to snow. He divided his army in two, sending each in different directions. Desiderius, the Lombardy leader, could not split his smaller forces to meet both sections of the Frankish forces, and so he was forced to withdraw back to his capital.Charles and his army followed and laid siege, and, much to Desiderius’ surprise, he settled his troops in for the winter instead of falling back. This time demonstrated the true leadership abilities of Charlemagne. His men were far from home, and forced to fight in inhospitable conditions. But they remained loyal and followed their king, remaining there through spring of 774. However, those in Parvia suffered more than those involved in the siege, hunger and disease rampaging them. Desiderius stubbornly held strong against them until midsummer of that year, whenBiography Page 3 of 5 he finally had to sue for peace. Charlemagne, instead of demanding tribute from Desiderius, instead took the Iron Crown of Lombardy, and sent the Lombardy ruler and his family back to Francia as prisoners. With that, Charlemagne increased the size of his empire, becoming King of Lombardy as well as King of Francia. A large part of Charlemagne’s rule was that of protector of the Church. He did this not only out of loyalty to the Church and the pope, but also because he needed the support of the Christians.The support of the Church took him farther than he might otherwise have gone, helping to instill a loyalty of him into the people, particularly the nobles. However, he made it rather clear that he would not allow the pope any political power, nor would he allow him to dictate his will upon Charlemagne. The king had his own plans, and he was not to be foiled by anyone who might want to interfere, including the pope himself. Charlemagne would once again become involved in a campaign against the Saxons, and he decided that he must find a long-term solution to the problem.He had to confront the problem of a â€Å"war on several fronts and the concomitant drain it imposed on the nation’s resources. † However, he set goals for himself, and he committed himself to achieving those goals, which kept him in conflict with the Saxons until 785. It was slow going, as he wou ld advance into Saxon territory and take land and hostages, but the agreements that came from this were broken by the Saxons as winter came along, and they would regain some of the ground that they lost. However, they were not to regain it all, and so slowly Charlemagne gained more and more of their territory, advancing hisBiography Page 4 of 5 own borders. He garrisoned territory that was taken, and he left clergy with these garrisons to help advance the Christian religion as well. It became clear during these wars that the only acceptable outcome to staunch the flow of hostility and war from the Saxons was complete and total victory. In 782, Charlemagne added new laws and restrictions to what were already imposed upon the Saxon people, focusing again on conversion and attempting to force the new converts however he could to not reneging on their conversions and instead seeking penance for their misdeeds.The laws against crimes against Christians incurred penalties of death, and th e people were expected to supply both land and slave labor to the churches. At first, the results were not as Charlemagne wished. As he was elsewhere, a revolt broke out after Saxon forces killed twenty of Francia’s leading noblemen. When Charlemagne heard this, he marched east with his troops with such ferocity that the Saxons exiled Widukind, who was the leader of the revolt, and handed 4,500 men over to Charlemagne.Each of these was beheaded in a demonstration of Charlemagne’s anger. The knowledge that, so long as Widukind was a heroic figure for the Saxon people, he could not have complete victory, led Charlemagne to offer peace to him as well as gifts and a promise of pardon. There was also the possibility of an official position in Francia as well, and so Widukind accepted baptism and peace with his long-time enemy, and this ended the first phase of the Saxon wars. The next years saw the conquering of Bavaria and a renewal of the Saxon wars.The peace with the Sax ons lasted ten years, and then the Saxons once again started to show defiance to Charlemagne’s rule. His empire continued to grow, however, and â€Å"was Biography Page 6 of 5 bounded almost entirely by sea and neutralized marches. † Despite this success, he was never able to completely bring all of his empire under one system of legislation, which was a large failure for the emperor. It was in 800 that Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor.After gaining this role, he worked to educate himself, learning to read Latin and Greek, although writing eluded him. He attempted to better educate himself, and also worked to better the lives of his subjects, including working on an improvement in commerce. Russell describes him as â€Å"the pioneer of the Middle Ages and the world is indebted to him for invaluable improvements in the manner and ways of exchange. † He made a point of reforming the monetary system and also worked to introduce universal coinage.While Ch arlemagne will always be known as an impressive military leader, his influence goes far beyond that. His dedication to his religion was a key part of his life, as was his insistence on bettering the education of both himself and the clergy. He promoted â€Å"the spread of a competence in written Latin among the clergy,† believing that social reform would not work if the clergy were illiterate. All of these things together contributed to Charlemagne becoming one of the most renowned and respected leaders in history.Leaders from generations after, all over the world, would work to learn from his example and attempt to mirror his many successes in their own times, using his failures as well to help guide them. Very few leaders had the prowess in so many ways that Charlemagne did, and it was perhaps the fact that he was so well-rounded in his achievements that make his legacy so great. Works Cited Heer, Friedrich. Charlemagne and His World. New York: Macmillan Publishing Col, Inc . , 1975. Russell, Charles Edward. Charlemagne: First of the Moderns. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1930. Wilson, Derek. Charlemagne. New York: Doubleday, 2006.

Environmental Heat Policy Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Heat Policy Brief - Essay Example This can be primarily attributed to the widespread impacts it has on the global environmental efforts, the economy and even to the household. Moreover there are a horde of stakeholders involved, each with his/her vested interest. Founding a common ground is impossible due to differences in interests from the stakeholders. To begin with, any policy has the potential to impact negatively on the cost of energy, which shall be automatically unacceptable and unpopular to the citizens. According to the documentary Heat by Martin Smith, the cost of capturing and storage of carbon dioxide alone would increase the cost of energy by 20-30%. Consequently, the energy policy indeed touches and impacts directly on every American, therefore, the public at large is interested in the debate. Secondly, there are several stakeholders with vested interests they are keen to protect. Greatest of them all is the automakers who have aggressively lobbied to prevent congress from enacting tough laws to regula te fuel economy standards. To do so, they have sought the services lawmakers such as Dingell beholden to cooperate agenda, to advance and protect their interest. The documentary provides an attempt by the State of California to seek the consent of EPA to enact stricter fuel economy standards than the federal government. ... An example is given of the Exxon Mobil which invested over $ 4billion and raked in $ 40billion in profits in the year 2007. Consequently given the figures involved, policies that affect such ventures are bound to elicit extensive and unending debate. Fourthly, different states have different agenda and interest. Detroit for instance has resisted any attempts to raise fuel economy standards for more than 32 years. This is unlike California that has been at the forefront to raise the same. Consequently, efforts by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to raise it attracted wrath from Detroit and was dubbed enemy number one. Lastly, it is due to the impact the energy sector plays towards the emissions of greenhouse gases which have attracted the global attention. Indeed, it is the major sources of energy such as oil and coal that contribute the greatest to global carbon dioxide emission. Therefore, any policy has to be in line with the global objective or reducing carbon dioxide emi ssions. As highlighted above, the key players in this policy area are diverse, first it is the automakers whose cars consume a lot of energy in the form of fuels and cause a lot of emissions more than Europe, Japan, India and Asia combined. Others include the oil sectors players such as big oil companies who invest a lot of money to explore and exploit oil. Their main source of revenue is carbon and therefore they are involved a lot in the policy making. The politicians also play a vital role in this policy area, ranging from the executive, senators and state governors. For example, the Automakers employ the help of Dingell, a senator, to lobby against any fuel restriction laws. Another example highlighted in the documentary involving an active white house

The Background of the Technology - Annotated Bibliography Research Paper

The Background of the Technology - Annotated Bibliography - Research Paper Example This resource has a twice-monthly publication, focused conference series and custom research form the hub of the worlds largest global IT media network. All this information has helped in compiling my data required especially about the new launches and their social, legal and ethical aspects. InfoWorld is the principal source of information on rising enterprise technologies, and the only trade name that explains to senior technology decision makers how these technologies work, and how they can use them to drive their business. All such information has proved to be of great help while compiling my developments and benefits of new advances section. This online resource has also helped me in discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this new technology. Moreover, this link has helped me in covering social, legal, ethical and security aspects, along with the hurdles which are being faced in order to make this technology as a success. The main questions which will be discussed in my literature review are: the background of the technology itself, in-detail discussion of the topic along with its history and advancements is obtained from this resource.

Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management - Coursework Example The definition of management is viewed in varied perspectives. Initially, it was viewed as an art of getting the work done. But this view has evolved in course of time as management is seen as something more than just getting things done. It was strongly believed that a good management should pave the way for the growth and development of the organization rather than merely focusing on job done by the employers. Harold Koontz sees "management as the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups." (Akrani 2011). It is an art of creating an environment where employees perform their allocated tasks optimally as separate individuals yet cooperate among themselves with a view of attaining the organizational objectives. Later, management was seen as a process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate purposive organizational goals through systematic coordination and cooperation. It is the distinct process by which managers plan and carry out a ll the activities of the organization in order to accomplish the goals by the efficient use of the manpower and other resources in hand. When we refer to the management, we not only refer the group of managers who organize and plan, but also the continuous set of processes that aids the managers to develop different strategies for the organization. Although, Steve Jobs was not alive when iPhone 5 was released this year, the pre-set processes developed by him and his management only facilitated its launch. Better handling of the process with cooperation will ensure better management. At the same time, strategy formulation is not the end of the task of the management, they have to aptly implement or operationalize it. This indeed improves the organizational as well as the managerial abilities of the concern. â€Å"The failure to balance the tensions between strategy and operations is pervasive: Various studies done in the past 25 years indicate that 60% to 80% of companies fall short of the success predicted from their new strategies.† (Kaplan and Norton 2008). A complete analysis of the strategies as well as its implementation process by the management will bring out better operational goals by the organization. Overall, management brings together all the resources of any business concern such as the manpower, money, machines, methods and market as a whole, and uses it optimally for success. Thus optimum utilization of the resources by the management will ensure better results in achieving the organizational objectives. In short, the term management is concerned with the goal determination, policy formulation, strategic planning and overall control of the organizational activities. Characteristics of Management â€Å"Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups, the art of creating an environment in such an organized group where people can perform as individuals and yet cooperate toward attainment of group goals† (Koontz 1961). Thus, management consist of a group of individuals or an individual who keenly analyze all the resources, formulate ideas, utilize the existing abilities and take the strategic decision that would serve for the betterment of the organization. Thus managerial ability is not a technical skill to be attained but involves a

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE - Essay Example After pulling some strings, his family was able to arrange a liver for Krampitz. The donor heard about the need of his liver through the media campaign launched by Krampitz’s family. However, a liver transplant only bought Krampitz another eight months. Doctors had already foretold that due to the aggressive nature of cancer, the disease will not be cured even after a transplant. At the time Krampitz got a donor, there were 16000 other better suited candidates on the UNOS wait list. Krampitz was able to jump this queue of 16000, better suited candidates because of his publicity stunt. The question is, was it ethically correct for Krampitz to jump ahead of so many people only because he could? This publicity stunt may have found a donor who would not have been found otherwise but the ethical dilemma of distribution of organs is still there. This dilemma when viewed under Distributive justice can provide a better understanding and analysis of situations such as the one mentioned above. What Krampitz did is legal, technically speaking he never breached any law (Delvoye, 2004). It all boils down to the matter of ethics, how well Krampitz’s case weighs on the moral scale? Distributive justice pertains to ‘fair’ distribution of economic resources among widespread community (Maiese, 2003). This distribution revolves around three factors, number or resources, the procedure and the pattern of distribution (Maiese, 2003). Distributive justice applies to organ donation because there are simply not enough for everyone (Center for Bioethics, 2004). Going back to Krampitz’s case, the procedure, pattern as well as the number of resources (healthy livers available for transplant) all seem to be against Krampitz. What Krampitz did is a violation of ethics, knowing that he was dead anyway, regardless of the transplant. Still he jumped ahead of 1600 people and got himself a healthy liver. Critically speaking, for his own survival he had to take e very chance to save himself which is not wrong. But when you’re a citizen, you are part of the social fabric, people are knitted together to keep the society strong. Otherwise, the law of ‘survival of the fittest’ prevails and that means chaos. The matter of distributive justice in healthcare is not a matter of consequential theory. It is not about creating an equitable society; it is about what is in the best interest (mutual interest) of everybody. The idea of Distributive Justice arises in cases of organ donation because there is a wide gap between the supply and demand of human organs. Human organs for transplantation purposes are very scarce. This shortage begs a more just distribution of organs. Distributive justice aims to provide a fair distribution of scarce resources such as human organs. The distributive justice theory employs various criteria to judge and rightfully prefer one individual over another in matters of organ distribution. The theory measur es the overall utility of choosing the recipient of an organ. There is another side to this story, the supporters of Krampitz’s case. They say that the media campaign launched by Krampitz found a person who with his own will agreed to donate the liver, therefore adding another donor to the pool of donors. Had this person not reached by Krampitz’s family, he would have chosen not donate at all. This makes the case very strong for Krampitz. Krampitz identified

Ethics in Healthcare Settings SL1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethics in Healthcare Settings SL1 - Essay Example These dilemmas revolve around four principles on ethical theory: respect for autonomy, beneficence, justice and non-maleficence (Dunbar, 2003). This paper focuses on the ethical dilemmas that result from the need to observe the dictates of the principle of respect for autonomy. Bernhofer defines autonomy as â€Å"the right of individuals to make decisions regarding their own healthcare regardless of what others think of these decisions† (2011). This gives all patients the right to self determination regardless of their capacity, age or even imprisonment (Lo, 2009). It is the right of the patients to know, consider, refuse and request any form of care or treatment being offered. Therefore, this principle, also referred to as people’s self government argues for the capacity to make informed and un-coerced decisions by any rational individual. The evaluation of this principle elicits the debate on whether this conception accurately portrays the process of decision making in healthcare setting. The principle of autonomy could be infringed when the service provider dishonors the wish of a patient on the preferred treatment. It could also occur if information would be withheld for example on the pain involved with the employment of a particular treatment approach (Sutrop, 2011). Interestingly, (Bernhofer, 2011) notes that patients get better managed and become better satisfied with full extension of autonomy rights. The author gives the example of Patient Controlled Analgesia, PCA noting that adequate ordering of analgesics and proper programming of the pump for individual patients results in personal control over pain hence effectiveness of the analgesics. Nonetheless, there arise situations where strong reasons to act in particular manner get balanced by cogent counteractive arguments (Lo, 2009). Not always would experience, common sense, being good and having good intentions guarantee appropriate response to situations

The Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

The Treaty of Versailles Essay a. What restrictions were placed on Germany’s armed forces by the treaty of Versailles? (4 marks) -Conscription banned -Not allowed an air force or submarines -Only allowed 6 battleships -Only allowed 100,000 men in the army b. Explain why Clemenceau wanted to treat Germany so harshly (6 marks) -During the First World War, two thirds of men in the French army had been killed or injured. Not only this but their industry, land and population were all in decline while Germany’s was increasing. They felt they had to stop this and make Germany pay for the suffering they had caused France. -France felt threatened by Germany and wanted to do something that would cripple and weaken Germany to stop them attacking France. The French saw the Treaty of Versailles as an opportunity to do this and wanted to ensure it was harsh enough to stop Germany. -Clemenceau particularly wanted to treat Germany harshly because of the pressure he was under from the French people. They were feeling the full after effects of World War 1 and wanted to make Germany feel the same way. c. How far were the terms of the Treaty justified? Explain your answer. (10 marks) The Treaty of Versailles is justified because Germany treated other countries, especially Russia, very harshly during the war and they had to feel how the other countries felt and suffer the consequences the war brought. -Not only was the Treaty justified, but it could have been made a lot worse. Many countries were angry about the war and some felt that the Treaty simply didn’t punish and cripple Germany in a way that would stop them from starting another war. They wanted an even harsher treaty. -However, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified, as the huge  £6.6 billion worth of reparations that was forced upon German left their economy in shambles. This led to the Ruhr Crisis in 1923, hyperinflation and food shortage in Germany. It showed that the victors had very little sympathy towards Germany and simply wanted them to suffer. Not only did the Treaty leave Germany in a terrible economic situation, but the fact that they were left out of all discussions about the terms of the Treaty and that they weren’t invited to join the League of Nations, simply angered Germany and made them want revenge. -The Treaty of Versailles not only made Germany suffer, but made them accept full blame and responsibility for the war. This is not fair as Germany only played a part in starting the war. Many other countries cause a lot of damage and Germany alone cannot be held entirely responsible. In conclusion, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified as it simply made the situation worse, angering Germany and leaving them wanting revenge. Yes, Germany had to be punished but not to such the extent as crippling their economy and leaving them almost powerless.

A Light Emitting Diode Engineering Essay

A Light Emitting Diode Engineering Essay A Light-Emitting Diode in essence is a P-N junction solid-state semiconductor diode that emits light when a current is applied though the device.[1] By scientific definition, it is a solid-state device that controls current without the deficiency of having heated filaments. How does a LED work? White LEDs ordinarily need 3.6 Volts of Direct Current (DC) and use approximately 30 milliamps (mA) of current and has a power dissipation of approximately 100 milliwatts (mW). The positive power is connected to one side of the LED semiconductor through the anode and a whisker and the other side of the semiconductor is attached to the top of the anvil or the negative power lead (cathode). It is the chemical composition or makeup of the LED semiconductor that determines the color of the light that the LED produces as well as the intensity level. The epoxy resin enclosure allows most of the light to escape from the elements and protects the LED making it virtually indestructible. Furthermore, a light-emitting diode does not have any moving parts, which makes the device extremely resistant to damage due to vibration and shocks. These characteristics make it ideal for purposes that demand reliability and strength. LEDs therefore can be deemed invulnerable to catastrophic failure when operated within design parameters. Figure 1 shows a typical traditional indicator LED. Traditional indicator LEDs utilize a small LED semiconductor chip that is mounted on a reflector cup also known as the anvil, on a lead-frame (whisker).This whole configuration is encased in epoxy which also serves the purpose of a lens. LEDs have very high thermal resistance with upwards of 200K per Watt. LEDs are highly monochromatic, only emitting a single pure color in a narrow frequency range. The color emitted from an LED is identified by peak wavelength (lpk) which is measured in nanometers (nm). The peak wavelength is a function of the material that is used in the manufacturing of the semiconductor.[3] Most LEDs are produced using gallium-based crystals that differ in one or more additional materials such as phosphorous to produce distinct colors. Different LED chip technologies enable manufacturers to produce LEDs that emit light in a specific region of the visible light spectrum and replicate different intensity levels. Thus, one would vary the material used in the production of LEDs in order to obtain the desired results. The graph below depicts the variation in response time for the specific wavelength of light. Principle Mechanism The essential portion of the Light Emitting Diode is the semiconductor chip. Semiconductors can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic semiconductors are those in which the electrical behavior is based on the electronic structure inherent to the pure material.[5] When the electrical characteristics are dictated by impurity atoms, the semiconductor is said to be extrinsic.[6] See Appendix A for further information regarding the different materials and their characteristics. This chip is further divided into two parts or regions which are separated by a boundary called a junction. The p-region is dominated by positive electric charges (holes) and the n-region is dominated by negative electric charges (electrons). The junction serves as a barrier to the flow of the electrons between the p and the n-regions. This is somewhat similar to the role of the band-gap because it determines how much voltage is needed to be applied to the semiconductor chip before the current can flow and the electrons pass the junction into the p-region. In general, to achieve higher momentum states (with higher velocities), there must be an empty energy state into which the electron may be excited. (In other words, to achieve a net flow of electrons in one direction, some electrons must change their wave vectors thereby increasing their energy.) [8] Band-gaps determine how much energy is needed for the electron to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. As an electron in the conduction band recombines with a hole in the valence band, the electron makes a transition to a lower-lying energy state and releases energy in an amount equal to the band-gap energy. This energy is released in photons. Normally the energy heats the material. In an LED this energy goes into emitted infrared or visible light. If a large enough electric potential difference (voltage) is absent, across the anode and cathode, the junction serves as an electric potential barrier to the flow of electrons. When sufficient voltage is applied across the chip of the LED, the electron has enough driving force to move in one direction over the junction that separates the p-region and the n-region. The p-region (holes) is where the positive charge forms the majority of charges. (Implicitly, there are also negative charges but they are the minority).Vice versa for the n-region. The electrons from the n-region basically flow across the junction into the p-region. In the p-region, the electrons are attracted to the positive charges due the mutual Columbic forces of attraction between opposite charges of same magnitude. Thus recombination occurs. After every successful recombination, electric potential energy is transformed into electromagnetic energy. This releases a quantum electromagnetic energy that is emitted in the form of a photon of light with frequencies characteristic of the semiconductor that was used in the process. These photons have specific wavelengths thus specific colors according to the different materials used. Therefore, different compositions of the chemical elements used in the manufacturing of the semiconductor results in different colors emitted as well as different energies needed to light them. The electrical energy is in proportion to the voltage required to enable the electrons to flow across the p-n junction. Predominantly, LEDs emit light of a single color. Application There are various materials that are used in the manufacturing of Light Emitting Diodes. Most of the materials are gallium-based crystals and are used in high-brightness applications. Gallium is a minor metal noted by its low melting point of 29.8  °C, the name being derived from Gallia, the Latin for France, which was where it was discovered. [14] Among these include AlGaAs (Aluminum-Gallium-Arsenide), a semiconductor that typically generates the red spectrum, often used in signs, displays and electronic equipment. InGaAlP(Indium-Gallium-Aluminum-Phosphide) produces the yellow-green wavelength to red are often used in signs, auto interior as well as exterior, traffic signals and cellphones.[ 15] InGaN (Indium-Gallium-Nitride) typically generates Blue, Green and white spectrums and are used most often in full color signs, cell-phones, auto interior, traffic signals.[16]. Furthermore, there is room for further improvement on the design of traffic lights. The visible light from the LEDs in a traffic light can further be modulated and encoded with information. Hence, it can be used for the broadcasting of audio messages or any traffic or road information. Essentially, all LED traffic lights can be used as communications devices. [17] InGaN LEDs too has been made the light source of choice for many diagnostic and photo-therapy applications from the Ultra-violet to the near Infrared. [18] Light-emitting diodes (LED) emit light in proportion to the forward current through the diode. Light Emitting Diodes are the cutting edge technology of lighting today. Generally, Light Emitting Diodes are categorized according to their performance. The performance of a LED is linked to a few primary characteristics of the LED itself which includes color, peak wavelength and intensity. As LEDs are highly monochromatic, LEDs are differentiated according to their peak wavelength. Peak wavelength is a function of the LED chip material. Although manufacturing process variations produce a standard deviation of  ±10nm, nevertheless, these variations are perceptible to the human eye because the 565nm to 600nm wavelength spectral region (yellow to amber) is where the sensitivity level of the human eye is at its peak. [19] See Appendix B for details on the different semiconductor types as well as characteristics of those semiconductors. The light output of a specific LED varies with the type of chip, encapsulation and efficiency of individual wafer lots. There may be other random variables that may affect the performance of the LED too. This typically is categorized into the nuisance variable factor and is taken into account as the error margin. Many LED manufacturers use different terms such as super-bright, and ultra-bright to describe LED intensity. However, such terminology is entirely subjective, as there really is no industry standard for LED brightness. Luminous intensity is roughly proportional to the amount of current (I) supplied to the LED. The greater the current, the higher the intensity.[20] Nevertheless, luminous intensity (Iv) does not represent the total light output from an LED. Both the luminous intensity and the spatial radiation pattern (viewing angle) must be taken into account. If two LEDs have the same luminous intensity value, the lamp with the larger viewing angle will have the higher total light output. Overall visibility can be enhanced by increasing the number of LED chips in the encapsulation, increasing the number of individual LEDs, as well as utilizing secondary optics to distribute light. To illustrate, consider similar red GaAlAs LED chip technology in four different configurations: In each individual case, the amount of visible light depends on the application of the LED as well as how the LED is being viewed. The single chip setup may be suitable for direct viewing in contrast with high ambient lighting. The 6-chip may be more suitable as a backlight to a switch or small legend, while the cluster or lensed LED design may best be used to illuminate a pilot light or larger lens. In this millennium, Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs are making major inroads into a lot of industries. In the past, filament bulbs like incandescent and halogen lamps dominated and were the main source of lighting. Today, in the automotive industry, we see cars with LEDs for taillights and instrument panels. Why the switch to the new technology? Among the reasons why include the longevity of the LED itself. It lasts on average 20,000 hours for a 15-Watt traffic light in comparison to 1000 hours for typical filament bulbs.[23] Generally, LEDs are designed to operate upwards of 100,000 hours. This greatly supercedes the standard incandescent bulb with an average lifespan of about 5000 hours.LEDs too are low voltage devices that respond almost instantaneously to changes in current (~10Mhz).[24] This would entail better safety for motorists on the road. Costs of maintenance of the vehicle would too decrease as replacements of the lighting fixtures need not be done as often. With such fast reponse times, LEDs used as an unbiased photodiode, exhibits a non-linear power dependent response that also can be used for sensitive detection and characterization of mode-locked femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses. [25] In the electronic industry, we have LEDs for lighting of almost everything. The ergonomic flat-panel computer screens otherwise known as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are also in essence miniature LED clusters. The introduction of LCDs marks another milestone in development in the hi-tech industry. Displays now can be made that use less power as well as emit much less radiation in comparison with the traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) display. According to Keith Robinson for Frost Sullivan, The light emitting diode (LED) market, especially the visible LED (VLED) market, is poised to experience explosive growth once economic conditions improve in North America. The most significant technology improvement that has taken place in the last 10 years for LEDs is the introduction of blue and blue-green LEDs. The nitride-based LEDs have opened new opportunities for manufacturers of lighting products, such as traffic signal manufacturers and outdoor signboard manufacturers. The increased use of the new colors in consumer products and automotive applications is expected to have a positive impact on the market. [26] Manufacturers have always been striving to replicate colors as accurately as possible. This is has always been the holy grail for the display industry. LEDs have made this a reality. Typical incandescent bulbs cannot replicate the vivid colors that can be reproduced using LEDs. LEDs give pure saturated colors with up to 130% more gamut compared to standard NTSC specifications.[27] Take the reproduction of white light. When light from all parts of the visible spectrum overlap one another, the additive mixture of colors appears white. However, the eye does not require a mixture of all the colors of the spectrum to perceive white light. Primary colors from the upper, middle, and lower parts of the spectrum (red, green, and blue), when combined, appear white. To achieve this combination with LEDs requires a sophisticated electro-optical design to control the blend and diffusion of colors. Variations in LED color and intensity further complicate this process. Presently, it is possible to produce white light with a single LED using a phosphor layer (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) on the surface of a blue (Gallium Nitride) chip.[28] Although this technology produces various hues, white LEDs may be appropriate to illuminate opaque lenses or backlight legends. However, using colored LEDs to illuminate similarly colored lenses produces better visibility and overall appearance in comparison with CRTs. Moreover, LEDs are not deficient in the reliability department. LEDs are solid state devices with no moving parts as well as no fragile glass or filaments. LEDs too use up to 90% less energy in comparison with conventional bulbs and lamps today.[29] Today a LED flashlight may last up to 200% longer with the same batteries used to operate conventional filament flashlights. [30] Furthermore, LEDs are environmental friendly because they contain no mercury and since they last longer (about 100,000 continuous hours of life); there will be less disposal waste in the environment. This in turn would result is less pollution and less wastage of our precious and limited resources. LEDs also form the foundation for applications in optical-fiber communication and diode lasers. They produce a narrow spectrum of coherent red or infrared light that can be well collimated. This characteristic of the light produced by LEDs has enabled engineers to manipulate the setup to enable data transfer. This has made it possible for continents to be linked via the internet. Information can be sent across the globe in a matter of fractions of a second and vast chunks of data can be transmitted without a hitch. With the improvement of infrastructure, the benefits extend also to the general populace. Before we had modems that used coaxial copper cables, today we have T1 to T3 connections which utilize fiber optics. Most institutions, organizations and companies that require the use of large bandwidths of data have such connections. Take for example, San Jose State University, it utilizes several T3 connections to the internet and has T1 connections locally across campus to alleviate data congestion. In this way, data is made readily available to those hungry for knowledge. Conclusion Light Emitting Diodes has such a profound impact on society. It affects our daily lives as well as activities. It is used in so many applications and so many places. With Light Emitting Diodes, so many significant improvements to already existing technology could be made. Historically the LED market has experienced signal digit growth of about 8.5 percent. The laser diode market has experienced double-digit growth in the past of approximately 30.0 percent and once economic conditions improve it is anticipated that the market will experience strong growth rates once again. [31] As this technology expands, so does our horizon and our conquest for the betterment of todays technology. Light Emitting Diodes truly is a great invention of the age.