MIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MIS - Essay Example Each of these ERPs have their own unique infrastructure of the operating system, interfaces and databases hence making the modification of new inter-organizational systems to suit with the available ERPs expensive and time consuming. This leads to reluctance of the business partners in integrating with these inter-organizational system. (Chuo & Vincent, 2008, p.117-118) The second challenge facing inter-organizational systems is heterogeneity of the IT environments, technical skills, and financial resources of its trading partners. Most companies in an extended supply chain have the ability to some type of electronic transmission e.g. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), file transfer etc. but with varied specific capabilities. Many small suppliers, may not have the internal infrastructure required to adopt the IOS. Therefore, each of the business partners will, have to incur cost of converting their infrastructure to comply with the new inter-organizational system. With the partners a dopting the new infrastructure, they would benefit from the ability to use the same approach to connect to any other business partner or even to disparate internal systems. However the implementation of these new architecture will require time, money, and technical knowledge that not all partners might be able or willing to commit to. (Chuo & Vincent, 2008, p.117-118) Solutions to the Challenges For the organization to succeed in encouraging its business partners for an electronic integration with its heterogeneous IT architecture, there has to be way of insulating these partners from the complexity and dynamism of its enterprise IT architecture. Therefore, the solution here is to create a reusable middle-ware platform to enable passing of standardized information between its backend systems and those of the business partners. This platform will also ensure that the initiator is also insulated from its business partners’ changing technologies which they use to connect to the initiator. (Chen &Chin, 2006, p.87) The solution to heterogeneity of the infrastructure of the business partners will be to not requiring each of the business partners’ upgrade to the new architecture but give them a range of options of electronic transmission to choose from i.e. EDI, File transfer and any other suite for web-based transactions. The development of a platform for managing these IOS will requires outsourcing so as to help in standardization on a single technology e.g. web-based service hence reducing the costs associated with developing and running the platform by themselves. (Chen &Chin, 2006, p.87) Advantages of Inter-organizational systems Adoption of IOS can create new ways of achieving vertical integration apart from merging the firms. IOS reduces the transaction cost between the buyer and the seller and when this occurs, technology could be a catalyst in altering the optimal size of the firm hence allowing it to focus on its main core business without wor ry on the high transactions costs with the partners. The IOS has advantage of promoting highly coupled relationships between the trading partners in the supply chain. This is driven by the need for total quality management where manufacturers and retailer must develop close relationships with the suppliers and realize their importance. This is necessitated by intense foreign competition that has resulted in a shrinking market hence need for close relationshi

Concepts of Language and Cognitive Development

Concepts of Language and Cognitive Development 1. Introduction Language is a symbolic system in which a limited number of signals can be combined according to rules that can provide an infinite number of messages. An important milestone in human development is mastering some type of language. (Sigelman, Rider De George-Walker, 2013). Language is the primary method that adults pass on culturally valued models of thinking and problem solving to their children (Vygotsky, 1962). Basic language skills develop through the influence of parents, other adults, peers and even the media. 2. Language Development The nature vs. nurture debate continues into language development. One school of thought is that the environment contributes to learning. Children learn the words that they hear spoken by others-even when the words are not directly spoken to them (Floor Akhtar, 2006). The other school of thought by nativists who minimise the role of language environment and focus instead on the role of the child’s biologically programmed capacities to acquire language. Chomsky (2000) proposed that humans have a unique genetic capacity to learn language and are equipped with knowledge of a universal grammar, a system of common rules that enable any language to be learnt. Interactionists believe that both learning theorists (nurture) and nativists (nature) have merit. Children’s biologically based competencies and the language environment interact to shape the course of language development (Bloom, 1998) 3. Interaction between language and cognitive development Piaget proposed four major periods of cognitive development: the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations stage and formal operations stage. The core message is that humans of different ages think in different ways. (Inhelder Piaget, 1958). During Piaget’s sensorimotor stage, birth to two years, infants use their senses and motor actions to explore and understand the world. According to Gervain Mehler (2010) newborns immediately have a preference for speech over non-speech in their native language. By 7 months, infants demonstrate word segmentation. From birth infants produce a wide array of sounds that will eventually develop into language (Waxman Lidz, 2006), with cooing being the first vocalisation milestone at 6-8weeks. Babbling starts to occur at 4-6 months which Piaget labels as primary circular reaction. (Lee, Davis MacNeilage, 2010). As infants attempt to master the semantics of language, they begin to understand many words before the can say them and begin to say their first real words or holophrases at around 1 year. Many children have a vocabulary spurt at around 18months of age and the pace of word learning quickens dramatically. (Bloom, 1998). Secondary circular reactions begin to occur, following with tertiary circular reactions becoming intentional from the start. Piaget proposed that the child’s construction of reality takes place through the use of schemes and by the end of the sensorimotor stage they are capable of using symbolic thought using images and words. (Piaget, 2002) Vygotsky (1962) maintained that cognitive development is shaped by the sociocultural context in which it occurs. It develops from children’s interactions with members of their culture. Problem solving is passed on from generation to generation through oral communication, especially as it is embodied in language, shapes thought. (Sigelman, Rider, De George-Walker, 2013). In Piaget’s preoperational stage, 2 to 7 years, young children use their symbolic thought to develop language, engage in pretend play and solve problems. They use words to talk about a problem and use categorisations which become the basis for language with each noun or verb representing a category. (Waxman, 2003). The next step in language development is telegraphic speech where toddlers begin to use a combination of two or three word sentences to express basic ideas. Between ages of 2-5 years children start to use sentences that are much longer and more grammatically complex. (Hoff, 2009). Children learn to phrase questions to solve problems and propel their cognitive growth. Throughout childhood and adolescence, advances in cognitive development are accompanied by advances in language and communication skills. Adults also refine the pragmatic use of language, adjusting it to different social and professional contexts. (Obler, 2005) 4. Multilingual Development According to Schwartz, Share, Leikin Kominski (2008), being bilingual or multilingual has benefits, as children have greater awareness of the underlying structure of language. Bilingual children are better understanding that words are symbols for objects and are better at applying grammatical rules. Bhargava Mendiratta (2007) purport that their study indicates that Indian children who are multilingual by mid-childhood are able to effectively use different languages in different contexts and participate well in the global economy. Swanson, Saez Gerber (2004) also states that children who speak more than one language score higher on cognitive ability and flexibility, and analytical reasoning, indicating that there are benefits of being bilingual. 5. Conclusion Developing a language competence is one of a human being’s earliest learning challenge. Language lays the foundation for further education and the acquisition of reading, writing and many other skills. Language development requires a child to be at the appropriate biological phases in an environment that is conducive to growth, with at least one conversational partner who is prepared to tailor the speech to the level of the child’s understanding to enhance cognitive development. References Bhargava, S., Mendiratta, A. (2006) Understanding language patterns of multilingual children (8-10 years) belonging to high socio-economic class. Social Science International, 22, 148-158. Bloom, L. (1998) Language acquisition in its developmental context. In D.Kuhn R. S. Sigler (Eds), W.Damon (editor-in-chief). Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol 2, cognition, perception and language (5th ed., pp. 309-370). New York: Wiley Chomsky, N. (2000) New horizons in the study of language and mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Floor, P. Akhtar, N. (2006) Can 18 month old infants learn words by listening in on conversations? Infancy, 9,327-329. Gervain, J. Mehler, J. (2010). Speech perception and language acquisition in the first year of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 191-218. Hoff, E. (2009) Language development. Belmont CA: Wadsworth. Inhelder, B. Piaget, J. (1958) The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence: An essay on the construction of formal operational structures. (A Parsons S. Milgram, Trans). New York: Basic Books. Lee, S.A., Davis, B. MacNeilage, P. (2010) Universal production patterns and ambient language influences in babbling: A cross-linguistic study of Korean and English learning infants. Journal of Child Language, 37, 293-318. Obler, L.K. (2005) Language in adulthood. In J. B. Gleason (Ed.) The development of language (6th Edn) Boston: Allyn Bacon. Piaget, J. (2002). The epigenetic system and the development of cognitive functions. In R.O. Gilmore, M, H. Johnson, Y, Munakata (Eds.). Brain development and cognition: A reader (2nd ed, pp. 29-35) Malden: Blackwell. Schwartz, M., Share, D.L., Leikin, M., Kominsky, E. (2008) On the benefits of bi-literacy: Just a head start in reading or specific orthographic insights? Reading and Writing, 21,905-927. Sigelman C.K., Rider, E.A., De George-Walker, L. (2013). Life Span: Human Development. Australian and New Zealand edition. CENGAGE. Swanson, H., Saez, L. Gerber, M. (2004) Literacy and cognitive functioning in bilingual and nonbilingual children t or not at risk for reading disabilities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 3-18. Vygotsky, L.S. (1962) Thought and Language. E Hanfmann G. Vakar, (Eds Trans.) Cambridge, MA: MIT Press (Original work published in 1934) Waxman, S.R. (2003) Links between categorisation and naming: Origins and emergence in human infant. In D.H. Rakison L.M. Oakes (eds.) Early category and concept development: making sense of the blooming, bussing confusion (pp. 193-209). New York. Oxford University Press. Waxman, S.R. Lidz, J.L. (2006) Early word learning. . In D.Kuhn R. S. Siegler (Vol. Eds), W.Damon R Lerner (Eds). Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol 2, cognition, perception and language (6th ed., pp. 299-335). New York: Wiley

Jane Eyre By Charlotte Brontë :: English Literature

Jane Eyre By Charlotte Brontà « Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà « was published in 1848, under the name of Currer Bell. Although the novel is over 150 years old, there are still themes that we can relate to today, such as bullying, prejudice and hypocrisy. In this essay, I am going to discuss the three themes mentioned and also consider admirable characters from the novel; the authors narrative technique and the part that I found appealing. The first issue that I will discuss will be on the bullying that Jane received at Gateshead Hall: the home of her Auntie and cousins. She is bullied by not just her cousins, but her aunt as well. In Chapter one, it shows the bullying from her cousins and aunt, when she has begun reading and John Reed, her cousin, throws the book at her head, and she retaliates. But because she retaliated, John's sisters ran up to their 'mamma' and blamed the fight on Jane. She was then escorted upstairs and locked in the red room. This could be counted as a form of bullying, as she only puts her in the red room as a punishment for attacking John, but we, the readers, already know that John started all of the commotion. Verbal bullying is also used in chapter one, where John Reed calls her names for throwing a punch at him (QUOTE: CHAPTER1/LINE 16: "I don't very well know what I did with my hands, but he called me 'Rat!, rat! ') During Jane's First term at Lowood, Jane is bullied out of food, when there was very little and the older girls wanted some more food to devour. Jane Eyre is a first-person narrative, related in the voice of the protagonist, or heroine. Jane Eyre is the "I" of the story, the person whose voice we hear as we read, and everything that happens is seen from her point of view. Nowhere in the novel does the author break the flow of the narrator's voice to give us an objective view of her main character. However, she does remind us once in a while that the story is being told by Jane as a mature woman, looking back on events that happened some years earlier. The mature Jane occasionally comments on the younger Jane's reactions to those events, and sometimes she even addresses you, the Reader, directly. You'll also find occasions where her narrative includes long stories told to Jane by other characters (such as Rochester's accounts of his past), conversations that Jane overhears between other characters, and even accounts of Jane's dreams. These not only add variety to the style but give the reader a Jane Eyre By Charlotte Brontà « :: English Literature Jane Eyre By Charlotte Brontà « Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà « was published in 1848, under the name of Currer Bell. Although the novel is over 150 years old, there are still themes that we can relate to today, such as bullying, prejudice and hypocrisy. In this essay, I am going to discuss the three themes mentioned and also consider admirable characters from the novel; the authors narrative technique and the part that I found appealing. The first issue that I will discuss will be on the bullying that Jane received at Gateshead Hall: the home of her Auntie and cousins. She is bullied by not just her cousins, but her aunt as well. In Chapter one, it shows the bullying from her cousins and aunt, when she has begun reading and John Reed, her cousin, throws the book at her head, and she retaliates. But because she retaliated, John's sisters ran up to their 'mamma' and blamed the fight on Jane. She was then escorted upstairs and locked in the red room. This could be counted as a form of bullying, as she only puts her in the red room as a punishment for attacking John, but we, the readers, already know that John started all of the commotion. Verbal bullying is also used in chapter one, where John Reed calls her names for throwing a punch at him (QUOTE: CHAPTER1/LINE 16: "I don't very well know what I did with my hands, but he called me 'Rat!, rat! ') During Jane's First term at Lowood, Jane is bullied out of food, when there was very little and the older girls wanted some more food to devour. Jane Eyre is a first-person narrative, related in the voice of the protagonist, or heroine. Jane Eyre is the "I" of the story, the person whose voice we hear as we read, and everything that happens is seen from her point of view. Nowhere in the novel does the author break the flow of the narrator's voice to give us an objective view of her main character. However, she does remind us once in a while that the story is being told by Jane as a mature woman, looking back on events that happened some years earlier. The mature Jane occasionally comments on the younger Jane's reactions to those events, and sometimes she even addresses you, the Reader, directly. You'll also find occasions where her narrative includes long stories told to Jane by other characters (such as Rochester's accounts of his past), conversations that Jane overhears between other characters, and even accounts of Jane's dreams. These not only add variety to the style but give the reader a

Brooklyn Cop Essay

The cop appears to be a savage yet we are later made aware of his underlying vulnerability. New York’s reputation of violence and crime leads to our awareness of the cop’s fear of not returning home to his wife. †¦ We are first made aware of the cop’s intimidating appearance in the first line, of the first stanza when MacCaig uses the simile â€Å"built like gorilla. † This gives us a very negative and animalistic idea of the man, an enforcer, and almost a thug. This is reinforced with the metaphor, â€Å"hieroglyphs in his face† instead of eyes. We build a picture of someone who is very strong, brutish and somewhat sinister. MacCaig includes the element of humour by saying, â€Å"but less timid,† this is also ironic, as gorillas aren’t renowned for their timidity to begin with. We are further made aware of the cop’s threatening appearance when the cop is described as being, â€Å"steak coloured. † This suggests that the cop constantly looks enraged, due to the comparison to raw steak, which is bright red. A very important metaphor is created in the first stanza, which establishes the main theme of the poem: â€Å"he walks the sidewalk and the thin tissue over violence†¦ † This leads us to believe that there is an underlying threat of violence in the cop’s persona, which implies that the cop is an unpredictable and perilous character. We now know why this man has to be so strong: his world is one where, as the metaphor highlights, the thin veneer of peace and civilisation is very fragile and could easily be broken. MacCaig retains our interest by creating contrast in the cop’s persona in the first stanza. The stanza concludes with Norman MacCaig giving a more defenceless view of the cop, by expressing the intimate relationship he shares with his wife. He says, â€Å"See you, babe† as well as â€Å"Hiya honey. † We can now almost think of him as a gentle giant, less of a brute. The word â€Å"honey† is a term of affection that shows both his love for his wife and his relief at coming home safely from his work. These conflicting parts of his personality; his brutal, animal-like side at work, and his tender caring side at home are revealed in these two contrasting lines and contribute to the vivid description of the cop. We are further made aware of the cop’s vulnerable side when we are told, â€Å"he hoped it, he truly hoped it. † MacCaig uses repetition to increase our awareness of the cop’s fear of not returning home to his wife. In the last stanza, the poet shifts the image of the gorilla. No longer the powerful and dangerous animal, he has become one of an endangered species who faces death or extermination at every street corner. Who would be him, gorilla with a nightstick whose home is a place he might, this time, never go back to? † Norman MacCaig uses a rhetorical question, as he wants us all to consider the dangers this man faces on a daily basis; The fact that every working day is a life threatening situation for him is affluent throughout the poem, as is the fierce, tough and unyielding characteristics of this Brooklyn Cop, all of which are necessities in order for him to be able to fulfil his duties. MacCaig questions the cop’s integrity in the last sentence of the poem, he asks yet another rhetorical question: â€Å"And who would be who have to be his victims? † Here, MacCaig has used an elliptical sentence structure. This last question is almost encoded, requiring the reader to think of all the implications, but leaving us to make up our mind independently.

World Terrorism

Terrorism. It is a word that strikes fear into many. Terrorism has been around since the beginning of time, and has caused empires to rise, fall, and allowed people to gain power. Terrorism is a growing problem in this unstable world. A simple act of terrorism can cause tensions to break between two countries, as seen with Israel and Palestineaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s conflicts due to religious beliefs and territory disputes. Among the various potential threats are wars with neighboring countries, missile attacks on cites, biological and chemical terrorism, suicide bombings, and hostage taking.In an April 1999 survey the most feared terrorism was bombings on US soil. (Cole, 1) There are many ways to combat terrorism. First, would be an international team that is always on call to respond to terrorist threats, and retrieve hostages with minimal loss of life. The second is gun control, which would limit the weapons accessed by potential terrorists. The last thing is to recognize terrorist organ izations before they have a chance to attack. Terrorism has been around since the days of ancient Egypt.People have been killing leaders of countries to try and overthrow the government, and for the past one hundred and twenty years terrorists have had ne Terrorism, which has been around for as long as people can remember, has been on the rise for the past ten years. Terrorists use murder, kidnapping, hijacking, and bombings to almost always achieve a political purpose. These radicals are not just subject to the United States, terrorism is all over the world, in every way, shape and form. There are many different types of terrorism, for many different purposes.The primary reason for terrorist acts are to force a change in their nation's government. If terrorists are not satisfied with there government's political positions, they may end up taking the matters into there own hands. Another reason for terrorist acts are because of hate towards a race, nationality, or religion. For exam ple, in 1972 the Palestine Liberation Organization invaded Israeli dorms in the Munich Olympics, and held the Israeli athletes hostage until Israel would agree to release Palestinian terrorists that were captured in Israel.When Israel refused to comply with the terrorists demands, they blew up two helicopters which held the Israeli athletes, killing the whole team. This was one of the many cruel types of terrorism. In recent years, terrorism seems to be at a new high and attacks are more violent than in the past. With terrorism being so secretive and having no forewarning, it has been a real problem to deal with. The governments of many countries have tried to stop these cowardly acts, but they just seem to be on the rise.I have a few ideas that might work Solution: Since there are no fool-proof ways to predict when a terrorist will strike next, there can really be no complete answer to this problem. Even though there is no way to totally eliminate terrorism, my solutions may still prove valid. With the bombing of the World Trade Center, and the federal building in Oklahoma, rental moving trucks have been used to hold the bomb. An idea I have for this type of attack.

Criminal Procedure Essay

Criminal Procedure Essay Criminal Procedure Essay Criminal Procedure Policy In the United States criminal justice system the criminal procedure policy is begins when a crime is committed and person is arrested for that crime. This person is now known as the defendant and is protected throughout the criminal procedure policy under the United States Constitution. The United States Constitution ensures fairness and justice to all through the Bill of Rights and other Amendments. Additionally, two procedural models help shape the criminal justice system. These two models are known as the Due Process and the Crime Control. The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, along with these criminal procedure theories, have forged the criminal justice processes that exist today and in turn are what keep the balance between order and liberty. As mentioned earlier, within the criminal justice system there are two schools of thought that pertain to criminal procedure practices in the United States. The Due Process and Crime Control Models are in essence theories which reflect the beliefs of both conservatives and liberals (Zalman, 2008). Conservatives side with the Crime Control Model while liberals on the other hand side with the Due Process Model. According to Zalman (2008), the theories, which were originally created by Professor Herbert Packer, conflict with one another but do share some common ground. One shared value is known as the Rule of Law. The Rule of Law, which is also called the principle of legality, is the legal principle which states that government officials must not exceed their legal authority and the government in general must adhere to established laws. The second shared belief between the models is the belief that certain members of the criminal justice system, police and prosecutors, have a du ty to enforce the law. The third shared belief is in regards to the limits to the powers of the government which have been put in place to prevent the government from being able to do anything and everything without regard for the law. The last shared belief between the two theories is treating the accused as a person deserving of a proper trial (Zalman, 2008). While the two procedural models share few beliefs it is the purpose of the models that distinguish them and keep order and liberty in balance. The primary purpose of the Due Process Model is to protect the accused. According to Zalman (2008), â€Å"The Due Process Model stresses formal, adjudicative,

Strategic Management; McLaren group The WritePass Journal

Strategic Management; McLaren group Executive Summary Strategic Management; McLaren group ). Cross Sector Diversification Cross sector diversification occurs when a firm enters into business within a different industry which has a similar value chain as of its core business (Charles et, al. 2010). McLaren also ventured into cross sector diversification by entering into a marketing and advertising business. Similarly, its venturing into the event management and hospitality industry also qualifies for cross sector diversification. Both these businesses share the same value chain as of McLaren’s core racing business to some extent in that they both cater the internal demands of McLaren Group and serve its own customers. McLaren marketing overlooks the group’s marketing activities apart from operating as a separate entity while Absolute Taste (McLaren’s hospitality and event management business) caters the Group’s customer at formula one event along with serving other high-end customers globally. Unrelated Diversification Unrelated diversification occurs when a firm enters into a new business in a different industry than that of its primary business through which it does not aim to achieve any value chain synergies (Charles et, al. 2010). McLaren, diversification into applied technologies can be categorized as unrelated diversification in that this business engages an entirely different value chain in terms of suppliers, production, and customers. This business involves developing groundbreaking technologies for the field of sport, medicine, biomechanics and entertainment (McLaren, 2013). It is worthy to note that this business does benefit from McLaren’s overall technical know-how in providing improved technological systems and solutions and therefore it cannot be definitely termed as unrelated diversification. Historical Perspective on Corporate Diversification From 1950s to 1970s There was an era when there were only a few companies selling similar products within a particular market, while the demands of the customers were relatively simple and less sophisticated. At that time, the phenomenon of strategic management was neither popular nor deemed a critical element for business success. This was the case throughout the first half of the 20th century (Orcullo, 2007). In the following two decades, there was an emphasis upon several principles of management, which were deemed equally applicable across various industries and businesses. Throughout 1960s and 1970s, the simple faith in general management skills justified virtuous circle of corporate growth and diversification. Robert Katz noted in that regard that: We are all familiar with those professional managers who are becoming the prototypes of our modern executive world. These men shift with great ease and with no apparent loss in effectiveness, from one industry to another. Their human and conceptual skil ls seem to make up for their unfamiliarity with the new jobs technical aspects. (Goold and Luchs, 1993) Hence, during 1950s and 1960s, it was widely opined that any business with a relatively effective management could venture into any other related or un-related business solely based upon its managerial resources. Throughout this period, McLaren was simply focused upon its primary business of formula one racing. From 1970s to 1980s According to Orcullo (2007), the notion of strategic management only became popular and well known after the 1970s. Strategic positioning and market competition implied that firms were now under increasing pressure to grow and diversify in order to sustain and thrive in the changing business environment. Concurrently, there was a realization during 1970s and 1980s that different businesses had to be managed differently (Goold and Luchs, 1993). This view encouraged businesses to undergo main related-horizontal diversification so that a firm’s new undertakings may share the exact sources of synergies such as market, operational and management fit. At this time, McLaren strategized to expand into mass car market which closely shared the sources of synergies with McLaren’s racing team. 1990s and Onwards During the late 1980s and 1990s, management literature introduced new themes such as core competencies and management dominant logic view and business synergies. These themes further emphasized on achieving synergy through diversification and venturing into businesses which were directly or indirectly related to the core competencies and fell within the dominant management logic of the company (Goold and Luchs, 1993). Coinciding to these corresponding business views, McLaren was expanding in some of its current businesses during this time which are all either directly or indirectly related to its core competencies and create synergy for the McLaren Group. References Ansoff, I. (1957) Strategies for Diversification. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 35 Issue 5. Carroll, L. (1941). Through the Looking-Glass. The Heritage Press . New York, p. 41. Charles E.,   Bamford, G. and West, P (2010). Strategic Management. Cengage Learning. Goold, M. and Luchs, K. (1993) Why Diversify: Four Decades of Management Thinking. Academic of Management Executive. Vol. 7 No. 3 Johnson G.   Scholes K.   Whittingham W. 2008. Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th edition. Prentice Hall McLaren (2013) Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Available from mclaren.com/formula1/page/mclaren-group (cited on 8th, March, 2013) Orcullo, N. (2007) Fundamentals of Strategic Management. Rex Bookstore, Inc. Porter, M.E. (1979)  How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy,  Harvard Business Review, March/April 1979. Porter, M. E. (2001) Service Operations Strategy. Harvard Business School Porter. M.E. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, January 2008, p.86-104. Van Valen, L. (1973) A New Evolutionary Law   in Evolutionary Theory, p. 1-30. William, T. (2009).   McLaren  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The Cars 1964–2008. Coterie Press.

Tips on How to Avoid the Plague

Tips on How to Avoid the Plague The bubonic plague that ravaged the world in the Middle Ages is still with us in the modern world, but medical knowledge has increased enough so that we now know what causes it and how to successfully treat it. Modern-day remedies for the plague involve the liberal application of antibiotics like streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides. Plague is very often fatal, and people with the disease may need addition symptom relief, including a source of oxygen and respiratory support, as well as medications to maintain adequate blood pressure. 12 Medieval Tips that Probably Didnt Help In the middle ages, though, there were no known antibiotics, but there were plenty of home and doctor-prescribed remedies. If you had the plague and were able to get a doctor to visit you, he would likely suggest one or more of the following, none of which would do any good at all. Rub onions, vinegar, garlic, herbs, or a chopped up snake on the boilsCut up a pigeon or chicken and rub the parts over your entire bodyApply leeches to the buboesSit in a sewer or rub human excrement on the bodyTake a bath in urineWhip yourself to show God that you are penitent for your sinsDrink vinegar, arsenic, and/or mercuryEat crushed minerals such as emeraldsInfuse your house with herbs or incense to purify itPersecute the people you dont like and think might have cursed youCarry sweet-smelling spices like ambergris (if you are wealthy) or plain herbs (if you are not)Suffer through repeated purges or bloodletting One Tip That Might Have Helped: Theriac The universal recommended medication for the plague in the medieval period was called theriac or London treacle. Theriac was a medicinal compound, a medieval version of remedies first concocted by classical Greek doctors for a number of ills. Theriac was made up of a complex mixture of multiple ingredients, indeed some recipes had 80 or more ingredients, but most of them included significant amounts of opium. Compounds were made up of a wide variety of dietary supplements, infusions of scabious or dandelion juice; figs, walnuts or fruit preserved in vinegar; rue, sorrel, sour pomegranate, citrus fruit and juice; aloes, rhubarb, absinth juice, myrrh, saffron, black pepper and cumin, cinnamon, ginger, bayberry, balsam, hellebore and a  whole lot more. The ingredients were mixed with honey and wine to make a thick, syrupy cordial-like consistency, and the patient was to dilute it in vinegar and drink it every day, or at least two to three times a week before meals. Theriac comes from the English word treacle and was said to cure fevers, prevent internal swellings and blockages, alleviate heart problems, treat epilepsy and palsy, induce sleep, improve digestion, heal wounds, protect against snake and scorpion bites and rapid dogs and poisons of all sorts. Who knows? Get the right combination and the plague victim might feel better, anyway. 12 Tips that Would Have Worked   Interestingly, we now know enough about the plague to go back in time and make some suggestions to Medieval people on how to avoid getting it. Most of them are only available to people rich enough to follow the directions: stay far away from people and other animals that carry fleas. Keep some clean clothes tightly folded and bound up in cloth treated with mint or pennyroyal, preferably in a cedar chest far from all animals and vermin.At the first whisper of plague in the area, flee any populated town or village and head for an isolated villa, far from any trade routes, with your cedar chest.Vigilantly clean every last corner of your villa, killing all rats and burning their corpses.Use plenty of mint or pennyroyal to discourage fleas, and  allow no cats or dogs to come near you.Under no circumstances enter an enclosed community like a monastery or board a shipOnce away from all human contact, wash in extremely hot water, change into your clean clothes, and burn the clothes you traveled in.Keep a minimum distance of 25 feet from any other human being to avoid catching any pneumonic form spread through breathing and sneezing.Bathe in hot water as frequently as you can.Keep a fire burning in your villa to ward off the bacillus, and stay as close to it as you can stand, even in summer. Have your armies burn and raze to the ground any nearby houses where plague victims have resided.Stay where you are until six months after the most recent nearby outbreak.Move to Bohemia before 1347 and dont leave until after 1353 Sources Fabbri, Christiane Nockels. Treating Medieval Plague: The Wonderful Virtues of Theriac. Early Science and Medicine 12.3 (2007): 247-83. Print.Holland, Bart K. Treatments for Bubonic Plague: Reports from Seventeenth-Century British Epidemics. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 93.6 (2000): 322-24. Print.Keiser, George R. Two Medieval Plague Treatises and Their Afterlife in Early Modern England. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 58.3 (2003): 292-324. Print.Siraisi, Nancy G. Medieval and Early Renaissance Medicine: An Introduction to Knowledge and Practice. Chicago University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.

Interacting with investors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interacting with investors - Essay Example A business plan may be so nice and interesting, but too long for an investor to go through it. It leads to a rejection, not because it was a wrong plan, but simply because the investor never read it. Going through about 40 pages of just one business plan and they are hundreds of them is not only time-consuming, but also boring. Just as Selke puts it, it is important to write a brief email summarizing the whole business plan and very brief. The email should, however, be convincing and appealing trying to show the investor why he should put his money in the particular business and not any other business plans. One should never give up even after getting a rejection on whatever he thought was the best business plan. He should leave the door open by a friendly ending since the investors may call back in future for consideration. It is true that some rejections could be frustrating, but in business, one has to control the emotions and know that it takes endurance to succeed in business. W hen one throws insults at the investor because he rejected his business plan, the business suffers finally. The way to attract an investor is by writing a brief appealing and convincing email concerning the business plan and always leaving the door open even after getting a rejection. The email should not sound like the person is only interested in the investor’s money but has the desire to be part of the company. It is important to ask for feedback if nothing is coming forth and never give up even after several rejections.

Cultural bias in the assessment of english language learner students Essay

Cultural bias in the assessment of english language learner students - Essay Example English language countries have many rich cultural traditions and features that must be reflected in the assessment of English language learner students and other parts of the learning process. It is also pay attention to the students of different cultures who study English as the second foreign language and their possibilities to understand English through its culture expressed in the language and to compare their native cultures with the English one. It helps to make the learning interesting that improves the results of English language learner students' assessment. 2. It is better to consider the role of culture in English teaching and learning on the examples of some concrete countries cultures of which differ from that of English. The examples of Russia and Japan show considerable features in English language learning and teaching. "Native speaking English language teachers are very much needed in Russia and in most cases they are met with traditional Russian hospitality, get a decent pay according to Russian standards and receive good evaluations and references" (Millrood). Cultural features of Russia influence the teaching process and assessment. English lesson in Russia has some features. "A lesson usually has three-stages, including homework check up, presentation of the new material and reinforcement of the new material" (Millrood). ... "In pairs and small groups learners need a very detailed description of what they are supposed to do, otherwise tending to work individually and/or waiting to be asked by the teacher and to give the prepared answer" (Millrood). In pair and group activities in Russia learners must follow the teacher's instructions, and their assessment directly depends on task performance accuracy according to it. "Whole-language approach is not universally supported. A good lesson is considered to be competence-building. In every lesson, the teacher is expected to organise balanced activities in learning lexis and grammar, as well as in speaking, listening and reading" (Millrood). The learners' assessment is tightly connected with their skills of taking part in these balanced activities. In Russia "a lesson is usually result-oriented and it is the result, which is considered primary, not the activity, which may be very motivating and activating the learners" (Millrood). So, good assessment and a posi tive result are the main orients of the English language lesson in Russia. "At the end of the lesson, each learner usually gets a mark on a five-point scale with a detailed comment from the teacher" (Millrood). This kind of assessment of a five-point scale form doesn't reflect the whole depth of learner's knowledge and cannot be considered as the objective assessment of learning results. In Russian schools "a lesson is usually declared as communicative though in reality, teachers and learners spend a lot of time dealing with grammar structures, bilingual exercises and text understanding" (Millrood). Because of that the learners' assessment is often

Improvements of the marketing planning process in the pharmaceutical Essay

Improvements of the marketing planning process in the pharmaceutical company - Essay Example Product group should be appealing to the contemporary market. Assuming social responsibility, and employing competent and trained labour forces are also important. Production should be doen in compliance with the EU directives.More aggresive acquisition, promotion and advertising should be undertaken. Company Introduction ACTAVIS AD (formerly known as BALKANPHARMA) a generic pharmaceutical company was founded in 1999 due to privatizations of its three manufacturing sites at Dupnitza, Troyan and Razgrad, with a manufacturing tradition of half a century. It the Bulgarian branch of the MNC generic pharmaceutical group ACTAVIS HF (earlier PHARMACO). The group head quartered in Iceland has its operations in more then 25 countries. Actavis AD is the leading generic pharmaceutical company in Bulgaria enjoying substantial market share both in terms of value and volume. Currently operation and production have been segregated from marketing and sales and Actavis represents the marketing and sales aspect. The ratio of domestic sales and export sales is also significant (51%/49%). It continues to enjoy the traditional favored position both in the domestic market as well as in USSR. The entire capital and is owned by the mother concern and Actavis is the biggest tax payer in Bulgaria. It is the driving force in th e Bulgarian domestic pharmaceutical market. Several restructuring has taken place to divert it focus from the safe and closed market to the more competitive open market. Ongoing efforts to incorporate the Good Manufacturing Practices into its manufacturing facilities are on. To counter foreign and domestic competition various aspects are being developed. ACTAVIS AD in 2002 became the only European pharmaceutical company with a... An analysis of   the market status of Actavis AD   within the Bulgarian pharmaceutical industry, along the significant economic   determinants operating in all markets, namely, supply and demand, barriers to entry and the pricing of goods, production cost and profit, aids in understanding the company’s market status and in devising future strategies.Within the Bulgarian pharmaceutical sector the demand is mostly created by the public funds, namely National Health Reimbursement Fund; hospitals and Ministry of Health centralized tenders. The demand market is differentiated along three parameters, namely those goods which are reimbursed and those which are free sales ones; those which are for sale in hospitals and those which are sold at pharmacies; those which are patented and those which are generic. There is a possibility to enhance the demand in the pharmaceutical market. The supply market can best be represented by the volume in the pharmaceutical market. The market su pply volumes merely indicate the part of the demands which has been satisfied, the actual sales. Actavis Ad enjoys significant market volume (35% in terms of market volume share and 18% in terms of market value share). It emerges as the clear leader outrunning its major business rival Sopharma by 8% in terms of market value share. Despite the small size of the Bulgarian pharmaceutical market(Polish market being ten times bigger) Actavis has recorded a significantly high growth rate attributed to it’s ever expanding portfolio in generic products, commitment.

Audience Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Audience Analysis Paper - Essay Example New initiatives will be of less importance to them as long as the company is delivering decent results. They do not understand lot of technical data and things must be simplified for their understanding. 2) Sales and Marketing people: These would be a group of individuals who are motivated by higher sales figures. They are the ones who understand the different ratios which are used to determine the solvency, stability, capital adequacy of the company. One can use complex financial and accounting terms easily and assume that this group will understand it. 3) Customers: This group is one of the most naive in terms of technicalities of business or any financial know-how. They are more concerned with the product or service which the company provides and whether in future will it continue to deliver the same? Then don’t need to understand the ratios but will be interested in if company is increasing its sales by selling more to existing customers, or selling to more number of custo mers. They understand the business, but are not savvy enough to understand the balance sheet and quarterly figures. What communication channels are appropriate? Since this is a formal meeting, there is a limitation to using audio or video communication channel. It is difficult to convey financial data by use of an AV. But a presentation can be made which is friendly to both financial savvy and non savvy people. A presentation will help people get a visual perspective of the financial standing of the company. Footnotes at the bottom of each slide may include a note on explaining the technical part. This will help the customers or stakeholders who are not financially sound to understand the presentation better. Jargons like solvency ratio, PE ratio and Capital can be explain in crisp and plain language at bottom of each slide to ensure the message goes across the board equally. While the power point slide show is on, I will also need to take care of speaking relevant things as per the slide show. I would prefer not to speak what is already there on the slide, but to just add small explanations to why and how aspect. I shall also throw some light as to how those figures were derived so that everyone is at same level. Last but not the least; I would have a more discussion based approach than a monologue. This will ensure full participation by the attendees and their full attention to what is being presented. What are some considerations to keep in mind given the diversity of audience? Every individual come from a different background and hence they do not understand sales figures and financial information equally Expectation of each group of individual is different from the quarterly sales figure presentation. Customers will expect to see more sales and new initiatives, investors will seek better financial ratios and sales force will look for more profitability for better bonus Use of financial jargons should be judicially used as everyone might not understand the m To maintain the interest of such a varied group, creativity in presenting will help maintain the much needed interest of the audience. Financial sales data presentation otherwise may become very monotonous and fail to communicate properly How do you ensure your message is effective? The following care needs to be take to ensure the effectiveness of the message Use of power point slide

What were the impacts of the World War II on Japan Term Paper

What were the impacts of the World War II on Japan - Term Paper Example The Axis alliance, especially Japan had to suffer huge problems during the Second World War. Of these, the major problem was of the fuel shortage. Japan’s extensive use of its aircraft carries as it was main force of the country and the only hope for defeating the allied forces did not help the country at all. Although Japan did outnumber the allied forces in the matter guns power but was defeated significantly in attrition. It was the attrition that made Japan lose the war in the pacific. The Japanese army and navy truly lacked all the resources and the development required to replace the loss faced in the pacific. â€Å"the supremacy of nations may be determined by the possession of available petroleum and its products.† (Coolidge 1924). This statement by president looked like a prediction of the coming future. Japan’s shortage of fuel turned out to be major problem for the country to sustain its initial rather successful position. â€Å"Primary strategic aim of U.S. Strategic Air Forces is now to deny oil to enemy air forces.† (Spaatz 1944). Furthermore the economic policies of Japan before and during the war played a negative role as long as japans’ chances of winning the war were concerned. Japan was more into extending its borders than creating an army with a strong backup. It all started for Japan after the attack of Pearl Harbor which started a true war between the two forces. At that time Japan was a major force in the pacific with its aircraft carriers and the hopes of winning the war on the basis of its naval strength were high. ... On 6th and 9th august 1946, America dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing millions and forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally. Unthinkable Destruction The atomic bombs dropped by American aircrafts had devastating effects on the two cities. They destroyed the cities completely leaving nothing but rubble. Japan, struck by such a major disaster was forced to surrender unconditionally as there were no other options left for the country. The two bombs killed 66,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000 in Nagasaki, destroying the two sixties completely. A total area 5 and a half square miles was left in rubbles. Apart from those who died immediately, millions were left to mourn with major radiological injuries, flash burns and mechanical injuries leading to disabilities. Apart from these immediate effects that the bombs caused, the infrastructure of the two cities were completely devastated and they were not fit anymore for the human to live in. the radiological damage s appeared years after the bombings as the new births has congenital anomalies and newborns usually died in the early years of their lives. Survival and Revival The war had left Japan with nothing but just a little more than debris, its 40% infrastructure was now in rubbles and the country knew it would take long to get things back to normal. It was with the help of international funding: especially America as Japan was now occupied by America that the process of revival started and a little hope arose of taking the country back to its original shape. After the war, the Japanese industries were supplied by funds and the strong workers who were originally post war soldiers to work in and contribute in the

Summary of Section 754 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Summary of Section 754 - Research Paper Example Hence, now the owners and managers who pay tax and their advisers now advance towards the transactions with the same concern, as those stated in the historic decrees of subchapter K that the partnerships concerned with tax have been asking for years: why incorporate The substantial increase in the use of partnerships has led to increasing frustration with the obsolete subchapter K regulations (most of which were spread in 1955). Among the most troublesome laws are those which govern the basis for adjustments on the sale or swap (exchange) of a partnership stake (Orbach, 2004). In fact, the laws --which allow the purchaser of a partnership stake to reflect the purchaser's acquiring cost in partnership resources, are among the most perplexed and highly defective aspects of partnership taxation. At the start of the year 1998, to address these problems, the Internal Revenue Service in collaboration with the Treasury issued proposed laws and policies u/s734(b) (basis adjustments on some distributions), section743(b) (basis adjustments on transfers of partnership interests),section 751(a) (the "collapsible partnership rule" requiring recognition of ordinary income on the disposition of certain partnership interests), andsection754 (Depreciation Adjustment). (Internal Revenue Code) The origin of partnership property is usually not affected when a partner sells or exchanges its interest in the business. As a result, if a person buys or ventures into a partnership stake or interest by sale or exchange for a sum that exceeds the transferee's allocation of the adjusted basis of partnership property, the purchase price in excess, is not reflected in the partnership's asset basis, i.e., the purchaser is not able to "push down" its purchase price to the partnership's assets When the business (partnership) makes a an election u/s754 within the stipulated time, however, a transferee partner's share of the partnership's adjusted basis in its assets ("inside basis") is stepped up or stepped down to reflect the partner's basis in the acquired business interest ("outside basis"). Bottom of Form We would proceed by considering an example, in relation to the partnership business, the various transactions that take place in the form of sale and exchange. More importantly, we would focus on the implications of Section 754 of the IRS, which has a major impact with respect to taxation in shaping up these transactions (Orbach, 2004). When an interested party, buys a stake or share of an existing partner's partnership interest, or the interest of a member of a limited liability corporation (LLC) taxed as a partnership, at a value which is said to be its fair value in the market the amount that the purchaser of the interest pays becomes the base for the purchaser's business interest (outside basis). In this transaction at fair market value, the buyer (new partner) assumes the seller's pro rata share of the business partnership's adjusted basis in its assets (inside basis). If the partnership's property or asset value has appreciated sufficiently, the variation between the new partne r's inside and outside basis can be

What were the impacts of the World War II on Japan Term Paper

What were the impacts of the World War II on Japan - Term Paper Example The Axis alliance, especially Japan had to suffer huge problems during the Second World War. Of these, the major problem was of the fuel shortage. Japan’s extensive use of its aircraft carries as it was main force of the country and the only hope for defeating the allied forces did not help the country at all. Although Japan did outnumber the allied forces in the matter guns power but was defeated significantly in attrition. It was the attrition that made Japan lose the war in the pacific. The Japanese army and navy truly lacked all the resources and the development required to replace the loss faced in the pacific. â€Å"the supremacy of nations may be determined by the possession of available petroleum and its products.† (Coolidge 1924). This statement by president looked like a prediction of the coming future. Japan’s shortage of fuel turned out to be major problem for the country to sustain its initial rather successful position. â€Å"Primary strategic aim of U.S. Strategic Air Forces is now to deny oil to enemy air forces.† (Spaatz 1944). Furthermore the economic policies of Japan before and during the war played a negative role as long as japans’ chances of winning the war were concerned. Japan was more into extending its borders than creating an army with a strong backup. It all started for Japan after the attack of Pearl Harbor which started a true war between the two forces. At that time Japan was a major force in the pacific with its aircraft carriers and the hopes of winning the war on the basis of its naval strength were high. ... On 6th and 9th august 1946, America dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing millions and forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally. Unthinkable Destruction The atomic bombs dropped by American aircrafts had devastating effects on the two cities. They destroyed the cities completely leaving nothing but rubble. Japan, struck by such a major disaster was forced to surrender unconditionally as there were no other options left for the country. The two bombs killed 66,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000 in Nagasaki, destroying the two sixties completely. A total area 5 and a half square miles was left in rubbles. Apart from those who died immediately, millions were left to mourn with major radiological injuries, flash burns and mechanical injuries leading to disabilities. Apart from these immediate effects that the bombs caused, the infrastructure of the two cities were completely devastated and they were not fit anymore for the human to live in. the radiological damage s appeared years after the bombings as the new births has congenital anomalies and newborns usually died in the early years of their lives. Survival and Revival The war had left Japan with nothing but just a little more than debris, its 40% infrastructure was now in rubbles and the country knew it would take long to get things back to normal. It was with the help of international funding: especially America as Japan was now occupied by America that the process of revival started and a little hope arose of taking the country back to its original shape. After the war, the Japanese industries were supplied by funds and the strong workers who were originally post war soldiers to work in and contribute in the

The two directors Baz Lurhman Essay Example for Free

The two directors Baz Lurhman Essay The two directors Baz Lurhman and Zefferelli both presented the style, pace, tone and mood of the two Shakespeare film in different ways. Baz Lurhman version of the pace is slow. The pace for this version is slow due to a lot of time spent on the opening scene. It focuses on telling us about the film and what its about and also the view of where it was set and not to forget it also spends time on telling us about the two sworn enemies and their characters. The mood is dark, aggressive and more dramatic because after the prologue the music hits you and the tone of voice was like a loud speaker beaten with extreme energy into the atmosphere. Whereas Zefferelli version was in the 16th century and it follows the script of Shakespeare the way it was wrote. Although the pace is fast, this could be because in the opening scene they got on with the play by using low camera angle shots. They choose to stick to the normal text draw for your sword even though its a gun. In the first scene the mood was aggressive. However In the other scenes it was tenser and calm and more romantic due to its focuses on Romeo and Juliet. Also, on the opening scene the tone was harsh and deep to start with to develop the feud between the two sworn enemies. Overall the tone is soft and sharp to build more effect on their romantic love scenes. Their way of style was addressed in a 16th century way to follow the script of Shakespeare; you could tell by the way they were dressing, who had high status and low status. Whereas the characters in Baz Lurhman wore modern clothes and more casual wear to what people would wear now because the style and play was set in the 21st century. The first version of the Prologue was presented to us with a small old television with a blacked out background. The woman voice draws your attention in with its calm tone of voice, which tells us in a news form of way what the two sworn enemies are like and also a brief information about the two lovers Romeo and Juliet. The second version of the prologue starts with a chorus which describes the two sworn enemies in the city of Verona in an aggressive form of way. It flashes us clips about the city and the impressions the viewers are giving about Verona Beach is that the place is not a safe place to be. During the flashing of clips u see a man been held down on a mattress by a police man. Every clips of it shows a gun. The city doesnt look like an Italian city it was made to look like New York. This prologue also lets us know that they catholic. The form of text they used was white text on black screen, using newspaper to show lines of the prologue. The sort of music played in this sequence was a dramatic music and orchestra music been played. Although in this prologue it was a male voice been used, the tone of voice was deep but told in bold written on a newspaper with characters pictures on it. The third version of the prologue is presented very far and the sorts of expression shown on the face of the Capulet parents were sad and also were the Montague parents. The expression shown on Mercutio face was him feeling or ready to kill someone. In this sequences the two important characters were not shown this could be due to their innocents and both of them not seen each other as enemies. However Zefferelli version didnt have a prologue the director just shows us a high angle short of the Italian city and market, then shows the characters with a low angle short then you hear their voices. Images of violence and the characters are seen as gangsters. The presentation of the feud between the two families are you could see by the facial expressions that they dont like or agree with one another. Capulet ask for a fight then one of the Montague men was forced to draw for his sword then the fight gets more serious and fights develops with pushing, shoving among peasants, then they ring the big bell to inform the others that theres a big fight then people get more involved. Sword fighting, rocks thrown above, vegetables thrown and wrestling to the floor. Tybalts character in the Zefferelli is betrayed as the leader of the gang. You see him without shot of his feet and moving up to his face with his gang behind him in a triangle formation which shows that is an important character. His also aggressive and hard hearted doesnt have any pity for no one apart from themselves. Hes also very mocking, likes making fun and gesture of people. Whereas on the Baz Lurhman, his betrayed as a arrogant man and a low angle screen shot to show us his Cuban hill shoes in a cowboy form of way but metal and big. Then the camera shows his clothes with a western music on the background which links to what his wearing. A leather jacket used to let us viewer know his religious because inside the jacket theirs a big image of Jesus on the inner clothe he was wearing. In my point of view I think his vain and fashionable. His character is showing has confident, arrogant and sharp, you can tell by the way he holds his gun. He holds it in a calm and cool way, knows that his in control and a well known leader and a very good sharpshooter. Once is sword is drawn its something to be feared of. The way he also walks is cool calm and collected. The presentation of the two versions is both equally dramatic even though Zefferelli fight scene shows more chaos and bloodshed. But they both show the anger between both families clearly. The directors expectation is trying to capture young viewer especially student, trying to bring Shakespeare to life. In conclusion I would rather watch Baz Lurhman due to his understanding of kids. He knew what kids of now days like so he made it spectacular, sexy and fashionable. Tim Adesunloro Mrs Hulbert.

Security and Vulnerabilities of Browser Applications

Security and Vulnerabilities of Browser Applications Hi friends, I would like to discuss the system vulnerabilities, relevant CVE identifiers, cyber security solution and some of common findings I encountered while using browser applications. System vulnerabilities are weaknesses benefits the attackers to introduce the malware and other threats to the system. These threats are harmful to softwares and internet applications and which are mitigated by various security mechanisms and procedures. Both hardware and software are vulnerable to various threats and appropriate security measures are needed to be addressed. Cross site scripting is vulnerability which may be initially designed in a legal way.ÂÂ   The attacker efficiently carries out something malicious mission in users browser while unexpectedly visiting of fake URL. For instance, the malicious script which possesses XSS bugs will be executed in the context of a website. In order to run malicious JavaScript code in users browser, the attacker manipulates a use to site the webpage with injected JavaScript play load. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVE): It is a dictionary of common names for cyber security vulnerabilities. The products and services well-suited with CVE provide better exposure, interoperability and improved protection. TheÂÂ   following are the list of recent vulnerabilities through cross site scripting in CVE database. eClinicalWorks Patient Portal 7.0 build 13 was designed on January 27, 2017. The common vulnerability identifier is 95835 and entry is CVE-2017-5599. This was encountered with cross site scripting vulnerability which affects the page within the patient portal. The socially manipulated play load executed within the patient portal javascript page without any authentication. This vulnerability pulls out important information or attacks users browser. The CVE entries are CVE-2016-4256, CVE-2016-4257, CVE-2016-4258, CVE-2016-4259, CVE-2016-4260, CVE-2016-4261, CVE-2016-4262, CVE-2016-4263, CVE-2016-6980. Cyber security measures and solutions for the above vulnerabilities: The security measures like add plug in antivirus or firewall software applications in the browser can scan incoming and outgoing data traffic, scanning analysis of suspicious files and malicious applications protect the personal information and online transactions and protection against the untrusted wifi. The vulnerabilities discovered in my system/common findings: When I opened the manipulated URL, the payload executed within my browser without any authentication. This lead to infection and entry Xs bugs into my system. The system vulnerabilities discovered are: a) Cross site scripting lead attack on browser applications and operating system b) Unauthentically accessed the personal/sensitive information c) Entry of malicious applications and bugs References: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/security/it_threats_vulnerabilities.htm https://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/five-common-web-application-vulnerabilities https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=cross+site+scripting Response1 Hi I like extend the discussion of System Vulnerabilities-Adobe flash player and security concerns. Adobe flash player is an application used to generate graphics, animations, browser games, rich internet applications, desktop applications and mobile games. Till now, Adobe has more than 94 Vulnerabilities. I like to mention some of the cyber security solutions which improve the protection of adobe flash player such as periodical update of software and always using cyber security tools with multilayer protection. Mostly, the cyber criminal hack the default chrome plugins like Adobe flash player. The recent security improvements made by experts in Night watch cyber security team in AIR software development to help their customers and solve the issues. The Adobe AIR security facilitate controlled environment for the unfaithful websites and running other applications from various resources. Responses 2: Hello Avinash, I would like to mention the advanced versions of IBM Web sphere applications designed with security functions. These IBM WSA version7, V8, V 8.5 are prone to the attacker and prevent the gathering of sensitive information. SSLv3 vulnerability (CVE-2014-3566) is the reason for the loss of sensitive information IBM server. This can be appropriately mitigated by the IBM web server security versions with default security. Most valuable infrastructure based preventive measures integrated into to the web sphere application server. So the advance versions of the web application can counter the malware and leakage of sensitive information from a server. With regards

Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot :: biography biographies bio

Nicolas LÃ ©onard Sadi Carnot June 1, 1796 - August 24, 1832 Nicolas Carnot was born on June 1, 1796 in Paris, France. He was the son of Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot. When Sadi was born his father was a member of the Directory, which was the French Revolutionary government. Sadi was brought up in a rough evironment of clashing politics and sciences. His father retired from his position as napoleon's minister in order to devote his time to educating his two sons. At the age of 16 Sadi was sent to Lycee Charlemagne in Paris in order to prepare him for the testings to get into Ecole Polytechnique. At this young age of 16 he entered the Ecole Polytechnique, two years later at the age of 18 he graduated from there. After this he took a two year course in military engineering. Some years later Sadi went to visit his father since he was exiled after the defeat of Napoleon. During his visit of his father they spoke in great detail of a steam engine that had come through where his father lived. This filled Sadi with great excitement as he had plan to develop a theory for steam engines. Once he returned to Paris he began immediatley working on the mathematical theory of heat. This lead to the start of the modern theory of what we know today as thermodynamics. Sadi's first piece that he worked on was a mathematical expression for the work done by one kilogram of steam. This research done my Sadi was never published to the public. It wasn't until later that Sadi finally published something on his works. When his father died his brother, Hippolyte Carnot came to Paris in order to help his brother finish his book on steam engines that he was currently working on. Sadi's book was finally published in 1824, and in his book was the theory of the "Carnot Cycle" In 1827 he was called back into the military to work as a military engineer which he did for less than one year. He quickly retired and moved back to Paris to continue his work on the theory of heat. In 1832 Sadi Carnot became very sick with the cholera epidemic and he died one day after getting cholera, at the young age of only 36. Carnot is known as the father of thermodynamics. He was the first person to show the relationship between work and heat.

Precision Guided Munitions :: Weapons Guns Gun Essays Reseach Papers

Precision Guided Munitions During the Persian Gulf War of 1991 a new class of weapons made its debut and presaged a revolution in military affairs. Although precision-guided munitions (PGMs), ranging from laser-guided bombs to Tomahawk cruise missiles, represented only a fraction of the total ordinance used in Iraq, the effect they had was electric. The television footage of a bomb dropped from more than 6 miles above descending onto its target and hitting with absolute precision was at once fascinating and jarring. The Gulf War demonstrated the power that precision aerial attacks possessed. The accuracy and lethality of air launched munitions during the Gulf war was in sharp contrast to the relative crudity of aerial bombing during World War II. In Iraq and later in Kosovo, precision-guided munitions (PGM) demonstrated their capabilities. The US waged a type of warfare in these campaigns that was markedly different from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The US is still coming to grips with the implications of the new type of warfare it has released. The development of accurate precision-guided munitions was not revolutionary, but an evolutionary process that took the course of half a century. Today most precision-guided munitions can be classified by their guidance or propulsion systems. Precision-guided munitions affect the military in three areas. First precision-guided munitions have challenged time-honored traditions of mass. Second, precision-guided munitions have unique information needs. Finally, the capabilities of precision-guided munitions have significant implications on acquisitions policy. Regardless of whether or not precision-guided munitions are part of a larger revolution in military, the implic ations of precision-guided munitions for the US military are significant. Historical Evolution of Accuracy Ever since man first threw stones at their fellow men, the elusive goal of killing one’s opponent from a distance, with absolute precision has been a holy grail of warfare. Weapons such as bows and arrows, rifles, and artillery, were all designed for increased lethality at longer distances, with less risk to the operator. PGMs provide just that capability; that is the capability to put ordinance on target with precision at long ranges. Precision has always played a role in warfare. Whether it was marksmanship with bow or rifle, the ability to place a projectile on target contributed greatly to victory. PGMs were designed with just that function in mind.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Nine

AS JILL HAD SAID, Adrian was more than happy to begin our hunt that afternoon. In fact, when I finally got ahold of him, he offered to pick me up when classes ended, in order to maximize our time. I didn't mind this since it meant I'd get to ride in the Mustang. Admittedly, I would've preferred to drive it myself, but I'd take what I could get. â€Å"When are you going to name the car?† I asked him once we were on the road to Los Angeles. â€Å"It's an inanimate object,† he said. â€Å"Names are for people and pets.† I patted the Mustang's dashboard. â€Å"Don't listen to him.† To Adrian, I said, â€Å"They name boats all the time.† â€Å"I don't really understand that either, but maybe I would if my old man ever fronted me the money for a private yacht.† He shot me a quick, amused look before returning his attention to the road. â€Å"How can someone as cold and logical as you be so obsessed with something as frivolous as this?† I wasn't sure which part bothered me the most – being called cold or obsessed. â€Å"I'm just giving the proper respect to a beautiful machine.† â€Å"You named your car after coffee. That's a sign of respect?† â€Å"The highest1respect,† I said. He made a noise that sounded like a cross between a scoff and a laugh. â€Å"Okay, then. You name it. Whatever you want, I'll go along with.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, a bit startled. True, I'd been badgering him about naming the car, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be the one to wield that sort of power. â€Å"It's a big decision.† â€Å"Life or death,† he said, deadpan. â€Å"Better choose carefully.† â€Å"Yeah, but you're the so-called creative one!† â€Å"Then this'll be good practice for you.† I fell silent for a good part of the drive, struck by the gravity of the dilemma that lay before me. What should the name reflect? The car's sunny yellow color? Sleek lines? Powerful engine? The task was overwhelming. Adrian pulled me out of my thoughts when we began nearing the outer Los Angeles suburbs. â€Å"We're not actually going into the city, are we?† â€Å"Huh?† I'd been waging a mental debate between Summer Wind and Gold Dust. â€Å"Oh, no. We're heading north. Take the next exit.† Mrs. Santos had provided me with two neighborhoods known for their Victorian-style houses. I'd researched them extensively online, even going so far as to look at satellite pictures. I'd finally chosen one that most resembled my vision and crossed my fingers I'd have the same luck as I'd had in finding Marcus's apartment. Surely the universe owed me a few favors. Unfortunately, things didn't look too promising when we finally reached the street I'd been given. It was a peaceful residential area, filled with those same distinctive houses, but nothing that quite matched the one I'd seen in my vision. We drove up and down the street as I scanned each side, hoping maybe I'd missed something. â€Å"Ugh,† I said, slouching back into my seat. No luck. The universe had apparently cut me off. â€Å"We'll have to check the other location, but seriously, it didn't look like a match.† â€Å"Well, it can't hurt to – † Adrian suddenly made an abrupt turn onto a side street we'd nearly driven past. I jerked upright as he clipped the curb. â€Å"What are you doing? Think about your tires!† â€Å"Look.† He made another turn, putting us on a parallel street. Most of it was contemporary California housing . . . but one block had more Victorian houses. I gasped. â€Å"There it is!† Adrian came to a stop on the side of the street opposite from the house of my vision. Everything was there, from the wrapping porch to the hydrangea bush. And now, in the full light of day, I could make out the sign in the front yard: OLD WORLD BED-AND-BREAKFAST. Smaller print identified it as a historic site. â€Å"Well, there we go.† Adrian was clearly very pleased with his find, despite the risk to the car's tires. â€Å"Maybe Jackie's sister is staying here.† â€Å"Odd choice to run nefarious magical activities out of,† I remarked. â€Å"I don't know. Seeing as there aren't any ancient castles in the neighborhood, then why not a bed-and-breakfast?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay, then. Let's go make some inquiries. You sure you can muddle the minds of those who see me?† â€Å"Easy,† he said. â€Å"Easier still if you were wearing your wig.† â€Å"Oh, shoot. I forgot.† I ducked down and retrieved a shoulder-length brown wig that Ms. Terwilliger had supplied me with. Even with Adrian's magic, we wanted to take extra precautions. While it would be good if people were visited by an unmemorable blonde, it'd be better still if they were visited by an unmemorable brunette. I tugged the wig on, hoping no one had seen my transformation. I lifted my head. â€Å"Does it look okay?† Adrian's face showed approval. â€Å"It's cute. You look even brainier, which I didn't think was possible.† We left the car, and I wondered if I wanted to look brainier. A lot of people already thought I was boring. Blond hair might be the only exciting thing I had going for me. Then I thought for a minute about my recent experience scaling a fire escape, breaking and entering, and getting into a fistfight with a fugitive. Not to mention that I was now hunting a powerful evil witch alongside a vampire who could control people's minds. Okay, maybe I wasn't so boring after all. We stepped inside to find a cute little lobby with an ornate desk and a sitting area with wicker furniture. Stuffed rabbits dressed in ball gowns adorned the shelves, and the walls actually had oil paintings of Queen Victoria. The owners apparently took their theme very literally, though I wasn't sure how the rabbits fit in. A girl my age sat at the desk and glanced up in surprise from a magazine. She had short platinum hair and hipster glasses. Tons of necklaces hung around her neck in a gaudy display that went against my minimalist sensibilities. Hot pink plastic beads, a sparkly green star, a gold and diamond locket, a dog tag . . . it was mind-boggling. Even worse, she was chewing gum loudly. â€Å"Hi,† she said. â€Å"Can I help you?† We'd had a whole routine planned, but Adrian immediately went off script. He slung his arm around me. â€Å"Yeah, we're looking for a weekend getaway, and a friend of ours swears this is top-of-the-line romance.† He pulled me closer. â€Å"Our anniversary's coming up. We've been dating for one year, but man, it hardly seems like it.† â€Å"That's for sure,† I said, trying to keep my jaw from dropping. I forced what I hoped was a happy smile. The girl glanced back and forth between us, her expression softening. â€Å"That's so sweet. Congratulations.† â€Å"Can we check the place out?† Adrian asked. â€Å"I mean, if there are any vacant rooms?† â€Å"Sure,† she said, standing up. She spit her gum into a trash can and walked over to us. â€Å"I'm Alicia. My aunt and uncle are the owners.† â€Å"Taylor,† I said, shaking her hand. â€Å"Jet,† said Adrian. I nearly groaned. For inexplicable reasons, â€Å"Jet Steele† was a pseudonym Adrian really liked using. In our rehearsal today, he was supposed to be called Brian. Alicia glanced back and forth between us, a small frown on her face that soon smoothed out. I had to guess it was Adrian's compulsion, confusing her perceptions of us a bit. â€Å"Follow me. We have a few vacant rooms you can see.† With one last puzzled look at us, she turned and headed toward a stairway. â€Å"Isn't this great, sweetie?† Adrian asked loudly as we walked up the creaking stairs. â€Å"I know how much you like rabbits. Didn't you have one when you were little? What was his name, Hopper?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, resisting the urge to punch him on the arm. Hopper? Really? â€Å"Best rabbit ever.† â€Å"Oh, neat,† said Alicia. â€Å"Then I'll take you to the Bunny Suite first.† The Bunny Suite had more of those well-dressed stuffed rabbits as part of the decor. The quilt covering the king-size bed also had a border of alternating hearts and rabbits stitched in. Several books sat on the mantel above the wood-burning fireplace, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Rabbit, Run. Until that moment, I hadn't realized just how absurdly far a theme could be taken. â€Å"Wow,† said Adrian. He sat down on the bed and tested its bounciness, giving it a nod of approval. â€Å"This is amazing. What do you think, buttercup?† â€Å"I have no words,† I said honestly. He patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Want to try it out?† I answered with a look and felt relieved when he stood up. Adrian and beds stirred up too many conflicting feelings in me. After that, Alicia showed us the Morning Glory Suite, the Velvet Suite, and the London Suite, all of which competed to outdo the others in tackiness. Nonetheless, despite the absurdity of Adrian's ruse, the tour had given me the opportunity to take note of the other labeled doors in the hallway. We followed Alicia back downstairs. â€Å"We don't get to see the Sapphire Suite or the Prince Albert Suite?† I asked. Alicia shook her head. â€Å"Sorry. Those are occupied. I can give you a brochure with some pictures, if you want.† Adrian had his arm around me again. â€Å"Angel cake, wasn't the Prince Albert Suite where Veronica stayed? She's not still here, is she?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said. This, at least, was similar to what we'd rehearsed. I glanced over at Alicia. â€Å"You probably can't tell us that, huh? If our friend Veronica's here? She's really pretty, has long dark hair.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† said Alicia, brightening. â€Å"Of course I remember her. She was in the Velvet Suite, actually, and just checked out yesterday.† I resisted the urge to kick the desk. So close. We'd missed her by a day. Yes, the universe was definitely done giving me breaks. I wouldn't be able to cast the scrying spell until the next full moon, which was a month away. â€Å"Oh, well,† said Adrian, still with that easy smile. â€Å"We'll see her for Christmas anyway. Thanks for your help.† â€Å"Do you want to book a room?† Alicia asked hopefully. â€Å"We'll get back to you on that,† I said. I actually wouldn't have put it past Adrian to book one and then claim it was part of our cover. â€Å"We're checking out a few places. A one-year anniversary isn't something you want to make a hasty decision on.† â€Å"But,† said Adrian, giving her a wink, â€Å"I've got a good feeling about the Bunny Suite.† Alicia walked us out, her eyes widening when she saw the Mustang. â€Å"Wow, nice car.† â€Å"It's an amazing car,† I said. â€Å"That's our baby – well, until we have real ones. Don't you think it needs a name?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I keep trying to convince Taylor.† Once again, I had to fight the urge to punch him. â€Å"Oh, definitely,† said Alicia. â€Å"That kind of car . . . it's like royalty.† â€Å"See?† Adrian shot me a triumphant look. â€Å"And Alicia's an expert on royalty. Didn't you see all those paintings?† â€Å"Thanks for your help,† I told her, steering him forward. â€Å"We'll be in touch.† We got in the car, and after waving goodbye to Alicia, Adrian drove away. I stared blankly ahead. â€Å"Much like with the Bunny Suite, I have no words to describe what just happened. I mean, really? Our anniversary? Jet?† â€Å"I look more like a Jet than a Brian,† he argued. â€Å"Besides, that was a much better story than the one about how we wanted to pay a surprise birthday visit to our ‘friend' Veronica.† â€Å"I don't know about that. But it did give us the information we needed. Which isn't good.† Adrian grew serious. â€Å"Are you sure? Maybe Veronica left the area altogether. Maybe you and the other girls are out of danger.† â€Å"That would be good, I guess . . . except, it just means some other poor girl somewhere else would suffer instead, and we wouldn't have any way to stop it.† From my purse, I pulled out Ms. Terwilliger's list of magic-using girls. â€Å"One of these addresses is in Pasadena. We can at least swing through on our way back and warn her.† The girl we sought was named Wendy Stone. She was a student at Cal Tech, which seemed like an odd vocation for a wannabe witch. Of course, Ms. Terwilliger had said these were girls who weren't actively studying the magical path. They simply possessed magical ability, and I supposed the fact that they had no mentors suggested that they might actually be resistant to their inborn abilities – kind of like me. Wendy lived in an apartment near campus that was easy to find. It was a no-nonsense, primarily student residence, but it seemed like a luxury palace after Marcus's building. As we passed busy students carrying backpacks and talking about classes, I felt a pang of longing that I hadn't experienced in a while. Inheriting the Alchemist mantle meant I couldn't go to college. College was a dream I'd held on to for a long time, though enrolling at Amberwood had helped ease some of my longing. Now, in this buzz of academia, a surge of jealousy sprang up in me. What would it be like to have this kind of life? To have your days solely devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, with no intrigue or life-threatening situations? Even Adrian, with his part-time art classes, was able to have some sort of collegiate experience. â€Å"Don't be so down,† he said when we reached Wendy's floor. â€Å"You might get to college someday.† I looked over at him in wonder. â€Å"How did you know that's what I was thinking?† â€Å"Because I know you,† he said simply, no mockery in his eyes. â€Å"Your aura got sad, and I figured being on a college campus had something to do with it.† I couldn't meet his gaze and turned away. â€Å"I don't like that.† â€Å"What, that someone actually knows what's important in your life?† Yes, that was exactly it. But why did it bother me? Because it was Adrian, I realized. Why was it that a vampire understood me so well? Why not one of my friends? Why not one of my human friends? â€Å"You can be Jet if you want,† I said brusquely, trying to get us back on track and cover up my troubled feelings. After all, this wasn't Sydney's Therapy Hour. â€Å"But we are not posing as a couple again.† â€Å"Are you sure?† he said. His tone was lighter now, turning him back into the Adrian I knew. â€Å"Because I've got a lot more terms of endearment to use. Honey pie. Sugarplum. Bread pudding.† â€Å"Why are they all high-calorie foods?† I asked. I didn't want to encourage him, but the question slipped out before I could stop it. â€Å"And bread pudding isn't really that romantic.† We had reached Wendy's door. â€Å"Do you want me to call you celery stick instead?† he asked. â€Å"It just doesn't inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.† â€Å"I want you to call me Sydney.† I knocked on the door. â€Å"Er, Taylor.† A girl with freckles and frizzy red hair answered. Her eyes narrowed warily. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We're looking for Wendy Stone,† I said. She scowled. â€Å"Are you from the registrar's office? Because I told them the check's on its way.† â€Å"No.† I lowered my voice and made sure there were no witnesses. â€Å"My name's Taylor. We're here to talk to you about, um, magic.† The transformation was sudden and startling. She went from suspicious and cautious to shocked and outraged. â€Å"No. No. I've told you guys a hundred times I don't want to be involved! I can't believe you'd actually show up at my door to try to convert me to your little coven freak show.† She tried to shut the door, but Adrian managed to stick his foot in and block it. Very manly. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"That's not what this is about. Your life might be in danger.† Wendy turned incredulous. â€Å"So you guys are threatening me now?† â€Å"No, nothing like that. Please,† I pleaded. â€Å"Just let us talk to you for five minutes inside. Then we'll leave and never bother you again.† Wendy hesitated and then finally gave a nod of resignation. â€Å"Fine. But I'm getting my pepper spray.† Her apartment was neat and tidy, save for a pile of papers and engineering books scattered on the floor. We'd apparently interrupted her homework, which brought back my wistfulness. She made good on her promise to get the pepper spray and then stood before us with crossed arms. â€Å"Talk,† she ordered. I showed her the picture of Veronica. â€Å"Have you ever seen this woman?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Good.† Or was it? Did that mean Veronica might have Wendy tagged as a future hit and was waiting to pounce? â€Å"She's dangerous. I'm not exactly sure how to put it. . . .† â€Å"She finds girls with magic and sucks away their souls,† supplied Adrian helpfully. Wendy did a double take. â€Å"I'm sorry, what did you say?† â€Å"That's not exactly the case,† I said. â€Å"But it's close enough. She seeks out girls with power and takes it for herself.† â€Å"But I don't use magic,† Wendy countered. â€Å"Like I told you, I don't want anything to do with it. There's a witch who lives in Anaheim who's always telling me how much potential I have and how I should be her apprentice. I keep telling her no, and I've never even tried any spells. This soul-sucking lady has no reason to come after me.† Ms. Terwilliger had warned me some of the girls might say this. In fact, she'd said most would have this argument. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"That won't stop her.† Wendy looked terrified now, and I didn't blame her. My reaction had been similar. It was frustrating to know the very thing you were trying to get away from might come after you. â€Å"Then what should I do?† she asked. â€Å"Well, avoid her if you can. If she comes to see you . . . I mean, don't let her in. Don't be alone with her.† That was slightly lame advice, and we all knew it. â€Å"If you do see her, I'd tell that witch in Anaheim. In fact . . . I know you don't want to, but if I were you, I'd get in touch with that witch now and try to get her help. Maybe even learn a few defensive spells. I understand you don't want to – believe me, I really do – but it could save your life. Also . . . † I held out the agate charm. â€Å"You should take this and wear it at all times.† Wendy eyed the charm as though it were a poisonous snake. â€Å"Is this some trick to get me to learn magic after all? You come here with this whole act about how if I don't learn, I could get my soul sucked away?† Again, I had to give her points. I would think exactly the same thing. â€Å"We're telling the truth,† I insisted. â€Å"There's no proof I can offer – well, wait. Give me your email address, and I'll send you this article about another girl it happened to.† Wendy looked like she was on the verge of using the pepper spray. â€Å"I think I would've heard if some girl had her soul magically sucked away.† â€Å"It wasn't really obvious to those who don't know about the magical world. Let me send it to you, and then you can make your own decisions. It's the best I can offer.† She reluctantly agreed and wrote down her email address. Adrian stepped forward to take it from her, but he must have moved too quickly because she suddenly thrust the can of pepper spray in his direction. â€Å"Stay back!† she exclaimed. At the exact same moment, I sprang in front of him, terrified he was about to get a face full of pepper spray. I cast the first spell I could think of, a simple one that created a flashy – but harmless – show of colored light. A shielding spell would've been much more useful, but I hadn't practiced any yet. That would have to be rectified, in case our future errands involved more pepper spray. â€Å"You back off,† I warned. As I'd hoped, the brilliant display was terrifying to someone anti-magic like Wendy. She retreated to the far side of her apartment and thankfully didn't use the spray. â€Å"G-get out,† she stammered, eyes full of fear. â€Å"Please take precautions,† I said. I set the charm on the floor. â€Å"And please wear this. I'll email you the article.† â€Å"Get out,† she repeated, making no move toward the charm. As Adrian and I walked out of her building and into the sun, I sighed loudly. I was dismayed enough that I didn't even have the chance to feel down about being at a college. â€Å"That didn't go so well,† I said. He thought about it, then grinned. â€Å"I don't know, Sage. You threw yourself in the line of pepper spray for me. You must like me just a little bit.† â€Å"I – I figured it'd be a shame to ruin your pretty face,† I stammered. In truth, I hadn't been thinking of anything that specific. All I'd known was that Adrian was in danger. Protecting him had been instinctual. â€Å"Still, that spell was kind of badass.† I managed a small smile. â€Å"It was harmless, and that's the thing. Wendy didn't know any better. The reason Veronica goes after these girls is that they don't have any magical protection – and that's exactly why they probably can't stop her. I don't think pepper spray will help, but maybe the article will convince her. Oh, shoot. I'll have to make a fake email address for Taylor.† â€Å"No worries,† said Adrian. â€Å"I already have a Jet Steele one you can use.† This actually made me laugh. â€Å"Of course you do. For all the online dating you do, right?† Adrian didn't comment one way or the other, which bothered me more than it should have. I'd meant it as a joke . . . but was there truth to it? If rumors – and some of my own observations – were true, Adrian had experience with a lot of women. A lot. Thinking of him with others upset me, far more than it should have. How many other girls had he kissed with that same intensity? How many had been in his bed? How many had felt his hands upon their bodies? He couldn't have loved them all. Some – probably most – had been conquests, girls whose faces he forgot the next morning. For all I knew, I was just the ultimate conquest for him, a test for his skills. You probably couldn't find a greater challenge than a human with hang-ups about vampires. And yet, thinking back on all the things said and unsaid between us, I was pretty sure that wasn't true. No matter how crazy this romantic entanglement was, he loved me – or thought he did. I was no superficial conquest. It'd probably be better if I was, though. Without an emotional connection, he'd eventually give up and easily find comfort in someone else's arms. This would probably be a good time for me to suggest he do that anyway. But I stayed silent.

Fantasy Voyage from Femoral Vein to Right Lobe of the Lung

HS 130 Unit 4 Assignment Fantasy Voyage and Battle of the Lung Hello everyone and welcome aboard! I am S Y. with Voyage Health. Today, we will embark together in my mini-sub and we shall travel through the body of this young lady named Lola. In this journey we will enter her body through the femoral vein and travel all the way to her lung. Alert! Alert! An alert just came and we are in for a surprise. Bacteria have invaded Lola’s lower lobe of her right lung and we shall report the invasion and document all we see. Let’s proceed.We are being injected into the femoral vein close to the groin area. The femoral vein runs parallel with the femoral artery through the upper thigh and pelvic region of the body. (Yahoo Health, 2013) Being one of the larger veins in the body, the femoral vein returns blood into the leg to the heart through the iliac vein. Before we get to the iliac vein, we pass through the inguinal ligament that forms a band going from anterior superior iliac s pine to the pubis ligament. The role of the inguinal ligament is to protect the tissue movement between the trunk and the lower extremities. Yahoo Health, 2013) From the inguinal ligament, going north, we see the external iliac vein which is a continuation of the femoral vein just above the inguinal ligament. Starting at the groin area, the external iliac vein goes along the pelvic area. When it intersects with the internal iliac vein , we will navigate East into the common iliac vein that functions to drain the perineal regions. The iliac veins are joined together to form inferior vena cava. The inferior vena cava, also know as posterior vena cava, is a vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart. (Yahoo Health, 2013).It runs behind the abdominal cavity and alongside the right vertebrae column of the spine and it carries blood from the lower body to the heart. (Yahoo Health, 2013) From here we can already see the heart. Isn’t it fantastic? We are so close to the pump that keeps the human body alive. Once we enter it, we will experience first hand the intricate operation of this marvelous mechanism. Next stop. Right atrium. One of the four chambers of the heart, the right atrium lets deoxygenated blood to pass through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle and from there to the lung to oxygenate.The tricuspid valve, also known as right atrioventricular valve is located between the two chambers and it looks like flaps that blocks blood flowing back into the atrium. (Yahoo Health, 2013) The right ventricle of the heart has the mission to pump the blood into the pulmonary artery via the pulmonary valve and pulmonary trunk right into the lungs. Ready to go through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery? Here we go! Weeeee†¦.. We are steps away from the most magnificent oxygen factory you have ever seen. Short and wide, the pulmonary artery begins at the base of the right ventricle and with a considerable size of 1 . inches in diameter and 2. 0 inches in length. Interesting fact: the pulmonary artery is one of the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood. The other artery is the umbilical artery in the fetus. This is just something I remembered from an Anatomy class I used to take in college. The main pulmonary artery extends from the right ventricle of the heart and branches into left and right pulmonary arteries. The left and right pulmonary arteries extend to the left lung and right lungs. (Bailey, Regina 2013) Now just relax and sit back. Enjoy the ride to the lung!Going through the Finally, as promised, welcome the most amazing oxygen factory of the human body! The lung. Divided in two, the lung has 5 chambers, 3 on the right side and 2 on the left side. In the right side of the lung, we see the right superior lobe or the apex located right under the collarbone. The right middle lobe right below and what would be the name of the 3rd chamber? Right, the right inferior or lower lobe, als o called the base can anyone guesses why? Because it is broad and it rest on the diaphragm right around the 7th rib. Thibodeau, GA & Patton, KT, 2008) Our earlier alert lets us know that nasty bacteria have affected the right lower lobe of the lung. We need to watch carefully what is happening and record everything. The body gives an alarm each time something foreign enters it and tries to fight it. Alarm system? Yes. The immune system is our alarm system. The 2 types of immunity are specific and non-specific. The non-specific immunity, also called innate immunity confers general protection from any irritant or abnormal substance that threatens the internal environment. Thibodeau, GA & Patton, KT, 2008) For example, the skin and the mucus membrane are non-specific barriers to prevent bacterium from entering the body. A non-specific response is inflammatory response and it is most common immune response. Specific immunity, as the name says, provides specific protection against certai n types of invading bacteria or toxic materials. (Thibodeau, GA & Patton, KT, 2008) Also called adaptive immunity, specific immunity may be classified as â€Å"natural† or â€Å"artificial†. Natural immunity is non-deliberate exposure to disease agents and it can be active or passive.An example of passive natural immunity is the immunity given to the fetus by the mother. Artificial immunity is deliberate exposure to disease agents and one example is vaccine for polio. Afterwards, the person who has received the vaccine will have active artificial immunity. In Lola’s case, her non-specific immunity kicked in when the bacteria invaded the lung. The white blood cells, monocytes and macrophages are in action These are natural killer cells that fight inflammation. Most likely, Lola will develop fever and the neutrophils are first to come in during inflammatory process.After the body starts to recover and the fever subdues, the lymphocytes will activate and create ant ibodies. That means that Lola will have specific immunity once this event is registered into the memory cells. Seems that Lola will be on her way to recovery soon and we documented the Battle of the Lung. Shall we continue our journey? The pathway out is through the nose and even though it might seem gross, we will see some very interesting things on the way out. Let’s proceed! Seat belts on, please! We are passing through the alveolar membrane into the alveoli. Can you see the structure?They look like grapes and they are as many as 10 times larger than the entire surface area of the body. Together, the alveoli can cover 100 square meters. (Thibodeau, GA & Patton, KT, 2008) Leaving the grape shaped alveoli behind we move to the bronchioles and then into the bronchi straight into the trachea. The trachea is like the trunk of a tree upside down holding on each side the lungs and it is formed of 15-20 C-shaped rings of cartilage that protect the windpipe. It extends from the bro nchi all the way up to the larynx in the neck over a length of approx. 4. 5 inches.From there, we move to the nasopharinx passing right behind the vocal cords, palatine tonsil, and lingual tonsil. Watch out! The uvula! Phew, that was a close one†¦.. We are in the nasopharinx now and we can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, at the end of the nose. We can see the frontal, maxillary, sphenoidal and ethmoidal sinuses that help draining of the nose. Floating through the nasal septum into the external nostrils, we are at our final destination. Let’s stop for a moment and take a deep breath. We got to admit the human body is quit fantastic.I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as I did. And hopefully, Lola will recover from that bacterium soon. Thank you for your spirit of adventure. This is S Y. with Voyage Health. References Yahoo Health, Femoral Vein (2013). Retrieved from http://health. yahoo. net/human-body-maps/femoral-vein Yahoo Health, Ingui nal Ligament (2013). Retrieved from http://health. yahoo. net/human-body-maps/inguinal-ligament Yahoo Health, Inferior Vena Cava (2013), Retrieved from http://health. yahoo. net/human-body-maps/inferior-vena-cava Yahoo Health, Triscupid Valve(2013), Retrieved from ttp://health. yahoo. net/human-body-maps/tricuspid-valve Bailey Regina (2013), Pulmonary Artery, about. com guide. Article retrieved from http://biology. about. com/od/anatomy/ss/pulmonary_artery. htm Thibodeau, G. A. & Patton, K. T. (2008)Structure and Function of the Body, Chapter 14, The Respiratory System, 13th Edition, St. Louis, MO;Mosby Elsevier, Thibodeau, G. A. & Patton, K. T. (2008)Structure and Function of the Body, Chapter 13, The Immune System, 13th Edition, St. Louis, MO;Mosby Elsevier.