Bullying and harassment can be a problem in healthcare workforce Essay

Bullying and harassment can be a problem in healthcare workforce culture. Create a position statement addressing the role of the - Essay Example Dealing with such issues is primarily necessary in order to develop a healthy work culture within the organization (Bullying and harassment at work: a good practice guide for RCN negotiators and health care managers, n.d., p.1). The present study addresses the role of healthcare organizations and their team members in response to issues arising from bullying and harassment, relevantly discussing on the ANMC competencies as well. Bullying and Harassment in Healthcare Organization: Bullying generally involves making wrong use of one’s power to frighten or hurt the feelings of others who are less powerful. Such behavior is usually malicious and insulting in nature, and nurses in organization are most commonly the victims of such behaviors. Harassment is essentially different from bullying in that it involves intentionally affecting the self-respect of men and women working in organizations. Bullying and harassment are either targeted to individuals or they may affect individuals in groups. Although effects of such acts might vary with individuals, but in general, they negatively affect the self-respect and esteem of individuals and make it difficult for them to effectively perform while they are present in the organization (Barber, 2012, pp.299-300). ... equently, the quality of care in the organization also gets affected, along with poor job satisfaction of the employees, increased turnover, and professional disconnection (Vessey, DeMarco and DiFazio, 2011, pp.134-149). Thus it is essential that measures are considered to prevent and control such incidents to achieve enhanced performance and quality of care which holds the greatest priority in a healthcare organization. ANMC Competencies: It would be suitable to discuss the ANMC (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council) competencies that focus on the role of healthcare organization in addressing challenges of bullying and harassment in the work culture. The standards set by this council clearly states the assessment needs of competencies of nurses and the expectations that the organizations have from them in meeting the demands of effective healthcare delivery. Thus based on national competency standards, nurses have to deliver as per the legal policies of healthcare delivery, be a ccountable for their activities and performance, recognize practices that are unprofessional, works ethically, integrates organizational polices and guidelines along with the standards of the organization, maintain the organization’s culture, values and dignity, make effective use of available resources, integrates nursing knowledge and skills towards effective healthcare to patients, participates in improvement of healthcare quality, participates in the development of organization and profession contributing positively towards the profession of others as well, conducts assessment on nursing delivery, plans to achieve organizational goals in an integrated manner focused on continuity of care, responds effectively to changes in nursing behaviors and standards, assists others for better

Frankenstein and Bladerunner Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein and Bladerunner Essay How do Frankenstein and Bladerunner reflect their Composers context? Mary Shelley’s Gothic Romantic novel Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Science Fictions Noir film Blade Runner both explore similar ideas however relative to the context in which they were both made. Both Scott and Shelley use their texts as a cautionary tale, warning humanity of their inevitable downfall through greed and the exploitation of nature, and the influence science is slowly obtaining over the role of religion. Through the use of visual and auditory techniques, Scott demonstrates how nature and religion are absent in a world overrun by consumerism and technology while Shelley similarly uses imagery and allusions to hint at the consequences humanity will suffer if they try to better God through the misuse of science and the exploitation and nature. Humanity’s rejection of the natural world in favour of the unnatural pursuit of technology to prolong life is a major concern in both Shelley’s Frankenstein and Scott’s Blade Runner. In the world of Frankenstein, nature is an important aspect of a person’s life and beliefs. Shelley conveys Victor’s desire to conquer nature through the use of his narration such as â€Å"new species would bless me as its creator†¦many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. † The monster is then used as a metaphor for the inevitable consequences of the exploitations of nature. She therefore uses Frankenstein as a warning against the rising industrial revolution. Similarly Scott uses Blade Runner to warn society against the exploitation or nature through the rise of consumerism in the 1980s. The long shot of a dark dystopian Los Angeles after the opening credits juxtaposed with jets of fire from oil refinery towers warns the viewer of the consequences of consumerism through the exploitation of nature. There is also a lack of natural imagery such as plants and animals seen in Blade Runner and the use of chiaroscuro lighting gives the world a very artificial tone indicating to the audience that nature has been destroyed.

Cellular and Mobile Communications Technology

Cellular and Mobile Communications Technology LUCAS A. EPPARD HISTORY OF GSM At the 1982 Conference of European Post and Telecommunications (CEPT), the standardization body, Groupe Speciale Mobile, was created to start work on a single European standard. The name of this standard was later changed to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). GSM is a wide area wireless communications system that uses digital radio transmission to provide voice, data, and multimedia communication services.[1] A GSM system manages the communication between mobile telephones, radio towers, and interconnecting switching systems. The development of the GSM specification began later that year, with the first commercial GSM system later being deployed in 1991. By 2004, there were over a billion GSM subscribers in more than 205 countries and territories across the globe.[2] Before the GSM system was implemented, most countries used cellular systems that were often in conflict with each other. Most mobile telephones could only function on their specific cellular network, and as a result many customers could not travel to neighboring countries and still expect service. With various types of systems only serving exclusive groups of people, the large-scale production necessary to manufacture low-cost subscriber equipment was not practical. This resulted in high equipment costs and systems were not very successful in the open market. In 1990, the first phase of GSM specifications was finalized. This included basic voice and data services.[3] Around the same time, the initial efforts were made to modify the GSM specification to offer service at the 1800 MHz frequency range. DCS 1800, which the standard is now known as, is used for the Personal Communications Network (PCN).[4] Since that time, Phase 2 of the GSM and DCS 1800 specifications has been completed. In this phase, enhanced data transfer capabilities and advanced short messages services were added. [5] GSM RADIO â€Å"GSM radio is a wireless communication system that divides geographic areas into small radio areas (cells) that are interconnected with each other.†[6] Each of the coverage areas has one or more transmitters and receivers that converse with cellular handsets in its designated area. GSM radio systems function in a particular frequency band or bands that have been assigned to the system. Depending on the frequency plan, system administrators may choose to recycle specific radio channels at different cell sites. Through a combination of either TDMA or FDMA, subscribers share each radio channel. A GSM radio channel is 200 kHz wide and is further divided into frames that are made up of eight time slots. Each cell site may contain several channels which are shared by as many as 8 to 16 voice users per radio channel. TDMA Time division multiple access (TDMA) is a method of sharing one radio channel through the division of time slots which are then subsequently allocated among multiple users of that radio channel.[7] A mobile radio is assigned a particular time and position on a channel when it communicates with a TDMA system. Through this process, it is possible for a TDMA system to allow multiple users to operate on a single radio channel through the use of separate time slots. TDMA systems therefore amplify their capacity to serve several users with a limited number of radio channels. GSM employs time division multiplexing (TDM) to distribute one modulated carrier frequency radio waveform between 16 half rate or 8 full rate phone calls.[8] Because of this, a clear distinction is often made between a communication channel and a radio carrier in many publications pertaining to GSM. DUPLEX CHANNELS Duplex communication is the transmission of voice and/or data signals that allows simultaneous 2-way communication.[9] In order for duplex communication to occur on analog systems, a separate voice path must be assigned to both a transmitter and frequency. This method of using two frequencies for duplex communication is called frequency division duplex (FDD).[10] Time division duplex (TDD) is another technique that can be used for duplex communication. Time sharing allows two devices to achieve two way communications through TDD. Similar to how a walkie-talkie works; one device transmits while another receives. Once the original transmission is complete, the second device becomes the transmitter while the first becomes the receiver. This process then constantly repeats itself so that the data seems to flow in both directions instantaneously. The GSM system utilizes both FDD and TDD communication. One frequency is used while the handset communicates with the cell tower, while the reverse communication from the tower to the handset uses the other frequency.[11] However, TDD is also used in the GSM system while the transmitter and receiver talk at different times. This time offset between the transmission and reception also helps to streamline the design of the handset. The radio frequency separation between the forward (downlink) and reverse (uplink) frequencies differs between the frequency bands. As a general rule, the separation must be greater between the forward and reverse channels at the higher frequencies. For instance, the frequency separation in the GSM 900MHz system is 45 MHz while the separation is 95 MHz for PCN. Finally, the GSM PCS 1900 MHz system has a frequency separation of 80 MHz.[12] VOICE SERVICES Voice service is a form of communication service in which multiple users can transmit information over the voice frequency band via a communication network.[13] Voice service consists of the initiation of sessions between at least two users which allows for the real time, or near real time, transmission of voice signals between those users. A GSM network delivers numerous types of digital voice services. A number of factors can affect the quality of voice service on a GSM system. However, through the use of several distinct forms of speech compression a GSM system can dynamically adjust the voice quality.[14] Each service provider has the ability to choose and manage which speed compression process (voice coding) their network utilizes. Service providers can increase the amount of users that they provide service to through the use of voice coders that possess higher speech compression rates. However, this comes at the cost of delivering a more degraded signal to each user. Besides ba sic voice services, the GSM system can also provide both group and broadcast voice services. DATA SERVICES A data service is a communication service that transmits information between two or more devices. By means of a communication network, data services can be delivered either inside or outside of the audio frequency band. Data service consists of the creation of physical and logical communication sessions between two or more users. This allows for the non-real time or near-real time transfer of data type signals between users.[15] However, a data modem has to be used in the event that a signal is broadcast on a non-digital channel. The data modem is needed to translate the signal into tones that can be sent in the audio frequency band. GSM voice traffic channels cannot send or receive analog modem data because the speech coder utilized by the system is only capable of compressing voice signals.[16] Medium speed packet data and low-speed circuit switched data are the two services provided in a GSM system. Circuit switched data is a communication process that maintains a committed communications path between two devices.[17] This can be accomplished no matter the amount of data being sent between the devices. This provides sole use of the circuit to the communications equipment employing it regardless of whether or not the circuit is idle. In order to create a circuit-switched data connection, the address must be sent before a connection path is established. Once this occurs, data is continually transmitted usin g this path until it is disconnected by request from either the sender or receiver.[18] Packet switched data service is the other utilized by a GSM system. Through the division of data into small packets, information can be transferred between two points. In order to reconstruct the original data, the packets are routed through the network and recombined at the receiving end. This can be achieved because the destination address is contained within each individual packet. So no matter which route the packets take through the network they will end up at the same destination. The GSM system uses general packet radio service (GPRS) to provide its packet data service. In using the GPRS system, new gateways and packet control channels are added to a GSM system. It is important to note that GPRS is a type of packet-switched data service that is known as â€Å"always-on.† This means that when a device is turned on it acquires an IP address that it needs in order to communicate with the network.[19] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a digital cellular radio system currently in use in more than 35 countries around the world.[20] It is a form of spread spectrum communications in which a radio signal is transmitted over a dedicated channel as a much wider signal than is traditionally necessary. By using a signal with a wider than normal bandwidth, interference from other users on the same section of bandwidth is minimized. This permits several users to share the radio channel at the same time. Come in two basic forms: frequency hopping and code division.[21] Frequency hopping multiple access (FHMA) is an access technology in which mobile radios or cellular handsets share radio channels by breaking their transmissions down into short bursts over a number of frequencies. A device transmits for a short period of time on one frequency, and then hops to another radio frequency to continue its transmission. CDMA allows a number of users to share a single radio channel frequency simultaneously by designating a unique code sequence to each mobile radio. By assigning a particular hop pattern to each mobile device collisions can be minimized. Even if collisions do occur randomly only a small amount of data may be lost. Furthermore, error detection and correction methods can be implemented in order to fix the data that was lost.[22] Compared to previous narrowband wireless systems, CDMA technology is a wideband spread spectrum system. It is important to note that the features, services and requirements for CDMA were developed by standards organizations using many pre-existing technologies. For this reason, CDMA is considered a second generation (2G) cellular system. HISTORY OF CDMA The growth of CDMA technology began in the United States in 1989 as a result of the CTIA next cellular generation technology requirements.[23] In September of the previous year the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) presented the User Performance Requirements (UPR) for the next generation of wireless service. In 1989 the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) designated TDMA as the radio interface standard. Later that year QUALCOMM was able to build a CDMA system that met the CTIA requirements. This was achieved largely through the support of mobile telephone manufacturers and carriers, as well as new infrastructure equipment.[24] QUALCOMM and its associates presented the results of their field trials at the end of 1991. This pushed the CTIA Board of Directors to implement a resolution which requested TIA to structurally organize new developments from wideband systems. By mid-1993 TIA had voted on and accepted IS-95 as the CDMA air interface standard radio specifications. The systems which were based on the IS-95 standard became known as cdmaOne systems.[25] In 1995 the first commercial CDMA network was implemented in Hong Kong. CDMA RADIO CDMA is the fasted growing technology in wireless communications. A CDMA network consists of the same basic components as other wireless systems. This includes a mobile station, base station, a controller, and finally a switching network. In CDMA, a carrier frequency is separated into 64 individual channels through the use of codes. Each channel transmits the data associated with a separate and unique conversation in digitally coded form.[26] In some cases an independently coded channel transmits signals related to the start of a connection. In spread spectrum systems like CDMA, one carrier holds multiple channels. This can sometimes lead to confusion when discussing CDMA with someone who is familiar with the older analog frequency division multiplex (FDM) systems. With older FDM systems a channel is synonymous with a carrier. Therefore each pair of carrier frequencies was able to carry only one conversation.[27] All CDMA networks use a specific radio frequency band for signals from the base transmitter to the mobile receiver and a second distinct radio frequency band for the signals from the mobile transmitter to the base receiver.[28] CDMA technology can be used in either the existing 800 MHz cellular frequency band or the 1900 MHz personal communications service (PCS) band. CDMA has the ability to function in the same radio spectrum allocation as older cellular systems when it is being used on those networks. The mobile station transmit frequency band is between 824-849 MHz, while the base station transmit frequency ranges from 869-894 MHz.[29] When in use in the 800 MHz band, CDMA maintains a 45 MHz separation between the forward and reverse channels. Some radio carrier frequencies are defined for CDMA use in its cellular network. However, not all of these frequencies are used for CDMA transmission. This is because the FCC requires that analog radio transmission (AMPS) continue to operate . CDMA operation is also compliant with the frequency structure of the PCS band. The separation of the forward and reverse channels is 80 MHz while operating on this band. The mobile station transmit frequency band is between 1850-1909 MHz; while the base station transmit frequency band ranges from 1930-1989 MHz.[30] Some CDMA systems operate in the Personal Communications System (PCS) frequency bands. PCS is mostly found in North America on the 1900 MHz frequency band, where it is known as PCS-1900. Due to the commonality of the base band signals, some manufacturers make dual band CDMA handsets that are capable of operating on both the 800 MHz and 1900 MHz bands.[31] If a subscriber’s handset is manufactured to allow dual frequency band operation it is possible to obtain service on either or both systems. However, this can only be achieved if the CDMA networks in the region are properly linked. As CDMA moved further towards a third generation technology, the CDMA2000 arose as t he next level of the IS-95 standard. 3G TECHNOLOGIES The term first generation system (1G) is most commonly used in regards to older analog cellular systems. These analog systems eventually gave way to the newer digital second generation systems (2G) that are popular today. 2G systems in use today include the GSM and cdmaOne systems previously mentioned in this paper as well as the US-TDMA and PDC systems.[32] These systems allowed voice communications to go wireless in most of the industrialized world and have drastically increased mobile handset functions. Subscribers have come to expect their cellular networks to provide them with text messaging and data access capabilities. In the United States it is almost unheard of now for a network provider to not offer data services in excess of 500 MB if not at least 1GB per month. The abundance of 2G technologies spurred the demand for even greater services. At the 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) of the ITU (International Telecommunications Union), member nation delegates began to investigate the frequencies that would be available for future expansion of 3G systems.[33] The International Mobile Telecommunications System 2000 (IMT-2000) was created as a result of this meeting. It is important to note that IMT-2000 is often used interchangeably with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). UMTS defined a wireless communication system that operates in the 2GHz frequency band.[34] The primary objective of IMT-2000 standard was the development of a single universal air interface that was built upon pre-existing infrastructure. This would help to keep start-up costs low and potentially allow international roaming. The Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) was created to coordinate this process. It became evident early on that a single air interface would be nearly impossible to attain so a second committee was formed to oversee the process of bringing other air interfaces up to the IMT-2000 standard. A second partnership program was established to ensure this would occur and the 3GPP2 was born. The two partnership programs are essentially drawn along the fault lines of GSM and CDMA. UMTS, which is often used synonymously with Wideband CDMA or WCDMA, has become the standard for GSM 3G technologies and falls under the umbrella of 3GPP1. The 3GPP2 on the other hand focuses on the CDMA2000 standard.[35] BIBLIOGRAPHY Arokiamary, V. J. (2009). Cellular and Mobile Communications. Pune, India: Technical Publications Pune. Balston. D.M. and Macario, R.V. (1993). Cellular Radio Systems. Norwood, Massachusetts: Artech House. Gibson, J. (ed) (1999). The Mobile Communications Handbook, 2nd ed. Dallas, Texas: CRC Press LLC. Haddon, L. and Green N. (2009). Mobile Communications: An Introduction to New Media. New York: Berg. Harte, L. et.al. (1999). CDMA IS-95 for Cellular and PCS : Technology, Economics and Services. New York: McRaw-Hill. Holma, Harri, and Antti Toskala (eds). (2002) WCDMA for UMTS: Radio Access for Third Generation Mobile Communications, 2nd ed. John Wiley Sons. Holtzman, J. M. and Zorzi, M. (2002). Advances in Wireless Communications. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Lee, W. C. Y. (2006) Wireless and Cellular Telecommunications, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill Professional. Mouly, M. and Pautet, M. (1992). The GSM System for Mobile Communications. Palaiseau, France: Telecom Publishing . Poole, I. (2006). Cellular Communications Explained: From Basics to 3G. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. Shing-Fong Su. (2007). The UMTS Air-Interface in RF Engineering: Design and Operation of UMTS Networks. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Johnson and Johnson Case Analysis Essay example -- Business Marketing

Johnson and Johnson Case Analysis Introduction: Johnson and Johnson, commonly called J&J for short, is one of the world’s well known, largest, most decentralized and most diversified health care companies. Since 1887, Johnson and Johnson has been producing, manufacturing and selling products related to human health and well-being. Today J&J has over 200 autonomous operating companies and do business globally specializing in consumer products, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. Consumer products are the company’s most recognizable segment, including popular brands like Tylenol, Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo and Band-Aid. The medical devices and diagnostics segment manufactures products including surgical equipment and contact lenses. The largest of the three segments is pharmaceuticals. Johnson and Johnson is poised for growth on many fronts. Their short-term outlook is bright due to a lead position in the drug-coated stent market. They should also see a substantial increase in prescription drug sales from the recently enacted Medicare regulation, which will grant prescription drug coverage to more Americans. In the long run, J&J should see consistent sales growth fueled by the aging demographics in the United States. Moreover, the medical supplies and services needed by the elderly population will increase simultaneously with the aging of the large baby boomer population. While there is no doubt that J&J is a corporation that has gone a long way and due to its reliability, culture and growth will continue to do well, analyzing the effectiveness of their current strategy is still essential. The question of whether J&J should become more centralized in order to adapt to the changing hospital industry needs to be addressed. Because of the changes in the hospital secto r and because of the changes that distributors underwent in order to meet the hospital changes, J&J inevitably needs to change as well and become more centralized. While I do not think it is possible or even necessary for J&J to become completely centralized, J&J should consider the benefits of becoming more centralized. If J&J continues to be as decentralized as they are they will have a hard time adapting to change, communicating within the organization and contact within the organization will decrease as well. In the recommendation portion of this case analysi... ... Weakness With regard to the internal environment, it is important to analyze J&J’s strengths and weakness. After reading J&J’s website, I was overwhelmed with the strengths that J&J possess. J&J is one of the main competitors in the race to produce the best and most widely used stent. They produced Cypher, a device that is implanted in arteries to help keep arteries open and prevent them from getting clogged. J&J currently posses the largest portion of the coronary stent market with their Cypher stent. Approved in April of 2003 and launched in May, Cypher is the only drug-coated stent to be supported by numerous tests, including four large-scale clinical trials involving 1,800 patients. In tests, Cypher proved more effective than bare metal stents at preventing re-blockage. Another strength that J&J possesses is having high barriers to entry. Entrance into the pharmaceutical industry is difficult. Pharmaceutical companies require large fixed costs, large set up costs and large r esearch and development costs. While this does not insure that new companies will not enter their market, it does give J&J some safety measure at being able to prevent and/or compete with new entrants.

Define The Concept Of Culture Essay

‘Culture’ is the ways in which a society lives. A culture may share the same religions, beliefs, values, class or status, a culture can dress in a certain way and act in a way that follows the norms of how their society carries out life and what they deem as acceptable, culture can shared by a large group of people or a smaller group within society. For example there are ‘subcultures’, a subculture is a small group which have different way of life opposed to the majority of society; they may dress, talk and act in a different way. An example of subculture is a religious group, being a part of a religion may mean that people that are part of it dress differently, and have different values and ideas on life and live in a different way to the majority in society. Another example of a culture is ‘popular culture’ this is a culture that involves a large majority, and is highly influenced by the media, for example football is a sport that is frequentl y covered by the media by television, radio, news etc. And is a popular sport with a large following; other examples of pop culture are: pop music, bingo and mainstream fashion. Pop culture has a variety of people from different backgrounds being part of the same thing called a common culture which is shared by the masses. ‘High culture’ is another example of a culture that is shared with people and their families from a ‘higher class’. People that are part of the high culture are wealthy and have an ascribed status or come from a family with an ascribed status, meaning that they or the head of the family worked towards their success/wealth. They take part in activities associated with upper class such as: polo, lacrosse, hunting, and watching arts such as operas, ballets, orchestras. High culture attempts not allow people who are not from the same class or have the same status as them to join in with their clubs and activities this is called ‘social closure’ but this is difficult as more people can achieve super rich lifestyles, buying their way into high culture that may of came from a low class background. Pop culture is known as ‘low culture’ as people from ‘high culture’ are meant to be higher compared to them in class and status, th erefore people from low culture would not be wanted in high culture activities.

Free Essays on School = Success

I believe education is the key to success. The increase of a person’s success directly relates to the length one spends in school. There are people who become successful with less education. As athletes, musical artists, actors, and people such as Bill Gates have proven many times over. Part of success is being able to save money so that it will last beyond the length of one’s career. This is where many people lack skill. With an education, the person is able to manage money and save his/her earnings. Some very rich people have little education yet continue to succeed in life yet these are unique people. Not everyone is able to succeed like those people, most need education to guide and strengthen his/her natural abilities. Education provides a way for intelligent people to ascend above his/her peers and be successful. Education guides people toward success by accenting their traits of triumph. My definition of the word success: being able to adequately provide for your family, to be sophisticated, to have wealth, to be happy with what you are doing, to be proficient at your career, to be respected, and to be able to reach your lifelong goals. The Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: â€Å"1. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work. 2. a. The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success. b. The extent of such gain. 3. One that is successful† I am a high school graduate and I now attend college. I have a goal for my future. It in tales receiving my bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and most likely my PhD. I want to become a child psychologist. I have chosen this path after a lot of deliberation and consideration. Most humans crave to better themselves; we want to the best of the best. In gaining an education, we are able to fulfill that desire. According to James C Gonyea (2002), Psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized ... Free Essays on School = Success Free Essays on School = Success I believe education is the key to success. The increase of a person’s success directly relates to the length one spends in school. There are people who become successful with less education. As athletes, musical artists, actors, and people such as Bill Gates have proven many times over. Part of success is being able to save money so that it will last beyond the length of one’s career. This is where many people lack skill. With an education, the person is able to manage money and save his/her earnings. Some very rich people have little education yet continue to succeed in life yet these are unique people. Not everyone is able to succeed like those people, most need education to guide and strengthen his/her natural abilities. Education provides a way for intelligent people to ascend above his/her peers and be successful. Education guides people toward success by accenting their traits of triumph. My definition of the word success: being able to adequately provide for your family, to be sophisticated, to have wealth, to be happy with what you are doing, to be proficient at your career, to be respected, and to be able to reach your lifelong goals. The Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: â€Å"1. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work. 2. a. The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success. b. The extent of such gain. 3. One that is successful† I am a high school graduate and I now attend college. I have a goal for my future. It in tales receiving my bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and most likely my PhD. I want to become a child psychologist. I have chosen this path after a lot of deliberation and consideration. Most humans crave to better themselves; we want to the best of the best. In gaining an education, we are able to fulfill that desire. According to James C Gonyea (2002), Psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized ...

5 Factors for Effective Business Writing Training

5 Factors for Effective Business Writing Training When it comes to business writing, which encompasses everything from email and report writing to marketing messages, even the Fortune 500 companies face crisis. All around theglobe, organizations spend millions onstaff training for leadership, motivation, team†building and whatnot, but invest far less in business writing training. This is a costly mistake.In mostcompanies, employees spend fully 40% of their time †Ã¢â‚¬  or more †Ã¢â‚¬  writing each day. Enhancingthis skill will greatly reduce time writing each document and yield better business writing. Traditionally, business writing typically referred to reports, proposals and memos. Thatnarrow definition is long gone. Every aspect of every business function is carried in some formof writing. New documents have emerged †Ã¢â‚¬  and some of them must be written and maintainedfor compliance with corporate or federal governance and other regulations. In such cases, the last thing your business needs is employees with poor writing skills. This iswhy your business’s primary objective, at the time of hiring, should be to assess the writing skills of your potential employees. After assessing your employees' writing skills, you will have a clear idea (ideally you will have a clear measurement) of current business writing skills and how to improve business writing skills overall. If you feel that your company lacks the necessary business writing skills to write relevant and structured content that clearly elicits the right business response, you can improve employee business writing abilities either by conducting an internal tutorial program or hiring outside expert training. In either case, here are the five most important factors that make up an effective business writing training session: 1) Qualification(s) The first step is to evaluate and verify the credentials of the writing expert and trainer who will conduct the business writing training. The instructor should be well†trained and experienced specifically in business writing, not writing in general. Look for a background in rhetoric, which indicates the trainer understands all aspects of business writing, including thinking, organization, creativity, relevance to audience purpose. Without an understanding of rhetoric, your business writing training could devolve to simplegrammar training. Good business writing training is much more than that. 2) Program Structure An effective business writing training class addresses both the substance and the syntax of documents. While syntax is easier to teach and to find an instructor for, substance requires a thorough understanding of your business, writing requirements, and relevant information involved. It is necessary to appoint an instructor who has both a mastery of English languageand who has taught writing and rhetoric as a subject previously.3) Customization There are several off†the†shelf business writing training programs and software available in the market. They offer a cost†effective way to improve business writing skills for your employees, but they may or may not be the right match for your particular company documents and employee skill gaps. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work with business writing, given its wide application. Search for a company that specializes in offering customized business writing training in addition to off†the†shelf options. This will ensure you’re dealing with a company that truly understands business writing. You will also save costs by gaining a customized business writing training program that does not have to built from scratch. 4) Continual Support Effective business writing training is not just a single event. Transforming your employees’ business writing skills involves continual training. After any business writing training program, make sure there is opportunity to ask ongoing questions and receive ongoing resources. Business writing standards evolve quickly. Make certain your employees have access to new information. 5) Flexibility Lastly, the business writing training should be flexible in two ways. First, it should achievethe desired results †Ã¢â‚¬  improve your employees’ business writing skills. Secondly, the training logistics should be flexible to match your requirements. Can the training support a large, onsite delivery? Can the training support a large, online delivery? Are online and onsite and general and customized options available to best match your needs? Will the company work with you to ensure logistics match what you want? Demand this. Download my eBook, â€Å"Four Steps to Improve Your Team’s Business Writing Skills"to learn more on what makes up a good business writing training session.Read and discover the secret art to effective business writing and maintaining your company’s image and efficiency through proper communication. Or, schedule a complimentary consultationwith a business writing expert to help your team write better at work.

manajerial economic and business strategy Essays

manajerial economic and business strategy Essays manajerial economic and business strategy Paper manajerial economic and business strategy Paper Managerial Economics Business Strategy Chapter 6 The Organization of the Firm Michael R. Baye, Managerial Economics and Business Strategy, 5e. Hakan TASCI McGraw-Hill/lrwin Elon University rights reserved. Departmentby 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, All rights reserved. Copyright OCopyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. lnc. All Spring 2007 2006 of Economics Overview l. Methods of Procuring Inputs Spot Exchange Contracts Vertical Integration II. Transaction Costs Specialized Investments Ill. Optimal Procurement Input V. Principal-Agent Problem Owners-Managers Managers-workers Elon University Copyright Economics Department Ofc 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Spring 2007 Managers Role Procure inputs in the least cost manner, like point B. Provide incentives for workers to put forth effort. Failure to accomplish this results in a point like A. Achieving points like B managers must Use all inputs efficiently. costly method. Costs $100 10 Methods of Procuring Inputs Spot Exchange When the buyer and seller of an input meet, exchange, and then go their separate ways. No official contracts, no long term relation Contracts A legal document that creates an extended relationship between a buyer and a seller. Ex: Car Rental Companies and Auto maintenance Vertical Integration When a firm shuns other suppliers and chooses to produce an input internally. Set up your own service in the rental company. No specialization. Specialization, avoids contracting costs, avoids costs of vertical integration. Possible hold-up problem. Contracting Specialization, reduces opportunism, avoids skimping on specialized investments. Costly in complex environments. Reduces opportunism, avoids contracting costs. Lost specialization and may increase organizational costs. Transaction Costs Costs of acquiring an input over and above the amount paid to the input supplier. Includes: Search costs. Negotiation costs. Other required investments or expenditures. Some transactions are general in nature while others are specific to a trading relationship. Investments made to allow two parties to exchange but has little or no value outside of the exchange Site specificity. Physical-asset specificity. Dedicated assets. Human capital. Lead to higher transaction costs Costly bargaining. Underinvestment. Opportunism and the hold: Shareholders (principal) cannot observe the effort of the manager (agent). Example: Manager (principal) cannot observe the effort of workers (agents). ? The Problem: Principal cannot determine whether a bad outcome was the result of the agents low effort or due to bad luck. Managers must recognize the existence of the principal-agent problem and devise plans to align the interests of workers with that of the firm. Shareholders must create plans to align the interest of the manager with those of the shareholders. Solving the Problem Between Owners and Managers Internal incentives Incentive contracts. Stock options, year-end bonuses. External incentives Personal reputation. Potential for takeover. Managers and Workers Profit sharing Revenue sharing Piece rates Time clocks and spot checks Conclusion The optimal method for acquiring inputs depends on the nature of the transactions costs and specialized nature of the inputs being procured. To overcome the principal-agent problem, principals must devise plans to align the Michael R. Baye, Managerial Economics and Business Strategy, 5e. Copyright 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Additional Review Bayes Text, pages 229-233 Question #23, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18 Chapter 3 Demonstration Problems 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Concept Review Spot, Trade Off, Specialization, Reputation

Argument for Google's position in Author's Guild lawsuit against Essay

Argument for Google's position in Author's Guild lawsuit against Google - Essay Example There are plenty of resources from where different stock quotes can be had, addresses can be found, phone numbers could be tracked, maps could be found out and news headlines can be checked upon. More than anything else, Google offers a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) platform when the user is away from his computer and this links him easily with the Google services and different domains of which he is very fond of. The best thing about Google is that it is very easy to use and there are no manuals to understand what it is all about. Google’s utility has made it very common amongst teenagers, men and women. The best part about its expanding business is that word of mouth has played a huge role in its success and the advertising is literally negligible when word of mouth is compared with the same. This speaks of the affection and praise that the people, no matter how old they are or where they belong from, have for Google as a company. When it comes to Authors Guild, we find that their opinion is somewhat unsubstantiated and not backed up with the help of supporting facts and evidences. They have tried their hardest to keep Google away from the shores of book scanning and digitizing to millions of readers worldwide. What their point of view does is to present a gloomy picture of the thinking that the Authors Guild have and how they want to earn from each and every opportunity that comes their way. The basic objection to the digitizing and book scanning aspect is that Google makes use of these excerpts on its web pages which are filled with advertisements thus accounting to huge returns on the part of Google in the form of advertising revenues and marketing shares. There seems to be no other way than to adopt the advertising bandwagon since Google is a public domain in the present times more than anything else and any and everybody can copy, view and scan whatsoever he or she wants for their reading pleasure. The s earch engine does its best to make the

International Management Decision Making Assignment - 1

International Management Decision Making - Assignment Example To do market segmentation properly, Tesco collects demographic and psychographic data. Both these types of data are very crucial for the success of an organization. Demographic data is the kind of data which can be put into categories and labeled statistically. Demographic data includes age, race, income, religion, gender etc. It comprises of basic facts. For instance, Tesco finds out what age bracket visits their super market very regularly, which age bracket does not, what kind of products do they prefer, what is it that they don’t like, when do sales rise and when do sales dip. It then shapes up its promotional offers accordingly. On the other hand psychographic data cant be quantified it is used to understand consumer behavior, how target market feels, what they want and how they go about getting what they want in their daily lives. It helps them in their purchasing decisions. Tesco utilizes all this data, then analyzes it and comes up with reports to assist it in forecast ing demand and making promotional offers. J Sainsbury Plc was established in 1860. It is home to more than 872 stores and 537 super markets all over UK and has some 335 convenience stores. It currently owns Sainsbury’s Bank and LIoyd’s Banking Group. It has two joint ventures namely the Land Securities Group PLC and the British Land Company PLC. Sainsbury’s brand was built to offer a certain heritage to customers. They deliver healthy , safe, fresh and tasty food. The quality of their food is kept in tact and goes hand In hand with a reasonable approach to business. Their food is particularly known for fresh food and they continuously strive to improve products so that they are in line with customer needs. Sainsbury’s is currently serving 19 million customers per week and has a market share which is over 16%. They have more than 30,000 product s to

Journal entry 11, 12 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal entry 11, 12 - Coursework Example Students have a better understanding of texts if they understand the meaning of the words they read. Reference aids and dictionaries help student expand and intensify their knowledge of words (Armbruster, Lehr, and Osborn, 2006). The process of improving vocabulary is a simple, but at times complex process that requires repeated exposure to words. Evidently, small-group instruction is more beneficial than whole-group instruction for improving vocabulary. Phonemic awareness is essential for educators, as one has to hear, recognize, and manipulate individual sound (Armbruster, Lehr, and Osborn, 2006). In summary, an instructor should focus on specific needs of each student. It makes it easy for instructors to focus on the specific challenges in vocabulary that a child faces. Flexibility in application of EBPs is both useful and detrimental depending on the level of awareness of a student. At times, the ability to apply a strategy that relates specifically to improving vocabulary is effective, rather than concentration on disorders as a whole. Word reading ability and comprehension are two different challenges that students face, and it is essential that educators see them as separate entities (Cook and Cook, 2011). After tackling the issues separately, instructors and educators can implement the collaborative strategy (Boardman, Klinger, Boele, and Swanson, 2012), which involves summarizing information and peer discussion, to improve comprehension for students with learning disabilities. Fluency instruction is also useful for word recognition and comprehension (Armbruster, Lehr, and Osborn, 2006). The ability to recognize words means that one can concentrate in text comprehension and connect ideas in the text. Oral reading helps improve fluency, which translates to better understanding of text. Difficulties in basic reading skills often affect comprehension of expository text. Instructors should provide students with reading approaches that support active

Economics goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics goverment - Essay Example Indeed, the defendants in the case, Carilion Health System defeated the U.S. Department of Justice by showing that hospital markets have unique characteristics that deviate from the norms of commerce. As such, in 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice failed to prevent the merger between Carilion Health System and another hospital in Roanoke (Eisenstadt, 1989). Hence, the two hospitals merged and continued to operate separately in Roanoke after the 1989 merger. However, in 2006, Carilion consolidated the two hospital boards and transferred most the workers and services to Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH). It also sought to buy the services of private physician groups. The CEO of Carilion Health System believed that medical staff could improve the cost and quality of care in Roanoke while operating in a centralized system. Because of the merger, there was no hospital competition in Roanoke. Subject to this, the cost of health care is on an all-time high and the health-insurance rates are very high in Roanoke, Virginia (Carreyrou, 2008). The Hospital Competition and Costs: The Carilion Case (1989) had fundamental legal issues as presented by the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) and Carilion. The jury sought to litigate the issue related to the effect on competition and the presence of efï ¬ ciencies. Indeed, after the defendants and the DOJ have made their case, the court sought the jury’s advisory on three legal facts. The court sought an advisory on the correctness of the DOJ’s alleged geographic market, the DOJ’s assertion that the relevant product market consisted of only inpatient hospital care, and the consolidation’s likely effect on competition (Eisenstadt, 1989). To this effect, the DOJ had the legal burden of proofing that the proposed merger would lead to adverse competitive effects and would not derive

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Supply chain management (SCM) system is an integrated system in which different business processes are integrated for different business operations. Different firms like airlines, hospitality, oil and gas, medical, defense and many other logistics firms are deeply interested in the implementation of a robust and automated supply chain management system. SCM involves acquisition of raw materials, the transformation of raw materials into final products. SCM adds value in the business and involves distribution and promotion of final products in the markets. SCM plays a vital role in the exchange of information among business partners like vendors, suppliers, retailers, distributors etc. The main purpose of supply chain management system is to enhance the efficiency and profitability. SCM is also vital in order to gain market leverage or competitive leverage. Supply Chain Management can be defined as â€Å"the integration of key business processes from end-users through original supplie rs that provide products, services, and information and add value for customers and other stakeholders† (Lambert et al., 1998). In supply chain the two important business processes are 1. Inbound logistics 2. Outbound logistics Inbound logistic is also called as material management. The inbound logistics involves the acquisition of raw materials or supplies. ... The different activities of outbound logistics consist of order the product, inventory management and deployment, the storage and handling of the purchased products, transportation, pricing, support in order to promote a product, handling of the returned products and complete life cycle support. The combination of activities of inbound and outbound logistics represents a web or network of the business networks and the relationships among these business networks. During a supply chain management different stakeholders are involved like vendors, distributors, retailers, customers and other third parties associated with SCM. It is very difficult to conceptualize the whole process of Supply Chain Process in a single model because it is very difficult to capture all the real world dimensions or scenarios of SCM in a single model but the process is not so much complicated and surely it has certain solutions. There is not a thorough way to find out the scope of the supply chain problem in a firm except the guidelines which are comprised of competitive strategy, tactical plans and operational routines. There are certain problems issues which are faced during supply chain management process like choosing location, analysis of product demand, distribution process of the finished product, the business partners or strategic alliances, the ways to develop an innovative product, adoption of innovative technologies like IT/IS/E-Commerce, supplier or vendor selection, price planning and restructuring of the business network. The problems or issues encountered in a supply chain management system are generally of two types i.e. strategic and tactical in nature and the problems associated

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

Puzzle 1 - Assignment Example Viewers can decide whether they see art, which makes their makers, artists, although artists, particularly humans, can use their autonomy to say that they are artists, whether their viewers agree or not. These artists are making art because they have viewers who can accept their works as art, even if there may be differences amongst the latter’s views. I believe that these creators are all artists or painters because they have the skills to make art and viewers who can accept their works as art. What makes them artists or painters is that they can create works of art based on their own perceptions of the world and using their painting skills, and that they have audiences who can appreciate their art. Some people might say that chimpanzees or elephants cannot perceive the value and effects of art, but I believe that they have their own ways of expressing art, as these videos prove. In addition, I believe that they are â€Å"good† artists to those audiences who see their paintings as â€Å"good† works of art because they like the total effect of these works and they find meaning in these paintings. As for the question of determining if one better than the other, it is hard to answer that because â€Å"better† art is in the eye of the beholder. In other words, I do not think that any person, even those who are called art critics and art connoisseurs can absolutely say that one painting or painter is better than the other since, in the end, people, as art consumers have different tastes and preferences in art and they can still choose what they think are â€Å"better† art works. Furthermore, determining the â€Å"better† art depends on both or either viewer or creator. Some viewers immediately think that human arts are better than animal-made arts because of the preference for the creators. Other viewers, on the opposite, do not consider who/what the painter is and prefer to appreciate art depending

Economics goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics goverment - Essay Example Indeed, the defendants in the case, Carilion Health System defeated the U.S. Department of Justice by showing that hospital markets have unique characteristics that deviate from the norms of commerce. As such, in 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice failed to prevent the merger between Carilion Health System and another hospital in Roanoke (Eisenstadt, 1989). Hence, the two hospitals merged and continued to operate separately in Roanoke after the 1989 merger. However, in 2006, Carilion consolidated the two hospital boards and transferred most the workers and services to Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH). It also sought to buy the services of private physician groups. The CEO of Carilion Health System believed that medical staff could improve the cost and quality of care in Roanoke while operating in a centralized system. Because of the merger, there was no hospital competition in Roanoke. Subject to this, the cost of health care is on an all-time high and the health-insurance rates are very high in Roanoke, Virginia (Carreyrou, 2008). The Hospital Competition and Costs: The Carilion Case (1989) had fundamental legal issues as presented by the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) and Carilion. The jury sought to litigate the issue related to the effect on competition and the presence of efï ¬ ciencies. Indeed, after the defendants and the DOJ have made their case, the court sought the jury’s advisory on three legal facts. The court sought an advisory on the correctness of the DOJ’s alleged geographic market, the DOJ’s assertion that the relevant product market consisted of only inpatient hospital care, and the consolidation’s likely effect on competition (Eisenstadt, 1989). To this effect, the DOJ had the legal burden of proofing that the proposed merger would lead to adverse competitive effects and would not derive

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

Puzzle 1 - Assignment Example Viewers can decide whether they see art, which makes their makers, artists, although artists, particularly humans, can use their autonomy to say that they are artists, whether their viewers agree or not. These artists are making art because they have viewers who can accept their works as art, even if there may be differences amongst the latter’s views. I believe that these creators are all artists or painters because they have the skills to make art and viewers who can accept their works as art. What makes them artists or painters is that they can create works of art based on their own perceptions of the world and using their painting skills, and that they have audiences who can appreciate their art. Some people might say that chimpanzees or elephants cannot perceive the value and effects of art, but I believe that they have their own ways of expressing art, as these videos prove. In addition, I believe that they are â€Å"good† artists to those audiences who see their paintings as â€Å"good† works of art because they like the total effect of these works and they find meaning in these paintings. As for the question of determining if one better than the other, it is hard to answer that because â€Å"better† art is in the eye of the beholder. In other words, I do not think that any person, even those who are called art critics and art connoisseurs can absolutely say that one painting or painter is better than the other since, in the end, people, as art consumers have different tastes and preferences in art and they can still choose what they think are â€Å"better† art works. Furthermore, determining the â€Å"better† art depends on both or either viewer or creator. Some viewers immediately think that human arts are better than animal-made arts because of the preference for the creators. Other viewers, on the opposite, do not consider who/what the painter is and prefer to appreciate art depending

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bront Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bront Essay In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, there is a description of a room. In this essay, I will compare the similarities and differences of the two rooms. The two stories were written thirteen years apart, in the 19th century. In Jayne Eyre, the red room is decorated in bright colours, in comparison to Great Expectations, which is a faded white room. They are both large, and ornately furnished. In Great Expectations, the little boy is narrating (first person narrator), I answered, more in shyness than politeness, this quote supports two facts, one that it is a first person narrative, and that the feelings of the boy are quite uncomfortable and slightly timid about the situation hes in. Dont be ridiculous, boy, this shows that the first person is in fact a boy, therefore suggesting a young naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve nature in the storys narrator. This reflecting the readers view on the happenings in the story, but more precisely the extract on this particular subject. Like Great Expectations, Jayne Eyre, has a first person narrative, Jayne, herself. The narrator in Jayne Eyre, is actually older than the narrator in Great Expectations. The narrator seems less anxious than the boy in Great Expectations, there seems to be no signs of nervousness or anxiety in the passage of Jayne Eyre from the narrator. Both the rooms in the two stories are parts of rich, wealthy, large houses. One of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion, and massive pillars of mahogany support my statement for Jayne Eyre. In Great Expectations, large room and a fine ladys dressing table also strengthen my statement. Both the rooms in the two stories have been kept as almost museums, as if time stood still at one point and never restarted. In Great Expectations, the room creates this impression from remarks from the boy (the narrator), such as, No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it, this suggests how no light has entered Miss Haveshams dressing-room since whatever happened when time effectively stood still. She had not quite finished dressing, as if she had started but then suddenly frozen half way through, forgetting about it and everything else in her world. Half packed trunks, were scattered, this also suggests the stopping of time. It says in the passage about how everything used to white, but had no faded and was a pale yellow colour, had been white long ago, was faded and yellow. No brightness left, this also suggests that time has stopped. In Jayne Eyre, Very seldom slept in, this suggests loneliness to the room, where nothing breathes in it, like its also been frozen in time. Blinds always drawn down, this suggests that no light is allowed into the room, therefore leaving it in darkness, like Miss Haveshams dressing room. This room was chill, this suggests loneliness in the room, expressing lack of happenings in the chamber. Words used to describe the room such as, silent, and solemn, also show that the room has effectively been frozen in time. These words are also reflected in Great Expectations, as the boy enters the room, he is greeted with utter silence and a solemn atmosphere. The sense of a chill is also reflected in a way in Miss Haveshams dressing-room, with all the bland, cold, faded, white colours, you also interpret a cold atmosphere. The use of colour and light in the two passages are also very effective on the affect its having on the reader. In the red room, it is filled with deep reds and whites (hence the red room). These colours offer warmth and maybe innocence. In Miss Haveshams dressing-room, the whole room is that of a faded white colour, showing maybe faded innocence, or purity which has lost its initial form. The mentioning of people in the paragraphs helps to create certain atmospheres within the rooms. In Great Expectations, Miss Havesham, makes a strong impression on the room. She is wearing all white, (suggesting that she was a bride-to-be when time froze) although the white is faded, turning to a pale yellowy colour. Expressing the rooms coldness and staleness. When the boy describes her as a waxwork and skeleton that had eyes that moved and looked at him, this is also expressing the feelings of Miss Havesham reflecting on the rooms atmosphere aswell. In the red-room, there isnt actually a person physically present in the room as such as Jayne is describing it to you (the reader), although it does mention certain people. Mr. Reed is a man that had breathed his last in this room. This sends an eerie feeling into the room, a very uncomfortable feeling wraps itself around the room. The fact that nobody actually enters the room often at all gives you an idea of the rooms loneliness aswel l. A sense of dreary consecration had guarded it from frequent intrusion, this also supports my statement of the rooms lack of feeling or love. A very lonely room is felt by the fact that nobody wants to enter the room. This is obviously given through the fact of Mr. Reeds death. I think my response was stronger to Great Expectations, as I found it more intriguing. One of the main causes of this would be that there was actually a person present in the room as it was being narrated. A very interesting person aswell, somebody that can capture your attention. I would imagine so because I simple dont hear of people who lock themselves up like that, although it is a fictitious character. I didnt get into Jayne Eyre as much, it seemed to float past me as I went through it without making much of an impact. As I said a few moments ago, it is probably as there isnt a person in the room as Im reading the story to interest me as such. I felt that the writing in both stories conjured up a respectful amount of imagery in my mind, but in all I think my preference has swayed towards Great Expectations.

Bark Extract Mediated Green Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis

Bark Extract Mediated Green Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis Bark extract mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antimicrobial efficacy: A low cost effective synthesis route Debasis Nayak, Sarbani Ashe, Pradipta Ranjan Rauta, Manisha Singh, Bismita Nayak Abstract In this current investigation we report the biosynthesis potential of the bark extracts of Ficus benghalensis and Azadirachta indica for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles without using any external reducing or capping agent. The occurrence of dark brown color indicated the complete synthesis of the silver nanoparticles which was validated by the absorbance peak in UV-Vis spectroscopy. The morphology of the synthesized particles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns clearly illustrated the crystalline phase of the synthesized nanoparticles. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was performed to identify the role of various functional groups in the nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesized sliver nanoparticles showed promising results against gram negative and gram positive pathogens which could have a broad therapeutic role against multiple drug resistan t bacteria. Keywords: Green synthesis, silver nanoparticles, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), antimicrobial Introduction Silver, a noble metal maintains its exceptional optical and electronic properties in quantum size [1-2] which paved its curiosity towards the nano regime. The interest in silver nanoparticles gained prominence owing to its excellent plasmonic activity, bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects compared with the other metal nanoparticles and its versatile use in dentistry, clothing, catalysis, mirrors, optics, photography, electronics, and in the food industry [3].Conventional physical and chemical methods for stable nanomaterial synthesis present the problem of nanoparticle aggregation, harsh reaction conditions and the toxicity of the reagents used. So for synthesis of monodispersed and stable nanoparticles with reduced toxicity concerns new synthetic routes based on green chemistry principles have been explored [4, 5]. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using green chemistry principles maximizes safety and efficiency, and minimises the environmental and societal impact of toxic raw ma terials. Green synthesis of nanoparticles focuses on three important aspects i.e. (i) use of green solvents, (ii) use of an eco-friendly benign reducing agent, and (iii) use of a nontoxic material as a stabilizer [6]. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using various plant extract has been reported [4, 7]. The extracts contains different enzymes/proteins, amino acids, polysaccharides, vitamins, poly phenols, etc., which act as both reducing and capping agents during the nanoparticle synthesis [8]. Ficus benghalensis commonly known as ‘banyan’ is an evergreen tree found all over India and belongs to the family Moraceae. Its various parts are used in ayurveda for the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, piles, rheumatism and as an astringent, haemostatic and antiseptic agent. The bark has been reported to contain leucopelargonidin-3-O-ÃŽ ±-L rhamnoside, leucocynidin-3-O-ÃŽ ±-D galactosyl cellobioside, glucoside, beta glucoside, pentatriacontan-5-one, beta sitostero-ÃŽ ± -D-glucose [9-13]. Azadirachta indica (family- Meliaceae) is commonly called as ‘village dispensary’ in traditional medicine as the tree has its efficacy in every disease. Different compounds have been isolated from the bark extract such as Nimbin, Nimbinin, Deacetyl nimbin, Nimbinene, 6-Deacetyl nimbinene, Nimbandiol, polysaccharides G1A, G1B, G2A, G3A, NB-2 peptidoglucan [14-17]. The neem bark has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti malarial, antioxidant and anticancer activity [18]. Various plants parts have been used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles but rarely the barks have been used. In the present study the barks of Ficus bengalensis and Azadirachta indica have been employed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The leaves of Azadirachta were used as a reference sample as much work has been already been done on the ability of A. indica leaves for synthesis of Ag-NPs [19]. Experimental Section Silver nitrate, Mueller Hinton agar and Mueller Hinton broth of analytical grade were purchased from Hi-Media laboratories and deionised water was used throughout the experiment. Preparation of bark extract The barks of F. benghalensis and A. indica were collected from the campus of NIT, Rourkela. They were washed properly with deionised water to remove any traces of dust and impurities. The bark extract of F. benghalensis and A. indica was prepared by dissolving 5g of the bark powder with 50 ml of distilled water and boiled in a water bath at 50 ºC for 1 hour. The extracts were filtered using whatman filter paper and kept at 4 ºC until used. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles 90 ml of silver nitrate solution (1M) was mixed with 10 ml of bark extract and the reaction mixture was kept in a water bath at different temperature conditions (20, 40, 60 and 80 ºC) till the occurrence of the dark reddish color of the reaction mixture. After the color change inference the nanoparticle solutions were centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 45 min (C24-BL centrifuge, REMI, India) thrice with successive washing with distilled water to remove any traces of un-utilized bark phyto-constituents. The resultant pellet was lyophilized and stored for further characterizations. Characterization To investigate the ideal temperature and time required for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles the reaction mixture was monitored periodically in a UV-visible spectrophotometer (Lambda 35 ® (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MS, USA)) operated at a resolution of 1 nm at room temperature scanned in the wavelength range of 400-600 nm. The hydrodynamic (Z-Average) size, polydispersity index (PDI) and surface zeta potential (charge) of the synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed by Zeta sizer (Zs 90, Malvern Instruments Ltd, Malvern, UK) and the results were obtained by the Malvern ZS nano software. The morphology of the synthesised silver nanoparticles was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (Jeol 6480LV jsm microscope). The nanoparticles were fixed on adequate support and coated with platinum using platinum sputter module in a higher vacuum evaporator. Observations under different magnifications were performed at 20kv. Further morphological studies were done by atomic force microscopy (AFM, Dimension D3100, Veeco) in contact mode under normal atmospheric conditions. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns of silver nanoparticles was obtained using X-ray diffractometer (PANalytical X’Pert, Almelo, The Netherlands) equipped with Ni filter and Cu KÃŽ ± (l = 1.54056 Ã…) radiation source. The diffraction angle was varied in the range of 20-80 degrees while the scanning rate was 0.05degree/s. The Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR- FTIR) spectroscopy analysis was conducted to corroborate the possible role of the various phytochemicals present in the bark extract on the surface modification of the synthesized nanoparticles. The ATR- FTIR was performed on a Bruker ALPHA spectrophotometer (Ettlinger, Germany) with a resolution of 4 cm-1. The samples were scanned in the spectral region between 4000 and 500 cm-1 by taking an average of 25 scans per sample. 1 drop of sample was kept of the sample holder and the samples were scanned and the result obtained was analyzed through OPUS software. Antimicrobial activity The antimicrobial activity of the green synthesized AgNPs against the nosocomial Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Vibrio cholerae were investigated by agar well diffusion method. Briefly, the pathogenic strains were grown on Mueller Hinton Broth (MHB) (HI-MEDIA, Mumbai) at 37 ºC for 24 hours. The colony forming unit (CFU) was adjusted to 2.5 X 10-5 CFU by adjusting it with 0.5 McFarland constant and observing the OD at 600 nm in a UV-Vis Spectrophotometer [20]. Then, the stains were swabbed onto Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) plate (in triplicates) and wells were formed by using a cork borer. 100 µl of the synthesized AgNPs were added to each well having a concentration of 1000 µg/ml and the plates were incubated at 37 ºC for 24 hours. The mean surface area of the diameter of the inhibition zone was measured in mm. Results and discussion The optimal temperature and time required for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from the bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The UV-vis spectra results are an indirect and most efficient method for detecting the formation of the nanoparticle. The reaction process was followed by observing the color change as well as the absorbance maxima peak in the range of 420-460 nm. Fig. 1 shows the time taken for the total synthesis of the nanoparticles when the reaction mixture was incubated at 80  ºC. The absorption peaks were observed at 426 nm and 420 nm for the silver nanoparticles synthesized from the bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica respectively within 30 minutes of incubation suggesting a very rapid synthesis route. The occurrence of the absorption peak is due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) property of the metallic nanoparticles which occurs due to the oscillation of free electrons on the surface of the metal lic nanoparticles when they align in resonance to the wavelength of irradiated light [21]. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies were conducted to investigate the hydrodynamic size, poly dispersity index and surface zeta potential of the synthesised silver nanoparticles in a colloidal aqueous environment. When dispersed in a medium the particles move due to the Brownian motion which is measured by the fluctuations in the intensity of scattered light from which the translational diffusion co-efficient is calculated by applying the Stokes-Einstein equation which gives the hydrodynamic size of the particle [22]. Fig. 2 (a,b) shows the size of the silver nanoparticles synthesised by bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica which were 85.95 nm and 90.13 nm respectively. The poly dispersity index (PDI) is the measure of the width of the particle size distribution calculated from a cumulants analysis of the DLS measured intensity autocorrelation function where a single particle size is assumed and a single exponential fit is applied to the autocorrelation function [23]. Th e PDI value ‘0’ represents monodisperse distribution where as value ‘1’ represents polydisperse distribution. Fig. 2 (c, d) shows the surface zeta potential of the synthesized silver nanoparticles from the respective bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica. Zeta potential is a measure of the magnitude of the electrostatic or charge repulsion or attraction between particles in a liquid suspension. It is one of the essential parameters for characterization of stability of the nanoparticles in an aqueous environment. Particles with zeta potentials more positive than +30 mV and more negative than −30 mV are normally considered stable for colloidal dispersion in the absence of steric stabilization. [24]. Table.1 shows the hydrodynamic size, PDI and zeta potential of the silver nanoparticles synthesised by bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica. Fig. 3 shows the typical image of the surface morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The roughly spherical surface morphology of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was clearly illustrated by the SEM micrographs. Fig. 4 shows the pictographs of the 3D surface morphology and size analysis graphs obtained from atomic force microscopy (AFM). The size obtained from the AFM pictographs in the contact mode from the line analysis measurement by using the SPMLab programmed Veeco diInnova software were 68 nm and 7.38 nm for silver nanoparticles synthesized from bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica respectively. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) is a non-destructive technique to identify the crystalline phase, orientation and grain size of the synthesized nanoparticles. Fig. 5 shows a typical XRD diffractogram showing Bragg peaks (angle 2ÃŽ ¸) at 32.19 º, 38.15 º, 44.28 º, 64.46 º, 77.37 º and 32.11 º, 37.96 º, 44.18 º, 64.37 º, 77.23 º for the silver nanoparticles synthesised from the bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica respectively which corresponds to (111), (200), (220), (311) and (222) miller indices thus, confirming the formation of face centred cubic (FCC) crystalline elemental silver indexed with the JCPDS data 04-0783. Many unassigned peaks were seen which might be due to the crystallization of the bioorganic phases that occur on the surface of the synthesised nanoparticles [25-26]. The average grain size of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was determined by using Scherer’s eqn [d= KÃŽ »/ÃŽ ² cos ÃŽ ¸] where, ‘d’ is the mean diamet er of the particle; ‘K’ is the shape factor (0.9); ‘Î »Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is the X-ray radiation source (0.154 nm) ; ‘Î ²Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is (Ï€/180)* FWHM and ‘Î ¸Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is the Bragg angle [27] which was approx. 29 nm and 39 nm for the silver nanoparticles synthesised by bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica. The ATR-FTIR measurements were carried out to identify the chemical transformation that occurred during the interaction between the functional groups present in bark extract and formation of the nanoparticles. Fig. 6 shows a typical ATR-FTIR spectrum of the silver nanoparticles synthesized from the bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica. Nearly similar peaks were observed in both the synthesized silver nanoparticles some of which occurred at 3590 cm-1, 3340 cm-1, 2310 cm-1, 1693cm-1, 1519cm-1 and 615 cm-1 for silver nanoparticles synthesized from the bark extract of F. benghalensis and 3617cm-1, 3332cm-1, 2319cm-1, 1663 cm-1, 1523 cm-1, 1523 cm-1 and 635cm-1 absorption peaks occurred for silver nanoparticles synthesised by bark extracts of A. indica. The absorption peaks were assigned to the presence of the following functional groups: O-H stretching (presence of alcohols and phenols), N-H stretching (presence of primary and secondary amines), C ≠¡N stretching (presence of nitriles), C=C stretching (presence of aromatic rings) and C-H stretching (presence of alkynes). From fig 4 it can be clearly seen that the O-H and N-H functional group has a clear role in the fabrication of silver nanoparticles which are the main constitutional groups present in the flavonoids, terpenoids and phenols. Although the exact mechanism for the reduction of silver nanoparticles is not know Ajitha et al proposed that the flavonoids present in T. purpurea leaf extract may act as powerful reducing agent and the carboxylate group present in the proteins may act as surfactant to attach on the surface of the nanoparticles resulting in their stabilization during the synthesis reaction [28]. The results obtained from the mangrove leaf bud extract of R. mucronata [29] were quite similar to our ATR-FTIR results thus furnishing a coherent role of the bark extract as reducing and capping agents to prevent agglomeration of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The antibacterial potential of the synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by the agar well diffusion assay. Fig. 7 shows well defined zones of inhibition (diameter in mm) against gram positive strains of Bacillus subtilis and gram negative strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio cholera when 100 µl of 1000 µg/ml of the synthesized nanoparticles were supplied to the agar wells (9mm). In this experiment the silver nanoparticles synthesized from the leaves extract of A. indica was used as a standard as its antimicrobial potential has already been demonstrated by Nazeruddin et al [19]. Our results show slightly higher zone of inhibition against gram negative strains as compared to gram positive isolates. This may be attributed to differences in structure and composition of cell wall between gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The thin peptidoglycan layer enveloped by the lipopolysaccharide layer lacks strength and rigidity, facilitating easy penetrat ion of silver nanoparticles into the cells. While a gram positive bacterium possesses a thick and rigid peptidoglycan layer in the cell wall which makes the entry of silver nanoparticles into the cell difficult [30]. Though the antimicrobial activity is very prominent by the silver nanoparticles, its mode of action is still debatable. It has been proposed that silver nanoparticles has the ability to attach with the bacterial cell membrane causing structural changes in its membrane leading to the formation of ‘pits’ where they accumulate [31]. Feng et al and Matsumura et al proposed that silver nanoparticles release silver ions which interact with the thiol groups of many enzymes thus inactivating most of the respiratory chain enzymes leading to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes the self destruction of the bacterial cell [32-33]. According to Morones et al., silver acts as soft acid which acts upon the sulphur and phosphorus bases of DNA and ina ctivates its replication and thus inactivating the nuclear machinery of the cell [34]. Conclusion The present study on the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles through the bark extracts of F. benghalensis and A. indica is a novel, cost-effective, environmental friendly route of synthesis having large scale production ability where no additional reducing agents or capping agents were employed for the reduction and stabilization of the nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were highly crystalline, roughly spherical in shape having mean grain size of 29 and 39 nm each. Thus with further modifications these synthesized nanoparticles can be used as suitable candidates for biomedical applications and as therapeutics for targeted drug delivery with minimal side effects. The synthesized silver nanoparticles showed enhanced antimicrobial activity against the gram negative and the gram positive bacterial strains which could boost them as antimicrobial agents with the day to day emerging cases of multiple drug resistant pathogens. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Archana Mallick, Dept of Metallurgical Materials Engineering for helping in AFM images and NIT, Rourkela for supporting and funding the current research work.

Canadarm :: essays research papers

Canadarm Although Canada has been involved with the space race since the beginning, nothing has made our national pride glow like watching the space shuttles and seeing the big letters CANADA written across the Canadarm. The Canadarm was fist launched into space on November 13, 1981 as part of Columbia. During that mission, the Canadarm successfully flexed its muscles and secured its position in the future of space travel. It was developed by Spar Aerospace with the National Research Council and modelled after the human arm. Otherwise known as a Remote Manipulator System, it could lift 30 tonnes in space while being monitored and operated from the indoor shuttle flight deck. The Canadarm is about to introduce its new and improved sibling. Back in 1987, when documents were signed between countries to work towards a permanently manned Space Station, Canada agreed to provide a Mobile Servicing System (MSS). The MSS will be an integral part of the Space Station from the beginning, it will be used in the assembly, maintenance and servicing of the Station. In return, Canadians will be able to have full use of the Station and will assist with its management. Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette will be operating the new arm on its first mission and explains how in the following excerpt from a NASA Preflight Interview: "This arm flies like an airplane, it's a six-dimension arm where you can rotate the tip of the arm, so you can translate that tip along the cargo bay of the shuttle and up the stack of the International Space Station. It is an absolute joy to fly. Right after the space walk is complete is when I am timelined in the flight to go on the controls of the Canadarm, as we call it in Canada, or the remote manipulator system. I will use the camera, which is mounted at the end of the tip of the arm, to survey all the targets that are placed on the Space Station, the space vision target. I survey them to see if they're in good shape, any problems with them, if they've been scratched, and if there are bubbles in the material. The reason why the people from the space vision system program require that very thorough survey of every single target on the Space Station is that each target will be used on the next flight to manipulate and dock pieces of equipment together.

Why Gender Matters in Understanding September 11th :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Usually when the word gender is used in a political sense often times what is described is the role of women in a certain aspect of politics. This paper is a look at certain social norms that are directly related to women and their rights that seem to allow and harbor terrorist. The idea of the article that I am basing this paper on is by Amy Caiazza Ph.D. who suggests that if we were to change some of our ways in society regarding women we might have been able to foresee the events of the September 11th attacks. Historically women have taken a back seat to men in almost every aspect of life we were always second choice. Fortunately for us as the time moves forward we see a dramatic increase in the role that women play in society today. Though our progress has been great there are still women who are not satisfied with the place in society that women have. Locally here in the U.S. women have it pretty good and most of them tend not to complain but there are those feminist that want women abroad to be able to experience the same freedoms that the women of America enjoy and some times take for granted. Women in our traditional roles or as some may say in our natural state are known as the child bearers, family care takers, household keeper, and nurturer of all. The list that I just stated is only the beginning of what a woman can do. In other countries for example in Afghanistan in 1997 when the now popular Taliban first came into power they put into practice a radical form of Islamic rule known as Sharia. This radical rule that they governed with limited women in so many ways the women of Afghanistan were not allowed to educate themselves. These women were also not allowed to participate in any form of activism and were not able to even have a physical position in their own society. When women have been found in violation of these rules the end results were never too good. In fact many women have been beaten and put to death once they were caught breaking the rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These acts of disrespect and violence against women are no secret to the United States of America. America jokingly is often called the world police and is known for â€Å"sticking their nose in other peoples business† but for some unknown reason they have taken no action against the Taliban for these injustices they are imposing on the women of Afghanistan.

Assignment memo

For your convenience, each question is given followed by the appropriate answer and an explanation of the correct response. Work your way systematically through these, comparing It with your own answer. Even If you chose the correct alternative, you may find that the explanations we give are useful. Try to understand the explanations. Many of the Items measure Insight, not Just factual knowledge. You will not pass this course if you try and memories the questions and answers! Question 1 The goal of quantitative research in psychology is best described as aiming to – 1 . Polo appropriate statistical tests which can be used to determine the relationships among psychological variables that occur at a level greater than chance 2. Develop theories that helps us to explain human experience and behavior 3. Formulate clear hypotheses based on insights about human experience and behavior 4. Convert theoretical constructs into measurable variables through personalization Answer: Option 2 gives the correct answer. The goal of research Is to develop theories which can explain aspects of human behavior and experience.Options 3 and 4 refer to stages In the process of doing initiative research but these are not the goals of the research. The goal of the research Is also not to develop statistical tests, as Implied In option 1 . These tests are developed by statisticians and are used by researchers in social and other scientific research, but developing the tests is not part of the goal of the research. PECCARY/201 5 Question 2 A psychologist believes that personality factors such as ability to get along with other people in a team are likely to have on influence their success in a team sport.To investigate this, she draws a sample of participants in competitive sport, comprising f soccer players, hockey players and cricketers from various sports clubs. After evaluating their performance on an appropriate psychometric test, she delves players from the three categories o f sports Into two groups: those who have good social skills and those who tend avoid social contact. She then uses evaluation forms, based on interviews with different sports experts, to assess the actual sports performance of the members of the sample.The dependent variable in the study is – – – – – and the independent variable is – – – – 1. Measured sports performance; social skills 2. Type of sports; social skills . Social skills; measured sports performance 4. Social skills; type of sports Answer: Option 1 is correct. The researcher wants to determine whether sports performance (a measurement of how well a specific sports participant performs) depends on social skills. This Implies that the construct ‘social skills' Is the Independent variable which Is varied to see how it affects the dependent variable, the measurement of sports performance. The population from which the sample was drawn (the types of sports p articipants that were involved), but in the context of this scenario this variable is not being investigated here. It would be possible to compare the three groups but this would not answer the research question. Question 3 Consider the following statement: â€Å"That phase of sleep during which brain rhythms resemble those of an alert person is called paradoxical sleep or rapid eye movement (ERM) sleep. † This statement is a – – – 1. Conclusion based on empirical research 2. Operational definition 3. Search hypothesis 4. Inference based on observation Answer: Option 2 is correct. The statement gives a definition of ERM sleep in terms of the measurement of brain waves (which can be done with an EGG machine). Since it is simply a statement about what the expression ‘paradoxical sleep or rapid eye movement (ERM) sleep' means, it is not a conclusion, hypothesis or inference, as suggested by the other options. 6 Questions 4 to 6 are based on the followi ng research scenario. A psychologist wants to study how aspects of motivation can influence people's productivity in their work.She reads an article which claims that an important aspect of motivation is locus of control, which distinguishes people who are driven by their own personal ambition from those who act by conforming to a social group. To test this idea, draws a sample of 100 workers from a number of companies in the information technology sector. She divides the workers into two groups, those with an internal locus of control and those with an external locus of control, based on an appropriate psychometric test. She then uses Job evaluation forms to assess the actual work performance of the workers in the two groups.Question 4 Which of the following gives the best expression of the hypothesis that the researcher wishes to test? 1 . Motivation affects the productivity of workers. 2. Internal locus of control is related to high productivity. . The Job performance of workers is influenced by locus of control. 4. Motivation of workers is influenced by locus of control. Answer: Option 3 is correct. Option 3 is the clearest expression of an appropriate research hypothesis. Option 1 is too vague: ‘motivation' is probably too complex to be captured in a single construct.Option 2 is too specific: it is not clear from the information given in the scenario whether internal or external locus of control can be expected to lead to higher productivity. ‘Locus of control' is regarded as an aspect of motivation (according to the scenario), not as a separate construct (or variable) that can be compared to it, so option 4 is also wrong. Question 5 Given that research is an investigation of a relationship between (two or more) constructs, which of the following constructs have to be compared to do this (b) motivation (c) locus of control (d) Job evaluation forms (e) people who work in the information technology sector 1. A) and (c) 2. (a), (b) and (e) 3. (a) , (c) and (e) 4. (c) and (d) Answer: The correct alternative is option 1 . ‘Locus of control' is the specific aspect of ‘motivation' that is being studied, which excludes option 2. In this particular context, ‘people who work in the information technology sector' is part of the definition of the population that the researcher chooses to study, not a construct that is being compared to another, so option 3 is incorrect. Option 4 is incorrect because ‘Job evaluation forms' are the instruments used to measure the construct ‘Job performance', and not a construct as such. Question 6 The dependent variable in the study is – – – – – and the independent variable is – 1 . Job performance; locus of control 2. Locus of control; motivation 3. Job performance; productivity . Locus of control; Job performance The dependent variable is the one that is predicted or explained, and the independent variable is manipulated to see h ow it affects the dependent variable. In this study the researcher tries to predict Job performance with the aid of locus of control. In other words, the researcher is trying to see if Job performance depends, to a significant degree, on locus of control.Option 2 is wrong because locus of control is the aspect of motivation that is being studied. In a similar way, Job performance is equivalent to productivity, which excludes option 3. Question 7 In scientific research, the word theory refers to a(n) – – – – – 1. Reasonable guess or creative insight which seems to explain a phenomenon 2. Method to make the constructs which are involved in a phenomenon visible through a process of personalization 3. Investigation or procedure which is performed to determine the relationships among variables 4. Explanation of why the observations that were made are as they are, or are related in the way that they are related Answer: Option 4 is correct. As explained o n page 4 in the Guide for PECCARY, a theory is a framework for facts: it s the explanation of why the facts (I. E. Observations, measurements) are as they are, or are related in the way in which they are related, based on empirical investigations. Option 1 is a description off hypothesis, but this is often how the word theory is option 3 is a description of a process such as an experiment by which a theory can be evaluated but not to a theory as such.Question 8 Consider the following statement: â€Å"The experience of strong emotion is accompanied by physiological reactions such as an increase in heart rate†. This statement can be viewed as a research hypothesis because it – a) makes a prediction that can be tested by observation (b) describes a possible relationship between variables 1. (a) but not (b) 2. Both (a) and (b) 3. (b) but not (a) 4. Neither (a) nor (b) 8 A psychological hypothesis formulates a testable empirical claim, that is, a prediction which can in pri nciple be observed, and this usually involves postulating a relationship between two or more variables.Question 9 A psychologist uses a psychometric test to study the intelligence of school children. Intelligence is the – – – – – variable and the psychometric test represents the – variable in this study. 1. Independent; dependent manifest; operational 3. Dependent; independent 4. Latent; manifest A hidden or underlying (latent) aspect of a construct has to be made visible (manifest) to be observed. ‘Intelligence' is a latent variable because it cannot be observed directly. The results of the psychometric test can however be observed directly and can therefore be regarded as the manifest variable.Note that the test result is the measurement by which intelligence is made visible, so these are manifestations of the same construct (or variable), only in one form it is observable (manifest) and the other form it is hidden (latent). Dependen t' and ‘independent' refer to relationships between two different variables, so options 1 and 3 are both incorrect. The psychometric test is the operation by which the variable ‘intelligence' is measured (or ‘personalities'), but you would not refer to the test or test result as an ‘operational variable', so option 2 is also not correct.Question 10 An industrial psychologist wants to investigate the levels of assertiveness among different categories of workers in a large company. He draws a sample of 200 workers and then divides them into managers, clerical workers, technical workers and manual errors with the intention of getting each participant to do a test to determine their level of assertiveness. The division of workers into these four groups represents a measurement on a – level. 1. Nominal 3. Interval 4. Asia When numbers are used to allocate people or objects to categories or groups with no implication of ‘intensity or ‘ordering re lated to the size of the number, it is referred to as a nominal level or nominal scale of measurement. Note that while one may presume that ‘managers' have a higher rank than the rest and perhaps ‘manual workers' can be said to have a low rank, there is no obvious way to decide whether lyrical workers have a lesser ‘rank than technical workers or the other way round, as it would depend on the specific types of work that they do.A senior clerk can outrank a Junior technician, and vice versa. (Nominal and other scales are explained in Appendix B of the Guide). PECCARY/201 9 Question 11 If a pupil will be chosen to go on a field trip from a class of 13 girls and 17 boys, what is the probability that Joanne (one of the 13 girls) will be chosen, given that a girl will be selected? 1. 1/13 2. 14/30 3. 1/30 4. 1/17 You have to use the basic formula for probability: We know that there are 13 possible outcomes (any one of the 13 girls can be selected) and we also know that there is only one favorable' event Anyone being selected).