Arthur Miller Essay

Arthur Miller is a renowned play- writer who was born on October 17th 1915, in New York City. His parent’s originally had came from Italy but soon migrated to America perhaps searching for the American dream. His family lived in prosperity due to the success of his fathers clothing manufacturing business however, as a result of the Wall Street crash the business sadly collapsed therefore; Arthur Miller was forced to work as a warehouseman. The play AVFTB was set in the 20th century as this is when illegal immigration was probably at its most. He possibly got his inspiration for writing this astonishing, sensational and breathtaking play from his parents as they were immigrants searching for the American dream and Alfieri (a lawyer in the play) expresses the themes of immigration and the American dream. However, his main inspiration was almost certainly when his lawyer friend showed him a case which has a similar context to AVFTB. Despite writing the play AVFTB, Arthur Miller is also recognized for his several other plays, such as: The Crucible; The Man Who Had All the Luck; All My Sons and Death of a Salesman. Unfortunately, Arthur Miller died in 2005. Alfieri first introduces himself to the audience when he is telling us the prologue, which sets the mood and scene of the play, ‘This is Red Hook, not Sicily†¦ I’m a lawyer. ‘ In the play he introduces all the characters, ‘This one’s name was Eddie Carbone’ and gives the audience a brief description of the character introduced, ‘a longshoreman. ‘ However, the audience instantly get the impression that Eddie is going to be the tragic hero in the play as when Alfieri first introduces Eddie he says that he has to, ‘let it run it’s bloody course’ then immediately after that he says, ‘This one’s name was Eddie Carbone. ‘ Giving the audience the impression that Eddie is going to be the tragic hero in the play. Furthermore, the audience also immediately get the impression that Eddie is the tragic hero as he tells the story about Vinnie Bonzola and when the family hear the story they are all shocked that someone could betray one of their family members like that. Eddie is especially shocked about this particular scenario and this is very ironic as little does he know that as the play progresses he would be doing the same thing. This makes Eddie’s behaviour even more outrageous and appalling as firstly he is being a hypocrite and secondly, he was probably the most shocked out of his whole family. Therefore, Arthur Miller portrays Eddie’s action through the technique of dramatic irony throughout the play as the audience know that Eddie is going to be the tragic hero near the beginning of the play. Alfieri is also immediately established as being an omniscient narrator/ commentator in the prologue. We know this as he narrates the story in a flashback therefore, he already knows what is going to unravel, Eddie’s inevitable death, and we get reminded of this at various intervals. He tells us about the suspicious little nods the longshoremen give him. This shows the audience how the community perceive lawyers, ‘they’d rather not get too close. ‘ Suspicion and lack of trust is one of the main themes of the play and it shows the audience that the Italian immigrants still stick to the same old social codes of revenge and lack of trust. The Italian immigrants pour into Brooklyn looking for their share of the American dream, ‘gullet of New- York, swallowing the tonnage of the world’. The definition of the American dream is that anyone can come to America and get to the top as there are many opportunities. They may also come here to get away from poverty; lack of employment and mafia vendettas. However, Arthur Miller perhaps chose this setting, ‘the slum that faces the seaward side of the bay’ as Miller was aware that many immigrants came here when he was working in the army in World War 2 in particular longshoremen as they helped put immigrants on ships so they could arrive to America. He must have seen a lot of despicable, horrific and appaling things when he was there so that is why he probably describes Brooklyn like this. Therefore, he might have exaggerated the description to emphasise this point to the audience and also to give an image in the audiences mind. Therefore, Arthur Miller uses the linguistic devices known as hyperboles and imagery to emphasise the point that he is trying to make and also to make the story more entertaining for the audience, ‘His eyes were like tunnels’. Alfieri is a successful example of the American dream as he initially migrated from Italy to America. Alfieri is living the American dream and is now civilised but his practice is entirely unromantic. Alfieri has been a witness to the times when he used to keep a pistol in his filing cabinet however, now as he is civilised he no longer needs to keep a pistol in his filing cabinet. Therefore, Alfieri is following the American way of life and the American social codes. i. e. The law and not revenge. In addition, we know that Alfieri has changed his social code as he speaks differently compared to all the other characters in the play. His language is less rougher than everyone else’s and this is illustrated through the fact that he no longer carries the Sicilian code of conduct. He says that his practice is entirely unromantic as he gets similar cases over and over again, ‘the petty poor troubles of the poor’. Nevertheless, every once in a while there is case that always brings life to his job, ‘the dust in this air is blown away’. The cases perhaps bring life to his office as it reminds him of how he used to be and that is probably why he is so fond of Eddie as it reminds him of his former self. The cases perhaps excite him as they are a dramatic change and the cases are probably more interesting. Arthur Miller perhaps does this to maintain the audiences involvement and too show the audience that the story is going to be exciting so that they stay glued to their seats.

The Use of Imagery In A Specific Sport

The term imagery means ‘mental pictures'. It is where an athlete mentally visualises pictures in their mind in order to complete a set routine. Mental rehearsal is a learned skill, which takes considerable time and dedication to develop fully. One cannot just decide to ‘have a go' and expect immediate results. Mental practice demands a relaxed state of mind and this itself demands control and practice. Learning how to rehearse comes about through practice and evaluation. The problem with any kind of conscious mental activity is that the mind is very limited in the amount of information it can handle at any time. Imagery is an experience or situation from memory; it is kind of like creating your own ‘instant replay' in your mind. One thing to remember is that imagery is not ‘day dreaming' about the great things you would like to do. It is a specific psychological method that can be used to improve your performance. Mental rehearsal is best thought of as an adjunct to physical practice. It may be particularly valuable aid at times during injury or at other times when not practicing. For learners, it is probably most effective just prior to performance. Imagery should never take the place of physical practice, but should be used in combination with it. Either before you get to practice, or in the changing room before you go out to start your warm up, it can be useful to go over the drills, techniques and moves that you are likely to be rehearsing. After practice the feel of the movements involved in the techniques and moves that you practiced will be fresh in your memory, so it should be easier to re-create a clear image of the movements. This will help to cement that image in your mind so that it will be easier to recall during the next practice etc. Even during breaks of play in a game, there is time to create a quick, vivid image of what you should do at the next set piece. You can also practice imagery at any time of day. Grant Fox, New Zealand's most prolific points scorer in internationals, who was a strong advocate of the use of imagery in helping his goal-kicking performance. Another example is the skier Jean Claude Killy used it to ‘run every slalom in his mind' just before sleeping the night prior to a competition. Top performers in many sports – both team and individual – spend time thinking about their performance and testify to the value of mental rehearsal. Grant Fox, of New Zealand rugby said ‘mental rehearsal before and during the game has helped me enormously to concentrate, to focus my attention on the job at hand' this would be a positive aspect of imagery. Where as learners who cannot create clear images in their heads cannot recall and often perform worse as the image is wrong in their head. Imagery is successful if it used right. The golfer Jack Nicklaus said ‘I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp image, in-focus picture in my head. It's like a colour movie. First I ‘see' the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting high up on the green grass. Then the scene quickly changes I ‘see' the ball going there: its path, trajectory and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.

We should fund college education for all Americans because knowledge Essay

We should fund college education for all Americans because knowledge is the basis of success - Essay Example Knowledge makes a person perfect. Some people believe that the need of education is only to grab a job. The above perception is a wrong one. Education helps a person immensely in leading a successful life in many ways. Huge expenses of college education are the major reason for the drop outs of students from American colleges. Because of the dipping of American economy, financial problems are evident in most of the families. Americans usually spend more than what they earn and they do not have the habit of saving much for the future. Whenever they are in need of money, they approached the financial institutions in America for loans and before the recession problems; they found no hurdle in getting the loans sanctioned from the banks. For meeting the expenses of college education, many of the American students used the aid from financial institutions. However, because of recession, American financial institutions now tightened the norms and hence the college students are not getting e nough financial aids from these institutions. Considering the importance of college education, American government should give enough funds to all who admitted in the colleges In family or society, only the educated people are well respected. The society will hear and respect the words of the educated people better than that of other’s. Only the educated person will be capable of meeting and solving the life challenges more effectively. College education will provide an opportunity to get good jobs which is necessary for securing the future life. Though the aim of college education is not limited to getting good jobs alone, it can certainly help people lead a life as a good citizen of the country. Completion of Pre secondary education was considered as a decent educational level around 50 or 75 years ago because of the limited knowledge base. But the advancements in every field of life especially in science and technology have made it almost impossible to survive without coll ege education. Entry into a good professional organization is not an easy task in the present century. In order to prepare a person for an entry level in an organization, the minimum qualification required is graduation. The organizations may give the person formal training in the required areas to develop skills, once he is appointed. But just to apply for a post in a reputed organization the person must have a graduation. â€Å"In recent years, researchers in Africa, Asia and elsewhere have found that people in non-Western cultures often have ideas about intelligence that differ fundamentally from those that have shaped Western intelligence tests†(Benson). Intelligence is believed to be a culture dependent entity. In other words, the nature of intelligence in American culture and Asian culture are entirely different. Because of this difference in nature of intelligence, it is difficult to assess the intelligence of a culturally diverse community with the help of a standardi zed test. Americans had an illusion earlier that the nature of their intelligence is far more superior to that of others. However, Americans now realized that their assumptions were only illusions and there are many cases in which people from other cultures dominate over the Americans. For example, the recent recession has caused major problems to American economy whereas Asian countries like India, china etc escaped from recession without much problems. Many of the CEOs of American companies are of foreign origin now. Indra Nui, the CEO of PepsiCo is one best example. The current American president is from a black origin and the current Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal is a person of Indian origin. Moreover, in many of the reputed science and research agencies like NASA, people of foreign

The Role of Company Directors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Role of Company Directors - Essay Example Fiduciary duty is inherent amidst the interaction between directors and their company, trustees and their trusts, and lawyers and their customers. Barnet (2008) has defined fiduciary duty as a model of care observed in a legal correlation of faith and assurance involving an individual in a position of control, authority or influence, and another who is reliant on the appropriate exercise of that power...intrinsic in fiduciary duty is the accountability to perform in excellent confidence and honesty, the duty to work in the interests of the principal and to shun self-dealing transactions, and the commitment to not wield unreasonable demands or to proceed without the awareness and blessing of the principal. In a landmark case involving Caremark International Inc.1996 by the Delaware Chancery Court, the role of company’s directors was expanded to encompass liability in monitoring the company’s operations or ‘oversight liability’. This in effect meant that the directors had a fiduciary duty of closely supervising or overseeing the company’s daily transaction thus had to keep up-to-date on the regular operations of the corporation. The Delaware Supreme Court’s decision, Stone v. Ritter [Del. Supr., Jan. 27, 2009] upheld that the directors’ failure to ‘act in the face of a known duty to act’ is a breach of the duty of loyalty. To stem the excesses of the corporations in the US, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted even as the courts stepped up punitive actions on errant directors and firms engaging in fraudulent activities. As a consequence, many directors are increasingly getting more involved in the company’s operations to offset being charged with negligence and abdication of their fiduciary duties (Rehfeld, 2005).

Managing Finance - short- term debts and liabilities Essay

Managing Finance - short- term debts and liabilities - Essay Example And that's when it is said that this particular business is having cash-flow problems. The daily operations working capital is used to manage include, stock purchases, salaries and wages, heating and lighting expenses, funding of credit sales etc. (McKosker, Philip, March 1, 2000) Components of working capital include all those things that form part of the definition of working capital since working capital equals current assets less current liabilities, all those things that are categorized under these two things can be called a component of working capital. The three main components namely are, inventory, payables and receivables. Inventory here includes all the stock, opening plus closing. (Managing Working Capital, n.d.) Inventory also includes raw materials,work-in-progress stock of goods and even finished stock of goods. These all are categorized under the assets portion on a business balance sheet. (Inventory, 2008) Inventory payables refers to a business's creditors who are those people or institutions from where you borrow loans or buy good/stock from on credit. A creditor is hence an organization or person who gives out credit to other businesses. A business pays these people at the end of a term or after a set time period as arranged or agreed upon through a contract. (Creditor, 2008) Receivables, on the other hand are those people or organizations that owe the business rather. ... Hence, they are termed as debtors. Just like creditors, businesses form a contract with them too which states how much money ahs been given, for how long, for what and when will it have to be repaid etc. (Money You are Owed, 2004). There are sources of working capital. These are called parts of working capital of a business. These are: cash held in reserve in the business, band OD (over-draft), remaining or retained profits, loans, credit attained from creditors, and long-term loans. (Managing Working Capital, n.d.) 'Control of working capital has always been thought to be the most important factor in the short-term financial management of companies' This statement, I believe is very much true for businesses working today. These days as competition amongst companies has been soaring up almost perpetually, it is highly important for these companies to manage their working capital well. It does not just depend or vary from one economic situation to another, rather on he basic fact that these companies all need to survive first and foremost. Hence, managers or financial executives or anyone who has the work of managing cash flows for a business aims to maximize working capital and get more value for money generally. Another way to say this is through acquiring more worth for short-term cash or cash as a business' current asset. (Bauer, Dennis, 2007). It is highly imperative for these managers to handle each component of working capital efficiently. These components have already been discussed above. (Working Capital, n.d.) It is often said that working capital is the lifeblood of an organization. It holds so much information that it is sometimes claimed

CRJS478IP3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CRJS478IP3 - Research Paper Example The focus of this process is on the short tandem repeats (STR) that have short units of DNA that are repeated several times in a row. After the DNA is isolated and amplified it is treated with restriction enzymes. The process cuts the DNA strands at definite sequences called restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Since everybody’s DNA is different the resulting RFLPs will be of different sizes. These fragments are observed in gel electrophoresis; a process that separates DNA based on the size of fragments (Brown, 2010). RFLP analysis is based on the fact that since everyone’s genetic sequence or the variable number of tandem repeats is different this result in the different sizes of RFLPs. Gel electrophoresis involves separation of the fragments of DNA as they migrate through an agarose gel when an electric current is applied to the gel. The DNA that has separated is then drawn out of the gel with a nylon membrane which is treated to break the hydrogen bonds holding the DNA strands together. The separated strands of the DNA are then incubated using a radioactive probe and cross-linked to the nylon membrane of a strand comparable to the VNTRs. The radioactive probe is visible on a photographic film as a dark spot is left on the film because of the light that is given off when the probe decays. Different people have different patterns and these constitute the fingerprints. This protocol of DNA fingerprinting is called Southern blotting (Brown, 2010). The main objective of DNA analysis is to obtain an observable representation of the DNA from the crime. The DNA profile obtained from DNA fingerprinting must match the DNA from the suspect or a profile in the DNA database. The three possible results from comparing a DNA profile of the sample to the suspects DNA profile and it can either be inclusive, exclusive or inconclusive. Inclusions occur where the suspects DNA

Happily Ever After Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Happily Ever After - Essay Example In recent history, a new, rather a distorted definition of marriage has been brought to life that constitutes the inclusion and legalization of same-sex marriages. This wide-acceptance: socially, culturally and physically, has placed the institution of marriage, which has kept society in harmony with nature, in unprecedented danger, and with passing time, it continues to plunge into a void that shall, in near future, overshadow, or rather completely obliterate its existence and meaning. In light of the aforementioned stance, I fully concur with William J. Bennett’s position that gay-marriages are a threat to the institution of marriage and that this growing threat should be contained and eventually eliminated. Although there are numerous reasons that go against the notion of same-sex marriage, but the reason that is first thought of is religion. As mentioned earlier in the paper, when Adam was created by God, a female counterpart, Eve, of Adam was later created by God to give Adam a companion and thus God established balance. The Holy Bible recognizes marriage between man and woman as day and night, both complementing each other. Just as God has maintained equilibrium in every dimension of nature, the institution of marriage is no alien part of nature, hence it should be treated just as it has been ordained. In addition to this, it is God who has ordained marriage as He deemed appropriate, and it is not upon us to interfere with his laws. Consequently, all major religions of the world: Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, etc, concede and preach that marriage is only limited between man and woman, and precludes all other morphed forms of marriage. Pro-marriage activists quote examples of practice of gay marriages in the past, and that many practitioners were Christians and the marriage ceremonies were conducted in churches; this leads them to argue that even religions have shown room for same-sex marriages, but what the activists fail to rea lize is that religion itself is incorruptible, and it is its followers who disobey and deviate from the divine teachings. This establishes that the room created for same-sex marriages in the past was thus created by people themselves on their own account, and that religion itself has no part in it. Furthermore, owing to the sexual revolution that has strengthened its roots in the recent years; the institution of marriage has become potentially weak. The frequent show of themes which project ‘casual sex’ as a natural or normal encounter through movies, pornography, music and television shows has led to the widespread belief among people, primarily the young generation, that extra-marital and intimate relationships outside the bond of wedlock are a part of life. This has ingrained the element of infidelity in people, and the evil of having multiple partners in the impressionable minds of the people; as media has the potent power of manipulating with the psychology of a hu man mind, as a consequence of which societies and cultures have been fashioned into accepting it. Moreover, the beauty and most basic fundamental of marriage is fidelity, although this is not always practiced. One marries because it is deemed worth spending the whole life with the one person he/she loves. While gay marriages, as William J. Bennett argue, promote infidelity; this is destroying an already enfeebled institution. In summary, gay marriage has

Geology of your hometown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Geology of your hometown - Essay Example The city has four counties that are under its jurisdiction; these are Feeding, Feixi, Changfeng, and Lijiang. It also has one Sub County and four urban districts, Yaohai, Loyang, Shushan, and Baohe. Its development zones include Hefei economic and technological development area, Hefei pilot zone, and Hefei Chaohu economic development zone (Li).   Each region around Anhui province in China is unique. Hefei covers an expanse of an area of 11400 square kilometers with 37mertres above the sea level and an urban population of 7.52million people, with mandarin as a primary language spoken. It has longstanding historical traditions though it is greatly influenced by immigrant population. There is one developed Lake Known as Swan. It is next to a new build government building, and it is a beautiful place to have a picnic. The geological terrain offer an artificial beach which attracts many people especially during the summer. It has the largest number of consumer group and greatest potential for development. It is a city Center for politics, economy and culture, education, information, finance, commerce, and communication in Anhui province, China. It has the fastest growing economy because Chinese national government has given its local government funding for expansion and growth (Morris). Hefei is one of the most suitable places to live in due to its excellent public security and clean environment. In 2004, it was awarded the "China Excellent Living Environment Prize." In 2014, it was also awarded as an excellent green ecological city. The lake has wonderful scenery and many aquatic products (wu). Geology of Chaohu Lake has hot springs in it, which are rich in active mineral elements, and rare and beautiful flowers that grow in it. Hefei functions connect to national means of transportation in China with well-developed expressway network leading to all directions. Its airport owns over 30 domestic air routes and direct flights to Hong Kong, Fukuoka,

Weapons proliferation and conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weapons proliferation and conflict - Essay Example The last one is Type IV that now entails the spread of WMD into other nations such as theft of Pakistan of nuclear secrets from Holland. The government is in a social dilemma when tasked to either spend on guns or butter. This is because spending only on guns has both potential benefits but also grave pitfalls. The benefits involve security of a country’s borders because the armed forces are better armed. Additionally, the presence of prestige is a motivating factor for with guns instead of butter. However, too many guns in the wrong hands increases violence as noted in the US. It equally distracts the government from spending on the most important things (Khan 134). I think the best approach involves giving the citizens more butter and not guns because it is enhance their lives. I think the Barefoot Gen film serves as a testament of the atrocities that war causes to vulnerable civilians. By basing its story on Hiroshima, it challenges our consciousness to stop war at all

Reading Is the Path to Success Essay Example for Free

Reading Is the Path to Success Essay Introduction 1. Before you begin each assigned essay, read about the author’s life (biography). In particular, note literary biography. On our Learning Web, I have a website link for each author we study. 2. Note the titles. What expectations do the titles create? Once you have finished reading each essay, reconsider each title. 3. As you read, note the author’s intertwining of some of the elements of memoir: narration, description (especially appeals to the five senses), emotion (tone), and reflective commentary. Note any use of dialog. Langston Hughes’ â€Å"Salvation† (from The Big Sea, 1940) 1. Who is Langston Hughes (1902-1967)? Note his biography on the Learning Web. 2. In Hughes’ essay â€Å"Salvation,† do you find more narration or description? Which one of these strategies is the primary strategy that structures the essay? 3. What is the point of view of this essay? How old was Hughes when he wrote this essay? How old was he when the event occurred? What is the age of his speaking voice in the essay? How do you know? (Note exclamation marks and purposeful overuse of the word â€Å"and.†) 4. What is Hughes’ thesis? 5. Where is the setting(s)? What descriptive details does Hughes use to sketch in the setting? 6. Note allusions to religious hymns. â€Å"The Ninety-Nine and Nine† and â€Å"Let the Lower Lights Be Burning† are old evangelical hymns sung in church. 7. Examine Hughes imagery (appeals to the five senses). What are some of Hughes’ specific images? 8. Note how Hughes sustains the imagery in paragraph 13. 9. Who are the minor characters? How does Hughes describe each one? 10. Note Hughes’ use of short simple sentences for effect. Note his use of sentence fragments. 11. Note Hughes’ use of the one sentence paragraph for  dramatic effect. 12. Note Hughes’ use of dialog. What makes his dialog effective? 13. What conflict(s) do you find in this essay? Are Hughes’ conflicts internal or external (or both)? 14. Note the character Westley. Why is he important to the story? 15. Where is the climax of this essay? Explain your decision. 16. Account for the title â€Å"Salvation.† From what, exactly, was he saved? 17. What irony do you find in this essay? 18. Do the conflicts reach resolution by the end of the story? 19. Comment on tone. Do you find this essay humorous or serious (or both)? 20. Note Hughes’ use of the dash (—) for dramatic emphasis. 21. Did you enjoy reading this essay? Why or why not? 22. Did you look up vocabulary? Note â€Å"knickerbockers,† â€Å"rounder,† and â€Å"mourners’ bench.† Annie Dillard’s â€Å"The Chase† (from An American Childhood, 1987) 1. Who is Annie Dillard (1945 )? Read her biography in the Learning Web. Note literary biography. In particular note the paragraph about her as a small child. 2. Why does the essay begin with a paragraph about being a tomboy and loving football? Dillard is using football as a metaphor for what? According to Dillard, what does football require? 3. What is her thesis? (Note paragraph #2.) 4. What is her setting? Note the descriptions of the snow. 5. Where does conflict begin? What kind of conflict do we have in this story? 6. Describe the driver. What does he do after the children hit his car with a snowball? 7. Note the chase itself. Note how the rising action intensifies in paragraph 12 and 13. Note the signal words that help you follow her. 8. What about the man’s behavior surprises Dillard? In her mind, the driver transforms from what to what? 9. Where is the climax of the essay? 10. Dillard keeps dialog to a minimum. What dialog do we hear? 11. What is Dillard’s attitude about being captured? 12. What word would you use to describe the tone of this memoir? 13. Dillard reveals the point of her story in paragraph 19 as part of her denouement. What is that point? 14. Note that description of the man in paragraph 21. In Dillard’s imagination, he has transformed from â€Å"the driver† into what? 15. Note Dillard’s use of the semicolon and dash as part of her sentence structure. 16. Note vocabulary â€Å"crenellated,† â€Å"spherical,† â€Å"perfunctorily.† E. B. White’s â€Å"Once More to the Lake† (Harper’s Magazine, â€Å"One Man’s Meat,† White’s monthly column, October 1941) 1. Who is E. B. White (1899-1985)? When did he write â€Å"Once More to the Lake†? Note literary biography on our Learning Web. 2. Note the exposition. Who are the characters? What is the setting? 3. Note White’s thesis. 4. Do you find the essay has more narration or description? 5. Note White’s use of imagery as he describes the lake. 6. What figurative language does White use to describe the lake? 7. What conflict do you find in this essay? When does the conflict begin? Is White’s conflict internal or external? Explain. 8. When White and his son go fishing the first morning, White mentions â€Å"the† dragonfly instead of â€Å"a† dragonfly. Account for his decision to use â€Å"the.† 9. Note places in the memoir where conflict builds. 10. What sound effect disrupts White’s reliving of his past? 11. Where is the climax of this essay? Account for your decision. Is there resolution? 12. Why does White feel a â€Å"chill of death† at the end of the essay? 13. What is the tone of this essay? Account for your answer. 14. Did you enjoy this essay? Why or why not? Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds† (from her novel The Joy Luck Club, 1989) 1. Who is Amy Tan (1950 )? Note her biography on the Learning Web. Note literary biography. 2. Note the exposition of the story. What is the narrative point of view? Who are the main characters in the story? What are the cultural differences between Jing Mei and her mother? Note dialog and body language as you read. 3. What is the setting of â€Å"Two Kinds†? Where and when does this story take place and how do you know? 4. Define the word â€Å"prodigy.† 5. What motivates Jing Mei’s mother to force her child to become a prodigy? 6. What are Jing Mei’s first responses to becoming a prodigy? 7. Note the rising action and conflict. 8. What does Jing Mei finally decide she will do about her mother’s constant attempts to make her into a prodigy? 9. Note Mr. Chong. Who is he? What specific details about him make him a vivid character? 10. The piano plays an important role in the story. What does it become for Jing Mei? 11. Note the various reactions of the people who experience Jing Mei’s recital. 12. What is the climax of the story? 13. What happens in the denouement of the story? 14. Is the mother-daughter conflict resolved? 15. In the denouement, what does Jing Mei learn about the song she played at the recital? 16. Note Tan’s use of metaphor and simile. Give examples of Tan’s figurative language and fine detail and imagery.

Causes of Material Failure

Causes of Material Failure Safety, reducing weight and maintenance costs of structural components, have always been a target in structural design, particularly where lighter structures result in higher load carrying capacity in industrial projects (Li et al. 2003). Since the high strength steel (HSS) is susceptible to weld defects, specifically in structures subjected to alternating stresses, the bolted connections are used as an effective and versatile joining technique in a variety of structures compared to welded equivalents (Jimà ©nez-Peà ±a et al. 2016). In this respect, various authors have investigated the performance of bolted joints under static loading condition. Despite this, the behavior of bolted joints under cyclic loading is still not well documented and fully understood (Mà ­nguez and Vogwell 2006). A deep concern that engineers have regarding the serviceability of commercial structures is the detrimental failure resulting from metal fatigue. As a matter of fact, the design philosophies have changed over recent years in a way that static strength has been replaced by fatigue life, durability and damage tolerance (Mà ­nguez and Vogwell 2006). Design rules for bolted connections are available in Canadian and American standards in conjunction with extensions for fatigue design considerations. Material failure happens in several forms, such as wear, corrosion, deformation, and fracture. When a component is subjected to a cyclic loading and results in the separation of the component into two or more pieces, this is plain fatigue or conventional fatigue. On the other hand, fatigue failure might occur due to a phenomenon known as fretting fatigue (Hà ¤mà ¤là ¤inen and Bjà ¶rk 2015). For example, one of the bolts that connects the bottom bracket to the support broke was fractured due to fretting fatigue and another was failed because of plain fatigue during the round four of accelerated fatigue test under 113 kN at 2 Hz of fatigue as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Therefore, it proves why an extensive research should be undertaken to investigate the precise mechanism of fretting fatigue in bolted connections. Fretting can occur when a pair of structural components are in contact under a normal load while cyclic tangential stress and relative displacement are applied alongside the contact surface. The phenomenon of fretting has been recognised initially as a surface damage phenomenon, what today are called fretting wear. During fretting the fatigue strength decreases to less than one-third of that without fretting (Hattori et al. 2011). This kind of fatigue can be seen widely in bolted and riveted connections. The fatigue life performance of bolted joints depends on several factors, such as size of the bolts, the number and arrangement of used bolts, the level of pretension or torque tightening applied to the bolts, the material plate thickness and surface roughness. Understanding in what way all these factors affect the fatigue life of a joint is fairly complex and has not been thoroughly investigated (Mà ­nguez and Vogwell 2006). The primary objectives of this literature review are (1) to review a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms lead to fretting fatigue failure; (2) to determine the factors which influence the fatigue strength of bolted joints; (3) to indicate predictor tools used in order to estimate the fatigue lifetime of bolted joints; (4) to propose different approaches to address the aforementioned objectives. Fig. 1: Plain fatigue in bolt shank and fretting fatigue in bottom surface of bolt head Fig. 2: Plain fatigue Bolted connections are classified on basis of the mechanism in which the forces are transferred. When members are not pressed together by torque tightened bolts, the joint members can move freely (bearing-type bolted connection); thus, a large portion of load is transferred from bolt to the edge of plates as shown in Fig. 3. Elongation of the holes due to the stress transmitted through the bolts into the members might occur, if the stress levels within the hole are adequately high to cause plastic deformation. In this case, the major failure modes for a joint subjected to shear loading would be as shown in Fig. 4. On the other hand, when the plate members are compressed together by application of tightening torque on the bolts, the members Fig. 3: A bearing joint, with the bolt acting as a shear pin slippage could be prevented; therefor, the friction in contact interface transfers loads directly, instead of transmitting through the bolt to the plates hole. In this way, the connections benefit greatly with respect to the failure modes presented in Fig. 4, because the stress concentrations caused by the bearing of the bolts at the edge of plates hole will be lowered significantly (friction-type bolted connection). Fig. 5 illustrates the behavior of a friction-type joint under static loading in shear. The joint deforms elastically until the load reaches the critical value. At region (2) the joint begins to slip and it continues until the bolts start bearing on bolt holes. Elastic deformation happens again in region (3), until the yielding of plates or bolts occurs in form of plastic deformation in region (4). Eventually, joint will be failed at point (5) (Mà ­nguez and Vogwell 2006). Fig. 4: Failure modes for joints loaded in shear Fig. 5: Behavior of a joint under increasing loading The phenomenon of plain fatigue refers to the behavior of materials under the action of repeated stress and strain which distinguishes it from their behavior under monotonic or static stresses or strains. The plain fatigue is defined more precisely by the process in which the progressive localized permanent structural changes occur in a material subjected to conditions that produce fluctuating stresses and strains at some points and that culminate in cracks or complete fracture after a sufficient number of fluctuations. A plain fatigue failure is often very sudden, with no obvious warning; however, the mechanism might have been operating from the beginning of the components usage. Fig. 6: Crack growth path in sheet (a) single shear (b) double shear Fig. 6 shows fatigue crack initiation and propagation schematically. At short crack length where crack tip plastic zones are small, the crack path is usually flat. As crack grows, the crack tip plastic zone increases in size and the crack plane can turn to 45 ° shear or slant mode. This can be either single shear as shown in Fig. 6(a) or double shear as shown in Fig. 6(b). The aspects of plain fatigue fracture can be summarized as follows: The entire fatigue process involves the nucleation and growth of a crack or cracks to final fracture. The plain fatigue crack at fracture can be very small or very large, occupying less than 1 percent of the fracture up to almost 100 percent. The plain fatigue crack region can be distinguished from final fracture region by beach marks, smoothness, and corrosion, However, there are many exceptions. Microscopic plain fatigue cracks often grow in the plain of maximum tensile stress. However, for multiaxial loading, macroscopic fatigue cracks have also been observed on the plane of maximum shear (Stephens et al. 2000). It is one century since the problem of fretting first has undergone scientific investigation. Fretting was recorded first by Eden, Rose and Cunningham in 1911, who observed a red rust in the grips of fatigue machines by which they were testing steel specimens. The removal of the specimens was encumbered by the rust and its formation was mainly attributed to the varying stress between specimens and grips. This phenomenon was experimentally investigated first via Tomlinson in 1927, and coined the term fretting wear by which name it is generally known today (Scott 2013). Intensive study of the fretting process and mechanism has been undertaken during the 1950s and 1960s. Various theories regarding the nature of fretting have been summarized by Hurricks and then published in 1970. In 1974 Golego et al. recapitulated the results of experimental and analytical investigations conducted in the Soviet Union and other countries (Kovalevskii 1981). Based on these meticulous and intensive investigations, it appeared that the problem of fretting fatigue has adequately been solved, and it is of least interest. At the end of the 1930s and the beginning of 1940s fretting was observed in a new form, as a rapid lowering of the fatigue strength of metals. Warlow-Davis was the first scholar who studied the effect of fretting corrosion on fatigue life. Numerous investigations regarding this complicated phenomenon have been carried out subsequently, and interesting and informative results were obtained on basis of empirical and factual observations. Fretting fatigue has generally been considered in terms of the contribution of fretting to the fatigue strength of material. The recognition and interpretation of mechanism of fretting fatigue by means of this approach is more difficult. It thus appears more reasonable to attempt to postulate the mechanism of fretting fatigue on basis of a combination of the basic theory of fretting wear and t he fatigue failure of metals (Kovalevskii 1981). Fretting maybe defined as surface damage caused by low amplitude oscillatory sliding between two contacting surfaces. Fretting fatigue and fretting wear lie within this broad definition. Fretting is divided into two categories: fretting wear and fretting fatigue. The removal of material from contacting surfaces through fretting action is called fretting wear, whereas fretting fatigue is the reduction in fatigue life due to fretting surface damage (Bill 1983). Both types often occur within the same contact, but in different areas. Partial slip region is the area where contact pressure caused by normal force is high, while displacement amplitude caused by alternating tangential force is relatively small. In these areas, possibly fretting occurs as fatigue. On the other hand, those areas of the contact where the displacement amplitude is somewhat large compared to contact pressure are called gross slipping regime. In these areas fretting happens as fretting wear. There is another regime between these two regimes in a way that both mechanisms overlap, mixed fretting regime. Running condition fretting map is a useful tools (RCFM) used to present these regimes and the effect of those in the specimen failure can be translated into a material response fretting map (MRFM). Fig. 7 shows the schematic illustration of these maps (Hà ¤mà ¤là ¤inen and Bjà ¶rk 2015). Fig. 7: Schematic illustrations of (a) running condition fretting map (b) material response fretting map Fretting fatigue is a complicated tribological behavior of components which are in contact together having a small relative oscillatory motion. Due to high stress gradients generated at interface of connected surface caused by fretting, the fatigue lifetime of materials is reduced considerably compered to plain fatigue (Hojjati-Talemi et al. 2013). Fretting often occurs in structures subjected to oscillating tangential loads with low-amplitude and high frequency vibrations. Since fretting happens in counterpart surfaces, where crack initiation and crack propagation is hidden, and there is no easy access for inspection, crack detection is often impossible; hence, it is a particularly dangerous phenomenon. Sometimes the development of fretting damage is not detected until critical fracture or even catastrophic failure is occurred (Hoeppner 2006). Consequently, fretting fatigue heightens a serious concern for industrial structures, and analytical and numerical techniques for prediction of fretting fatigue are much in demand. Fig. 8 illustrates an example of failure due to fretting. Fig. 8: Typical critical locations for fretting fatigue crack initiations in (a) bolted flange and (b) riveted panels 4.1 Fretting wear and fretting fatigue-How are they related? The extent to which fretting wear correlates fretting fatigue is not fully cleared. The surface damage and contact stress distribution are similar in fretting fatigue and fretting wear for a given set of contact conditions. The remarkable feature which is evident in fretting fatigue, while is not for fretting wear necessarily, is an alternating bulk stress in one of the contact bodies. Furthermore, the edges of contact area or near slip/nonslip interfaces are the spots where fretting fatigue occurs consistently. The sequence of crack initiation and propagation in fretting problems involving fretting wear or fretting fatigue is important, because it generally causes microspalling in the former case and fatigue failure in the later (Bill 1983). Fig. 9 presents the loading conditions for a typical fretting contact. The significant feature which distinguishes fretting from gross sliding wear is the formation of a partial slip zone within the contact area when the tangential force is less that the frictional force. Eq. 1 The small displacement amplitude traps the wear debris and prevents those from existing contact zone. Different combinations of normal load and displacement lead to different forms of damage mechanism. Another comprehensive fretting maps proposed by Vingsbo in 1988 is plotted schematically in Fig. 10. The area is divided into various regimes and the dominant damage mechanism is specified in each zone as following: Fig. 9: Fretting contact and loading Partial slip regime or Stick regime: Although some slip occurs by application of tangential loading, most of the contact zone remains in stick. Fretting fatigue is the dominant mode of failure in this area; however, some wear occurs even when reciprocating motions are as small as 0.25  µm. Mixed stick and slip regime or mixed fretting regime: This regime is categorized by transition of the fretting contact from partial slip to the gross sliding. The dominant mode depends on whether the fatigue cracks grow fast enough to avoid removal by wear. Gross slip regime or gross sliding regime: Slip exists throughout the contact in this regime. The excessive volume of debris produced by fretting cycle, would prevent crack from propagating. Although the slip happens all around the contact, the debris formed during fretting cycle would trapped within contact area. This is a fundamental characteristic which distinguishes this regime from reciprocating sliding phenomenon. Reciprocating sliding: Once the amplitude meets a critical level, the wear mechanism will be similar to unidirectional sliding. The remarkable feature of reciprocal sliding wear is that for different amplitudes within reciprocal sliding, wear volumes is almost being kept constant, whereas the production of oxidized debris and a wear coefficient would increase rapidly by the increase of amplitude of motion (Patil 2010). Fig. 10: Typical fretting map for Hertzian contact Although, it is very difficult to establish a precisely distinct line of demarcation between fretting wear and reciprocal sliding wear, some literatures suggest that the critical amplitude of slippage in which the occurrence of reciprocating sliding wear will be imminent. Due to complexity of fretting phenomenon, different refrences presented different transition values for different materials. Vingsbo and Soderberg in 1988 as well as Ohmae and Tsukizoe in 1974 suggested the transition value lies at 300  µm, Toth suggested 50  µm, while Lewis and Didsbury concluded transition value equal to 70  µm (Chen and Zhou 2001).

The Effects of the Green Revolution on the Punjabi Soils of India Essay

The Effects of the Green Revolution on the Punjabi Soils of India The Green Revolution hopes to avert global hunger crises by enabling developing nations to be self sufficient. The goal is to replace old agricultural traditions with newer Western practices. Developing nations can increase their total yields by using genetically engineered seeds, large irrigation projects, and prolific quantities of fertilizer. The aim of this paper is examine the methods of the Green Revolution, and their effects on the soils of the Punjab region in India. What is the Green Revolution? The idea behind the Green Revolution is noble: to enable developing nations to grow their own food, and thereby avert mass starvation. During the period immediately after World War Two the United States had the dubious honor of unofficial safeguard against famine for all developing nations. Despite political pressure to modernize their agricultural systems, most developing nations were more interested in large industrial projects. During 1965, when urged to restructure Indian agriculture, one government official replied, "Why should we bother? Our reserves are the wheat fields of Kansas." (Brown, 1970) This reply was shown to be true in 19 67 when after two consecutive monsoon failures, the United States shipped one fifth of its wheat crop to India in order to avert mass starvation. The United States fed 60 million Indians for two years. There was an acute need to change American foreign aid policy. The first change was an increase in support for such organizations as the Agency for International Development (AID), which specialized in financing shipments of fertilizer. Green Revolution agronomists reasoned that farming could be intensified if ferti... ...ganic fertility of soils." (Shiva, 1991) Works Cited: Brown, Lester R., Seeds of Change; The Green Revolution and Development in the 1970's, Praeger Publishers: New York, 1970. Glaeser, Bernhard, The Green Revolution Revisited, Allen & Unwin: Boston, 1987. Holmes, Bob, 1993, "A New Study Finds There's Life Left in the Green Revolution," Science, vol. 261, p.1517. Lappà ©, Francis Moore and Joseph Collins, World Hunger; Twelve Myths, Institute For Food and Development Policy & Grove Press: New York, 1986. Sen, Bandhudas, The Green Revolution in India, John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1974. Shiva, Vandana, The Violence of the Green Revolution, Third World Network: Penang Malaysia, 1991. Wolf, Edward C., "Beyond the Green Revolution: New Approaches for Third World Agriculture," World Watch Paper 73, WorldWatch Institute, Washington D.C., October 1986.

Portrait of a Lady - From Novel to Film Essay -- Movie Film Essays

Portrait of a Lady - From Novel to Film Jane Campion's most recent film, Portrait of a Lady (1996), offers a distinct departure from her previous work, The Piano (1993), with which some critics have found fault. In her 1998 article, for example, while commending Campion for introducing two characters able to renounce the gender warfare that characterizes Western culture, Diane Long Hoeveler criticizes Campion for celebrating marriage, the idea that women cannot survive without a man at the center of their lives (Hoeveler 110, 114). Second, she asserts that while Campion toys with feminist issues and images, Piano is Aromantic and escapist, with Ada's decision to be reborn with Baines a step hardly worthy of the serious feminist issues that Campion seems to be raising in the film (Hoeveler 114). Finally, she points out that Campion is heavily indebted to a 1920s work, The Story of a New Zealand River by Jane Mander. Partly as a consequence of not acknowledging this debt, the film has conflicting sources, Campion's rat her permissive twentieth century script about adultery, superimposed on Mander's original, in which the Victorian heroine is not united sexually with her lover until after her husband's death. Enacting a basically contemporary drama in anachronistic costumes and setting, Hoeveler says the film contains gaps, ...fissures we sense while viewing it (Hoeveler 114). For example, how likely is it, she asks, that an 1850s heroine would conduct an adulterous affair? In (Re)Visioning the Gothic (1998), Cyndy Hendershot echoes this view, calling Baines, the film's nontraditional male (Harvey Keitel), a deus ex machina, a fairy-tale character, an imaginary resolution to two real problems, on the one hand the castratio... ..., Campion breaks his barrier of reticence about sex, money and behavior and delivers the facts straight. Hardly faithful to him as she is, though, Jane Campion's work is itself made possible by the original master, Henry James. Sources Cited Bluestone, George. Novels Into Film. California UP, 1971. Campion, Jane. The Piano. London: Bloomsbury, 1993. Dapkus, Jeanne R. Sloughing off the Burdens. Film Literature Quarterly 25.3 (1997): 177-187. Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Hendershot, Cyndy. (Re)Visioning the Gothic. Film Literature Quarterly 26.2 (1998): 97-108. Hoeveler, Diane Long. Silence, Sex, and Feminism. Film Literature Quarterly 26.2 (1998): 109-116. James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady. 1881. New York: Random House, 1996. Jones, Laura. The Portrait of a Lady. New York: Penguin, 1996.

A Taste of American Pie :: Ethnicity Mexican American Essays

A Taste of American Pie Sunday morning. The smell of flour tortillas warming on the kitchen stove would waft all the way to my room. I could hear the radio play scratchy ranchera tunes to which my mother always seemed to know the words. If I lay long enough in bed, my mother would walk in the room and try to wake me up, resorting to singing my name or an old Spanish nursery rhyme if all else failed. Ask me where home is, and I'll tell you just this. This is home. This is me. All I've ever known is Mexican culture. Both of my parents were born in Mexico, and I myself have never lived more than a few hours from the border. I've never known a Christmas without tamales or a September 16 th without celebration. But I am not just Mexican. I am Mexican-American. MÃ ©xico may be home, but America is where I live. I find here in college that I am just beginning to learn what it means to be American. I used to think that I would find that meaning through a sort of duality; anything that was n't Mexican or part of the minority would have to be American. Ironically, the idea of "Americanness" was closer to home. I've come to realize that to be American is to know and share myself. America is a conglomerate of many cultures. As such, it possesses no single, distinct culture. There is no one overarching "American" culture that is independent of all those that make it up. The supposed "melting pot" of peoples is not exactly an accurate portrayal of America. This nation is dotted with cultural enclaves that nurture their own customs and traditions rather than fuse them with others. I, for one, would not give up my Mexican identity to become simply American. I am sure that many would agree that we are all more than American. Each culture, therefore, remains fundamentally unique, never really "melting" into another. To call yourself "American" is to recognize that you are a small, albeit integral, part of a greater phenomenon.

Satire in the Great Gatsby

Is Fitzgerald writing a love story that shows the American ideals, or is it a satire that comments on the American society in the roaring twenties? The novel The Great Gatsby is a satire type novel that comments on the American society during the roaring twenties.This is shown through the contrast of The Valley of Ashes and Gatsby’s parties, Gatsby himself, and Myrtle and George Wilson. Through these characters and places, Fitzgerald shows through satire, how the American dream isn’t real anymore and how it is now replaced with immoral activities and actions.The American dream has been replaced with greed and the pursuit of money rather than happiness. The valley of Ashes represents poverty and hopelessness. This location shows how the American dream has been perverted into something very dark and sinister.This is the desire of wealth at any cost and the ideal that money will make you happy. â€Å"This is a valley of ashes- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 26). this quote shows the affects of the modern materialistic society of New York.Everyone wants to be the rich but the poor suffer a lot due to the by-product of the capitalistic society. The by-product in this novel is the ashes. This shows how people throw out regard for other humans for the pursuit to be rich (This is very immoral).This is believed to be the American dream. On the other hand you have McArthur 2 Extravagant parties at the Gatsby house just to impress a girl. This is a sharp contradiction which fits into Fitzgerald’s attempt to use satire to prove the point that the American Dream is gone. Gatsby himself is the bets example of the pervetd new American dream. Gatsby gets his money through bootlegging.He does what every he can to get rich and what got him rich was illegal and immoral activities. â€Å"You’re one of the bun ch that hangs around with Mayor Wolfshiem- that much I happen to know. I’ve mad a little investigation into your affairs and carry it further tomorrow† (Pg. 104).This quote shows Tom accusing Gatsby of being a bootlegger. Gatsby gets rich just to get Daisy. The satire shown is that no matter how much money Gatsby has he is never happy and all he needs is Daisy but Daisy will not like him unless he is rich. This shows how the only thing Americans care about is money and how the American dream is no longer.Myrtle and George Wilson are the poorer characters in the book but both want the dream of being really rich. Myrtle tries to achieve this by having an affair with Tom who is rich. She cheats on George and she ends up getting hit by a car driven by Daisy.This event shows that there is no way of escaping the Valley of Ashes. George is a hardworking man and just wants to get some money and seem rich. He tries to buy Tom’s car just so he can have a really nice car. G eorge symbolizes that in modern America, you will not succeed in getting rich and achieving the false American dream of being rich and happy.George ends up committing suicide which furthers the ideal that you will not get out the valley of ashes. This is another form of satire trying to urge people to not go with moral decay and rather live a happy non-immoral life.McArthur 3 The novel The Great Gatsby uses Satire to show that the American dream is dead during the roaring twenties. Fitzgerald does this through the Valley of Ashes, Gatsby’s parties, Gatsby himself, Myrtle and George Wilson. The American dream has been replaced with greed and the pursuit of money rather than happiness.

Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper

The definition Of body composition is the body qualified amount Of fat to fat-free mass. Body composition is made up of two parts of mass. These parts are fat free mass and fat, fat free mass is made up of bones, muscle, water and tissue. Body fat is located inside the human body and protects the internal organs, provides sufficient energy, manages hormones which perform various functions in the body. When the person is considered obese or overweight the fat that they carry can cause a potential health risk.People who have standard body composition are usually healthier, move easier, function better and more efficient. Also humans who have ideal body composition have higher confidence than someone who has unsatisfactory body composition. A person who has more body fat than was standard IBM can be at risk for health issues. The health issues that can be related to obesity are cancer, diabetes, heart disease and etc. The obesity epidemic basically comes down to humans eating too much f ood and not doing enough exercise to burn calories, strengthens muscles and bones.The biggest factor is that humans are persuaded by fast food companies such as McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut and other type of chains and restaurants. These companies invest billions of dollars in advertising to win consumers over and to spend money on their product. While the companies are making money, human beings are also gaining weight. Fast food companies are also increasing portions such as a large, medium or extra-large fries. These fries are packed with salt and sodium. Another factor that does not help the obesity epidemic is how a person lives and manages their daily schedules.If a person works a desk job at different hours it can be hard to find time to exercise on a daily basis. Some health problems that are associated with anorexia nervous are loss of bone strength, tooth decay, thyroid gland issues, and dehydration, sensitive to cold, depression, and poor memory. Bulimia nervous can lead to dehydration, kidney failure, irregular heartbeat, and drug and alcohol abuse. Binge eating health problems are more in depth than anorexia nervous and bulimia. Binge eating can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gall bladder disease, trouble breathing, cancer, and sleep robbers.The cause of eating disorders is still founded to be unknown. But through research scientist and doctors have looked at the patterns of the person who is having an eating disorder. Most eating disorders are due to confidence and personal image issues that the person is having. From a physiological standpoint, an eating disorder can lead to health problems such as an ulcer. From throwing up to much the person can tear the lining in the stomach which can lead to further digestion issues. Dehydration and vomiting can lead to electrolyte abnormalities, which includes low potassium and calcium.Going further these issues can lead to dysfunction in the cardiac muscle. Malnutrition can lead to the body creating less estrogen and growth hormone which can lead to Infertility. By having low levels of estrogen, low calcium, peak levels of stress, can result in bone loss.

Examples of Innovative Products and Services

1. Objective Identify current issues and areas of improvement for small business banking in Canada Recommend innovative banking products 3. Examples of Innovative Products and Services Innovation Country Term Loans New Zealand Financing Products Diversity Loans U. S. Remote Deposit Capture U. S. Customer Customer Feedback Program, New Zealand Experience Online Banking Community Canada, U. S. Employee Benefit Programs U. S. Benefit Programs Priority Banking U. S. Foreign Exchange Order Watch Service Australia Factoring Canada Products Loans/Mortgages for Green Business Canada, UK, U. S. , Greece â€Å"Think Card† UK Green Business Treasurers Reserve Account UK Green Business Advisory Support Canada Category 2. Research Methods and Scope Official websites, professional reports, market surveys, government studies Domestic and international banks and credit unions (Canada, US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand) 4. SWOT Analysis Strength †¢ Advertisement capabilities †¢ Familiarity with innovations †¢ Scales of network allowing piloting †¢ Difficulty with business process changes †¢ Difficulty satisfying small business needs †¢ Promote diversity loans †¢ Promote green products . Gap Analysis Gap analysis reveals potential solutions for the bank to fulfill customer requirements Most of the potential solutions can be categorized as â€Å"Social Responsibility Products† 6. Recommendations Weakness Opportunity Threat A comprehensive social responsibility program includes: Loans to support local economies Loans to support w omen, youth, immigrant and disabled entrepreneurs Banking products to encourage and finance projects that contribute to environmental sustainability 7. References & Acknowledgements A point system to demonstrate recognition and appreciation for small business customers that share social values of the bank â€Å"Green Products for Commercial Banking Customers†, Business Banking Board, †¢ Competitors going for Catalogue Number: BBB17TXCXH. Small Business Financing. [Online]. Canadian Bankers Association. A kick-off marketing campaign to promote the new program and a [2010, Oct. 20] website dedicated to providing information for the program †¢ Losing customers to foreign We thank Prof. J. C. Paradi for providing us this valuable opportunity to work with a real client on an industrial project and Dr. J. Farvolden for guidance and advice Continuous cost/benefit analysis for products in the program and exchange companies along the way. We thank the Client for providing this project and supporting us with relevant information. We thank everyone who put in effort to make this changes as needed to match the social responsibility theme project available for us and wish the best for your future endeavors.

The Logistics of a Third-World Relief Operation

Due to the Internal cooperation and collaboration within INCUR a great amount of knowledge emerges. This knowledge, later, Is shared with other organizations (Nags). The extensive cooperation, coordination and communication are the key successful factors for the productive partnership between both of the companies. They are on the right way because frequently they organize meetings to discuss and Implement Improvements. An Important factor INCUR should consider Is to enter Into an alliance with local government and military.Military plays a crucial role in this field; he principal reason for reaching an agreement with it is that military possesses security and emergency responses. Cooperation with government can minimize cultural differences between the refugees and the personal of the organizations. While, military participation can be useful when unforeseen events, such as meteorological or political circumstances, occur (e. G. Providing airplanes in order to reduce supplies lead t imes). From the standpoint of incoming supply and storage of non-food-items (blankets, water cans, kitchen sets†¦It can be said that the unit logistic system was not able to predict the amount of goods that would arrive at the warehouse. They did not have any control over the consignments (size, deliveries times); consequently enormous obstacles are likely to arise in satisfying refugees' needs. A solution to this problem can be the implementation of a SIT system. The core of this system is to Increase the productivity through maintaining Inventories at a minimum level. Perhaps, this is a possibility for the necessity of more space than contemplated for non-food items.Thus, it would enable them to order the exact amount of food they need. On the one hand, this allows a flexible system that is able to confront unpredictable changes. On the other hand, SIT system may have some disadvantages. In some cases this system would not be able to meet unforeseen orders. The major issue th at the senior logistics officer has to face is linked to the transportation of goods. A radical change about it is necessary. Infrastructure in Rwanda Is extremely poor.Climate, bad roads conditions, non-protective nature of he labor/w;irking conditions for the drivers worsen the situation even more. With regard to the latter, a working day of 8 hours and a drivers' rotation in one Journey, are likely to force simple modifications. These modifications can lead greater operational efficiency. Transport capacities play a pivotal role in improving the management of supplies. Andrew should precisely estimate the exact number of trucks required each time: the duration of the trip, how long it takes to undead 1 OFF other related issues.Uncertain situations such as inconsistent information or cultural preferences constitute a barrier that could lead to enormous delays and unfulfilled demands. Therefore, delivering the right amount of supplies within the due dates is a task that all involve d organizations must satisfy. Moreover, assessment (e. G. Data gathering) before implementing a new relief operation is indispensable in order to build a strong plan. If an organization aims to develop an effective relief logistic system, it is essential to analyze thoroughly its investment in vulnerable transport and communication.

NoTopic Needed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NoTopic Needed - Essay Example The first factor is culture. Culture has been termed as a people’s way of life comprising of people’s beliefs, values and norms. Culture affects consumption habits, people’s lifestyles and even access to information. Obesity educators in order to solve this barrier have to understand a community culture before they can propose any strategy to deal with obesity. A cultural assessment must be done to elicit beliefs, values, norms and language in order to design effective obesity education programs (Tripp-Reimer, Skemp, Choi, & Enslein, 2001). The second barrier is the content of the programs such that these provide too much detail on the pathophysiology and too little regarding the daily management of the illness. To solve this, educators must engage with the community in focus groups before initiating programs to address those areas of greatest concern (Tripp-Reimer, Skemp, Choi, & Enslein, 2001). Third is learning styles such that different communities and people require different learning styles. Some cultures have a strong oral tradition and therefore patient education should be centered on metaphors, storytelling etc. to convey health messages (Tripp-Reimer, Skemp, Choi, & Enslein, 2001). Obesity can be prevented with through the use of effective strategies. The best approach or strategies that can be used in the prevention of obesity are the primary prevention strategies. These aim at addressing the root cause of the problem, reducing the likelihood of development of a disease or disorder. Disease prevention aims at reducing the likelihood that a disease will affect a community or individual, interrupting or slowing its progress or the reduction of disability (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005). The first of such strategies is the activity. Physical activity has been found to be one of the best strategies to prevent obesity. Running, jogging and walking, engaging in sporting activities all help in burning access calories

Culture shock Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture shock - Article Example The more one tries to learn and accept the new culture, the quicker the culture shock goes away. I agree to the description of culture shock presented in the article. The article gives a detailed insight into the topic of culture shock. Aspects discussed in the article include but are not limited to the definition of culture shock, how is it caused, the psychological and emotional effects of culture shock, what can be done about it, and which community is at the greatest risk of experiencing culture shock. After reading this article, one completely understands the concept of culture shock. I particularly agree to the author’s view that culture shock is experienced the most by people moving from advanced countries to the third world country because it is easier for the poor to adopt the culture of the rich country but people who have lived in a technologically developed environment with a lot of facilities find it very difficult to adjust into a country where there are not many

Strategy in the Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategy in the Organization - Essay Example In the approach, the biological evolution’s law of the jungle is substituted by the market discipline. Another approach based on the business processes has emphasis on the stickiness and imperfection of human life. The strategy pragmatically accommodates strategies for the fallible processes, both for the markets and organizations. The final view is the systemic approach, which is in essence relativistic. The approach regards the means and ends of strategy as being inescapably connected with the powers and cultures of the social systems in the local setting where the strategy is implemented. The four strategic approaches, according to Whittington (2000), have fundamental differences emerging along two distinct dimensions. The first dimension is based on the outcomes of the strategy while the second dimension is based on the processes by which the strategies are made. In a nutshell, the two dimensions examine the purpose of the strategy and the processes involved in the impleme ntation of the strategy respectively. In the assumptions by evolutionary and classical approaches, the maximization of profits is viewed as the intended outcome of implementing a strategy. On the other hand, the processual and systemic approaches project a more pluralistic approach, viewing other outcomes that are possible from a strategy as much as the profits. Regarding processes, differences arise in the pairings. On the same front are the processualist and evolutionary approaches which view strategy as coming from processes arising by chance, conservatism and confusion. Similarly, theorists of systemic and classical approaches have converging views that strategy can be deliberate despite their differences over the outcomes from the two strategies. Taking a closer look at each of the four strategic approaches, the classical approach contains the textbook answers. This means, it views strategy as a process that is rational. It should, therefore, involve deliberate calculations and analyses strategically intended to maximize on the long-term advantage. In the classical approach, deliberate effort is made in the gathering of information and in the application of the most suitable techniques. In this view, both the organization and its environment are made plastic and predictable, shaped by the organization’s top management using carefully formulated plans. The classical approach relies on good planning in the mastering of the internal and external business environments. Success and failure in the long-run, is determined by the objective decision making and the rational analysis employed in the classical approach (Armstrong, 1991). On another strategic front, the evolutionary approach view the future-oriented planning adopted by the classical approach as irrelevant. According to the approach, the business environment is very unpredictable and implacable to anticipate anything effectively. According to the approach, the hostile, dynamic and competitive na ture of the markets means that it is not possible for organizations to plan for their long-term survival. In essence, only the firms that strategize to maximize on their profits will eventually survive the harsh environment. The businesses are likened to the species in biological evolution where the fittest organisms for survival are ruthlessly selected through competitive processes. The unfit organisms have little power to adopt to change quickly enough and therefore cascade towards extinction.

Impact of World War II on the United States Essay

Impact of World War II on the United States - Essay Example Prior to the war, the New Deal was not able to overcome the stagnant state of the US economy despite the concerted efforts of the Roosevelt government. The unemployment rate remained steadily above 14 percent despite having considerably fallen since the darkest years of the depression. A consideration of a more penetrative government fiscal intervention gave way to speculations about real economic recovery in which it was posited that the recovery would become elusive if given to the care of the private sector (Vatter 1985, p. 7). Such recovery required much more Keynesian doses for the New Deal to finally affect full employment (Vatter 1985, p.11). Political impacts include several pursuits that aimed to repair a damaged economy during the New Deal era and the war itself. A political, psychological, and economic shift was a product of the New Deal and World War II in the United States. These concerns troubled the American government during the war years and immediately afterward: big government, the economy, and communism at home and abroad. It was inferred that the bourgeoning bureaucracy that ensued in the United States during the WWII was one characterized by the mounting of commissions, agencies, and administrations, aiming to serve the legal and political necessities of the period. Examples of these are the Foreign Economic Administration, Maritime Commissions and the War Shipping Administration, Selective Service System, US Employment Service, War Manpower Commission, War Labor Board, and War Food Administration (Vatter 1985, p. 87). Each of these had their on designated purposes in which central is the organizing and carrying out of American war-time economic production and output. All of these bureaucratic organizations formed a government front aiming to push through all forms of opposition in the interest of allied victory. The War Production Board (WPB) was established in order to distribute strategic materials as well as suspend the production of consumer products. The WMC attempted to balance the appropriat e distribution of men and women in military, industry, and agriculture during the war (Maddox 1992, p. 193). There was no questioning that the United States placed itself in a hegemonic position as a world power after the war, which may be referred to as one of its political impacts. Likewise, America's preoccupation with the promotion of democracy is essentially an idealist stance that emerged from the moralism and exceptionalism of the America political tradition (Ikenberry 2000, p. 103). This tradition is manifested through actual foreign policy, often carried out at the expense of more sober American international interests (Ikenberry 2000, p. 103). It is for the pursuit of making foreign policy commitments more acceptable to American public that the American democratic stance becomes a minor distraction. The American promotion of democracy after World War II reflects a pragmatic and evolving understanding of creating a stable political order in the international arena, which was later called "an American liberal grand strategy"

Low health Literacy in Heart Disease patients Essay

Low health Literacy in Heart Disease patients - Essay Example Some of these problems are increased mortality, increased risk of hospitalization, and decreased mental health (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). Consequently, low health literacy has to be identified and clinical practice should include the necessary interventions that deal with low health literacy. The importance of health literacy and its effects on human health gained considerable recognition in the 1990s. It was identified that good communication was significant in the health management of patients. Such communication should be developed between health care professionals and the patients and their relatives (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). It ensures the safety of patients and enhances the quality of health care. In the absence of proper communication, it is not possible to achieve optimal health care. The combination of low health literacy and lack of communication leads to serious health problems, such as increased risk of safety. This is because low health literacy deprives a patient, with chronic disease, of self-care skills. Institutes like the Heart Failure Society of America and the American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association stressed the importance of educating the patient about self-care methods (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). These methods are an essential component of the heart failure disease management programs. Therefore, health literacy is very important for patients with heart disease. Patients should understand and apply the provisions of the health literacy, in order to obtain the desired health outcomes (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). In the US, low literacy is a major problem. In the late 1990s, there were around forty million adults with a score that was accorded level 1 of the National Adult Research Survey (NALS). Level 1 is the lowest of the five levels of the NALS. This was complemented by another fifty million adults who were designated as level 2 individuals on the NALS (Berkman, et al., 2004). Thes e literacy levels determine the capacity of individuals to understand information or numbers. In the healthcare setting, literacy is of great importance. Patients with low literacy may find it difficult to communicate with their physicians, which would compromise the quality of medical care received by them. Low literacy makes it difficult for patients to understand the instructions given by the physician; and result in adverse health outcomes, and undesirable health effects (Berkman, et al., 2004). Lack of communication capacity, due to low literacy will result in the obtention of inferior quality treatment. It is essential to be aware of health issues. This requires a clear understanding of health information. Such comprehension is termed health literacy. The American Medical Association states that health literacy is an indicator of the personal health of individuals. Health literacy varies from person to person (Glassman, 2010). Thus, persons with poor health literacy do not giv e much importance to their personal health. According to the Institute of Medicine, more than half the people in the US consider it difficult to understand and use health information. Most of the patients in the US fail to follow medical schedules, on account of poor health literacy. They fail to take medicines as prescribed and fail to keep their appointment with doctors (Glassman, 2010). Interaction is an important aspect of healthcare area. It normally transpires in the

Water crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Water crisis - Essay Example As far as the Middle East is concerned, water resources of the region are rapidly getting depleted and many countries of the region like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen and United Arab Emirates are already facing problems that relate to scarcity of water resources. Although deficiency of resources is one issue, another major problem is related to their poor management of water resources. Despite the fact that this region is rich in production of oil, the prospect of getting benefit from their land by adopting agriculture as a means of food production is as yet unexplored. This is largely due to the desertification that is taking place in the region due to diminishing water resources. UAE holds a special position as far as the availability and consumption of water resources is concerned. Although UAE is undergoing severe depletion in resources of water, its water consumption per capita ranks the highest throughout the world. Additional aggravation of the condition is observed by realizing t he fact that the water table in UAE has fallen at a rate of one meter per annum and this trend has continued during the past three decades. It has been estimated that if the present trend continues, the water resources of UAE will deplete to alarming levels within a short period of only five decades i.e. fifty years (Rogers et al, 2006). Drastic measures need to be taken to prevent the continuation of the prevailing trend that denotes a sharp decline in the available level of water resources.

Pollution in Lake Michigan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pollution in Lake Michigan - Research Paper Example The researcher states that Wetlands present one of the greatest opportunities for conservation exercises, in a modern world faced by myriad environmental scares. Inland lakes everywhere in the world are perhaps among the only environmental treasures that the world has to protect due to their diversity and environmental importance. In the United States, pollution continues to be the major threat to the integrity of such treasures, which have a chance to be protected with the right approaches. The importance of the Great lakes that hold about a fifth of the entire earth’s fresh water cannot be ignored. Pollution concerns of the Great Lakes have been raised by conservationists, inspiring conservation interventions to be designed and carried out. A highlight of the state of pollution, pollutants and conservation interventions at Lake Michigan is made in this discourse. Specific projects already on the ground by various interagency cooperation plans include the elimination of basic pollution regulations implementation plans around the Lake with follow-ups by state and federal authorities being placed under strict watch. Some of the individual conservation projects carried out by various agencies on the Lake include those by; Michigan Dune Alliance and Michigan Farmland Protection among others. It is then concluded that the Lake Michigan Shorelands Alliance is powerful agency that facilitates the conservation input at the Lake, alongside other government and non-governmental agencies at the site.

All human beings have a deep need for affection and respect Essay Example for Free

All human beings have a deep need for affection and respect Essay Do you think that Steinbeck conveys the message that nearly all human beings have a deep need for affection and respect? Yes I do think that Steinbeck conveys the message that nearly all human beings have a deep need for affection and respect because there is a lot of characters in the story that are very lonely and depressed, they need someone to talk to and to discuss their own problems with. Curleys wife is very lonely and she doesnt have anyone to talk to. She is the only woman on the ranch and isnt treated properly. She has a dream to become and actress and she tells us the story about the time she was talking to a man and he told her that he would send her a letter back to become an actress and she is still waiting on the letter. She should be respected and it makes us release it. George and Lennieà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s dream is to liv of the fata the lanà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. This means that they dream to buy their own land and be there own boss and work there every day. They also want to be fed from there and Lennie wants to tendà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ his rabbits. As soon as candy finds out that George and Lennie have a dream, Candy buysà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in to it by offering all his savings. Lennie and George are outcasts and exiles, the reason for this is for the fact that they are itinerant workers and they always work together and go everywhere with each other. This makes them outcasts because they always go everywhere together where as compare to other people at that moment in time every one went on their own. Crooks is lonely and no one talks to him, he doesnt sleep in the bunkhouse with the other ranch-hands because he is black. This shows the racism at this time. When Lennie goes in to his room he tells Lennie to get out of it because he wasnt allowed in their rooms so why should Lennie be in his room. It shows the way he is rejected from the others and that he has a need for deep affection. Curley is very bossy and he thinks that everyone is afraid of him. He bullies people because this is the way he can talk to people. He thought that he would be able to bully Lennie because Lennie looked stupid and very shy, but after he hit Lennie a few times so as soon as George told Lennie to hit him back he did so. Every person has a need to convey their affection and in Of Mice and Men Steinbecks shows this in different ways, with the different characters.

Launch behaviourism Essay Example for Free

Launch behaviourism Essay Ivan P.Pavlov was the first initiator of behaviourism as he formed the basis and groundwork of behaviourism. Pavlov was a Russian scientist who was particularly interested in conditioned reflexes which led him to his infamous experiment of dogs and their salivary glands. In Pavlovs experiment he found that a dogs behaviour can be conditioned. Firstly when the dog was given food it would salivate, then the next time the dog received food a bell would be rung. This continued until the dog would salivate by the mere sound of a bell. This experiment provided the basis for Pavlovs idea that behaviour and responses could be conditioned (Tennant, 1997) John B. Watson drew from Pavlovs ideas and was the man to launch behaviourism. Watson was a psychologist from the United States. His infamous experiment was on a human baby code named Albert B. When Albert was exposed to a rat he showed no sign of fear but then a loud banging when there was a presence of a rat, which made Albert cry. Therefore every time Albert saw a rat he would associate it with his past experience and immediately cry whether there was a banging or not (Tennant, 1997) B.F Skinner was a major contributor to the school of behaviourism and believed that behaviour is maintained and produced by its consequences. Skinner believed that rewards and positive reinforcers have a greater affect on behaviour. He demonstrated this through his famed Skinner Box where animals were placed inside a box and were given an option of levers which they could press, one gave them food, the other an electric shock or similar. The animals soon learned which lever not to press and this demonstrated Skinners theory of learned behaviour (Van Iersal and others, 2005) Behaviourism is not the stimulation in psychological science as it once was. Psychologists and much of the public prefer more cognitive explanations of human behaviour. Thus the application of behaviour analysis is still active and successful in fields such as child development, education and drug abuse but is not reliable, as technology and scientific advances have proved otherwise to the denial of internal processes. Behaviourism is very much about nurture when it comes to the nature vs. nurture debate as it focuses on external stimuli affecting behaviour. Where behaviourism applied behaviour can be controlled, as action and external operations are controllable. Behaviourism can only explain a small part of human behaviour but it can no fully describe it. (Kazdin, 2000). To explain human behaviour an updated perspective is needed and not one convention is 100% right. The best approach is to take a little from each (McIerney 1998). Behaviourism was extremely influential in the early 20th century as it was the most up to date information available. Since scientific advances in brain chemistry and thought processes behaviourism has become outdated. Pavlov, Watson and Skinner had major impacts on not only behaviourism but also to psychology. Their techniques can still be applied today. Although behaviourism can explain a bit about behaviour it is far too narrow as it does not encompass or consider mental working of a human and brain functions which is a very important role in behaviour. Even though it is outdated behaviourism is still an interesting convention of psychology and can still be useful in explaining behaviour and treating behaviour problems. Bibliography: The Behavioural Approach : Class Handout  Behaviourism, Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online Encyclopaedia 2005

Automatic Number Pate Recognition System Information Technology Essay

Automatic Number Pate Recognition System Information Technology Essay Automatic number pate recognition system is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the license plates on vehicles. System might scan number plates at around one per second on cars traveling up to 100mph(160 km/h).they can use existing closed -circuit television or road-rule enforcement cameras, or ones specifically designed for the task. They are used by various police forces and as a method of electronic toll collection on pay-per-use roads and monitoring traffic activity, such as red light adherence in an intersection. ANPR can be used to store the images capture by the cameras as well as the text from the license plate, with some configurable to store a photograph of the driver. Systems commonly use infrared lighting to allow the camera to take the picture at any time of the day. A powerful flash is inclined in at least one version of the intersection-monitoring cameras, serving both to illuminate the picture and to make the offender aware of his or her mistake. ANPR technology tends to be region -specific, owing to pate variation from place to place. Some concerns about these systems have centered on privacy fears of government tracking citizens movements and media reports of misidentification and high error rates. However, as they have developed, the systems have become much more accurate and reliable. There is an increasing requirement to identify vehicles and track their location for a wide number of applications. These include: Congestion charging Several major cities around the world levy a charge a drive within them Car park management Using the number plate to identify the time of entry and departure of a Vehicle. Counter-terrorism Monitoring the arrival and departures of vehicles at major ports. Literature Review Our literature survey mainly focused on automatic number plate system research papers and its existing system along with its application, image processing technique and neural network recognition. These can be clearly illustrated as follows: Automatic number plate recognition system Javaanpr existing open source code in sourceforge.net Thesis describing research, image processing and neural networking technique along with its algorithm in pdf on javaanpr on sourceforge.net Image processing technique ImageJ -api based on java language for digital image processing Image editor -api based on java language made for image processing JAI api -java advance imaging for image processing from sunmicrosystem at java.sun.com. Opencv- Digital Image Processing (text book from library) Neural networking technique Introduction to java neural network second edition by jfheaton at heatonresearch.com Some ocr samples using neuralnetworking at sourcecode.com and its explanation Study on nepali ocr research conducted by madan puraskar guthi(yala Maya Kendra) Ocr sample developed by Google based for Linux available for windows on dot net (tesseract) Jooneengine-java api on neural network not so well developed and efficient at http://www.jooneworld.com Kohenen -java api on self organizing map applied to compress jpeg image. Somdemo-sample java program for illustration how self organizing map works. Program iterately train to converge with identical color from random samples Artificial neural network text book available at library (low price edition from pearson education. Neural networks systematic introduction by Raul Rojas(from lectures at free university at Berlin and later at the university of Halle) Automatic Number Pate Recognition system a)javaanpr Javaanpr open source available at sourceforge.net worked as prototype for building our Nepali automatic Nepali number plate recognition system. It also contain thesis in pdf format prescribing image processing technique and neural networking technique along with its algorithm. It works well recognizing foreign number plates contained as sample in the site. It was beautifully coded applying sophisticated and specialized algorithms for image processing and neural network technique. It also used xml files to save and retrieve neural network training data. Figure: sample javaanpr at sourceforge.net For more information-http://sourceforge.net Image processing Technique a)ImageJ 1.42 ImageJ was first developed on class files now available on GUI interface. User can just process image using various buttons and entries if prescription is required .programmers can develop own macros and plugins to achieve its intended function if required and compile there within and run the code. It is capable of processing both 2D and 3D interactive image processing. Figure. ImageJ graphical window interface For more information: http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/ b) Image editor Image editor was also found during search for image processing tool. It is also based on java language and available as java API, now class file are available with GUI interface easing its its manipulation. Image editor api seems inefficient and not so capable for our intended operation and not so much researched. C) JAI api the java advance imaging(JAI) API further extends the java platforms (including the java 2D API) by allowing sophisticated, high -performance image processing to be incorporated into java applets and applications.JAI is a set of classes providing imaging functionality beyond that of Java 2D and the Java Foundation classes, though it is compatible with those APIs. JAI implements a set of core image processing capabilities including image tiling, regions of interest, and deferred execution.JAI also offers a set of core image processing operators including many common point, area, and frequency-domain operators. JAI is intended to meet the needs of all imaging applications. The API is highly extensible, allowing new image processing operations to be added in such a way as to appear to be a native part of it. Thus, JAI benefits virtually all Java developers who want to incorporate imaging into their applets and applications. JAI features Cross-platform imaging Distributed Imaging Object-oriented API Flexible and Extensible Device Independent Powerful High Performance Interoperable Initially program coding was done in JAI Later it becomes little inefficient and we again go for another programming method. For further information-http://java.sun.com d) Digital Image processing (text book from library) e) Opencv The OpenCV implements a wide variety of tools for image interpretation. It is compatible with Intel ® Image Processing Library (IPL) that implements low-level operations on digital images. In spite of primitives such as binarization, filtering, image statistics, pyramids, OpenCV is mostly a high-level library implementing algorithms for calibration techniques (Camera Calibration), feature detection (Feature) and tracking (Optical Flow),shape analysis(Geometry, Contour Processing ),motion analysis (Motion Templates, Estimators ), 3D reconstruction (View Morphing),object segmentation and recognition (Histogram, Embedded Hidden Markov Models, Eigen Objects). The essential features of the library along with functionality and quality is performance. The algorithms are based on highly flexible data structures (Dynamic Data Structures) coupled with IPL data structures; more than a half of the functions have been assembler optimized taking advantage of Intel ® Architecture (Pentium ®MMXà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢,Pentium ® Pro, Pentium ®III, Pentium ®4). Why We Need OpenCV Library The OpenCV Library is a way of establishing an open source vision community that Will make better use of up-to-date opportunities to apply computer vision in the Growing PC environment. The software provides a set of image processing functions, As well as image and pattern analysis functions. The functions are optimized for Intel ® Architecture processors, and are particularly effective at taking advantage of MMX†ºÃ¢â‚¬ º Technology. The OpenCV Library has platform-independent interface and supplied with whole C Sources. OpenCV is open. Relation between Opens and Other Libraries OpenCV is designed to be used together with Intel ® Image Processing Library (IPL) And extends the latter functionality toward image and pattern analysis. Therefore, OpenCV shares the same image format (IplImage) with IPL. Also, OpenCV uses Intel ® Integrated Performance Primitives (IPP) on lower-level, if It can locate the IPP binaries on startup. IPP provides cross-platform interface to highly-optimized low-level functions that Perform domain-specific operations, particularly, image processing and computer Vision primitive operations. IPP exists on multiple platforms including IA32, IA64, And StrongARM. Source:-openCV reference manual.pdf Cmgui-wx-2(.net wrapper class) This openCV tool can be easily integrated with .net platform like c#, visual basic etc. Cmgui is an advanced 3D visualization software package with modeling capabilities.Cmgui is a part of CMISS, a mathematical modeling environment initially developed by the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute.CMISS stands for Continuum Mechanics, Image analysis. Signal processing and System Identification. There are three major CMISS software packages. Broadly speaking the main areas each piece of software deals with are as follows: CM is used for computational modeling Unemap is used for signal acquisition and processing Cmgui is used for model visualization and manipulation For more information:-wiki/getting started with cmgui Neural Networking technique a) Introduction to java neural network by jeff heaton This book along with video lecture helped very much for us to understand neural networks and learn coding technique. It was published form Heaton research center and they have developed encog framework for neural network where programmer can build fast neural network prototype for fast testing and checking since easy and flexible. After parameters have been determined for best operation such as number of hidden layers and number of neurons in each layer coding can be done since it code will be inflexible for such modification. Book contained different chapters on various types of neural networks and also its application. Only first seven chapters are allowed to read online and rests are not. It provides all its source code on site which also helps in learning and testing. Same book is also available in c# language. For more information-http://heatonreasearch.com/ b) On the beginning of project research we also got OCR sample using neural network at sourcecode.com with explanation. It was written at c#, due to compiler problem I didnt stress here much. c) Nepali OCR For us it was good news and opportunity to study research on Nepali OCR conducted by madan puraskar guthi. Different research papers were available on the site along with image processing portion code used to fragment Nepali character Image written on java. It deals with problem issues and complexity faced on Nepali character like devnagari font. For more information -http:// d) OCR engine tessaract by Google This was used by Nepali OCR for its processing and it supports many languages like Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, arabi etc. we didnt research here much. Figure: segmented portion of Figure : Another segmented portion of For more information-make Google search for link d) joone engine joone engine as a api in hope for easy and efficient coding we consider but it seems unworthy for project work. For beginner liking to test some xor operations and similar may find at least satisfactory otherwise unworthy. For more information-http://www.jooneworld.com/docs/engine.html e)Kohenen This sample also seems beautiful in understanding self organizing map or kohenen network. Here it is used to compress jpeg image. It was programmed on seven packages. For more information-http: // f) som demo This sample tries to converge iteratively with similar colors from randomly scattered pixel colors based on Euclidean distance method. Figure: som before training Figure: som after training For more information-link available at reference http://www.ai-junkie.com/ann/som/ g) Artificial neural Network text book (library) h) Neural network systematic introduction (by Raul Rojas) This book is good for understanding neural network systematically and based on lectures at free university at Berlin and later at the University of Halle. For more introduction-reference at http://www.wikipedia.com/selforganisingmap Figure: sample kohenen neural network (3D kohenen feature map) Source: http://rfhs8012.fh-regensburg.de/~jfroehl/index.html Anpr system application around world Police enforcement Germany On 11 March 2008, the Federal Constitution Court of Germany ruled that the laws permitting the use of automated number plate recognition systems in Germany violated te right to privacy. Hungary Several Hungarian Auxiliary Police units use a system called Matrix Police in cooperation with the police. It consists of a portable computer equipped with a webcam that scans the stolen car database using automatic number plate recognition. The system is installed on the dashboard of selected patrol vehicles (PDA based handled versions exists as well) and is mainly used to control the license plate of parking cars, as the Auxiliary Police doesnt have the authority to order moving vehicles to stop. If a stolen is found, the formal police are informed. United Kingdom The UK has an extensive (ANPR) automatic number plate recognition CCTV network. Effectively, the police and security services track all car movements around the country and are able to track any car in close to real time. Vehicle movements are stored for 5 years in the National ANPR Data Centre to be analyzed for intelligence and to be used as evidence. USA In the USA, ANPR systems are more commonly referred to as LPR (License Plate Reader or License Plate Recognition) technology or ALPR (Automatic License Plate Reader/Recognition) technology. One of the biggest challenges with ALPR technology in the US is the accuracy of the Optical Character Recognition (OCR)-the actual identification of the characters on the license plate. From time to time, states will make significant changes in their license plate protocol that will affect OCR accuracy. They may add a character or add a new license plate design. ALPR systems must adapt to these changes quickly in order to be effective. In addition to the real-time processing of the license plate numbers, some ALPR systems in the US collect data at the time of each license plate capture .Data such as date and time stamps and GPS coordinates can be reviewed in relation to investigations and can help lead to critical breaks such as placing a suspect at a scene, witness identification, pattern recognition or the tracking of suspect individuals. Average Speed cameras Another use of ANPR in the UK, Italy and Dubai (UAE) is for speed cameras which work by tracking vehicles travel time between two fixed points ,and therefore calculate the average speed. These cameras are claimed to have an advantage over traditional speed cameras in maintaining steady legal speeds over extended distances, rather than encouraging heavy braking on approach to specific camera locations and subsequent acceleration back to illegal speeds. UK The longest stretch of average speed cameras in the UK is found on the A77 road in Scotland, with 30 miles (48 km) being monitored between Glasgow and Ayr. Italy In Italian highways has developed a monitoring system named Tutor covering more than 1244 km (2007). Further extensions will add 900 km before the end of 2008. The Tutor system is also able to intercept cars while changing lanes. Traffic control Many cities and district have developed traffic control systems to help the movement and flow of vehicles around the road network. This had topically involved looking at historical data, estimates, observations and statistics such as: Car park usage Pedestrian crossing usage Number of vehicles along a road Areas of low and high congestion Frequency, location and cause of road words The UK Company Traffic master has used ANPR since 1998 to estimate average traffic speeds on non-motorway roads without the results being skewed by local fluctuations caused by traffic lights and similar. The company now operates a network of over 4000 ANPR cameras ,but claims that only the four most central digits are identified , and no number plate data is retained. Electronic toll collection Ontarios 407 ETR highway uses a combination of ANPR and radio transponders to toll vehicles entering and exiting the road. Radio antennas are located at each junction and detect the transponders, logging the unique identify of each vehicle in much the same way as the ANPR system does. There are numerous other electronic toll collection networks which use combination of Radio frequency identification and ANPR. These include: Bridge pass for the Saint John Harbor Bridge in Saint John New Brunswick City link Eastlink in Melbourne, Australia Gateway Motorway and Logan Motorway, Brisbane , Australia Fast Trak in California ,United states Highway 6 in Israel Tunnels in Hong Kong etc Charge zones the London congestion charge The London congestion charge is an example of a system that charges motorists entering a payment area. Transport for London (TFL uses ANPR systems and charges motorists a daily fee of  £8 paid before 10pm if they enter, leave or move around within the congestion charge zone. Stockholm congestion tax In Stockholm, Sweden, ANPR is used for the congestion tax of cars driving into or out of the inner city must pay a charge, depending on the time of the day. Other uses ANPR systems may also be used for/by: Section control, to measure average vehicle speed over longer distances. Border crossings Fillings stations to log when a motorist drives away without paying for their fuel. A marketing tool to log patterns of use Traffic management systems, which determine traffic flow using the time it takes vehicles to pass two ANPR sites. Drive Through Customer Recognition, to automatically recognize customers based on their license plate and offer them their last selection, improving service to the customer To assist visitor management systems in recognizing guest vehicles. Circumvention Techniques (drawback) Vehicles owners have used a variety of techniques in an attempt to evade ANPR systems and road -rule enforcement cameras in general. These methods may be Increasing reflective properties of the lettering and so that system might no locate or produce high enough level of contrast to be able to read Use of plate cover or spray Use of dirt to smear their license plate or utilize covers to mask the plate ANPR imaging hardware The frontend of any Imaging hardware is image capturing device that is camera. Retroreflective camera returns the light back to the source and thus improves the contrast of the image. A camera that makes use of active infrared imaging (with a normal color filter over the lens and infrared illuminator next to it) benefits greatly from this as the infrared waves are reflected back from the plate. This is only possible on dedicated ANPR cameras, however, and so cameras used for other purposes must rely more heavily on the software capabilities. Figure: hardware components used in ANPR system Figure source-http://securityautomation.co.uk To avoid blurring it is ideal to have the shutter speed of a dedicated camera set to 1/1000th of a second. License plate capture cameras can now produce usable images from vehicles traveling at 120 mph (190 km/h).threshold angles of incidence between camera lens and license plate are also major consideration to avoid image distortion during installation. Manufacturers have developed tools to eliminate errors from the physical installation of license plate capture cameras. Research on down sampling character For neural network input character image is down sampled into matrix whose value is binary 1 or 0 according to Boolean property of character on matrix region. It showed that no of samples required is not fixed and it varies with thickness of font traced. Figure: down sampling image character o with 7*5 matrix Figure: downsampling same character image o (buffered) with 32 *35 matrix Research works on algorithms A new algorithm for character segmentation of license plate Character segmentation is an important step in License Plate Recognition (LPR) system. There are many difficulties in this step, such as the influence of image noise, plate frame, rivet, the space mark, and so on. This new algorithm presents character segmentation using Hough transformation and the prior knowledge in horizontal and vertical segmentation respectively. Furthermore, a new object enhancement technique is used for image preprocessing. The experimentation results show a good performance of this new segmentation algorithm. Algorithm (steps) Preprocessing Size normalization Determination of plate kind Object enhancement Horizontal segmentation using Hough transformation Vertical segmentation For more information:-a new algorithm for character segmentation of license plate.pdf an adaptive thresholding algorithm for the augmented reality toolkit It is well known that fixed global thresholds have adverse effects on the reliability of marker-based optical trackers under non-uniform lighting conditions. Mobile augmented reality applications, by their very nature, demand a certain level of robustness against varying external illumination from visual tracking algorithms currently AAR Toolkit depends on fixed-threshold image-binarization in order to detect candidate fiducials for further processing. In an effort to minimize tracking failure due to uniform shadows and reflections on a marker surface, a fast algorithm for selecting adaptive threshold values, based on the arithmetic mean of pixel intensities over a region-of- interest around candidate fiducials. Algorithm This works on a per-marker basis and evaluates the mean pixel luminance over a thresholding region-of -interest (ROI), which is defined as bounding rectangle around the markers axis -aligned corner vertices in screen space. If a marker has been detected in any given frame, its bounding rectangle will be used as thresholding -ROI prediction for successive frames. This method yields good thresholding level in practice, given sufficiently high video frame rates. Fig.1.reflection off a markers surface with adaptive thresholding (upper) and a global threshold (lower) For more information:-10.1.1.9.4636.pdf adaptive license plate image extraction This paper represents the automatic plate localization component of a car license plate recognition system. The approach concerns stages of preprocessing, edge detection, filtering, detection of the plates position, slope evaluation, and character segmentation and recognition. Single gray-level images are used as the only source of information. In the experiments Israeli and Bulgarian license plates were used, camera obtained at different daytime and whether conditions. Algorithm (step) preprocessing for plate candidate identification vertical edge detection rank filtering plate candidate segmentation vertical projection acquisition prime clipping of the plate plate skew evaluation horizontal segmentation plate candidate verification Cray-level distribution consistency considerations