Across Five Aprils Essays (801 words) - Torah, Jethro,

Across Five Aprils Across Five Aprils This Newberry award nominated book, written by Irene Hunt, tells the story of the home life of her grandfather, Jethro, during the Civil War. Not only does it give a sense of what it is like to be in the war but also it really tells you exactly what the men leave behind. Jethro is forced to make hard decisions, and face many hardships a boy his age shouldn't have to undergo. This is an admirable historical fiction book that leaves it up to the reader to decide if being at home was the superior choice or if being a soldier in the war was. The setting of this book was especially essential to the plot. The story takes place in Southern Illinois during the American Civil War, from April of 1861 to April of 1865, hence the title Across Five Aprils. These Illinoisans were a scattered group of people basically made up of women, men, and children who moved there from the south. This created a lot of controversy when the Confederate states secede from the Union. Because of their upbringing many families had fathers fighting sons and brothers fighting brothers. The hostility in the towns in Illinois made even the best of friends become the worst of enemies. Characters also play a very important role in this book. Jethro Creighton is the main character in the novel. He is the youngest in his family, a mere nine years old. He was an intelligent boy who enjoyed reading and liked school very much. This probably had something to do with the fact that Shadrach Yale taught his class. Mr. Yale Moved to Illinois from Philadelphia. Jethro listened to everything Shad taught and told him. Shad admired Jethros spirit and pleasure in learning. Although Shad liked Jethros company, he loved Jennys even more. Jenny was Jethros sister. She helped Jethro in the fields, and made dinner. Her and Jethro shared basically everything including laughter. The only thing Jenny did not want to share was her letters from Shadrach. Shad and Jenny were in love, and all Jethro had to do was mention Mr. Yales name and Jenny would blush. Although Jethro knew he could talk to Jenny about anything, he preferred confiding in his brother Bill. Bill, like Jethro, liked school and had a love for learning. He took the time and thought all his decisions out carefully. He always did what he thought was right. Even if that meant that he would fight against Shad, his cousin, and even his brothers in the American Civil War. He supported the Confederate states proudly. This book is about how a family adjusts and basically survives during the Civil War. Jethro, who is used to the company of his brothers and his cousin in the field, takes on most of the chores around the house and the farming. All in all you could say that his family was a Union supporter with the exception of Bill, who fought for the Confederacy. Tom, Eb, Shad, and Jim all leave and fight for the Union. Even though more family members are on the northern side, the people in the town consider everyone in the Creighton family copperheads. They go as far as burning their barn down, and dumping oil in there well. The rest of the story reveals who lives, who dies, and how the family deals with each difficulty. The way Irene wrote the book was very appealing and it added to the storys historical significance. She wrote it in the slang type of dialect that they used in that time and place. She went on to include a letter that Jethro wrote the president, and the actual letter that Abraham Lincoln wrote back. There were two major purposes that were made obvious while reading this book. The first, and most important theme was one stating that families should stick together. This theme was brought out several times during the story. The most obvious was when Jethro first went to town and he was being told that his family was nothing more then copperheads because of the choice only one of his brothers had made. Paraphrasing Jethro said something to the affect of

Free Essays on Patterns Of Nature

â€Å"In both the arts and sciences, the programmed brain seeks elegance, which is the parsimonious and evocative description of pattern to make sense out of a confusion or detail.† - Edward O. Wilson, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. I have always been amazed by the patterns of nature: The spirals of a shell, the symmetry of a snowflake, and the petals of a flower, just to name a few. Overwhelming evidence suggests that the structures of plant and animals alike seem to obey mathematical laws. The Utah Museum of Natural History in partnership with The University of Utah is currently exhibiting â€Å"The Nature of Pattern: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Utah Museum of Natural History. Exhibited in The Gallery at Library Square, Main Salt Lake City Library, Level Four, from January 22 – March 12, 2005. The collection is exhibited in a single, large room. Six separate Plexiglas display cases fill the room, each measuring approximately 3x3x3, each placed on a square, wooden base approximately four feet high. The display cases are located in the center of the room and are arranged in two rows, each row three cases deep, with adequate walking space between them. The cases contain items from the natural world. One contains a geometric patterned fluorite cube, whose pattern is controlled by the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms that make up the mineral. Another contains a beautiful display of the spirals of ammonite fossils (an extinct group of mollusks that died out at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 millions years ago). We also find a display of cone shells, which demonstrate the simple yet elegant patterns produced by an animal confined within this kind of space. They grow only from one end, widening and lengthening in the same proportion. A different disp lay case contains the skull of a big horn sheep, proving that even in an animal we can detect the growth patterns of its h... Free Essays on Patterns Of Nature Free Essays on Patterns Of Nature â€Å"In both the arts and sciences, the programmed brain seeks elegance, which is the parsimonious and evocative description of pattern to make sense out of a confusion or detail.† - Edward O. Wilson, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. I have always been amazed by the patterns of nature: The spirals of a shell, the symmetry of a snowflake, and the petals of a flower, just to name a few. Overwhelming evidence suggests that the structures of plant and animals alike seem to obey mathematical laws. The Utah Museum of Natural History in partnership with The University of Utah is currently exhibiting â€Å"The Nature of Pattern: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Utah Museum of Natural History. Exhibited in The Gallery at Library Square, Main Salt Lake City Library, Level Four, from January 22 – March 12, 2005. The collection is exhibited in a single, large room. Six separate Plexiglas display cases fill the room, each measuring approximately 3x3x3, each placed on a square, wooden base approximately four feet high. The display cases are located in the center of the room and are arranged in two rows, each row three cases deep, with adequate walking space between them. The cases contain items from the natural world. One contains a geometric patterned fluorite cube, whose pattern is controlled by the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms that make up the mineral. Another contains a beautiful display of the spirals of ammonite fossils (an extinct group of mollusks that died out at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 millions years ago). We also find a display of cone shells, which demonstrate the simple yet elegant patterns produced by an animal confined within this kind of space. They grow only from one end, widening and lengthening in the same proportion. A different disp lay case contains the skull of a big horn sheep, proving that even in an animal we can detect the growth patterns of its h...

Some Patterns of Paragraph Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Some Patterns of Paragraph Development - Essay Example pets feed on a special diet that the owners fully budget for and higher personal veterinary doctors, who monitor and keep a close check on the pets’ health. The unique treatments highlighted are the exact treatments parents give their children to show affection and love to them. Since the pets receive treatment in a similar manner as children, it is, therefore, justifiable to conclude that people treat pets like surrogate children. In the social media for instance, there exist several pages created using the pet’s names for profiles. The owners of the pets buy gifts for them and organize anniversary celebrations after they die. Driving should be subject to utmost keenness and concentration. Most reckless drivers have caused more incidences of road accidents in several instances. The drivers fail to abide by the set traffic rules that should guide driving in the specific state. The failure to observe such rules causes accidents leading to massive loss of lives. For instance, some of the drivers take alcohol on duty. Alcohol reduces a driver’s alertness and visibility while driving. The result is an increasing in the number of traffic related accidents. Such accidents are avoidable by the drivers following the traffic rules to the latter. Deliberate assumption and ignorance of the regulation leading to loss of life is foolishness. Such foolishness makes the drivers’ actions unbelievable. Tobacco use is the principal cause of preventable health hazards, disabilities, and premature death in most states. Smoking leads to the development stroke and coronary heart diseases. Passive smokers are the indirect users of tobacco who inhale the exhaled smoke that the active smokers smoke out. Smoking leads to lung cancer and lung-related diseases like emphysema and bronchitis. The diseases have no definite treatment or cure, hence making tobacco a serious health peril. The passive smokers are at a higher risk of contracting the smoking related diseases and health

Ethics and the college student Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics and the college student - Research Paper Example At this age someone develops good habits and by repeatedly doing the habits, they grow in an ethical way (Paul & Elder, 2006). Conversely, ethical habits can also be developed from the teaching someone acquires from the taught rules for example cleaning hands after visiting the washroom, not spitting around, covering the mouth while coughing. All these and many others are rules taught in the society thus when someone learns them, they tend to develop the ethical habits derived from them. When one gets to high school, there are those habits a high school student is supposed to have for example, completing assignments and attending all classes as well as following rules. Therefore, a student will develop the ethical habits dictated by the environment they are in which is the learning (Paul & Elder, 2006). There are also those ethics that can be obtained from establishing new habits. For instance someone can establish a habit of ensuring that they will never do a punishment or cross the wrong side of the law. Such a person will always do what is right so as to ensure they do not get punished. These are the ethics observed according to the area of study for instance medical ethics for health students, business ethics for business ethics and engineering ethics for engineering students (Paul & Elder, 2006). This kind of ethics help one in improving their performance in that field as well as determining what is right to do in that field. Educational ethics also help in shaping the student to perform morally in the place of work for example being responsible. This is dictated by the knowledge of what is morally good to do. It is this type of ethics that enables a person to determine their mode of dressing, the activities they do in public as well as the language they use to communicate (Paul & Elder, 2006). This ethics also dictates how one

Heat transfer in a water-water heat exchanger Lab Report

Heat transfer in a water-water heat exchanger - Lab Report Example The heater and main switch was turned on and the water temperature controller was set at 60oc.The hot water flow rate and cold water flow rate were set to 50g/sec and 15g/sec respectively. The flow rates and stream temperature were monitored making sure that there was temperature stabilization and there was no drift of flow rate. The temperatures were then recorded in the table with the following headings; Repeat with cold water flows of;25g/sec,40g/sec and set the hot water temperature to 40oc and repeat step 2 and 3 The cold water supply was interchanged and the horse connection was returned. At this point, the exchanger had been configured with co-current flow. There was a single set readings made with hot water at 60oc, Vhot=50g/sec and Vcold=40g/sec. The results were recorded in the table The energy gained by cold stream Qc and energy lost from the hot stream was calculated for each run with the use of equations 1 and 2 in the theory sections. It was noted that the indicated flow values V, was to be multiplied by 0.001 to give mass flows (F) in S.I unit of Kg s-1 Basing on the results, it was observed that when the flow rate of the cold water was increased in the first 3, the T6 that is the midpoint also increased. The reading for T1 was never the same as the initial temperature. It is evident that heat transfer rate could be calculated with the use of heat transfer coefficient log mean temperature difference and total area (Shah and Joshi 1987; Gnielinski 1976). The same kind of results is seen to hold for counter flow and parallel heat exchangers whereby there is change in temperature for both fluids. It is not easy to analyze the cross-flow heat exchangers and there is a good estimation to the actual condition when the log mean temperature difference is used in case one stream never changes to a large extent in terms of temperature (Techo, Tickner and James 1965; Moffat 1988). It is not easy to solve heat exchanger problems in

Factors That Affect The Achievement Of The Operational Excellence Business Essay

Factors That Affect The Achievement Of The Operational Excellence Business Essay One of the most competitive industries in the world is the pharmaceutical industry. For a long time, the operation of the pharmaceutical companies has been subject to scrutiny, especially by the government of each country of operation. The underlying reasons for the strict attention include: the cost of medicines and drugs available for purchase, the reduced life cycle of product development, the technological advancements which impact operations and the nature of the health care systems. Moreover, the pharmaceutical industry, like other businesses, is affected by factors such as the issues of human resources development and sensitivity to culture and diversity. In fact, they all have influenced the birth of the new and improved meaning of operational excellence. The increasing demands for an improved productivity and manufacturing costs have been the growing concern of pharmaceutical companies today. The need to meet the fast changing needs of the market for a much higher standard and quality drugs has also resulted to increased expectations not only from the consumers but from all stakeholders (suppliers, investors, employees and the government). However, the quest for a much potent product is a very significant issue. The common goal is to reduce the attrition rate in bringing new medicines in the market as well as in creating a fair and efficient standard in choosing the best pharmaceutical company to award the patent. As more and more consumers are becoming concern of the drug s its short-term efficacy and its long-term side effects, marketing for the drug has also become more innovative and active. In this view, the operational processes and engineering for pharmaceutical product has come to a new level. Introduction The old adage Health is Wealth is generally true nothing can be more valuable than being healthy and alive. The objective of the government of every country around the world to provide its public with health care services has been notable but still incomplete and unsuccessful. Not only the poor and underdeveloped countries are the ones having problems with high medical costs and insurances but even the developed or economically strong countries. There are many factors that contribute to the inability of the government to properly provide for its people in terms of health care, for one, the health service is truly an expensive part of man s need to live and the costs of services are high because medical equipments are expensive not mentioning the maintenance cost of every hospital. Hence, the need to secure the health benefits of the people has become the motivating factor for the government to present in an agenda, its health objectives for the American Nation. Statement of the Problem The pharmaceutical business is one of the most important industries in the world. The benefits people gain from the results of research and development conducted by the pharmaceutical firms, which include discoveries of the cures for many diseases, and the lessening time required to treat the patient that lead to saving of lives, cannot be equated with money. Even the wealthiest person on earth gets sick and requires medicine. Sick people and their families are happy whenever they learn that there is a cure for their diseases and that their lives are lengthened by the healing power of medicine. However, with the high cost of production, stiff competition, and the ever-changing government legislations, pharmaceutical companies are facing major challenges. While the time to bring the pharmaceutical product in the market quickens, the risk involved in the cost recovery and industry survival increases for many pharmaceutical companies. In this view that the selected problem is titled: Ac hieving Operational Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry. The selected research problem evaluates the operational and engineering processes used by the pharmaceutical companies. Achieving operational excellence requires that pharmaceutical companies understand the factors which may affect their operations, such as the changing human resources relative to cultural diversity and manpower outsourcing, the impact of the environmental factors, which may include changing government legislations, market trends and future opportunities and threats and the future trends, operational systems, collaborative efforts (merging, tie-ups, etc.) that will all make a difference in the midst of heavy competition and highly selective customers. The selected statement of the problem hopes to reveal the possible solutions to the challenges and in the end provide a wider perspective based on the data presented, evaluated and analyzed. Purpose of the Study The goal of this research is to find out the relevant factors that affect the achievement of the operational excellence of the firms in the pharmaceutical industry. It also hopes to learn and understand what makes a successful pharmaceutical company and how operational excellence can be achieved. Significance of the Study The findings of this research will serve as useful information on understanding the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. Readers will also have a full view of the pharmaceutical industry from its begging up to the current time. Researchers of the same issue will have a concrete basis of analyzing and evaluating for the same. Pharmaceutical companies will have a wider perspective of the industry where they exist, providing them with more information useful in the creation of marketing strategies and operational upgrades. The government will also benefit from this research because, it will present a different interpretation of the key factors affecting the pharmaceutical industry. Research Questions This paper looks into the following issues: (1) How should the current pharmaceutical industry be described in terms of: a. Operational processes and engineering; b. Pharmaceutical technology; c. New product development, Research and development; and Product life cycle; d. Production systems (total quality management, total productive maintenance, etc.); and e. Factors that characterize operational excellence (best practices)? (2) How are performances evaluated? a. The Porter s diamond concept in a pharmaceutical setting (3) What are the challenges of achieving operational efficiency in view of: a. Sensitivity to culture and diversity with respect to a unified corporate thinking; b. Globalization; and c. Human resources development? (4) What are the expected future trends? Background Pharmaceutical firms are categorized according to the nature of their business operations: they are the research-based firms; manufacturing-based firms and a combination of research-based and manufacturing-based firms. Characterized by its two distinct functions: research and development (RD), and manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry was reported as a $600 billion worth of sales in the year 2006 (economywatch). Specifically, there was a 7 per cent increase on the sales of prescription medicines worldwide or a total of $602 billion based on the report of some major pharmaceutical and medical information firms. These pharmaceutical firms are either, primarily engaged in Research and Development (RD) alone, studying diseases and advancing drugs and medicinal potency while other firms focus on the drug manufacturing process. Large, financially-able and world renowned pharmaceutical companies engaged in both activities. The US is considered as having the number one pharmaceutical market and an increasing trend in the pharmaceutical industry all over the world. According to statistics the highest recorded annual sales of pharmaceutical products and services in the US alone is $252 billion and increases at around 5.7 per cent annually (economywatch). According to a pharmaceutical industry report, the leading countries in the world in terms of potential market are India, China and the United States. The report specifically stated that: The report proved that there is an increasing demand and market for the pharmaceutical industry because of the increasing health awareness of the people all over the world. Literature Review Market intelligence data from IMS Health, a research company providing on pharmaceutical and healthcare industries proved that: in 2002, the estimated worldwide sales for prescription drugs was about $400 billion; and that the United States expenditure on prescription drugs in 2002, was roughly 200 billion dollars which accounted for approximately half of all sales worldwide. But despite this high costs, the United States ranked as the 21st rate on infant mortality in the world, way below Greece and South Korea and only a bit higher in Poland. Also, the United States ranked at the 17th rate in terms of life expectancy all over the world. The research agency also reported that in 2008, the US prescription drugs sales had amounted to a whopping $291 billion dollars every year (sourcewatch). In this view, the challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry around the world are enormous (Sherk). One of the main reasons is the pressure of bringing down the prices of medicines and drugs that are considered contributive to the escalating costs of the health care services (Sherk). The cost of health care in the United States is generally double compared to other developed countries in Europe such as Britain, France and Germany. (yahoonews) Furthermore, the United States has reportedly spent 7, 290 dollars per person in the year 2007 but provided no meaningful advantage in terms of quality of care, and placed far behind the averages in the key indicators such as the infant mortality and life expectancy rate compared to the previously mentioned countries. The proposed healthcare reform in the United States, includes the evaluation of the drug costs and the possibility of creating legislations that will regulate the operations of pharmaceutical companies. Research Design The research design that will be used to evaluate and answer the selected problem titled: Achieving Operational Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry is qualitative research. The decision to use the qualitative research design was based on the following factors: limited time available, and also, the use of secondary data. In order to answer the general and specific questions, the researcher uses the descriptive research as a type of qualitative method of research. The researcher gathers secondary data from previous researches, statistical reports, surveys, demographic information, and online resources. The data gathered are listed, sorted and analyzed in order to answer the problems undertaken. Findings The following are the findings that were gathered using secondary information, specifically from previous researches, statistical reports, and other sources. (1) How should the current pharmaceutical industry be described in terms of: (a) Operational Processes and Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Approval and Registration Process As implemented by the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, the strict compliance of the law should be observed in all stages of the operational process and engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry, primarily, in the registration (FDA, 2010) The Food Drug Administration (FDA) s fundamental mission is protect the public health is the collection of this information, which is used for important activities such as post-market surveillance for serious adverse drug reactions, inspection of drug manufacturing and processing facilities, and monitoring of drug products imported into the United States. Comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information is critical to conducting these activities with efficiency and effectiveness. (FDA, 2010) (b) Process Analytical technologies (PAT) One of the new systems that are being used in the pharmaceutical industry is known as the Process Analytical technologies (PAT). The term Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) has been used to describe a system for designing and controlling manufacturing through timely measurements (i.e. during processing) of critical quality and performance attributes for raw and in-process materials and also processes with the goal of ensuring final product quality. The PAT initiative focuses on building quality into the product and manufacturing processes, as well as continuous process improvement. (pharmainfo.net) c) Industry Operating Procedures The pharmaceutical industry, just like other industries uses the US standard of Accounting GAAP (irs.gov). Pharmaceutical companies have to apply for the registration of their newly discovered drugs or medicines. Before a drug can be tested in people, the drug company or sponsor performs laboratory and animal tests to discover how the drug works and whether its likely to be safe and work well in humans. Next, a series of tests in people is begun to determine whether the drug is safe when used to treat a disease and whether it provides a real health benefit. The process must be based on the steps set by the Food and Drug administration of the country of operation. The development and Approval Process of Drugs in the United States is believed to be the safest and the most advanced pharmaceutical system in the world. Another unique operational process used by the pharmaceutical companies is in the area of marketing. Unlike, the traditional selling and buying area of many products, selli ng drugs is a very complicated issue. Before companies can sell drugs, they have to seek approval and license from the FDA. Marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is commonly through salesmen. (2) How are performances evaluated? Porter s Five Forces of Industry Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Industry The pharmaceutical industry has high barriers to entry, primarily because capital is huge in this business. The need to allocate heavily on research and development is highly important if one will enter this industry, not mentioning high threat from government policies, and longer or no return on investment. The supplier power has low impact because material supplies are solely for pharmaceutical companies alone, and shelf life of chemicals is longer than any ordinary supplies. Buyer power depends on the kind of medicine being produced, if the medicine has no other substitute, then buyer power is low, and vice versa. The threat of substitutes is also low in the pharmaceutical industry, because although generics have been gaining popularity and acceptance, still, many consumers believe branded medicines are more effective. In terms of competitive rivalry, the pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive. Mullins (2006) reported that the industry was overpopulated and not one company has more than 5 percent market share. In addition, market growth rate is also minimal. (3) What are the challenges of achieving operational efficiency in view of (a) Sensitivity to culture and diversity with respect to a unified corporate thinking; (b) Globalization and (c) Human resources development. The changing landscape of business due to the forces of the new and changing environment have become the major influences in the manner in which leading function in the organization is done today. Unlike the traditional leadership process, global leadership extends its functions to new horizons and length that increased values for businesses, hence an increased risks. Leaders are more flexible and multi-skilled today. Thus, new business horizons that offer new and improved opportunities are available for global leaders to take advantage of. With the right attitude and qualifications, success in the business is possible for global leaders. The secrets however, lie on the ability of the leader to understand these new concepts and challenges. Human Resource Management or HRM is an activity that is focused on recruiting, managing and developing the people in an organization. This function also deals with the issues regarding employee compensation, hiring, performance evaluation, safety, development, wellness, communication, training and development. The human resource management in the organization plays a big role in making strategic and coherent approach to managing the company s most important asset; its people. The HRM function is seen by most companies as a major contributing factor in aligning specific assignment to the employee s capabilities. In doing so, the company will be able to efficiently achieve its goals at a minimum required resources. Factors that affect staffing and staffing turnover are considered to be a big problem faced by human resource managers. Pinkerton (2001) made an effort to know the reasons that influence the staffing needs of hospitals. The answers vary depending on the hospital, the top thr ee include, teamwork or no teamwork/unit cohesiveness, chaos factors impacting the delivery of nursing care and effectiveness of communication. The factors affect staffing which can be categorized under external and internal. The external factors include the level of education, the prevailing attitudes in society (the kind of attitude toward work), the many laws and regulations that directly affect staffing, the economic conditions, and the supply of and demand for the manpower outside the enterprise. Organizational goals, tasks, technology, organization structure, the kinds of people employed by the enterprise, the demand for and the supply of managers within the enterprise, the reward system, and various kinds of policies are the internal factors which may affect staffing. For example, the use of high technology in most industries requires extensive and intensive education and training. The organization s ability to effect change is largely affected by the organizational culture because it serves as the basic nature and characteristics of the whole organization. Where organizational culture is deep seated and forms underlying subcultures, it is more difficult to change and therefore sets a more challenging role for leaders who want to implement change in the organization. The tendency to resist change is higher when organizational culture is more cohesive and more symbolical. Since the organization comprises of people that have different behaviors, talents, skills, knowledge, values, personality and many other differences, working together they come on terms to manage each other s differences. Culture is the behavior which formed when the people in the organization meet and agreed verbally and nonverbally and creates rule for doing the task. (Heathfield) Diversity The diversity in the organization was previously seen as a negative factor, but in today s environment where change is inevitable, it adds up to the company s flexibility in order to survive the competition in the market. In an organization where diversity is high, the leader must understand and know how to deal with it and use them effectively as a competitive advantage. Nowadays, many organizations employ diverse group of employees because they want to create a unique culture which adds up to the value of the organizational workforce. Common diversities in the organization include racial mixes, foreign workforces, women on the job, and disabled workers. (4) What are the expected future trends? Major transformations are occurring in the delivery of healthcare worldwide. Medical and healthcare technologies are increasingly impacting the clinical as well as the administrative dimensions of healthcare care delivery. Innovations introduced in the last decade have created accumulated effects that will be compounded with the continuing technical progress in medicine. Areas such as telemedicine, telehealth, computerized medical records, e-health and use of the Internet in B2B and B2C applications in healthcare are some of the milestones in the almost total revamping of the healthcare landscape. Medical and healthcare technologies are already transforming the operations, design and mission of hospitals. In this regard, the challenges for the future are an exciting opportunity for study, reflection, planning, and intervention. Technology assessment (TA) arose in the mid-1960s from an appreciation of the critical role of technology in modern society and its potential for unintended, and sometimes harmful, consequences. Congress commissioned independent studies by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress that significantly influenced the development and application of TA. These studies and further congressional hearings led the National Science Foundation to establish a TA program and, in 1972, Congress to authorize the congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), which was founded in 1973, became operational in 1974, and established its health program in 1975. Another factor that is considered as a threat not only to pharmaceutical industry but all industries is the globalization. Globalization has been creating impacts to various industries and individuals. The possibilities associated with it are countless. Hence, it also poses higher threats to many. Globalization has influenced major transformations on the organizational structures, and the processes of firms whether locally or internationally operated. Globalization also redefined the functions and roles of the intermediaries. Distribution of products has become entirely dependent on the intermediaries. Companies are trying to lessen interaction costs and because of this, have outsourced services from other countries to take advantage of the economies of scale. Industrial sectors have to undergo extensive structural changes which become more visible in the sectors that are based highly on the advanced technologies. Examples include the car industry, pharmaceutical industry and the tel ecommunications, among others. Conclusions and Recommendations Based on this research study, there are several lessons which could be learned from the evaluation of and analysis performed in the pharmaceutical industry. Primarily, the safety and security of our lives depend on the ability of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the AMA (American Medical Association) and APA (American Pharmacists Association), to screen and select the safest medicine, drugs and vaccines. The criteria set should always and consistently be tested, proven, and communicated to all industry players. Second, the operations of the pharmaceutical companies are generally affected by the changes in the industry. The relative amount of information available in understanding or describing a situation can significantly help in making valuable decision regarding the business operation. Third, the threat on the human resources because of globalization is considered a very critical issue even in the pharmaceutical industry. In the situation where there is limited available resources, need is high for an effective HR planning. Maximizing employee performances through devising appropriate training is also vital to the needs of the company. The approach will also help in maximizing the return on investment of the any organization s human capital and minimizing the financial risk is the main objective of human resources. Finally, it should therefore be concluded that the operational excellence in the pharmaceutical industry will only be achieved when companies learn to adapt the changes and developments brought about by the globalization.

Analysis of the Film, A Beautiful Mind Essay -- Film Movie Essays

Analysis of the film "A Beautiful Mind" In the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", the main character, John Nash, is a mathematician who suffers from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is actually the most chronic and disabling of the major mental illnesses and it distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, interprets reality and relates to others. The movie, "A Beautiful Mind", John Nash, who is played by Russell Crowe, is a true story about a mathematician whose life is horrific because of his disease, schizophrenia. He was an egocentric man who studied Mathematics in Princeton University. During the whole time that he studied in Princeton, he was trying to come up with his own original idea. He felt that by only finding an original idea he will be important, because he thought that attending class was just a waste of time. He begins teaching when he eventually finds his original idea and wins a Nobel Prize in 1994. Then, he is recognized for being one of the best mathematicians in the world. John Nash attains his goal to find an original idea which was about competition. He went to a bar with his friends and in that bar, there is a blonde girl who all of his friends, including himself are attracted to and then he realizes a theory of competition and he explains it in mathematics. He realizes that none of the guys will get to be with the blonde girl and then after this happens, all the guys will go after her friends, and them too will turn all of them down, and so he realizes that none of the guys will get what they want. Statistics show that 1%, or about 2.2 millions Americans ages 18 or older will develop schizophrenia. The most common symptoms of Schizophrenia can be grouped into thre... ...ke care and be with her husband, but that was it. Also, the movie did not show anything about his family. There was not information about his parents and how they felt about him and/or his disease; his brothers and/or sisters' feelings towards him and/or his illness. In conclusion, John Nash was a very intelligent man not only because he was an excellent mathematician, but because he learned to cope with his disease and live a regular life. It was great that he won the Nobel Prize in 1994 because he deserved it for a lot of reasons. It was also nice that his wife did not give up on him and that she got to teach him what love is and that love is very important to one's life as he said in his acceptance speech when he received the Nobel Prize. Work Cited Page www.Webmd.com. "Schizophrenia." www.about.com. Encarta Encyclopedia. "Schizophrenia." Analysis of the Film, A Beautiful Mind Essay -- Film Movie Essays Analysis of the film "A Beautiful Mind" In the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", the main character, John Nash, is a mathematician who suffers from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is actually the most chronic and disabling of the major mental illnesses and it distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, interprets reality and relates to others. The movie, "A Beautiful Mind", John Nash, who is played by Russell Crowe, is a true story about a mathematician whose life is horrific because of his disease, schizophrenia. He was an egocentric man who studied Mathematics in Princeton University. During the whole time that he studied in Princeton, he was trying to come up with his own original idea. He felt that by only finding an original idea he will be important, because he thought that attending class was just a waste of time. He begins teaching when he eventually finds his original idea and wins a Nobel Prize in 1994. Then, he is recognized for being one of the best mathematicians in the world. John Nash attains his goal to find an original idea which was about competition. He went to a bar with his friends and in that bar, there is a blonde girl who all of his friends, including himself are attracted to and then he realizes a theory of competition and he explains it in mathematics. He realizes that none of the guys will get to be with the blonde girl and then after this happens, all the guys will go after her friends, and them too will turn all of them down, and so he realizes that none of the guys will get what they want. Statistics show that 1%, or about 2.2 millions Americans ages 18 or older will develop schizophrenia. The most common symptoms of Schizophrenia can be grouped into thre... ...ke care and be with her husband, but that was it. Also, the movie did not show anything about his family. There was not information about his parents and how they felt about him and/or his disease; his brothers and/or sisters' feelings towards him and/or his illness. In conclusion, John Nash was a very intelligent man not only because he was an excellent mathematician, but because he learned to cope with his disease and live a regular life. It was great that he won the Nobel Prize in 1994 because he deserved it for a lot of reasons. It was also nice that his wife did not give up on him and that she got to teach him what love is and that love is very important to one's life as he said in his acceptance speech when he received the Nobel Prize. Work Cited Page www.Webmd.com. "Schizophrenia." www.about.com. Encarta Encyclopedia. "Schizophrenia."

Chi-Square Test

Chi-Square Test Chi-square is a statistical test commonly used to compare observed data with data we would expect to obtain according to a specific hypothesis. For example, if, according to Mendel's laws, you expected 10 of 20 offspring from a cross to be male and the actual observed number was 8 males, then you might want to know about the â€Å"goodness to fit† between the observed and expected. Were the deviations (differences between observed and expected) the result of chance, or were they due to other factors.How much deviation can occur before you, the investigator, must conclude that something other than chance is at work, causing the observed to differ from the expected. The chi-square test is always testing what scientists call the null hypothesis, which states that there is no significant difference between the expected and observed result. The formula for calculating chi-square ( [pic]2) is: [pic]2= [pic](o-e)2/e That is, chi-square is the sum of the squared differ ence between observed (o) and the expected (e) data (or the deviation, d), divided by the expected data in all possible categories.For example, suppose that a cross between two pea plants yields a population of 880 plants, 639 with green seeds and 241 with yellow seeds. You are asked to propose the genotypes of the parents. Your hypothesis is that the allele for green is dominant to the allele for yellow and that the parent plants were both heterozygous for this trait. If your hypothesis is true, then the predicted ratio of offspring from this cross would be 3:1 (based on Mendel's laws) as predicted from the results of the Punnett square (Figure B. ). Figure B. 1 – Punnett Square. Predicted offspring from cross between green and yellow-seeded plants. Green (G) is dominant (3/4 green; 1/4 yellow). To calculate [pic]2 , first determine the number expected in each category. If the ratio is 3:1 and the total number of observed individuals is 880, then the expected numerical value s should be 660 green and 220 yellow. [pic] Chi-square requires that you use numerical values, not percentages or ratios. [pic] Then calculate [pic]2 using this formula, as shown in Table B. . Note that we get a value of 2. 668 for [pic]2. But what does this number mean? Here's how to interpret the [pic]2 value: 1. Determine degrees of freedom (df). Degrees of freedom can be calculated as the number of categories in the problem minus 1. In our example, there are two categories (green and yellow); therefore, there is I degree of freedom. 2. Determine a relative standard to serve as the basis for accepting or rejecting the hypothesis. The relative standard commonly used in biological research is p ; 0. 05.The p value is the probability that the deviation of the observed from that expected is due to chance alone (no other forces acting). In this case, using p ; 0. 05, you would expect any deviation to be due to chance alone 5% of the time or less. 3. Refer to a chi-square distribution table (Table B. 2). Using the appropriate degrees of ‘freedom, locate the value closest to your calculated chi-square in the table. Determine the closestp (probability) value associated with your chi-square and degrees of freedom. In this case ([pic]2=2. 68), the p value is about 0. 10, which means that there is a 10% probability that any deviation from expected results is due to chance only. Based on our standard p > 0. 05, this is within the range of acceptable deviation. In terms of your hypothesis for this example, the observed chi-squareis not significantly different from expected. The observed numbers are consistent with those expected under Mendel's law. Step-by-Step Procedure for Testing Your Hypothesis and Calculating Chi-Square 1. State the hypothesis being tested and the predicted results.Gather the data by conducting the proper experiment (or, if working genetics problems, use the data provided in the problem). 2. Determine the expected numbers for each observation al class. Remember to use numbers, not percentages. [pic] Chi-square should not be calculated if the expected value in any category is less than 5. [pic] 3. Calculate [pic]2 using the formula. Complete all calculations to three significant digits. Round off your answer to two significant digits. 4. Use the chi-square distribution table to determine significance of the value. . Determine degrees of freedom and locate the value in the appropriate column. b. Locate the value closest to your calculated [pic]2 on that degrees of freedom df row. c. Move up the column to determine the p value. 5. State your conclusion in terms of your hypothesis. a. If the p value for the calculated [pic]2 is p ; 0. 05, accept your hypothesis. ‘The deviation is small enough that chance alone accounts for it. A p value of 0. 6, for example, means that there is a 60% probability that any deviation from expected is due to chance only.This is within the range of acceptable deviation. b. If the p value fo r the calculated [pic]2 is p < 0. 05, reject your hypothesis, and conclude that some factor other than chance is operating for the deviation to be so great. For example, a p value of 0. 01 means that there is only a 1% chance that this deviation is due to chance alone. Therefore, other factors must be involved. The chi-square test will be used to test for the â€Å"goodness to fit† between observed and expected data from several laboratory investigations in this lab manual. Table B. 1 Calculating Chi-Square    |Green |Yellow | |Observed (o) |639 |241 | |Expected (e) |660 |220 | |Deviation (o – e) |-21 |21 | |Deviation2 (d2) |441 |441 | |d2/e |0. 68 |2 | |[pic]2 = [pic]d2/e = 2. 668 |. |. | Table B. 2 Chi-Square Distribution |Degrees of | | |Freedom |Probability (p) | |(df) | | |   |0. 95 |0. 90 | Source: R. A. Fisher and F. Yates, Statistical Tables for Biological Agricultural and Medical Research, 6th ed. , Table IV, Oliver & Boyd, Ltd. , Edinburgh, by permissi on of the authors and publishers.Main Page | Introduction and Objectives | Scientific Investigation | Experimental Procedures | Writing Procedures | Mendelian Inheritance |   Monohybrid and Dihybrid Exercises | Reference | Miscellaneous | Scientific Writing | Chi-Square Test | Graphing Techniques Chi-Square Test Chi-square is a statistical test commonly used to compare observed data with data we would expect to obtain according to a specific hypothesis. For example, if, according to Mendel's laws, you expected 10 of 20 offspring from a cross to be male and the actual observed number was 8 males, then you might want to know about the â€Å"goodness to fit† between the observed and expected. Were the deviations (differences between observed and expected) the result of chance, or were they due to other factors.How much deviation can occur before you, the investigator, must conclude that something other than chance is at work, causing the observed to differ from the expected. T he chi-square test is always testing what scientists call the null hypothesis, which states that there is no significant difference between the expected and observed result. The formula for calculating chi-square ( [pic]2) is: [pic]2= [pic](o-e)2/e That is, chi-square is the sum of the squared difference between observed (o) and the expected (e) data (or the deviation, d), divided by the expected data in all possible categories. For example, suppose that a cross between two pea plants yields a population of 880 plants, 639 with green seeds and 241 with yellow seeds. You are asked to propose the genotypes of the parents.Your hypothesis is that the allele for green is dominant to the allele for yellow and that the parent plants were both heterozygous for this trait. If your hypothesis is true, then the predicted ratio of offspring from this cross would be 3:1 (based on Mendel's laws) as predicted from the results of the Punnett square (Figure B. 1). Figure B. 1 – Punnett Square . Predicted offspring from cross between green and yellow-seeded plants. Green (G) is dominant (3/4 green; 1/4 yellow). To calculate [pic]2 , first determine the number expected in each category. If the ratio is 3:1 and the total number of observed individuals is 880, then the expected numerical values should be 660 green and 220 yellow. [pic]Chi-square requires that you use numerical values, not percentages or ratios. [pic] Then calculate [pic]2 using this formula, as shown in Table B. 1. Note that we get a value of 2. 668 for [pic]2. But what does this number mean? Here's how to interpret the [pic]2 value: 1. Determine degrees of freedom (df). Degrees of freedom can be calculated as the number of categories in the problem minus 1. In our example, there are two categories (green and yellow); therefore, there is I degree of freedom. 2. Determine a relative standard to serve as the basis for accepting or rejecting the hypothesis. The relative standard commonly used in biological rese arch is p ; 0. 05.The p value is the probability that the deviation of the observed from that expected is due to chance alone (no other forces acting). In this case, using p ; 0. 05, you would expect any deviation to be due to chance alone 5% of the time or less. 3. Refer to a chi-square distribution table (Table B. 2). Using the appropriate degrees of ‘freedom, locate the value closest to your calculated chi-square in the table. Determine the closestp (probability) value associated with your chi-square and degrees of freedom. In this case ([pic]2=2. 668), the p value is about 0. 10, which means that there is a 10% probability that any deviation from expected results is due to chance only. Based on our standard p > 0. 05, this is within the range of acceptable deviation.In terms of your hypothesis for this example, the observed chi-squareis not significantly different from expected. The observed numbers are consistent with those expected under Mendel's law. Step-by-Step Proced ure for Testing Your Hypothesis and Calculating Chi-Square 1. State the hypothesis being tested and the predicted results. Gather the data by conducting the proper experiment (or, if working genetics problems, use the data provided in the problem). 2. Determine the expected numbers for each observational class. Remember to use numbers, not percentages. [pic] Chi-square should not be calculated if the expected value in any category is less than 5. [pic] 3.Calculate [pic]2 using the formula. Complete all calculations to three significant digits. Round off your answer to two significant digits. 4. Use the chi-square distribution table to determine significance of the value. a. Determine degrees of freedom and locate the value in the appropriate column. b. Locate the value closest to your calculated [pic]2 on that degrees of freedom df row. c. Move up the column to determine the p value. 5. State your conclusion in terms of your hypothesis. a. If the p value for the calculated [pic]2 is p ; 0. 05, accept your hypothesis. ‘The deviation is small enough that chance alone accounts for it. A p value of 0. , for example, means that there is a 60% probability that any deviation from expected is due to chance only. This is within the range of acceptable deviation. b. If the p value for the calculated [pic]2 is p < 0. 05, reject your hypothesis, and conclude that some factor other than chance is operating for the deviation to be so great. For example, a p value of 0. 01 means that there is only a 1% chance that this deviation is due to chance alone. Therefore, other factors must be involved. The chi-square test will be used to test for the â€Å"goodness to fit† between observed and expected data from several laboratory investigations in this lab manual. Table B. 1 Calculating Chi-Square    |Green |Yellow | |Observed (o) |639 |241 | |Expected (e) |660 |220 | |Deviation (o – e) |-21 |21 | |Deviation2 (d2) |441 |441 | |d2/e |0. 68 |2 | |[pic]2 = [pic] d2/e = 2. 668 |. |. | Table B. 2 Chi-Square Distribution |Degrees of | | |Freedom |Probability (p) | |(df) | | |   |0. 95 |0. 90 | Frequency DistributionsOne important set of statistical tests allows us to test for deviations of observed frequencies from expected frequencies. To introduce these tests, we will start with a simple, non-biological example. We want to determine if a coin is fair. In other words, are the odds of flipping the coin heads-up the same as tails-up. We collect data by flipping the coin 200 times. The coin landed heads-up 108 times and tails-up 92 times. At first glance, we might suspect that the coin is biased because heads resulted more often than than tails. However, we have a more quantitative way to analyze our results, a chi-squared test. To perform a chi-square test (or any other statistical test), we first must establish our null hypothesis.In this example, our null hypothesis is that the coin should be equally likely to land head-up or tails-up ev ery time. The null hypothesis allows us to state expected frequencies. For 200 tosses, we would expect 100 heads and 100 tails. The next step is to prepare a table as follows. |   |Heads |Tails |Total | |Observed |108 |92 |200 | |Expected |100 |100 |200 | |Total |208 |192 |400 |The Observed values are those we gather ourselves. The expected values are the frequencies expected, based on our null hypothesis. We total the rows and columns as indicated. It's a good idea to make sure that the row totals equal the column totals (both total to 400 in this example). Using probability theory, statisticians have devised a way to determine if a frequency distribution differs from the expected distribution. To use this chi-square test, we first have to calculate chi-squared. Chi-squared = ? (observed-expected)2/(expected) We have two classes to consider in this example, heads and tails. Chi-squared = (100-108)2/100 + (100-92)2/100 = (-8)2/100 + (8)2/100 = 0. 4 + 0. 64 = 1. 28 Now we have to c onsult a table of critical values of the chi-squared distribution. Here is a portion of such a table. |df/prob. | Types of Data: There are basically two types of random variables and they yield two types of data: numerical and categorical. A chi square (X2) statistic is used to investigate whether distributions of categorical variables differ from one another. Basically categorical variable yield data in the categories and numerical variables yield data in numerical form. Responses to such questions as â€Å"What is your major? † or Do you own a car? † are categorical because they yield data such as â€Å"biology† or â€Å"no. In contrast, responses to such questions as â€Å"How tall are you? † or â€Å"What is your G. P. A.? † are numerical. Numerical data can be either discrete or continuous. The table below may help you see the differences between these two variables. |  Data Type |  Question Type |Possible Responses | |  Categorical |  What is your sex? |male or female | |  Numerical |Disrete- How many cars do you own? |two or three | |  Numerical |Continuous – How tall are you? |  72 inches | Notice that discrete data arise fom a counting process, while continuous data arise from a measuring process.The Chi Square statistic compares the tallies or counts of categorical responses between two (or more) independent groups. (note: Chi square tests can only be used on actual numbers and not on percentages, proportions, means, etc. ) 2 x 2 Contingency Table There are several types of chi square tests depending on the way the data was collected and the hypothesis being tested. We'll begin with the simplest case: a 2 x 2 contingency table. If we set the 2 x 2 table to the general notation shown below in Table 1, using the letters a, b, c, and d to denote the contents of the cells, then we would have the following table: Table 1. General notation for a 2 x 2 contingency table. Variable 1   Variable 2 |   Data type 1 |  Data type 2 |  Totals | |  Category 1 |  a |b |a + b | |  Category 2 |  c |d |c + d | |  Total |a + c |b + d |a + b + c + d = N | For a 2 x 2 contingency table the Chi Square statistic is calculated by the formula: [pic] Note: notice that the four components of the denominator are the four totals from the table columns and rows. Suppose you conducted a drug trial on a group of animals and you hypothesized that the animals receiving the drug would show increased heart rates compared to those that did not receive the drug.You conduct the study and collect the following data: Ho: The proportion of animals whose heart rate increased is independent of drug treatment. Ha: The proportion of animals whose heart rate increased is associated with drug treatment. Table 2. Hypothetical drug trial results. |   |  Heart  Rate |  No  Heart  Rate |Total | | |  Increased |  Increase | | |  Treated |  36 |  14 |  50 | |  Not treated |  30 |   25 |  55 | |  Total |  66 |  39 |  105 | Applying the formula above we get:Chi square = 105[(36)(25) – (14)(30)]2 / (50)(55)(39)(66) = 3. 418 Before we can proceed we eed to know how many degrees of freedom we have. When a comparison is made between one sample and another, a simple rule is that the degrees of freedom equal (number of columns minus one) x (number of rows minus one) not counting the totals for rows or columns. For our data this gives (2-1) x (2-1) = 1. We now have our chi square statistic (x2 = 3. 418), our predetermined alpha level of significance (0. 05), and our degrees of freedom (df  =  1). Entering the Chi square distribution table with 1 degree of freedom and reading along the row we find our value of x2 (3. 418) lies between 2. 706 and 3. 841.The corresponding probability is between the 0. 10 and 0. 05 probability levels. That means that the p-value is above 0. 05 (it is actually 0. 065). Since a p-value of 0. 65 is greater than the conven tionally accepted significance level of 0. 05 (i. e. p  >  0. 05) we fail to reject the null hypothesis. In other words, there is no statistically significant difference in the proportion of animals whose heart rate increased. What would happen if the number of control animals whose heart rate increased dropped to 29 instead of 30 and, consequently, the number of controls whose hear rate did not increase changed from 25 to 26? Try it. Notice that the new x2 value is 4. 25 and this value exceeds the table value of 3. 841 (at 1 degree of freedom and an alpha level of 0. 05). This means that p < 0. 05 (it is now0. 04) and we reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis – the heart rate of animals is different between the treatment groups. When p < 0. 05 we generally refer to this as a significant difference. Table 3. Chi Square distribution table. probability level (alpha) |Df |0. 5 |0. 10 |0. 05 | |  A |  10 |  42 |  52 | |  a |  33 |  15 |  48 | |  Totals |  43 |  57 |  100 |The penotypic ratio 85 of the A type and 15 of the a-type (homozygous recessive). In a monohybrid cross between two heterozygotes, however, we would have predicted a 3:1 ratio of phenotypes. In other words, we would have expected to get 75 A-type and 25 a-type. Are or resuls different? [pic] Calculate the chi square statistic x2 by completing the following steps: 1. For each observed number in the table subtract the corresponding expected number (O — E). 2. Square the difference [ (O —E)2 ]. 3. Divide the squares obtained for each cell in the table by the expected number for that cell [ (O – E)2 / E ]. 4. Sum all the values for (O – E)2 / E. This is the chi square statistic. For our example, the calculation would be:    |Observed |Expected |(O — E) |(O — E)2 |(O — E)2/ E | |a-type |15 |25 |10 |100 |4. 0 | |Total |100 |100 |   |   | Suppose you have the following categorical data se t. Table . Incidence of three types of malaria in three tropical regions. |   |  Asia |Africa |South America |Totals | |  14 |  23. 04 |  9. 04 |81. 72 |3. 546 | |  45 |  36. 00 |  9. 00 |81. 00 |2. 5 | |  2 |  20. 64 |  18. 64 |347. 45 |16. 83 | |  5 |  15. 36 |  10. 36 |107. 33 |6. 99 | |  53 |  24. 00 |  29. 00 |841. 00 |35. 04 | |  53 |  34. 40 |  18. 60 |345. 96 |10. 06 | |  45 |  25. 60 |  19. 40 |376. 36 |14. 70 | |  2 |  40. 00 |  38. 00 |  1444. 00 |36. 10 | Chi Square = 125. 516 Degrees of Freedom = (c – 1)(r – 1) = 2(2) = 4 Table 3.Chi Square distribution table. probability level (alpha) Df |0. 5 |0. 10 |0. 05 |0. 02 |0. 01 |0. 001 | |1 |0. 455 |2. 706 |3. 841 |5. 412 |6. 635 |10. 827 | |2 |1. 386 |4. 605 |5. 991 |7. 824 |9. 210 |13. 815 | |3 |2. 366 |6. 251 |7. 815 |9. 837 |11. 345 |16. 268 | |4 |3. 357 |7. 779 |9. 488 |11. 668 |13. 277 |18. 465 | |5 |4. 351 |9. 236 |11. 070 |13. 388 |15. 086 |20. 517 | |Reject Ho because 125. 516 is greater than 9. 488 (for alpha ’ 0. 05) Thus, we would reject the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between location and type of malaria. Our data tell us there is a relationship between type of malaria and location, but that's all it says.Follow the link below to access a java-based program for calculating Chi Square statistics for contingency tables of up to 9 rows by 9 columns. Enter the number of row and colums in the spaces provided on the page and click the submit button. A new form will appear asking you to enter your actual data into the cells of the contingency table. When finished entering your data, click the â€Å"calculate now† button to see the results of your Chi Square analysis. You may wish to print this last page to keep as a record. Chi Square, This page was created as part of the Mathbeans Project. The java applets were created by David Eck and modified by Jim Ryan. The Mathbeans Project is funded by a gran t from the National Science Foundation DUE-9950473.

Cool Science Fair Project Ideas List

Cool Science Fair Project Ideas List Some science fair projects are just more cool than others. Heres a look at some cool science fair project ideas as well as a collection of reader-submitted cool project ideas. Can What You Eat Change Your Eye Color? Some claims have been made that what you eat can ​​change your eye color. You can test this hypothesis yourself. Is ESP Real? Some people claim they can tell who is calling on the telephone before they pick up the phone (and without consulting caller ID). Can they really do it? State a hypothesis and conduct an experiment to test whether your subjects have this form of ESP. Sparking Vegetables Some frozen vegetables have been shown to produce sparks when cooked in the microwave. What types of vegetables produce these sparks? Is spark production dependent on the initial temperature of the vegetables? Does the cooking container play a role in sparking? There is a lot of exploration possible here. Can You Decompose a Disposable Diaper? It is estimated that it will take hundreds or possibly thousands of years for disposable diapers in landfills to decompose. Can you find a way to decompose them? How long does it take a cloth diaper to decompose? Could Your Home Use Wind or Solar Energy? How much wind or sun does it take to use a wind or solar power generation system? How does that compare with the average number of windy or sunny days where you live? Investigate what it would take to start generating and using your own power.

Authorpreneurs and VC Publishers

Authorpreneurs and VC Publishers Authorpreneurs and VC Publishers The WannabesI was listening to Joanna Penn talk at an Apple event in Covent Garden a few days ago, and I was surprised that the sentence she repeated the most was: â€Å"Writing is hard! It’s extremely hard. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.†I immediately drew a parallel to starting a company. Everyone knows it’s hard, but keeps forgetting it. Why? Because, technically, anyone can do it. You sit down and write. You fill out a form and incorporate your company. No special skills required.What does that mean? Well, you end up with thousands of â€Å"wannabes†. The I’ll-write-someday-you’ll-see-ers, the I’ve-had-this-great-startup-idea-for-awhile-and-I’m-working-on-it-ers. I don’t have the numbers, but I guess less than 10% of these â€Å"wannabes† become authors, or entrepreneurs.The AuthorpreneursThis took me back to an article by the same Joanna Penn that I read a few weeks ago: The Arc Of The Indie Autho r Journey. From First Book To CEO Of Your Global Media Empire. Penn writes: â€Å"You don’t have to know everything now. You can learn on the job. We all have to. None of us are born with the knowledge of how to do these things – we just find out along the way.† That’s what I do every day at Reedsy. I learn along the way.Indie authors are entrepreneurs in addition to being authors. This is what makes independent authorship particularly difficult, and definitely thrilling for some. â€Å"Taking control† is a dream for many; some are even incredibly good at it. But success takes a lot of self-discipline, a business mentality, boldness and a natural (or very well-trained) ability to promote yourself.Oh, and money. Editing and cover art, if done well, are not cheap (nor should they be). So either you keep your day job for a while, or you try your luck on Kickstarter (the former is highly recommended).That’s a lot of requirements. The good thing is, if you’re committed, you â€Å"learn along the way†. But what if you’re not? What if you just want to write?The Future of traditional publishingIf you don’t have an entrepreneurial mentality, you don’t start your company and you don’t self-publish. It’s as simple as that. Many people don’t want to take control, don’t want to have to choose their editor, cover designer, publicist, etc. They excel at writing, and at that only.In my opinion, that’s what publishers are (or should be?) for. Not to pin down those who want to fly with their own wings, but to help those who can’t.If we keep the parallel to entrepreneurship, we can consider that a few decades ago, it was impossible to start your own company without a lot of money. You shopped your idea around until you found a partner to finance your operation and in return you gave up a hefty majority of your company’s equity. Only as technology has adva nced, most startups are able to prove their concept with almost $0. You can raise millions in the early stages of your company without giving massive chunks of equity away.The emergence of self-publishing is a very similar phenomenon. Technology has lowered the barrier to entry, and authors are able to â€Å"show traction† (i.e., sell thousands of books) without support from publishers.You can only ask 80% of a company when the company has no choice. Today, startups and authors have a choice.But let’s be honest. These successful â€Å"indies† would sell ten times more if they had a publisher backing them and opening bookstores to them. Hugh Howey and the whole self-publishing community know it. Publishers are slow to realize it.Some are starting to offer print-only deals. Some others offer 50% net royalties instead of 25%. â€Å"Exceptions†, some might say. Well, the future is made of today’s exceptions.We’re also on Twitter!   Follow  R icardo  and  Reedsy!

Pathology of the Heart Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pathology of the Heart - Term Paper Example There are two main types of myocardial infarction and these are transmural while the other is subendocardial infarction. The transmural can be further classified as anterior or posterior and is a result of insufficient oxygen supply in the heart (Ruben and Reisner 23-232). This heart condition is basically due to deposits of fats along the blood arteries causing blockage in the tubing. As a result, more pressure is exerted to the heart during blood flow and this could lead to rapture of the blood vessels. It is also due to unbearable psychological stress or when one experiences physical exertion that exceeds the normal. Some research indicates that pneumonia and increased uses of antibiotics contribute to this heart condition. Some human activities contributing to this include excessive tobacco smoking as well as heavy alcohol drinking. Other factors contributing to heart failure are air pollution, diabetes, old age both in men and women, and proven genetic factors. Socioeconomic factors like lack of education or low income generation also pose high risks of heart attacks. Women using more than one type of contraceptive pills and still smoke are at higher risk of heart attacks. Symptoms associated to this heart condition include abrupt pains in the heart often felt in the form of tightness or pressure. The pain is due lack of enough blood supply in the organ. This is a condition which is also known as angina pectoris. Other symptoms are difficulty in breathing as a result of limitation of left ventricle output and abnormal anxiety. In addition, lack of concentration due to cerebral or brain shocks could be experienced (Bogaet and Dymarkowski 68-134). This heart condition could lead sudden death since the heart fails to supply the required amount of blood to various body parts. Women patients experience weakness as well as difficulty in

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths Research Proposal

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths - Research Proposal Example In the year 1998, one of the faculty members of Simon Fraser University carried out a study on the teens that were interested in watching violent media. (Bryant, pp. 23-25) The results of that study showed that such media made twenty-five percent of teens addicted to it. In addition, all those teens showed great changes in their behavior, which was not in a positive manner. Furthermore, a number of studies have shown that worse academic results are shown by the youth that watch violent media according to the National Institute on Media and Family. (Gentile, pp. 39-41) It is indicated by the researches that violent media is preferred by more than seventy-five percent of teens in the United States that are interested in watching television and other available mediums. One of the schools in Texas carried out a study of adolescents that watch violent media, and it found out that teachers complained of frequent arguments from such students. In some cases, these adolescents were even involved in physical fights with their teachers and classmates that is a major concern of the schools, as well as, the parents. In specific, studies have shown that gender does not play a major role in the behavioral changes after watching violent media, which is another major topic related to the effects of violent media on youth that is not discussed in this paper. In another study, it was observed that eighty percent of adolescent girls that were involved in watching violent media argued with their teachers and classmates, as compared with the eighty-three percent of boys in the same category. Thus, it shows that gender does not play any role in such case. (Krug, pp. 45-46) The advent of violent media has prompted the researchers to go into the details of this medium of entertainment. In popular media, the topic of violence is quite controversial, as different people have provided different interpretations regarding