Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Assessment for Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment for Learning - Essay Example This essay will talk about the student-centred assessment process on vocational teaching and learning process. MCAST is offering a chance to several individuals to acquire effective knowledge and skills in order to make themselves more employable through the lifelong education and assessment process (MCAST, 2010, p.1). This study will discuss the student-centred assessment approach to MCAST Art & Design Institute’s Media Studies subject. In student-centred learning process, the students play an important part in the learning evaluation. In this process, the students can decide the demonstration of their learning process. The students should develop an assessment that supports motivation and learning which can be thought of to be an important criterion of student-centred approaches. Media studies generally deals with the history, effects and contents of several media. Media studies deal with traditions from the humanities and social sciences. Communication science, mass communi cation, communication studies and communication are the important ingredients of the media studies. MCAST Art & design institute incorporated these subject matters in Media studies. MCAST conducts assessments in the international and national context of higher education. The major aim of student-centred assessment strategy in MCAST is to develop skills, knowledge and competencies. The program learning outcomes are very much practical. These outcomes are focused to help the students to develop their skills, competencies and knowledge. This program has several clear and transparent program assessment strategies like assessment plans. The learning assessment strategies are very much student focused. Both the program teams and program board work together to develop the skills, competencies and knowledge of the students. In this process students are supported and encouraged to become significant independent learners. E-learning facility and advanced technology are implemented to assist t he students to achieve the learning outcomes. It is important that the teachers should help their students to make a positive approach to the subject matter. Student centred assessment strategy is important in the vocational institutions as it helps the students to provide the practical knowledge. It is important for the students to gain practical knowledge in the media studies. The institution focused on providing effective practical guide to the students. It is important to apply Student-centred assessment approach in media studies. It will help to fulfil the special needs of students. This educational approach of students has several propositions for the designing of the course content, curriculum, assessment of courses and evaluation process. Question 2 Formative, summative and portfolio assessment methods are three major assessment methods. Formative assessment takes place throughout the learning program. In MCAST, the learner is assessed and provided feedback during the learni ng process. It is known as the formative assessment. On the other hand, summative assignment helps to assess the students at predetermined points at the end of the learning process. Portfolio assessment can be described as the collection of activities that are linked with concepts which are required for the students to learn. Validity of an assessment method is the specific extent that helps to measure the suitability of the interpretation of outcomes. It is a matter of degree. There are four types of validity, such as content

Monday, October 28, 2019

Immigration Legislation Essay Example for Free

Immigration Legislation Essay In general, there has been much debate about the first settlers in the United States; one theory is that the original settlers were from Northeast Asia who eventually were the ancestors of the Native Americans (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). The second theory is that settlers were from â€Å"Polynesia, South Asia or even Europe† (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). The first recorded discovery was of Florida by Spain through Ponce de Leon in 1513 (Danilov, 2003). Spain discovered and explored other parts such as â€Å"Texas, New Mexico and Arizona† and Colorado and Mississippi Rivers through de Vaca, Coronado, and De Soto, respectively (Danilov, 2003). The Spaniards settled in Florida, California and the south-west area of America. The Spaniards engaged primarily in mining of precious metals. The 16th century marked the arrival of English explorers for the purpose of establishing government in overseas colonies and for economic purposes as well (Danilov, 2003). They settled in Virginia in 1607. The Dutch established trading posts and were the ascendants of three Presidents of the U. S. The English people arrived steadily and established settlement in different areas (Danilov, 2003). The French arrived in 1700. There was a war that ensued between the English and French and the former won until the French was defeated at Quebec. The term ‘immigrant’ came about in 1787 with an issue as to the distinction between those who merely colonized and settled in America vis-a-vis those who arrived when laws, customs and language have been established and set (Danilov, 2003). There was agriculture depression in Europe, thus, 15,000 people sailed to North America in 1830. A large number of Irish and Italians engaged in agriculture while in Massachusetts, mill towns were established. Germans also immigrated to America due to the failed German revolution. Most of the German Jews were engaged in business. Russians moved to America in the last part of the 19th century (Danilov, 2003). Italians on the other hand, settled in America in the early 20th century. In fine, the immigrants from Europe and Asia settled in America â€Å"to seek their fortune† because they thought that the country had unlimited resources and opportunities. The Africans on the other hand, did not settle in America voluntarily, they were brought to serve as slaves (Rapid Immigration web site, n. d. ). Historical Perspective of Immigration of Latinos Many believed that the Latinos or Hispanics arrived in America between the years 1496-1542 when Hernando de Soto who led the Spanish expedition to the southeastern region of the U. S. (Leidermann, 2007). Latinos settled in other areas like Arkansas in early 1890s. They lacked â€Å"education, skills and knowledge of the English language† (Leidermann, 2007). Most of them were employed in the agricultural businesses. When there was construction boom in the early part of 1980, demand for labor increased and they were the ones who filled the job need. The unskilled Latino workers filled also the jobs related to the poultry industry (Leidermann, 2007). The Cubans passed through the port of Mariel such that the refugees were named ‘Marielitos. ’ Some established residence in Florida, Fort Chafee near the Sebastian County (Leidermann, 2007). In bigger cities, â€Å", Latinos are moving up the economic scale and hold better jobs, own homes, and are business entrepreneurs and managers† (Leidermann, 2007). According to Suarez-Orozco Sommer, the Latin Americans comprise the largest percentage of immigrant group category (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). The total figure of people from Europe who emigrated in the U. S. is equivalent to the figure of those from Latin America. Based on the U. S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 31 million Latinos which comprise 11. 2% of the total population (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). In 2003, they are the largest number of minority in the U. S. (Saenz, 2005). â€Å"Of the top ten sender countries in the last decade, four are Latin American and Caribbean: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica; in the next ten are Haiti, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru† (Suarez-Orozco Sommer, 2000). Border Fence Act The Border Security Act (H. R. 6061) was just recently passed in 2006 and sponsored by Representative King (Thomas Library of Congress web site, n. d. ). The law was signed by President Bush on October 26, 2006 (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). According to him, illegal immigration is on the rise and it is necessary to enforce the laws and provide for a comprehensive immigration system (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). This law provides the establishment of a 700-mile fence â€Å"between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico† (Robbins, 2008). The law seeks to achieve reform in the immigration system and policies of the country and its enforcement through apprehension of those who may illegally cross the fence (Robbins, 2008). The law directs the Homeland Security to â€Å"achieve operational control over U. S. international and maritime borders† which includes border patrol and surveillance and the use of equipment and technology to achieve this end as well as physical infrastructure to discourage illegal entry (Thomas Library of Congress web site, n. d. ). The fence is described as a â€Å"double-and-triple fence. † The first layer is made of airplane landing mates while the second is a steel mesh developed by Sandia National Laboratories. The â€Å"third chain link fence† is â€Å"topped with barbed wire† (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). There is a 150 foot of open space between the first and second fences used to station vehicles and surveillance cameras (Fletcher Weisman, 2006). In addition, there are air and ground border patrol agents deployed. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was signed into law in 1996 as a product of different and diverse efforts to address a variety of issues (University of Michigan web site, n. d. ). The two tragic incidents that led to the drafting and passage of this were the Oklahoma and World Trade Center incidents (Doyle, 1996). Among the other provisions, most salient to immigration is Title IV which refers to terrorists and criminal alien removal and exclusion. The Immigration and Nationality Act, specifically section 241(a)(4)(D) terrorist aliens may be deported, however, these aliens exploit and use â€Å"procedural and substantive provisions† to delay expulsion (Doyle, 1996). Thus, the need for a better crafted procedure is imperative. This law has in fact addressed such problem. In a nutshell, the Federal Rules on Evidence does not apply in these proceedings; evidence in a camera can be admitted by the court; evidence gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act can be presented as evidence; the Attorney General is authorized to detain alien at the start of the proceedings (Doyle, 1996). The law also authorizes the Attorney General to grant asylum only in cases where persons are not threats to national security. Asylum procedures and criminal alien proceeding have been improved (Doyle, 1996). Right of Police to Question Immigration Status Fears and protestations arouse due to the impression that the police are authorized to inquire into the immigration status of immigrants, i. e. Latinos. However, Los Angeles police clarified that Special Order 40 does not authorize police to inquire into the immigrant status of aliens (Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, 2001). The concern and inquiry shall only be when there is present, a larger criminal investigation involving the alien suspect (Day, 2006). The pertinent Special Order was already adopted in 1979 and it had negative effect on immigrants considering that it led to abuse both of those who are documented as well as those, undocumented. The Latinos felt that the very police who were supposed to protect them were the very ones who abused them (Day, 2006). In Phoenix on the other hand, a different policy was devised as authored by Governor Phil Gordon (Archibold, 2008). Under this new policy, all those involved in criminal charges will be questioned about the status of their stay in the United States. Moreover, the police are empowered to coordinate and report to the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Archibold, 2008). Conclusion With the enactment of Border Fence Act, it has singled out Hispanics with an apparent bias. The border fence which oppositionist calls as the ‘Berlin Wall’ segregates Mexico where majority Hispanic immigrants come from. This decision was largely due to the fact that number of Hispanic immigrants is the largest compared to other groups of immigrants. The Border Fence has not been effective because reports reveal that the number of illegal immigrants who entered have in fact, increased. Moreover, the success rate of the Government is based on a measure which is not reflective of its effectiveness. Apprehensions are counted to determine success but a person may be apprehended ten times and get through the 11th time. It is also opined that the fence disrupts the movement of migration because people from Mexico travel to the U. S. for a seasonal work. The AEDPA is also criticized as not being effective. The expulsion proceedings take so much time and can easily be delayed. The most criticized move is the right of the police to question immigration status. To many it violates their right of privacy and which may lead to racial and ethnic profiling because the Latinos are being singled out from the other illegal immigrants. The U. S. is known to be a democratic country with full opportunities for everyone. In enacting and enforcing its immigration laws it should be guided also by that policy with the end in view of treating immigrants in equal footing rather than singling out a particular race or ethnicity simply because it comprised the largest number of illegal immigrants. It should equally and uniformly enforce and implement its laws and policies regardless of ethinic or racial considerations. References Archibold, R. Phoenix police to check arrestees’ immigrant status. New York Times web site. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/02/16/us/16phoenix. html? _r=1oref=slogin Danilov, D. Immigrating in the U. S. A. Self-Counsel Press, 2003. Day, D. Brief: special order 40 spells out LAPD policy regarding immigration status. Immigration Outpost web site, March 7, 2006. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://immigrationoutpost. com/brief-special-order-40-spells-out-lapd-policy-regarding-immigration-status/ Doyle, C. Antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996. Federation of American Scientists web site. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. fas. org/irp/crs/96-499. htm Fletcher, M. Weisman, J. Bush signs bill authorizing 700-mile fence for border. Washington Post, October 27, 2006. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR2006102600120. html Immigration web site. U. S. Immigration History. Retrieved on April 13, 2008, from http://www. rapidimmigration. com/usa/1_eng_immigration_history. html Leidermann, M. Latino immigration. Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. encyclopediaofarkansas. net/encyclopedia/entry-detail. aspx? entryID=2733 Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. A report concerning special order 40. February 1, 2001. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. lacity. org/oig/Special_Order_40_708061_v1. pdf Robbins, T. Bush signs border fence Act; funds not found. National Public Radio web site. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=6388548 Saenz, R. The demography of Latino immigration: trends and trajectories. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. mexnor. org/programs/TRP/April%20cumbre%20saenz%2004-22-05. pdf Suarez-Orozco, M. Sommer, D. Becoming Latinos. DRCLAS Newsletter, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University. Spring, 2000: 3-5 Thomas Library of Congress web site. H. R 6061. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://thomas. loc. gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z? d109:HR06061:@@@Dsumm2=m University of Michigan web site. Antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www. lib. umich. edu/govdocs/pdf/pl104132. pdf

Saturday, October 26, 2019

A Separate Peace: Responsibility Essay -- Essays Papers

A Separate Peace: Responsibility A responsibility is something for which one is held accountable. Often people say that one is responsible for one’s own words and actions; if something happens as a result of something one does one is responsible for it. But is it possible that something could be the result of various actions from different people who are therefore equally responsible, or is there always one person who is most responsible for the incident at hand? Such a situation where this question is relevant is present in the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles. In the novel, the main character, Gene, ponders his responsibility for the death of his best friend, Phineas or Finny. After reading Gene’s account of the events that led to Finny’s death the reader may observe that there are three people who are all partially at fault for Finny’s death. Gene, a classmate named Brinker, and Phineas all had something to do with the incident, but who was most responsible for it? Gene is probably the most obvious to blame for part of Phineas’ death. Gene clearly feels guilty, that is why he returns to the tree fifteen years after the fact, for some sort of closure. As Gene and Finny were about to jump from a tree branch into the river together, Gene shook the branch causing Phineas to fall into the river unexpectedly and hurt his leg. Later on, when Phineas re-injured his leg and was having it set in a routine operation, he passed away. The doctor said that it was p...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

An Inspector Calls Play Essay

‘An Inspector Calls’ has been called ‘a play of contrasts’. Write about how Priestley presents some of the contrasts in the play. In the play there are wide differences in not only the treatment of Sheila Birling and Eva Smith but also large contrasts in the girls themselves- with Eva being a poor uncared for girl and Sheila being a privileged upper-middle class girl. This not only separates them as they would be unable to fully empathise with each other as they experience widely contrasting lives. This is shown as Mr Birling says â€Å"but I see no point in mentioning the subject – especially -(indicating Sheila.)† The quote paired with the stage direction highlights Mr Birling’s attempts to prevent Sheila from being exposed to the situation. This is done as they feel that Sheila should be protected from merely hearing the awful situations that some girls have to endure. This concern is in contrast with how they view Eva Smith as both p arents have minimal concern for the fact that they are partly responsible for Eva having to live on the streets. ‘There’s nothing I can tell him. I told the girl to clear out, and she went.’ The use of ‘nothing’ indicates how Mr Birling views the situation of Eva, as if it was ‘nothing’ that he was at fault for Eva being on the streets and out of a job- a contrast to the sheltered life he creates for Sheila. At both ends of the play there is contrast in the language used by Inspector and Birling in their speeches. The early speech by Mr Birling is one with a much happier and self-supporting view of society compared to the later one by the Inspector which holds a tone of finality and encompasses the idea of being responsible for everyone around you. Both speeches talk of the responsibility we have however; where the Inspector talks of responsibility for all- ‘We don’t live alone.’ Mr Birling means to say that we are responsible for ourselves and no more- ‘. We employers at last are coming together to see that our interests’ These speeches indicate the attitudes held by the speaker clearly, with Mr Birling showing concern for ‘we employers’ highlights the socialist view held by Mr Birling as he views they employers as one while entity that need to protect and look after each other with minimal concern for the rest of society.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Foundations of Human Development in the Social Environment

The foundation of human development, responds to the breakdown of its commitment to the development of attitudes and skills, which facilitate authentic personal, spiritual, and social development and the transformation throughout an individual’s life span. During an individual’s life span, the foundations of human development begin to change, as the direct result of the social environment. Contact within the social environment, such as various relationships with others, causes growth and change in human development.The understanding of culture and the importance of cultural competency are major factors in the development of humans in a social environment. Various aspects of development are combined together to make up an individual’s growth and development. The basics of human development in the social environment must focus on the dynamic interactions among biological, psychological, and social aspects of development. The understanding of human development requi res the comprehension of the various ranges of issues, people are facing as they continue progressing in life.This understanding includes the entire life span of an individual. The life span includes infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each individual may face different situations in each of the different groups of the life span, which could cause alternative responses depending on physical appearance, knowledge base, or even socializing. The focus of understanding of human development in the social environment includes these three theories, biological development, psychological development, and social development.These signs of development together can be referred to as bio-psycho-social development. Biological development includes the physical aspects of the individual’s personal life. Psychological development is the individuals functioning and cognitive processes. The social development brings out the individuals interaction with others around them. In this er a, diversity and cultural competence are extremely important to understand, regarding the foundations of human development in the social environment. Diversity can alter or affect an individual’s behavior in many ways.Diversity is considered when an individual is different, or composed of differing elements. Therefore, diversity can include different nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, disability, gender identity, immigration status, political ideology, and religion. At any time, an individual is determined as belonging to another group, different from the majority, the individual is considered to be subject to the effects of diversity. Many children coming from different countries have a problem with language.Not being able to speak the language of the community can cause huge barriers for the children to overcome. Many parents believe that the key to a successful life and fulfillment is to get an education. These parents encourage their kids, that with an e ducation nothing can defeat you. It is also very important for the social worker, or human service provider to be comfortable with diversity, and is culturally competent. Cross-cultured means the individual appreciates and compares the differences and the similarities of different cultures as well as their own.The general systems theory based on order, explains why the scenario is what it is. The study of social systems perspective gives the identified assumption that there is an underlying intelligible general order in the world to which all matter relates. Therefore, social order is a subset of general systems, and works together to form the theory of order. General systems theory has become more than just a theory; it has become a way of life, and a part of how we communicate.This system begins by using a reduction method, breaking down the individual by parts, which is what we may call simplification. This idea ensures each part of the whole is more manageable, and understandabl e. In this conclusion, the human development in the social environment can be changed by the stimuli of the environment or subjects surrounding them. The interaction between the bio-psycho-social dimensions of development, the concept of human diversity, and the cultural competence are all part of the general systems theory and social order.Explaining the reason why we do the things we do, challenges we face while pursuing our goals, and the changes in our personality and human development in regards to our social environment. Although, there are many factors that affect individuals as they pursue a life full of dreams, one thing is for sure, education is very important, and the environment in which an individual surrounds himself or herself with will influence decision, actions, and development of each individual.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Austria, and Spain, intertwining history essays

Austria, and Spain, intertwining history essays I have traveled to both Spain, and Austria. While both are unmistakably different in both culture, and government, they are not so unalike that we couldnt compare the two. Spain is very culturally rich in its diverse cities, the olive growing provinces, and the wine growing communities. A road trip anywhere in the country would be a beautiful drive with the grape vines, and the olive trees dotting the never-ending mountains. There are charming towns and villages every so often where one can find a bit of history in modern day life. Austria is also very beautiful with a lot of the towns nestled in the foothills, or in the mountains of the Alps. It is a very culturally rich country with some of the best bread and wine to rival even Spain. The tourist can take a train ride and view the beautiful mountains, lush vegetation, and the very Austrian homes along the way. There are some of the most beautiful castles, and monasteries in the world. They are both very beautiful, and culturally ri ch countries that both value their way of life, and their influence in the rest of the world. Both countries have had a major influence in Europe in one way or another. Spain is located right below France on the Iberian Peninsula, and it is the country that cuts Portugal off from the rest of Europe. The population of Spain is a little over 40,000,000. The Capital is Madrid with Barcelona the rival city, and the capital of Catalonia. Spanish is the main language with Catalan, Galician, and Valencian not far behind. Right now Spain has adopted the Euro monetary unit, although the peseta is still accepted anywhere. Spain is still a Monarchy with Juan Carlos I as the King. The president of the government is the Prime Minister who is currently Jose Maria Lopez who was elected from the Popular Party according to the Political Handbook of the World 1999. Because of the conquest by the Arabs, and Moors in the eighth century, there are sti...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Computers in our World

Computers in our World In the 1950's, computers were a new race of machines and most common person did not know anything about them. Today, computers and new Innovation like the internet has changed the business world and even our daily lives. How did it change the business world and our own personal lives and is it for the best, that's what will be discussed here. How Computers changed our lives . Large businesses now mostly depend on computers to stay competitive, they not only save time and effort, but sometimes they are used to do very complex application that are necessary to this business. More and more companies have there own "Web Page" on the net. Some use the Internet only to display information about there business, others really go "all out" and use the Internet as another way for a client to purchase their goods and services. Either way, the Internet is getting larger and larger, therefore, businesses that want to stay on top cannot omit the Internet as another way to transact with their clien ts.Internet!Although computers have become necessary in the business world, it also has become a "must" for certain individuals in their daily lives. With computers today, the things you can do are unlikely to do with out it. It affects people in a variety of ways. It changes the way we communicate, the way we do business and the way we spend our days.The modern world of high technology could not have come about except for the development of the computer. Different types and sizes of computers find uses throughout society in the storage and handling of data, from secret governmental files to banking transactions to private household accounts. Computers have opened up a new era in manufacturing through the techniques of automation, and they have...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Rhinotillexis on the Decline

Rhinotillexis on the Decline Rhinotillexis on the Decline Rhinotillexis on the Decline By Maeve Maddox You may be pleased to hear that rhinotillexis is on the downturn, at least in public places. This lovely term means picking ones nose with ones fingers. In an article by Jim Shahin in the February 15, 2008 issue of American Way, I learned that a Harvard study reveals that rhinotillexis is down 70% from the year before. The decline is attributed to the fact that cameras are everywhere and people are becoming more cautious about the activity for fear of showing up on YouTube and grossing out their friends. The element rhino occurs in several English words. The animal (rhinoceros) gets its name from the combination rhino nose and keras horn. People hardly ever use the entire word anymore when speaking of the animal. Certainly calling it a rhino makes forming its plural much easier. A scholarly plural of rhinoceros is rhinocerotes. Ive never heard anyone say that. A more familiar plural is rhinoceroses, but thats hard to say and it sounds comical. A television ad selling a cold product shows a rhinoceros and tells viewers that the source of the common cold is the rhinovirus. Rhino occurs in other medical terms. People dissatisfied with the noses they were born with can opt for rhinoplasty, cosmetic surgery that alters the shape of the nose. Rhinoscopy is a technique for examining the nose and throat. If you are writing in a humorous vein and wish to describe someone who has a big nose, you could use the adjective rhinocerical. Something I didnt know before researching rhino is that it has been used as a slang word for money since 1688. Could be that this use of the word has something to do with the origin of the expression paying through the nose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?A While vs Awhileâ€Å"Least,† â€Å"Less,† â€Å"More,† and â€Å"Most†

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Salary assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Salary assignment - Research Paper Example The Alberta wage survey is said to cover 400 occupations providing information about the salaries and wages for both full time and part-time employees. This has been an analysis taken in 2011. The information provided, on the other hand, is based on the occupation, geographical areas of the employees and the industry group in Alberta (WAGEinfo., 2012). The survey is said to have played and still does play a great role to the lives of the individuals in Alberta. Its role, therefore, is to help them make both their career and educational plans. The survey also determines the pay scales and, hence, developing effective public policy. Lastly, the survey is responsible for the provision of the skill shortages (Government of Alberta, 2012). Embarking on the survey conducted in 2009, we are notified that the employment and the immigration department in Alberta collaborated with the service from Canada to conduct a survey on the Alberta wages and salaries every 2 years (Government of Alberta, 2012). The survey, conversely, is meant to gather the information about the employees both full time and part time depending on their occupation, geographical area and industry group. The information gathered was meant to help the people in Alberta for ‘transition into the workforce’ (ERL, 2012). Therefore, from the above table we can deduce that the minimum starting salary for a cabinetmaker is $12, while the highest salary is $23. This leads to an average salary of $17.24. On the other hand, the top salary a cabinetmaker can get is a minimum of $22 while the highest salary is $27 leading to an average of $35 (Clark, 1998). According to Clark (1998), the minimum starting salary of a carpenter is $14 while the highest is $38.63. The average starting salary is $22.74. In addition, the top salary of a carpenter is a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $45 leading to an average salary of $32.61. The chefs get a minimum starting salary

Friday, October 18, 2019

Coastal engineeringdesign of a cocastal defence scheme in south east Essay

Coastal engineeringdesign of a cocastal defence scheme in south east england - Essay Example There would be safer swimming opportunities, and improved conditions on surfing. It is important that these benefits are for all the local community members and the surfers as well. From the results found, management and guidelines for the appraisal of coastal defence projects should be amended to incorporate non-market amenity benefits. The integration of the planning and management of the coastal land and associated inshore waters are the strategic and comprehensive attempts at the issues affecting the country's coastline. Since coastal defence has been unplanned in the past 10 years, a more strategic approach had been taken through the Shoreline Management Plan and the Coastal Defence Strategies. The protection of coastal land and the communities from the destruction of the sea is a major concern all over the world. Climate change and the predicted rise in sea levels are likely to further the concern in the future. In England, the estimate of over one million properties valued at over 130 billion are at risk from coastal flooding, 113,000 properties valued at 7.7 billion for coastal erosion. ... The good project appraisals are needed to ensure that the taxpayers would receive a good value for their money from coastal defence projects. Defra(then MAFF) in the UK had produced a series of flood and coastal defence projects and this includes a guidance documents for the appraisal of projects. The supplementary note does not address the changes made, the interim guidance does not address one of the key changes made in the revised book namely the incorporation of values for the non-market and environmental benefits and costs that are associated with flood and the coastal defence projects. One method of sea defence is groynes. Groynes are used in the UK and all over the world to prevent coastal erosion The use of timber, stones, concrete or steel in the construction of groynes. These are used to prevent "longshore" drift and to restore beach volume. It had been proven that the use of groynes play an important role in the protection of coastal system on shingle beaches and that groy nes can be a very good form of coastal management. The use of timber groynes declined by the introduction of beach nourishment scheme, moreover, timber groynes have poor characteristics that are susceptible to the creation of rip channels as well as higher levels of reflection than rock groynes. Rock had become a popular choice of construction material for groynes. The main reason for this is the intrinsic property to dissipate wave length energy and low levels of reflection. Rock groynes demonstrates more effectively than timber groynes, specifically on mixed sand and shingle beaches. Groynes are often regarded as unattractive. Houses uses the seawall as sea defence. The overflow of sea water is being prevented by the seawall. That is when water flows over the

Does business have a responsibility to provide employees with more Essay

Does business have a responsibility to provide employees with more satisfying work lives Or to better accommodate their family needs - Essay Example Employees need to work and associated with a place that lack the irritants, inconveniences and also frustrations within their productive workplaces (Adler, 2012). The business need create the office as a welcoming communal area for talented employees to come up with big ideas and also deliver excellence. Happiness should never be shunned at the place of work, it should never be the objective of the business. This is the actual quality of a work setting that can assist the employees to find satisfaction and meaning in their work place and develop a sustainable productivity. Rather than focusing on the subjective needs, management need to develop a tone for the culture of the company and to make sure that the workplace and business fully focusses on the hope, drive, and also dream for the employees (Adler, 2012). For this reason, satisfaction for the work lives need to be the main area of the office

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Gross Domestic Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gross Domestic Product - Essay Example The dependent variable used for this study is the Gross domestic product (GDP) of the United Kingdom (UK). GDP is an important measure for any country because it represents the healthiness of its economy. It is calculated by summing the market value of all goods and services produced within this economy. The percent change in GDP is used to measure the growth in the economy during the specified period. GDP is measured in real prices in order to remove the effect of inflation. The data for the GDP for the UK is extracted from the Economic Trend Annual Supplement (ETAS) database. ETAS is released annually from British office of national statistics (ONS). It contains a summary of the United Kingdom (UK) economic accounts. Field number 2.1A is selected from the database which contains the time series of GDP chained volume measures which is referenced by the variable ABMI. These values are seasonally adjusted to represent the period from 1948 to 2005. Annually linked and weighted chain volume measures better highlight changes in GDP than constant price values. This is because take account of year-to-year changes (Aspden & Person 2000). Figure 1 shows little change from year to year in UK GDP. Therefore the percent change from year-to-year is computed and replaces by the real values of annual GDP. The percent change in the British GDP (appendix B) is shown in the following figure: Figure 2: Percent Change in UK GDP from 1948 to 2005 Figure 2 amplifies the changes and highlights that occurred during the period of the study. It shows periods when GDP positively increased or negatively decreased which were not visible in figure 1. From the above graph the following years experienced major increase in the British GDP: 1973 (7.1%), 1964 (5.5%), 1960 (5.3%), 1988 (5%). The following years also experienced the most decrease in GDP values: 1980 (-2.1%), 1981 (-1.5%), 1991 (-1.4%), 1974 (-1.4). 3. Econometric Model: Regression is considered as a special case of econometric modeling (Wang & Jain 2003). Theory suggests that GDP growth is positively related to inflation and negatively related to unemployment and real interest rates (RIT). The following relevances of these three variables are explored in the following sections. 3.1 The relevance of Inflation in predicting GDP: The relationship between inflation and GDP is a very delicate relationship and still causes much controversy in both theory and empirical findings (Hossain & Chowdhury 1996). Mallik & Chowdhury (2001) examined the long-run and short-run dynamics of the relationship between GDP and inflation. They found that inflation and economic growth are positively related on the long run. They also found that inflation is more sensitive to changes in growth rates than that of growth rates to changes in inflation. Thus moderate inflation is good for growth but fast economic growth feeds back into inflation. Thus too much GDP growth would accelerate inflation rates, which would decrease the value of money more than the value gained by GDP and even more taking the economy downhill as verified by Bruno and Easterly (1998). 3.2

Philosophy of nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Philosophy of nursing - Essay Example This partnership between nurse and patient evolved from a relationship where one does things for another, to a therapeutic partnership not only existing while the patient is ill but is extended long after getting better. Integrating the importance of understanding one’s behavior and how this affects the delivery of quality care for patients has turned nursing both into a science and art: science due to the importance of the basic principles of scientific inquiry; and art due to the nurse practitioner’s ability to be creative in applying or modifying various concepts and other bodies of knowledge such as evidence-based practice, depending on what the situation needs (Parker & Smith, 2010). In addition, because establishing a nurse-client relationship that is based on trust and integrity has become just as important as the accuracy and applicability of the care provided, the nurses need to have an awareness not just on the patient’s whole situation but of themselves as well, to assess whether it is in their capacity to bring the necessary service or if they need other forms of assistance. This combination of methodological and creative thinking has made the nursing profession a sc ience and an art. I have chosen to become a nurse by profession because doing so allows me to express various sides of me: the scientific and methodological side; the creative side; and most importantly my caring side. This is because in reality, various disciplines are not strictly separated but rather overlap with one another, thus it is important to acknowledge the fact that every kind of discipline, even the nursing profession borrows other ideas from seemingly-different fields such as psychological theories to business and economics in the process of improving care delivery for patients and other stakeholders. Such ideas were inspired by Peplau’s ground-breaking psychodynamic theory, which integrated interpersonal theory, a psychological

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Gross Domestic Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gross Domestic Product - Essay Example The dependent variable used for this study is the Gross domestic product (GDP) of the United Kingdom (UK). GDP is an important measure for any country because it represents the healthiness of its economy. It is calculated by summing the market value of all goods and services produced within this economy. The percent change in GDP is used to measure the growth in the economy during the specified period. GDP is measured in real prices in order to remove the effect of inflation. The data for the GDP for the UK is extracted from the Economic Trend Annual Supplement (ETAS) database. ETAS is released annually from British office of national statistics (ONS). It contains a summary of the United Kingdom (UK) economic accounts. Field number 2.1A is selected from the database which contains the time series of GDP chained volume measures which is referenced by the variable ABMI. These values are seasonally adjusted to represent the period from 1948 to 2005. Annually linked and weighted chain volume measures better highlight changes in GDP than constant price values. This is because take account of year-to-year changes (Aspden & Person 2000). Figure 1 shows little change from year to year in UK GDP. Therefore the percent change from year-to-year is computed and replaces by the real values of annual GDP. The percent change in the British GDP (appendix B) is shown in the following figure: Figure 2: Percent Change in UK GDP from 1948 to 2005 Figure 2 amplifies the changes and highlights that occurred during the period of the study. It shows periods when GDP positively increased or negatively decreased which were not visible in figure 1. From the above graph the following years experienced major increase in the British GDP: 1973 (7.1%), 1964 (5.5%), 1960 (5.3%), 1988 (5%). The following years also experienced the most decrease in GDP values: 1980 (-2.1%), 1981 (-1.5%), 1991 (-1.4%), 1974 (-1.4). 3. Econometric Model: Regression is considered as a special case of econometric modeling (Wang & Jain 2003). Theory suggests that GDP growth is positively related to inflation and negatively related to unemployment and real interest rates (RIT). The following relevances of these three variables are explored in the following sections. 3.1 The relevance of Inflation in predicting GDP: The relationship between inflation and GDP is a very delicate relationship and still causes much controversy in both theory and empirical findings (Hossain & Chowdhury 1996). Mallik & Chowdhury (2001) examined the long-run and short-run dynamics of the relationship between GDP and inflation. They found that inflation and economic growth are positively related on the long run. They also found that inflation is more sensitive to changes in growth rates than that of growth rates to changes in inflation. Thus moderate inflation is good for growth but fast economic growth feeds back into inflation. Thus too much GDP growth would accelerate inflation rates, which would decrease the value of money more than the value gained by GDP and even more taking the economy downhill as verified by Bruno and Easterly (1998). 3.2

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Presentation - Essay Example It is very complex and is currently only practiced in one developed country – Switzerland. Representative democracy. It allows the electorate to exercise their mandate to elect representatives to spearhead the will of the public. It comes as either parliamentary or presidential. Despite being very common all over the world, it is mostly partially practiced in the Developing World. Most countries under full dictatorship have the least development. The include Cuba, North Korea, Guinea, Belarus, Burma and Syria (Bailey 2013). Partial democracies are intertwined within dictatorships, making them unobvious. They are mainly practiced in Egypt, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand. Most of these countries have better economies than the ones listed under full dictatorship. Studies indicate that democracy has a direct relationship with development. However, such dictatorships as Saudi Arabia present the rare cases of countries blossoming with prosperity despite being governed dictatorially. Many developing countries have failed in promoting equality of their people, leading to low realization of democracy and development in these countries. Based on the discussed characteristics of democracy, including devolution of power and resources and political and civil freedom, it is apparent that full democratization offers the most obvious route to prosperity among nations in the Developing

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing as a Solution Essay Example for Free

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing as a Solution Essay As it is anticipated that there is a fundamental objective of the company to reduce costs, make informed decisions and consolidate information, there is urgent need to for resilient development of the business intelligence and data warehousing (Collier, 2012). The poor response by IT in the provision of strategic information indicates that the system is incapable of guiding the company to success. This is a potential threat to the prosperity of the business, and hence a quicker intervention is required to ensure success is attained. Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing as a Solution The implementation of BI and DWH services in the sales department would ensure a sustained growth and a competitive edge to the company. Integration of business intelligence would cover the use of information necessary to drive the organization insight. Operational business intelligence would produce an improved analysis of sales data and provide in-depth knowledge of the performance indicators of the marketing department such as the customers of the company, competitors, economic environment and internal operations that would in turn help in making efficient and best quality sales and marketing decisions (Collier, 2012). Also, the concept of data warehousing would enable a central integration and management of sales and marketing database containing data from the four operational sources in the department from heterogeneous sources. The created database would contain structured sales data for query analysis and can be accessed by all the authorized users. The good news reads that th e data warehouse can be created and updated at any time, with limited disruption of the operational systems (Simon, 2014). There is a broad set of technologies, applications and knowledge for gathering and analyzing sales data for the purpose of helping users make sales and marketing decisions. Issues Needed to be Addressed There is need to integrate BI and DWH applications in the operational systems as there is a significant requirement of current data for the purposes of sales. These tools are critical in supporting the sales and marketing decision makers in the organization. However, without proper governance, it would a long-awaited dream to achieve the value offered by BI and DWH. As such, there is urgent need to develop BI/DWH governance framework in the sales and marketing department based on universal principles and clear information ownership and dissemination. Essentially, there is a need for designing, implementing and making effective use of BI tools to achieve marketing objectives and increase revenue returns. Summary Making the most of the company’s data assets is the purpose of BI at a high level. The company would increase its competitive advantage such as reducing costs, increasing investment returns, reducing risks by making best data-driven decisions through a structured BI. Therefore, we can begin by developing the governance framework through designing, executing, monitoring and controlling and implementing to enhance proper management of the company sales data. References Collier, K. (2012). Agile analytics: A value-driven approach to business intelligence and data warehousing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. Simon, A. R. (2014). Enterprise business intelligence and data warehousing: Program management essentials. Source document

Monday, October 14, 2019

Impact of Urban Living on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Impact of Urban Living on Biodiversity and Ecosystems It is estimated that almost more than one half of the worlds population is presently living in urban areas (Sakieh et al. 2016; Weigi et al. 2014). In many parts of the world, increasing urban lands has caused changing land use and land cover (LULC) (Wu 2014). Biodiversity, ecosystem processes and functions and human habitants in an urban environment are influenced by the speed and spatiotemporal pattern of urbanization (Wu et al. 2011; Asgarian et al. 2015; Sangani et al. 2015; Wu 2014; Jaafari et al. 2015). Landscape beauty is being affected by LULC changes and urbanization has led to the destruction of aesthetic values in many parts of the world. Scenic landscapes, as one of the ecosystem services, are elements of the environment with the potential for human enjoyment and in some cases they are considered as valuable parameters for nature conservation and management (Bishop and Hulse 1994). The landscape is continually changing due to human activities but its aesthetics usually su ffers from poor quantification and inclusion in management plans. According to Naveh (1995), scenic landscapes are products of interactivity between humans and natural systems where natural landscapes become inhabited, influenced or altered by mutual relationships between ecological and socioeconomic processes. Such interrelated feedbacks can lead to physical modifications of the environment that ultimately can be seen, so landscape aesthetic assessment seem to be essential in land use planning. Understanding, analysis, monitoring and modeling of urban growth is crucial for the management of current urban systems as well as for the planning of future growth (Zhou et al. 2014). Geospatial predictive models and change detection methods can provide a further level of understanding of the causes and impacts of urban growth mechanisms (Sakieh et al. 2014a). In the process of decision making, land managers need to examine the consequences of the urban development process. Regarding the progress in computing power, easy access to spatial data sets and development of functional computer-based models, now there is a possibility in which land use managers and decision makers can evaluate the outcome of their decisions under different alternatives and at the minimum possible cost (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Inclusion of new methodologies such as spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) can further improve representation and modelling of urban growth patterns, which finally provide spatial d ecision support systems (SDSS) for better planning and management of urban areas (Dai et al. 2001; Jie et al. 2010; Youssef et al. 2011; Xu et al. 2011; Pourebrahim et al. 2011; Yuechen et al. 2011; Bagheri et al. 2013; Bathrellos et al. 2012; Sheng et al. 2012; Jeong et al. 2013, Sakieh et al. 2014b). Since 2000, there have been noticeable efforts for developing microsimulation LULC change methods such as cellular automata (CA) and agent-based models (Goodarzi et al.2016). CA-based models have a natural compatibility to raster geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data and are appropriate for detail resolution modeling and simulating dynamic spatial processes (Sullivan and Torrens 2000). In recent years, there have been developed some CA-based models such as SLEUTH (Slope, Landuse, Exclusion, Urban, Transportation, and Hillshade) (Clarke et al. 1997), CLUE-S (the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent) (Verburg et al. 2002), iCity (Stevens et al. 2007) and DINAMICA (Soares-Filho et al. 2002). Compared with the above mentioned spatial models, the SLEUTH model requires fewer input layers and also offers various alternatives for future urban growth prediction (Norman et al. 2012). These characteristics of SLEUTH model have made it as one of the most-implemented and popular methods for land use simulation at different scales (e.g. regional, national, and even binational) (Maithani 2010; Norman et al. 2012; Chaudhuri and Clarke 2013). However, there are a number of limitations with SLEUTH. The first of these is that it is computationally expensive. It requires a high number of model runs using a multi-stage calibration process to narrow down the coefficient value for each input parameter (Goldstein 2003). The second drawback is related to non-linearity of the model for the combination of the coefficients. The Brute Force method[1] which is used in this paper for calibrating the SLEUTH can fall in local maxima and may miss the better coefficient set (Goldstein 2003, Jafarnejad et al. 2015). Urban expansion is a complicated event which mainly occurs because of increasing population and the need for more construction. Consequently, vast lands of valuable ecosystems such as agricultural lands, forests and pastures are consumed and converted to urban areas (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Therefore it is essential to understand and recognize this process in order to implement effective management and avoid reducing the aesthetic value of landscapes. To achieve this goal, areas with high aesthetic value should be recognized at the first step. In this regard, there are various approaches to determine the aesthetic impacts on different areas of the city including expert-based methods such as Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE), statistical approaches such Logistic Regression (LR) and Artificial Intelligence-based methods such as Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) Neural Networks (Riveira and Maseda 2006). These methods are repeatedly being implemented for suitability mapping of utilities such as urbanization (Pijanowski et al. 2002; Hu and Lo 2007; Pao 2008; Mahiny and Clarke 2012; Sakieh et al. 2015), environmental conservation (Singh and Kushwaha 2011; Mehri et al. 2014; Sakieh et al. 2015) and agricultural activities (Mozumder and Tripathi 2014; Bodaghabadi et al. 2015) but are less implemented for mapping aesthetic values. The MLP neural network approach has a remarkable ability to derive meaning from complicated or imprecise data and detect trends that are too complex for either humans or other computer techniques. MLP is a more accurate modelling method compared to the others (Saeidi and Salmanmahiny 2014) and has been used in this research. Accordingly, creating a suitable model to predict the landscape scenic value could provide a basis for explicit, quick and accurate integration of aesthetic evaluation into land-use planning efforts. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the landscape aesthetic suitability and predict the spatial patterns of u rbanized lands in an effort to preserve landscapes of high aesthetic value. The following section describes how a directed modeling framework can be employed to introduce urban growth scenarios with regarding landscape aesthetic suitability, and finally to develop a city without considerable impact on its aesthetic suitability. Materials and methods Study area Gorgan is one of the cities in the northeast of Iran and the capital of Golestan province, located in 36 °, 49 ´ N and 54 °, 24 ´ E (Fig. 1). Gorgan has a mild and humid climate though summers are very hot and humid. The regional topography is very diverse and includes mountains, forests and grasslands, steppes and plains, desert and barren, rivers, wetlands and agricultural lands. Lush Hyrcanian temperate forests are located in the south, while flat areas with farmlands and rangelands make the main structure of the landscape in the north part of the case study. the region is also a destination for about two millions of tourists each year because of its aesthetic values and touristic environment, (Mehrnews 2015).Regarding the nomination of the area as a new province of Iran, rapid population growth has occurred that caused the increasing of built-up surfaces and consequently has made a series of conflicts between land developers and conservation agencies. These disagreements emphasise the importance of LULC planning in this area (Sakieh et al. 2016 b). Figure (1) Scenario based urban growth modelling In this research the SLEUTH cellular automata urban growth model was used to predict dynamics of Gorgan City developing under three different scenarios including historical, managed and aesthetically sound urban growth up to year 2030. The Historical Urban Growth (HUG) scenario assumes that the present pattern of urban growth will be maintained in the future. At the Managed Urban Growth (MUG) scenario, we tried to dictate an infill form of urban development with the aim of protecting the immediate environment of the city against urbanization. In the Aesthetically sound Urban Growth (AUG) scenario, an aesthetic suitability layer was used as the extra excluded layer in SLEUTH model to protect patches of high scenic value. Fig. 2 depicts a research flowchart of the study. The procedure for determining the aesthetic suitability map which was used as the excluded layer is explained in the following section. Figure (2) Aesthetic suitability mapping using MLP MLP is a feed forward artificial neural network model that maps different sets of input data toward a set of applicable and meaningful outputs (Rumelhart 1986). In a feed forward neural network, the information moves only in forward direction, from the input nodes, over the hidden nodes and to the output nodes. A node is considered to be a connection point that can receive, create, store or send data along distributed network routes (Ciresan et al. 2012). Exclusive of the input nodes, each node is a neuron or processing element with a nonlinear transfer function (Fig. 3). There are no cycles or loops in the network. MLP utilizes a supervised learning technique called back propagation for training the network (Rosenblatt et al. 1961; Rumelhart 1986). Learning process conducts in the perceptron by changing the connection weights after the processing of each part of data. Figure (3) Back propagation includes two main stages, forward and backward propagation, to achieve its modification of the neural status. During model training, each sample (e.g. a feature vector related to a single pixel) is entered into the input layer and the receiving node sums the weighted signals from all nodes to which it is connected in the former layer. In this regard, the input to a single node is weighted based on the following equation: Eq. (1) given: wij indicates the weight between node i and node j and o is the output from node i. The result from a given node is j is then computed from: Eq. (2) Function f is often a non-linear sigmoidal transformation that is used to weight the sum of inputs before it sends a signal to the next node. When the forward pass is finished, the performance of the resultant nodes are compared with their corresponding expected values. When a pattern is given to the network, each output node will differ from the preferred results, the difference is linked to the error in the network as well. This error is then propagated backward with weights for corresponding connections modified using a relation known as the delta rule: Eq. (3) Given: ÃŽÂ · is the learning rate of the model; ÃŽÂ ´ is the computed error; and ÃŽÂ ± is the momentum factor. This factor intends to avoid oscillation problems during the search for the minimum value on the error surface and is used to speed up the convergence procedure (Richards et al. 1999). The forward and backward passes continue until the network is properly trained for the characteristics of the targeted utility which in this research is the scenic beauty. Model training is aimed to retrieve the correct weights both for the connections between the input and hidden layers, and between the hidden and the output layer for the categorization of the unknown pixels. The input pattern is categorized to a class that possesses the node with the greatest activation level. The two training elements, automatic training and dynamic, can be employed to automatically execute the MLP. If one or both are used, the training procedure automatically restarts when the algorithm is highly oscillated or become trapped in a local minimum error surface. For each automatic restart of the model training procedure, one of the following items occurs to either learning rate or the sample used in the training procedure, or both. If only automatic training is selected and the first occurrence that the training procedure restarts, the starting weights are randomized. Through the next restarts, the weights are randomized and the learning rate is halved. If both automatic training and dynamic learning rate are chosen and the training restarts automatically, new samples are selected, the weights are randomized, and the learning rate splits in half. If only dynamic rate is chosen, and the learning rate is progressively lowered based on the number of iterations assigned and the start and end learning rates. For instance, if 10,000 iterations are specified and the model is configured with start rate of 0.1 and end rate of 0.001, it will divide 0.009 by 10,000 and lower the learning rate by the result at each iteration (Civco 1993). The acceptable error rate is related to the learning of the network and it is assessed based on the Root Mean Square (RMS error). Lower values of RMS error and higher values of total r2 shows the better fit of model. The MLP algorithm can produce both a hard and soft classifier. The hard classification output generates a discrete layer in which each cell belongs to a definitive category. Activation level maps, however, unlike the output of the hard classifier, are a series of images depicting a degree of membership for each pixel to each possible category. The output is set of images (one per class). Unlike the probability map, the sum of values for any location will not necessarily sum to 1. This is because the results from the neural network are acquired through standardizing the signal values in the range of 0-1 with the activation equation. Larger values imply a higher membership degree of the membership belonging to that corresponding category. The computation of the hard classification result is on the basis of the activation level maps. Data used for aesthetic suitability modelling through MLP method In the MLP analysis of the targeted area, multiple of factors were considered as input layers. Due to the characteristics of Gorgan City, a set of urban and natural criteria was used to model its landscape aesthetic values. These criteria were outlined during previous studies performed in our research area included gardens and agricultural lands (Othman et al, 2015; Mobargheie and Torbati 2014), tree type diversity, vegetation density (Aminzadeh et al, 2014; Weiqi et al, 2014; Chen et al, 2014; Kremer et al, 2016; Martina et al, 2016), topographic diversity (Arrowsmith 2001), buildings height and density (Weiqi et al. 2014; Chen et al. 2014), forest and urban parks (Ayad 2005; Weiqi et al. 2014), ancient sites and squares, refuges and boulevards (Bahrainy 1999; Aminzadeh et al. 2014). The GIS layers of gardens and agricultural lands, parks, squares, boulevards and refuges were obtained from the land use map maintained by the Gorgan municipality. The values of cells within these layers, together with ancient sites, were standardized using a user-defined function and based on the experts opinions. Whereas the relationship between the map value and fuzzy membership did not follow a certain function (e.g. linear, J-shaped or Sigmoidal), the user-defined function was the most applicable function and the user could reclass the map in the standard range. The ancient sites layer was obtained from Department of Cultural Heritage, Crafts and Tourism of Golestan province. The tree type for the study area consisted of six categories of tree communities (scale 1:25,000). Pattern analysis (with window size of 3 ÃÆ'- 3 pixels = 8100 m2) was applied as a filter to count the number of various classes inner a square vicinity of the central cell. Those pixels with three or more different categories in their vicinity were chosen to represent the diversity of a given location for its tree types. By using a Landsat TM image for the study area for 2012, vegetation density was calculated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) formula: Eq (4) NDVI is a widely used graphical indicator that can be used for detecting vegetative land cover. This index can be calculated based on red and near-infra-red (Xred, Xnir) spectral bands of Landsat image as equation 4 (McFeeters 1996). The layer was standardized using a symmetrical linear function having inflection values as: a=2879, b=5795, c=7595 and d=9545 (Fig. 4). Figure.(4) As the graph shows, by increasing the vegetation density (that is increasing NDVI values) to the point b, scenic value of landscape increases, then in a specific area remains constant (point c) then over increasing of the vegetation density due to restrictions in visibility detracts from scenic value of landscape. The building height and density layer was produced using the current status map of building density provided by the Gorgan municipality. Using a monotonically decreasing linear function in order to determine classification, this layer was standardized. The landscape aesthetic value was therefore decreased by increasing the building height and density, due to the viewshed being blocked. In the spatial input factors, a topographic diversity layer was also included. To determine this layer, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the research area was acquired from National Cartographic Centre of Iran. A surface shape categorisation was performed on a DEM layer, which consisted of multiple topographic features: peak, flat, ravine, pit, ridge, saddle, slope hillside, saddle hillside, convex hillside, concave hillside and inflection hillside. The categorized layer was then analysed using a mode filter (window size of 3 ÃÆ'- 3 pixels) to specify a new score to the central cell based on most frequent values within the window. Then, a filter size of 7 ÃÆ'- 7 pixels was used to count the number of various categories within the neighbourhood of a central pixel to achieve the final map. This layer demonstrates the most diversified locations in terms of topographic features. The layer was standardized using a monotonically increasing linear function, whereby categories with highe r diversity got the higher score in the standardised value. Fig. 5 portrays factor layers used for aesthetic suitability mapping in this study. Figure (5) After preparing required inputs, the MLP model was configured according to the following data: Input variables: number of input variables = 8 (standardized factor maps) Input specifications: training points file = a raster map of 164 points, which retains the location of 164 attractive (99) and non-attractive (65) spots | maximum training pixels used = 200 | maximum testing pixels used = 200 Network topology: input layer nodes: 8 (equals to the number of input data) | output layer nodes = 1 (continuous surface of aesthetic suitability) | hidden layers =1 | hidden layer nodes = 16 Training parameters: the dynamic learning rate was employed | start learning rate = 0.01 | end learning rate = 0.001 | Momentum factor = 0. 5 | sigmoid constant a = 1.0 Stopping criteria: root mean square (RMS) error = 0.01 | iterations = 10,000 Output function = sigmoidal Once the model was trained, its performance was evaluated by plotting training RMS versus testing RMS during 10,000 model iterations. Lower values for testing error during iterations indicates proper training of the model, and therefore, it can be used to produce aesthetic suitability surface. Data processing for SLEUTH modeling For the SLEUTH modeling undertaken in this study, four urban extent years depicting the distribution of manmade features over time, two layers of the transportation network for two different time periods, one excluded aesthetics layer from urbanization, slope and hillshade layers were used. These input data layers were prepared by the integrated application of geographic information systems and remote sensing. As a model requirement, all binary urban/non-urban layers were stretched linearly and converted into a GIF format. The urban and transportation layers were created based on Landsat MSS and TM images for the years 1987, 1992, 2000 and 2010. These were then used to predict the expansion of Gorgan in 2030. Using a 30-m digital elevation model (DEM), slope percent and hillshade layers were derived. For the first and second modeled scenarios, hydrographical networks (rivers, dams and wetlands), dense forests and roads were used as excluded layers from urban growth. For the third sce nario, the aesthetic layer was added as an exclusory layer. These are shown in Fig. 6. Figure (6) Model calibration SLEUTH is a CA-based model in which five coefficients (diffusion, breed, spread, slope and road gravity) control four types of growth rules including new spreading center growth, spontaneous growth, edge growth and road gravity growth (Jantz et al. 2014). In addition, the straightforward calibration method applied by SLEUTH makes it adaptable to any particular geographic area over time (Clarke et al. 1996). In order to show the relative importance, each coefficient has a dimensionless value ranging between 0 (least important) to 100 (most important). During the calibration process, the form of urban expansion was detected via the four growth rules. The prediction of the model was based on the best range of refined coefficients derived from the calibration step. Table (1) shows the relationships between growth types and growth coefficients. Table (1) The main assumption of the SLEUTH model is based on the inherent pattern of urban dynamics whereby the city will witness the same growth in the future based on its historical trend in the past (Clarke et al. 1997). During the calibration process, the model seeks to derive the best range for each coefficient to enable better simulation based on local historical data (Silva and Clarke 2002). SLEUTH model benefits from a stochastic computation algorithm known as the Monte Carlo method. The model utilizes Monte Carlo iterations stochastically to generate multiple simulations of urban growth so parameters are standardized in a range between 0 and 100. These inputs reflect the relative contribution of each parameter to the dynamics of urban growth in the study area (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Finally, by using the best set of derived coefficients from three steps (coarse, fine and final) of calibration, the model was executed for the simulation of the historical data set. The number of Monte Ca rlo iterations support the robustness of final coefficients to run the prediction part of the model (Candau 2002; Jantz et al. 2004; Sakieh et al. 2014b). For the coarse calibration step, the default parameter values from the sample calibration scenario were employed. Five Monte Carlo iterations were specified for the coarse calibration phase, and growth parameters were set at their widest range of 0 25 100 as START, STEP and STOP values, respectively. A goodness of fit metric, known as the Optimal SLEUTH Metric (OSM) will provide the most robust results for SLEUTH calibration. The OSM is the product of the compare, population, edges, clusters, slope, X-mean, and Y-mean metrics (Dietzel and Clarke 2007). These seven metrics range between 0 and 1 and are multiplied together to calculate the OSM. The iterations are then sorted based on this metric and the best ranges of performing coefficients are chosen for the subsequent calibration stage. Applying the OSM metrics of the best perf orming iterations, the five multipliers were refined and reduced for use in the fine calibration step. The fine calibration step was executed through full resolution input layers in eight Monte Carlo iterations. Based on OSM values, the ranges for the five growth parameters in SLEUTH were further narrowed for the final phase of the calibration mode, which used 10 Monte Carlo iterations. Finally, the ranges for averaging values of the five coefficients of urban development in SLEUTH were set and the averaging was run for 100 Monte Carlo iterations. Model prediction After the calibration and performance validation of the model, the prediction step was executed using the entire data coverage and 100 Monte Carlo iterations. Prediction of the model was based on the initial seed year of the current urban pattern, using those refined values of coefficients. The output of the SLEUTH model is a continues surface in which each cell has a probability value to become an urbanized space in the future. This map is produced for every year including the first year (1987) to the last year (2030). There are three different methods used to simulate the expansion of urban area under different scenarios in the SLEUTH model. In the first method, best-à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t multipliers derived from the calibration phases can be altered (Leao et al. 2004; Rafiee et al. 2009) and consequently the growth rules will change. In the second method, the excluded layer is weighted through a continuous range of resistance values against urbanization to show that even cells within the excluded layer have the potential to be urbanized under different probabilities (Oguz et al. 2007; Jantz et al. 2010; Mahiny and Clarke 2012, 2013). In the third method, the constraints of self-organization can be modià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ed (Yang and Lo 2003; Xi et al. 2009). In this study, the first and the second methods were applied for two scenarios. The coefficients were altered in the MUG and AUG scenarios and an aesthetic suitability map of the study area was also used as an extra excluded layer in the AUG scenario. In th is case, the historical trend of the urban growth and two different scenarios were forecasted (Table 2). The adopted scenarios in this study used additional information regarding the study area and its development in the past. In addition, it was acknowledged that land use plans are mostly controlled by master plans for cities derived from regional land use planning (Makhdoum 2001; Dezhkam et al. 2014). The adopted scenarios were set up according to assumptions of uncontrolled and controlled growth, which allows decision makers to construct a quantitative comparative basis for evaluation of different growth alternatives. After calibration of the model, scenarios were introduced to model urban growth to the year 2030 by using two methods of parameter modification and the inclusion of the hydrology, dense forest and transportation exclusion layers in the first two scenarios as well as aesthetic exclusion layers in the third scenario. Table (2) The first scenario assumed that the present pattern of urban growth will be maintained in the future, and therefore, the originally derived parameters were used. The first exclusion layer including hydrographical networks, dense forests and roads were used for this. The prediction was conducted by means of the same resolution data and 100 Monte Carlos iterations. The second scenario used the same exclusion layer as the HUG scenario, but spread and breed coefficients were reduced (from 30 and 59 to 20 and 40 respectively) to dictate an infill urban development with the aim of protecting the immediate environment of the city against urbanization. The slope resistance coefficient was decreased to one-half of its original value, to reflect the current status of urbanization in Gorgan City which shows increasing development on steeper slopes. The third scenario (AUG) used the same coefficient values as those used for the MUG simulation, but the aesthetic suitability layer was used as an extra excluded layer to protect areas of high aesthetic value. The output from the SLEUTH model is a probability map, which shows the probability of each single pixel becoming urbanized. In order to produce a clear map that indicates future urbanized areas, a 90 % value was taken as a threshold to depict those cells which were considered most probable ones to become urbanized by 2030. [1] Brute Force refers to any of several problem-solving methods involving the evaluation of multiple possible answers (urban growth patterns) for model fitness.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

West Virginia, My Home :: Personal Narrative Writing

West Virginia, My Home Where is home? Home is West Virginia, where spring flowers grow, summer nights are cool and calm, and fall leaves change colors as they blow across the ground. The three things I love most about West Virginia is the beautiful seasons, the recreational activities, and the fact that all my family live here. West Virginia is a recreational state, filled with beautiful seasons and strong family values. The number one reason I love West Virginia is because all my family lives here. Moving away would mean missing out on those Sunday lunches at grandmas’, and the annual holiday gatherings. My family is a close knit family who enjoy spending time together even though we do argue. West Virginia as a whole prides itself on their strong family values. I as a West Virginia citizen, have adopted these family values and could never leave the people and state I love the most. The number two reason I love West Virginia is the fun recreational activities it has to offer. In the spring I can go watch a baseball game, or take a relaxing walk through the beautifully flowered gardens. In the summer I may enjoy a soothing swim, or white water raft down the New River. Also in the fall I can walk through Grandview State Park and see the various colors of the leaves. After my walk I could stop by the theater and take in a production of Annie. These are just a few of the recreational activities that I enjoy every year in West Virginia. The third reason I love West Virginia is because we are blessed with a variety of seasons. These beautiful seasons include; spring, summer, fall, and winter. In the spring I love to watch nature as life renews itself all around me. In the summer I love the warm weather as I take a dip in the calm lake. During the fall I love to watch the leaves change colors as I walk through the woods.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Palanca Awards Essay

The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) was established in 1950. The heirs of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. found it most fitting to commemorate his memory through an endeavor that would promote education and culture in the country. The Palanca Awards aims to help develop Philippine Literature by: 1. Providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works. 2. Being a treasury of the Philippine’s literary gems from our gifted writers and to assist in its eventual dissemination to our people, particularly the students. 62 years ago, the Palanca Awards called on Filipino fictionists to weave their best short story in either English or Filipino. Today, the Awards continues to challenge writers to pour out their creativity in various literary genres. Instituted in 1995, the Palanca Hall of Fame award is presented to a Palanca awardee who has achieved the distinction of winning five first prizes in the regular categories. TheKabataan Award of Distinction gives recognition to a Palanca awardee who wins four first prizes in this division. The Palanca Awards continues to pursue avenues that help share these literary gems with the rest of the countrymen, to whom Filipino literature ultimately belongs. These winning works are continuously made accessible to students, and all researchers and lovers of literature through the Carlos Palanca Foundation (CPF) library. Adding dimension to the Palanca Awards mission of encouraging excellence in literary writing, CPF is supporting a scholarship program for creative writing. The Foundation also seeks to foster the unbounded imagination and creative spirit of the Filipino through creative writing workshops and readings of award-winning works. Born from a simple dream made 62 years ago to help develop Philippine literature, the foundation holds steadfast to its mission of providing nourishment for the national spirit. †¢Is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with Philippine literature especially those written long before the Spanish arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that the stories of ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth. Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become to be acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with are not Filipino made, rather, they were works of Spanish authors. †¢The rise of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the â€Å"Filipino identity. † †¢ The 1960’s were, summarily, a period when writers seriously grappled with problems of art. The early 1970’s saw a proliferation of politically motivated or committed writing and protest literature. Short-story writers became more conscious of the political milieu and of social issues in the wake of the increased activism all over the world and right in their country, especially during the troubled days of a dictatorial government. Some of the more recent fiction writers include Paulino Lim, Alfred Yuson, Jose Dalisay, Mario Eric Gamalinda, and Cristina P. Hidalgo. Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the country’s most prestigious and longest-running literary contest. The Palanca Awards or Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature are literary awards of the Philippines. The Manila Standard called it the â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† of the Philippines. [1] It is one of the Philippines’ most long-running award giving bodies. [2] History[edit] The Palanca Awards was established in 1950 to inspire Filipino writers to improve their literary works. [3] In the 1960s the Palanca Awards Committee started to fund the publication of Palanca plays and production fund were committed on 1975. [4] In 2009, it added a category for Poetry for children in both Filipino and English. [2] Winning is tough, and for many writers, it goes beyond the cash prize. Winning means a validation of their work, and for some, it means a step toward joining the ranks of the country’s literati. It was to honor the legacy of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. that the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature was established in 1950 and the first award was given in 1951. Through this annual literary contest, the family and heirs of Carlos Palanca sought to keep his name alive, along with his legacy of discipline and perseverance, and to enrich the nation’s cultural heritage.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Integration and Reflection Essay

Taking up this course, Health System Administration, had contributed a lot of knowledge and information to me as a student who belongs to the health care team. At first, I found the course boring and unattractive since it involves various issues and history of troublesome health care delivery system of our country. However, after I have progressed from one module to another module, it started to drag my curiosity and intense attention on the topics being mentioned. It started to make me aware of the facts and rationales as to why the country is losing its grip on the economic value of the health care facilities. It started to make me understand that by gaining knowledge and by being aware, ways and means could be identified in order to start a change within myself. I was deeply grateful that I was able to take this course because of the knowledge it instilled in me. It widened my scope of understanding of the various issues, especially with the health care facilities, which are occurring all throughout the country. Exposure to the realities of each American’s life suffering from the flaws and inconsistencies of insurance systems was further magnified in my mind. This knowledge made me think critically on the solutions that the health care delivery system might need in order to somehow improve its quality of providing care. In addition, my skills and abilities to think for possible ways to improve health care delivery system, like the 10 rules identified by IOM (2001), were also enhanced throughout the course. As I was studying this course, I was able to grasp the fact that in order to further understand what is happening in the health care delivery system of the country, I need to check first on the various leadership styles, organizational structures and various types of care that are being utilized by each health care facility. After I did the various modules and learned from it, I realized that I still need a lot of improvements on various parts of the lecture. Working on the forces that greatly impact the healthcare delivery (like the stakeholders and changing demographics) was identified to be one of the critical topics that were not fully understood. I think I could have performed better on it if I was able to do some more researches and actual interviews among the stakeholders that could have been involved in collaborating with health care facilities and hospitals. Another topic which I think confused me was the different types of leadership styles and qualities that were utilized for the success of healthcare organization. It is known for a fact that through great leadership, progress is surely next to it. However, I find it difficult to identify what particular leadership style can be utilized in order to bring progress and to bring equality to all patients and suppliers of the health care delivery system. A suggestion that I can think of to make this subject clear on my mind is by having personal activities which could greatly involve leadership styles and qualities. The leadership quality within each person must be enhanced and progressed to bring about positive impacts on the health care system of the country. As I go through the lecture notes and modules that I have, I was able to conceptualize various ways that could measure the future effects of the knowledge I learned from this lecture. I was able to identify that with proper information dissemination and proper adherence to the health knowledge being described, the health care economy can surely experience a decrease in the costs that hospitals and insurance systems are being charged of. Also, preventive health education will be further explored and implemented among patients, giving greater importance than acute health care because of the long term benefits that preventive measures of avoiding diseases will offer. In summary, I can say that with the help of this module I was able to reflect and integrate the course concepts identified. Also, I was able to explore the impact that stakeholders and changing demographics have provided the healthcare delivery. In addition, I was able to understand the significance and the contributions that the 21st century healthcare organization has on the health care system. Various leadership qualities and trends in health care were further explored. Also, the impacts of patient safety and financial crises on hospitals was then identified and defined.

Payroll: Salary and Union Dues O.t.

NOVEMBER 20 PAYROLL Glo-Brite Paint Company Employee List 11/20/– Emp. Employee Soc. Sec. / # Pay G. L. Salary/ No. Name/Address Mar. Stat. Periods Acct. Rate 100 BONNO, Anthony Victor 537-10-3481 26 5417. 5 694 Bristol Avenue Married Philadelphia, PA 19135-0617 W/H 4 110 FERGUSON, James Claude 486-03-8645 26 53 2250. 00 808 Sixth Street Married Philadelphia, PA 19106-0995 W/H 5 120 FORD, Catherine Louise 213-09-4567 26 52 900. 0 18 Dundee Avenue Single Philadelphia, PA 19151-1919 W/H 2 130 MANN, Dewey Wilson 282-37-9352 26 53 1350. 00 3007 Bisque Drive Married Philadelphia, PA 19199-0718 W/H 0 140 O'NEILL, Joseph Tyler 897-04-1534 26 51 2307. 9 2100 Broad Street Married Philadelphia, PA 19121-7189 W/H 3 150 RUSSELL, Virginia Aloise 314-21-6337 26 52 690. 00 8004 Dowling Road Single Philadelphia, PA 19135-9001 W/H 2 160 RYAN, Norman Allen 526-23-1233 26 5418. 0 7300 Harrison Street Married Philadelphia, PA 19124-6699 W/H 4 170 SOKOWSKI, Thomas James 662-04-8832 26 5 4 2050. 00 133 Cornwells Street Single Philadelphia, PA 19171-5718 W/H 2 180 STUDENT 555-55-5555 26 52 7. 0 7018 Erdrick Street Single Philadelphia, PA 19135-8517 W/H 1 190 WILLIAMS, Ruth Virginia 518-30-6741 26 52 1223. 08 9433 State Street Single Philadelphia, PA 19149-0819 W/H 0 Emp. Employee Soc. Sec. / # Pay G. L. Salary/ No. Name/Address Mar. Stat. Periods Acct.Rate 200 WOODS, Beth Anne 724-03-1587 26 52 1200. 00 8102 Franklin Court Single Philadelphia, PA 19105-0915 W/H 1 Glo-Brite Paint Company Payroll Report 11/20/– Current Quarterly Yearly 100-BONNO, Anthony Victor Gross Pay 1129. 60 5471. 50 16793. 0 54-Plant FIT 84. 80 894. 80 Married Acct. 54 SIT 34. 68 167. 98 515. 57 W/H 4 537-10-3481 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 70. 04 339. 23 1041. 19 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 16. 38 79. 33 243. 50 Salary CIT 44. 39 215. 02 659. 97 Hourly Rate 17. 65 Group Ins. 16. 50 33. 00 177. 80 Reg. Hours 64. 00 Union Dues 8. 00 32. 00 104. 00 O. T.Hours Simple Plan Check Number 7 03 Employee SUTA 1. 02 4. 93 15. 12 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 938. 59 4515. 21 13141. 55 110-FERGUSON, James Claude Gross Pay 2250. 00 9000. 00 32125. 00 53-Sales FIT 49. 62 423. 48 2714. 48 Married Acct. 53 SIT 69. 08 276. 32 986. 26 W/H 5 486-03-8645 Soc.Sec. —OASDI 139. 50 558. 00 1991. 75 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 32. 63 130. 52 465. 83 Salary 2250. 00 CIT 88. 43 353. 72 1262. 53 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 26. 40 52. 80 185. 10 Reg. Hours Union Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan 500. 00 500. 00 500. 00 Check Number 704 Employee SUTA 2. 03 8. 12 28. 93 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 1342. 1 6697. 04 23990. 12 120-FORD, Catherine Louise Gross Pay 900. 00 3600. 00 9900. 00 52-Office FIT 45. 27 181. 08 820. 08 Single Acct. 52 SIT 27. 63 110. 52 303. 93 W/H 2 213-09-4567 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 55. 80 223. 20 613. 80 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 13. 05 52. 20 143. 55 Salary 900. 00 CIT 35. 37 141. 8 389. 07 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 10. 50 21. 00 58. 80 Reg. Hours U nion Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan Check Number 705 Employee SUTA 0. 81 3. 24 8. 91 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 711. 57 2867. 28 7561. 86 Current Quarterly Yearly 130-MANN, Dewey Wilson Gross Pay 1350. 00 5400. 00 10800. 00 53-Sales FIT 57. 0 188. 84 520. 84 Married Acct. 53 SIT 41. 45 165. 80 331. 58 W/H 0 282-37-9352 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 83. 70 334. 80 669. 60 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 19. 58 78. 32 156. 62 Salary 1350. 00 CIT 53. 06 212. 24 424. 46 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 15. 90 31. 80 63. 30 Reg. Hours Union Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan 250. 00 250. 00 250. 0 Check Number 706 Employee SUTA 1. 22 4. 88 9. 74 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 827. 69 4133. 32 8373. 86 140-O'NEILL, Joseph Tyler Gross Pay 2307. 69 9230. 76 51923. 03 51-Administrative FIT 70. 38 596. 52 6712. 52 Married Acct. 51 SIT 70. 85 283. 40 1594. 05 W/H 3 897-04-1534 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 143. 08 572. 32 3219. 24 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 33. 46 133. 84 752. 88 Salary 2307. 9 CIT 90. 6 9 362. 76 2040. 57 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 27. 00 54. 00 256. 50 Reg. Hours Union Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan 700. 00 700. 00 700. 00 Check Number 707 Employee SUTA 2. 08 8. 32 46. 74 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 1170. 15 6519. 60 36600. 53 150-RUSSELL, Virginia Aloise Gross Pay 672. 4 2725. 88 8965. 88 52-Office FIT 11. 60 92. 86 734. 86 Single Acct. 52 SIT 20. 66 83. 68 275. 24 W/H 2 314-21-6337 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 41. 72 169. 00 555. 88 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 9. 76 39. 54 130. 02 Salary 690. 00 CIT 26. 45 107. 14 352. 37 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 8. 10 16. 20 47. 70 Reg. Hours Union Dues O.T. Hours Simple Plan Check Number 708 Employee SUTA 0. 61 2. 46 8. 08 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 554. 04 2215. 00 6861. 73 160-RYAN, Norman Allen Gross Pay 1440. 00 5976. 00 20661. 30 54-Plant FIT 7. 27 118. 38 1188. 38 Married Acct. 54 SIT 44. 21 183. 47 634. 1 W/H 4 526-23-1233 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 89. 28 370. 51 1281. 00 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 20. 88 86. 65 299. 59 Salary CIT 56. 59 234. 85 811. 98 Hourly Rate 18. 00 Group Ins. 16. 80 33. 60 197. 30 Reg. Hours 80. 00 Union Dues 8. 00 32. 00 104. 00 O. T. Hours Simple Plan 200. 00 200. 00 200. 00 Check Number 709 Employee SUTA 1. 30 5. 39 18. 1 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 995. 67 4711. 15 15926. 13 Current Quarterly Yearly 170-SOKOWSKI, Thomas James Gross Pay 2050. 00 8200. 00 24850. 00 54-Plant FIT 255. 46 826. 50 2828. 50 Single Acct. 54 SIT 62. 94 251. 76 762. 92 W/H 2 662-04-8832 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 127. 10 508. 40 1540. 70 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 29. 3 118. 92 360. 35 Salary 2050. 00 CIT 80. 57 322. 28 976. 63 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 24. 00 48. 00 142. 50 Reg. Hours Union Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan Check Number 710 Employee SUTA 1. 85 7. 40 22. 39 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 1468. 35 6116. 74 18216. 01 180-STUDENT Gross Pay 540. 00 2160. 0 7710. 00 52-Office FIT 12. 35 49. 40 458. 40 Single Acct. 52 SIT 16. 58 66. 32 236. 70 W/H 1 555-55-5555 Soc. Se c. —OASDI 33. 48 133. 92 478. 02 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 7. 83 31. 32 111. 80 Salary CIT 21. 22 84. 88 303. 00 Hourly Rate 7. 50Group Ins. 6. 30 12. 60 45. 00 Reg. Hours 72. 00Union Dues O.T. Hours Simple Plan Check Number 711 Employee SUTA 0. 49 1. 96 6. 96 Check Date 11/20/– Net Pay 441. 75 1779. 60 6070. 12 190-WILLIAMS, Ruth Virginia Gross Pay 5733. 33 15993. 33 52-Office FIT 738. 24 2344. 24 Single Acct. 52 SIT 176. 02 491. 00 W/H 0 518-30-6741 Soc. Sec. —OASDI 355. 7 991. 59 Pay Periods 26 Medicare—HI 83. 12 231. 89 Salary 1223. 08 CIT 225. 33 628. 55 Hourly Rate Group Ins. 28. 80 88. 20 Reg. Hours Union Dues O. T. Hours Simple Plan Check Number Employee SUTA 5. 16 14. 39 Check Date Net Pay 4121. 19 11203. 47

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 152

Discussion - Essay Example However, the recent situation results to one concluding that computer art will grow into a new field of aesthetically connected activity, which cannot be, classified as part the existing categories of arts (ScienceProg, 2010). Some historians and artists worry that the rapidly advancing technology will irrevocably and adversely affect the world of visual arts. Other artists believe that the growing technology will impact act in positive ways in terms of increasing their experience. For instance, the Avatar film is one of the most common films that have been produced using a computer and digital technologies. There are number visual effects techniques that have been utilized during production. The current 3D films have new technologies to remove them out of their B-movie past. Avatar film takes things at a higher level where it uses both advanced stereoscopic and computer generated imagery filming techniques to make an allusion to reality. So far, the most successful 3D films that have been entirely animated have utilized computer-produced images to make a virtual world (ScienceProg,

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

How the battle of Brandywine was a successful win for the British, but Research Paper

How the battle of Brandywine was a successful win for the British, but a tactical win for the US - Research Paper Example The Brandywine battle was a truly decisive war between the "Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies". This battle saw the Great Britain emerging the successful winner while the United States had a tactical win.1 During the battle, the US forces were under the command of George Washington while the British forces were under the command of William Howe. At the time Washington was getting into this battle, he had just suffered a serious defeat in New York, which meant that a win in the Brandywine battle was highly essential in order to revive American strength and morale. On the other hand, Howe was highly inspired 1by the Philadelphia Campaign, which was mainly a British objective to capture Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War. Howe and Washington were both significant and prestigious men in determining the outcomes of the American Revolution.1 The Battle of Brandywine The battle began in an early morning after the British, 2and the Hessian soldiers depart ed from Kennett Square. Their departure followed a walk along the Brandywine Creek with an aim to enclose the American soldiers across Jeffries’ ford. This emanated from the need to capture Philadelphia. ... The other squad of Howe’s men, which was made of the majority, was to march north of Wistar’s Ford, then cross the river at a location unknown to Washington. Having superior tactics and good knowledge of the battle ground enabled the British troops to defeat Washington and his troops on their own battle ground.2 In 1777, the British launched an attempt to wipe out the flickering revolt in its North American colonies. Its main objective was to split the colonies with converging expeditions focused upon the Hudson valley. During this period, General Howe refused to take part in the Saratoga battle and instead, moved into Pennsylvania where he defeated Washington in the battle of Brandywine. In Brandywine, Howe took over Philadelphia and defeated Washington’s attack on Germantown. American’s win in the battle of Saratoga came along with diplomatic assistance from France and other European nations. At some point, the battle at the Middle Atlantic region had co me into a standstill, but later foreign aid came to save the situation. The Battle of Saratoga motivated France to get into an alliance with the United States whereby Franklin and the French foreign minister of that time signed a treaty. Later, Spain got into war against Great Britain in 1779. However, the assistance given by the Spanish to the Americans was not of much help to the United States. On the other hand, the French offered immense assistance in terms of soldiers, sailors, supplies, and money, which were highly crucial for America’s success in the Saratoga battle. The 3Americans continued to fight valiantly, but, unfortunately, the British troops had outwitted them on the rolling hills in the Brandywine. The win did not stop the British troops from arriving at the battle ground, but