Saturday, November 30, 2019

Why Graph Databases Make a Better Home for Interconnected Data Than the Relational Databases

Why Graph Databases Make a Better Home for Interconnected Data Than the Relational Databases? With the advancements in computing technologies and the increasing processing power of machines, the necessity to shoehorn data into predefined structures is being gradually replaced by the ability to build models that can accommodate the organic growth and evolving nature of data.Systems become more and more sophisticated in representing our messy world and the interconnections we live by in it. The richer our databases get and the better (more expressive) the connections of the data items in them, the deeper our analysis and the bigger our potential to understand, manage and create processes to move our business forward.That said, having the best home for your data is a must. It is to be a space where data items not only live together but also are understood and used accordingly for insights into the relationships they exist in. Relationships expressed with tables, lots of tables: Relational DatabasesFor many years relational databases have been the dominant database choice for data storage and retrieval. The relational model stores data in tables, with rows representing instances of entities and columns representing the values attributed to each entity.For example, if you want to express that Fred, Wilma and Pebbles Flintstone, together with the notorious Bamm-Bamm Rubble are instances of the entity Person and live in the instance of City Bedrock, you can do that with the following table, where you will describe these relationships: As things change with time, and the number and the variety of relationships grow, you will need additional tables. For the newly occurred relationships to be expressed, you will create more and more tables.In relational databases, references (i.e., connections) to other rows and tables are made with the help of the so-called JOINs. This means that in order to connect an entity from one table to another, you create a third table, which matches the records from both tables.For instance, in order to express that Pebbles Flintstone became Bamm-Bamm’s wife, another table has to be created. This will be a junction table, representing Bamm-Bamm (Person.014) as an instance of the entity Husband and Pebbles (Person.013) as an instance of the entity Wife. Any other relationships you might want to add would need to be explicitly described in a table, which refers to the first table you’ve created. That is, if you want to also express that Fred (Person.011) and Wilma (Person.012) are Pebble’s (Person.013) parents, you will have to do that with yet another JOIN where Fred and Wilma are instances of the entity Parent and Pebbles is an instance of the entity Child: It is only with all these additional, explicitly expressed relationships that you will be able to use the data above to find the answer of more complex queries, such as: In which city does the child of Fred live? or Who is Bamm-Bamm’s wife or Where does the father of Bamm-Bamm’s wife live?.Needless to say, such relational representations are suitable for simple data models and connections that fit into a tabular format. They are perfectly fine for financial records, inventories, lists of students, etc. When it comes to mapping complex networks of relationships, though, the processes of joining are most often than not inefficient, time-consuming and computer power consuming.Interconnected data (the most obvious example being the data from social networks) are everything but easy to tame with the above mechanism of creating more and more junction tables and additional elements to record the ever-increasing number of relationships between data items. The relational model t urns out to be too expensive and resource-consuming to express the richness and the interconnectedness of exponentially growing in volume and variety data.ThÐ µ huge amount of heterogeneous, diverse data that surround us is to be approached differently.Relationships as paths of (machine) understanding: Graph DatabasesOutside the tables of the relational databases, there lie paths that enable managing highly connected data, working with complex queries and having readily available relationships, without the need to express them explicitly.These are the paths of a graph database.To represent and store data, graph databases use graph structures (knowledge graphs). A graph is comprised of interconnected nodes (i.e., things) and edges (i.e., relationships between things). Edges are how you can assign properties to things.Also, instead of creating tables for each relationship separately, in a graph database you will just add edges (relationships) to corresponding nodes (things). Thus a n ode’s connection, in turn, is connected to all the other connections of this same node.To get back to our Flintstones example, all the tables that you’ve created for every relationship between Fred, Wilma, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, would be expressed the following way in a graph database: Thus, when you connect Bamm-Bamm to Pebbles, you also connect Bamm-Bamm to all of Pebble’s connections Fred, Wilma and with their other connections city, for example. The system will implicitly hold the information about where the father of Bamm-Bamm’s wife lives, without you having to keep a record of multiple joins and tables to retrieve it.Storing data in such a manner provides the flexibility to represent complex interconnected structures and to use the information they carry in the much simpler and effective way.When should you use a graph database?There’s simply nothing you can do with graph databases that you can’t with relational ones.That said, let’s take a look at how a graph database can help you do more with data. In a sense, with graph databases, data are allowed to organically grow and easily connect with more and more items. Click To TweetIt’s only natural to consider a graph database for complex data, with many connections, the pattern of which you want to track and know about. A graph database would smoothly incorporate new heterogenous data and serve as a framework for storing, managing and querying highly connected data.Graph databases are well-suited in any case when complex relationships between people, places, events, etc. are to be expressed. Typical use cases range from managing customers and personnel data, through storing and using intelligent content, to finance and investment management.More specific application of the graph database model include:resource planningperformance analysisfraud detectioncompliance managementcontent and asset managementrecommendationsproduction managementbusiness processes optimizationidentification of patterns and insightsintegration of heter ogeneous scientific dataenterprise search and navigation optimizationThe future of data storage and management The ability to pull data and connect them gives enterprises a significant edge when it comes to the granular understanding of the environment they operate in and the optimization of their key business processes. Click To TweetThis ability depends on the quality of the models chosen for data representation, storage and retrieval. The more accurately and efficiently the structure of a particular domain is mapped, represented and interconnected, the bigger the value and the potential of the digital data it creates each and every day.Still, the decision to build a home for all your data, neatly classified and labeled, related, interconnected and easily searchable is a matter of cost and benefit analysis.What is important is to acknowledge the opportunity for data to be turned into a resource, easily accessed and effectively used across the organization. As a database can serve not only as a storage cupboard for siloed archives but rather  as a springboard for knowledge discovery.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Education in Texas Essays

Education in Texas Essays Education in Texas Essay Education in Texas Essay Dear Editor: The real losers in the Texas funding crisis are twofold â€Å" our children and our future. Pretty simple, huh While Texas in recent years has been lauded as a role model in withstanding the recession, and, indeed, while many out-of-work or under-employed people would argue with this, Texas has been blessed with job losses not quite as severe as some states. But Texas also has what some suggest is the fastest growing population in the U.S., in part because liberal land-use and zoning policies have kept housing cheap. And this growing population also is bringing us the highest birth rate in the nation, ranking third in teen pregnancies and No. 1 in repeat teen pregnancies. (Apparently, Gov. Perry, your abstinence works policy just doesnâ„ ¢t, and the teen moms and their children are among those most needing public services.) This also means we need to create jobs to keep up with the growing population. And this need for jobs is further exacerbated when we realize that in the coming years fewer high school graduates will be able to afford college, since grant programs are slated for the chopping block, tossing thousands more young people into an already stressed job market. Now Gov. Rick Perryâ„ ¢s sort of smoke-and-mirrors budget dialogue has collapsed under the weight of an economic recession that has finally hit the floors of the Legislature, the halls of the school boards and the chambers of university regents and trustees. And since the conservatives in control arenâ„ ¢t likely to pass budget increases, dramatic cuts are the only way to fill the $15 to $25 billion budget deficit. And remember this comes at a time when Texas already is stingy among those most needy in the state and at a time when public education here is funded near the bottom in spending per pupil, when Texas literacy ranks 47th in the nation, 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in math. It comes at a time when Texas leads the nation in the percentage of residents without health insurance. Earlier this month, The Houston Chronicle published an opinion piece by former First Lady Barbara Bush in which she asked, In light of these statistics, can we afford to cut the number of teachers, increase class sizes, eliminate scholarships for underprivileged students and close several community colleges Really, no one should be surprised about what has happened. After the Legislature in 2006 passed tax reform, saving homeowners money while shifting the burden to cigarette and business franchise taxes, neither of which produced new dollars but simply shifted them from property taxes. That move also froze school tax rates, mandated $2,000 pay increases for teachers, something they sorely deserved but which perhaps we couldnâ„ ¢t afford. As Gov. Perry continues to reject the federal $830 million in aid to public education because he refuses to commit to use it for the purpose intended, thousands of educators are facing lay-offs and class sizes are increasing in schools throughout the state. Some schools, even brand new ones, are being shuttered, and some community colleges are slated for closure. What will the future hold when we have an under-educated, unemployed workforce in the fastest growing state in the country and with only a very limited safety net of public services for those most in need Kate McCarty 621 W. San Antonio St. San Marcos [emailprotected] 512-497-0077 Editor: I know this may be too long. Feel free to edit! Thanks for considering

Friday, November 22, 2019

Sociolinguistics Definition and Examples

Sociolinguistics Definition and Examples Sociolinguistics takes language samples from sets of random population subjects and looks at variables that include such things as pronunciation, word choice, and colloquialisms. The is data is then measured against socio-economic indices such as education, income/wealth, occupation, ethnic heritage, age, and family dynamics to better understand the relationship between language and society. Thanks to its dual focus, sociolinguistics is considered a branch of both linguistics and sociology.  However, the broader study of the field may also encompass anthropological linguistics, dialectology, discourse analysis, ethnography of speaking, geolinguistics, language contact studies, secular linguistics, the social psychology of language, and the sociology of language. The Right Words for the Given Situation Sociolinguistic competence means knowing which words to choose for a given audience and situation to get the desired effect. For instance, say you wanted to get someones attention. If you were a 17-year-old boy and you spotted your friend Larry walking out to his car, youd probably utter something loud and informal along the lines of: Hey, Larry! On the other hand, if you were that same 17-year-old boy and saw the school principal drop something in the parking lot as she was walking to her car, youd more likely utter something along the lines of, Excuse me, Mrs. Phelps! You dropped your scarf. This word choice has to do with societal expectations on the part of both the speaker and the person to whom he is speaking. If the 17-year-old hollered, Hey! You dropped something! in this instance, it could be considered rude. The principal has certain expectations with regard to her status and authority. If the speaker understands and respects those societal constructs, he will choose his language accordingly to make his point and express proper deference. How Language Defines Who We Are Perhaps the most famous example of the study of sociolinguistics comes to us in the form Pygmalion, the play by Irish playwright and author George Bernard Shaw that went on to become the basis for the musical My Fair Lady. The story opens outside Londons Covent Garden market, where the upper crust post-theater crowd is attempting to stay out of the rain. Among the group are Mrs. Eynsford, her son, and daughter, Colonel Pickering (a well-bred gentleman), and a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle (a.k.a Liza). In the shadows, a mysterious man is taking notes. When Eliza catches him writing down everything she says, she thinks he’s a policeman and loudly protests that she hasn’t done anything. The mystery man isn’t a cop- he’s a professor of linguistics, Henry Higgins. Coincidentally, Pickering is also a linguist. Higgins boasts that he could turn Eliza into a duchess or the verbal equivalent in six months, with no idea that Eliza has overheard him and is actually going to take him up on it. When Pickering bets Higgins he can’t succeed, a wager is made and the bet is on. Over the course of the play, Higgins does indeed transform Eliza from guttersnipe to grand dame, culminating with her presentation to the queen at a royal ball. Along the way, however, Eliza must modify not only her pronunciation but her choice of words and subject matter. In a wonderful third-act scene, Higgins brings his protà ©gà © out for a test run. She’s taken to tea at the home of Higgins very proper mother with strict orders: â€Å"She’s to keep to two subjects: the weather and everybody’s health- Fine day and How do you do, you know- and not to let herself go on things in general. That will be safe.† Also in attendance are the Eynsford Hills. While Eliza valiantly attempts to stick to the limited subject matter, it’s clear from the following exchange that her metamorphosis is as yet incomplete: MRS. EYNSFORD HILL:  I’m sure I hope it won’t turn cold. There’s so much influenza about. It runs right through our whole family regularly every spring. LIZA: [darkly] My aunt died of influenza- so they said. MRS. EYNSFORD HILL [clicks her tongue sympathetically] LIZA: [in the same tragic tone] But it’s my belief they done the old woman in. MRS. HIGGINS: [puzzled] Done her in? LIZA: Y-e-e-e-es, Lord love you! Why should she die of influenza? She come through diphtheria right enough the year before. I saw her with my own eyes. Fairly blue with it, she was. They all thought she was dead; but my father he kept ladling gin down her throat til she came to so sudden that she bit the bowl off the spoon. MRS. EYNSFORD HILL: [startled] Dear me! LIZA: [piling up the indictment] What call would a woman with that strength in her have to die of influenza? What become of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it; and what I say is, them as pinched it done her in. Written just after the close of the Edwardian Era, when class distinction in British society was steeped in centuries-old traditions strictly delineated by a set of codes that related to family status and wealth as well as occupation and personal behavior (or morality), at the heart of the play is the concept that how we speak and what we say directly defines not only who we are and where we stand in society but also what we can hope to achieve- and what we can never achieve. A lady speaks like a lady, and a flower girl speaks like a flower girl and never the twain shall meet. At the time, this distinction of speech separated the classes and made it virtually impossible for someone from the lower ranks to rise above their station. While both a shrewd social commentary and an amusing comedy in its day, assumptions made on the basis of these linguistic precepts had a very real impact on every aspect daily life- economic and social- from what job you could take, to whom you could or could not marry. Such things matter much less today of course, however, it is still possible for some sociolinguistic experts to pinpoint who you are and where you come from by the way you speak.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

History- Modern latin america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History- Modern latin america - Essay Example It gives a spine chilling experience about disappearance of victims and resistance organized by their mothers and relatives in Argentina. The military rulers in the country followed the Nazis ideology or the doctrine of night and fog developed by Adolph Hitler. The doctrine of national security was the new name of brutal law used exclusively for secret kidnapping and detention and murder in the country. The rulers followed the strategy of doing all these acts secretly. The kidnapping was done without much publicity, and detention and subsequent killing were made at secret centers only known to the military. The families of the victims were terrorized through these acts and they feared of complaining because of the fact that complainants would be the next victims. Therefore there was a silence from the relatives of victims which otherwise made them in a situation to kill themselves. The vanishing created terror within the population, but without finding the bodies, no one could be bla med. Silence increased the atmosphere of terror as well as hopelessness. It placed a cruel burden on the families of the disappeared. Moreover they were made to feel in some sense responsible. It became one of the more subtle and complex mechanisms of torture for the relatives.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

No chosen yet (sociology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

No chosen yet (sociology) - Essay Example ..† (Twenge and Campbell 4). The question may then be asked: how did the development of the cultural focus on self admiration led to narcissism? Are there any cures or solutions to this cultural phenomenon? In order to answer this question, the researcher would try to focus on the development of narcisissm, especially on Chapter 4 of Twenge and Campbell’s book â€Å"The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement† entitled â€Å"How Did We Get Here? Origins of the Epidemic.† In addition, the researcher would also try to evaluate whether there is any possible cure or solution to this epidemic, based on an analysis of the text, and as well as incorporating relevant sociological theories to analyze the epidemic of narcissism in American society. The Development of Narcissism in American Society As stated earlier in the paper, Twenge and Campbell actually argue that narcissism may have started in the crucial decade of the 1970’s, just when â₠¬Å"the cultural focus on self admiration† began to arise (Twenge and Campbell 4). ... (Twenge and Campbell 56) Especially as portrayed in the mass media, such excess was actually favores, and even longed for, by many American consumers, given that having such excesses was not only seen as an expression of oneself, but also of making one have a higher sense of self-esteem and be appreciated more by society at thye same time. Therefore, as one indulges himself/herself in exceses, he/she actually thinks that he/she will be appreciated more especially by regular acquaintances in society, and will also make them have a higher confidence and self-esteem. However, Twenge and Campbell was also ready to argue that the culture of narcissism was not originally a â€Å"core American idea,† given that the American constitution actually provided for the ensurance of â€Å"individual freedom tempered with equality† (Twenge and Campbell 57), and that the core American value of indivualism was actually viewed that indivualsim must be grounded not woth self admiration, bu t with â€Å"self reliance† (Twenge and Campbell 58). In this case, Twenge and Campbell argue that â€Å"three social trends† seem to be the main cause for the rise of narcissism: the movement toward self-esteem, the goal of self-exploration, and the culture of moving away from â€Å"community-oriented thinking† (Twenge and Campbell 62-64). In addition, Twenge and Campbell also argues that Americans abandoned the vision of themsleves as a part of an interconnected social system—a connection of parents to children and grandchildren and of community to community—and instead turned to the narcissistic pursuit of the self as a source of value, almost like a religious experience.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Human Resource Management - Recruitment and Selection Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Recruitment and Selection Essay 1. A report distinguishing between traditional personnel management and the new approach to human resource management, outlining their historical development. 2. The Human Resource department in TD Travel Group. Its role and purpose in the organization. Task 2 1. An analysis of the objectives and the process of human resource planning. 2. An evaluation of the systematic approach to recruitment for NIS Europe. 3. An investigation of the selection procedures used for NIS Europe and TD Travel Group. 3. Evaluation and Conclusion 4. Bibliography Task 1 TASK 2 AN ANALYSIS OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE PROCESS OF HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING. Human resource planning is the task of assessing and anticipating the skill, knowledge and labour time requirements of the organisation and initiating action to fulfill those requirements. Human resource planning involves a strategy for the: * Recruitment * Retention * Utilisation * Improvement, and * Disposal of the human resources of a business. It needs to look at the following factors: * What are the skills and abilities of the current workforce? * What skills and abilities the organisation needs in the future? * Where can the organisation find its future supply of labour? * What are the future objectives of the business likely to be? * How will the business manage and obtain its human resources to meet these objectives? In order to plan Human Resources effectively a business has to undertake considerable research. Here is a table showing the things companies have consider when planning human resources: What is happening now? * Organisational Objectives * Analysis of staff numbers and age * Wage rates * Work loads * Key skills * Labour turnover * Absenteeism What do we expect to happen to the demand for products / services and therefore labour? * Changing technology * Sales forecasts * Market research * New product development * Managerial skills * Wage Rates * Union Agreements What do we expect labour supply to be like in the future? * Local unemployment / employment trends * Local skills and availability * Demographic changes * Legislation * Government training schemes * Quality of local education, housing and transport * Competition for workers All these issues raise questions, which the human resource plan should cover. The plan should include: * Organisation development * Training and management development * Recruitment, redundancy and redeployment * Appraisal and job evaluation * Promotion prospects Human Resource Planning (HRM) is a form of risk management. It involves realistically appraising the present and anticipating the future (as far as possible) in order to get the right people into the right jobs at the right time. This may seem simple at first, short of staff hire some new staff, too many staff make redundancies. Unfortunately its not that simple anymore and that is why human resource planning is necessary. Why Human Resource Planning is necessary: It is increasingly important to look beyond the present and short-term future to be able to prepare for contingencies. This will help to exercise control over as many variables as possible, which influence the success and failure of a business. For example, for highly skilled or specialised jobs, it will be more difficult to find replacement staff with the right skills quickly, therefore the need for new staff will have to be anticipated in advance to give enough time for extra training to be given without leaving the company short staffed and unable to provide an efficient service. For example, in the travel industry, reservation staff need to be fully trained on the computer reservation system (CRS) and have a full understanding of fares and ticketing, otherwise there would be a minimum of a six month training period, which would leave the business vulnerable and unable to provide good quality service Redundancies are not as easy to make anymore. It is a much slower more costly experience, not only in financial terms but also in loss of reputation as a secure employer. This in itself may make it harder to recruit labour when required. Rapid technological change is leading to a requirement for manpower, which is both more highly skilled and adaptable. Labour flexibility is a major issue, which means that the career and retraining potential of staff are at least as important as their actual qualifications and skills. They must be assessed in advance of requirements. In the selection process trainability is one of the most popular innovations of the HRM era of personnel management. The UK still suffers from particular skill shortages, despite high unemployment levels, for example nurses at Macclesfield Hospital, 20 nurses from the Philippines have had to be employed, as there was a shortage of suitably skilled staff in the UK. The scope and variety of markets, competition and labour resources are continually increased by political and economic moves such as the unification of Germany, the opening of Eastern Europe and continuing progress towards European Union. Computer technology has made available techniques which facilitate the monitoring and planning of manpower over fairly long time spans: manipulation of manpower statistics, trend analysis, modeling and so on. THE PROCESS OF HRP There are three main factors in HRP: * Forecasting Demand * Forecasting Supply * Closing the gap between demand and supply FORCASTING DEMAND The Demand for labour must be forecast by considering several factors: The objectives of an organisation Organisations will normally devise a strategic plan, which will set out its objectives. This will be the responsibility of the directors who will devise their plan after discussion with the most senior managers. In some cases the directors of companies may decide to change the strategy of the business completely. This could involve getting rid of the senior managers and replacing them with a new managerial team, which can put the new strategy into place more efficiently. This happened both at British Airways and at Tescos where it was decided that a complete change of image was needed to improve profits. Most of the top management were replaced and in both cases the strategy was successful. This sort of strategy will obviously affect the demand for labour in general and / or for particular skills. Manpower utilisation how much labour will be required given the expected productivity or work rate of different types of employees and the expected volume of business activity. Productivity will depend on capital expenditure, technology, work organisation, employee motivation and skills, negotiated productivity deals and many other factors. The cost of Labour including overtime, training and other incentives, and therefore what financial constraints there are on the organisations manpower levels. Environmental factors trends in technology and markets that will require organisational change, because of threats or opportunities. The recession in the 90s created conditions in which expectations of labour demand in the short term were low: downsizing of staffs and delayering of organisation structures were the trend. FORCASTING SUPPLY The available supply of labour will be forecast by considering the following factors: * The skill base, potential trainability and current and potential productivity level of the existing workforce * The structure of the existing workforce e.g. age distribution, skills, hours of work, rates of pay etc The likelihood of changes to the productivity, size and structure of the workforce, caused by, wastage (turnover by resignation and retirement), promotions and transfers, absenteeism and other staff movements; this will require information on: * The age structure of staff (forthcoming retirement or family start-up) * Labour turnover for a comparable period * Promotion potential and ambitions of staff Other causes of changes in productivity are employee trainability and motivation, which may increase productivity and flexibility. Organisational, technological and cultural changes are factors, which may affect employee productivity and loyalty. The present and potential future supplies of skilled labour in the environment that is, the external labour market. The HR planner will have to assess and monitor factors such as: * Skill availability, locally, nationally and internationally (e.g. within the EU) * Changes to skill availability due to education and training initiatives (or lack of these) * Competitor activity which may absorb more or less of the available skill pool * Demographic changes areas of population growth and decline, the proportion of younger / older people in the workforce in a particular region, the number of women in a workforce etc. * Wage and salary rates in the market for particular jobs CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN DEMAND AND SUPPLY A deficiency of labour may be met by: * Internal transfers and promotions, training and development * External recruitment or improvement to recruitment methods * Extension of temporary contracts, or contracts of those about to retire * Reducing labour turnover by reviewing possible causes (e.g. pay and benefits) and improving induction and socialisation * The use of freelance / temporary / agency staff * The development of flexible working methods and structures * Encouraging overtime working * Productivity bargaining to increase productivity * Automation (increasing productivity, and / or reducing the need for human labour) A surplus of labour may be met by: * Running down manning levels by natural / accelerated wastage * Restricting or freezing recruitment * Redundancies (voluntary and/or compulsory) * Early retirement incentives * A tougher stance on discipline, enabling more dismissals * Part time and short contract working, or job sharing * Eliminating overtime and peripheral workforce groups * Redeployment of staff to areas of labour shortage. This may necessitate diversification by the organisation, to find new work for the labour force, and/or plans for multi-skilling, so that the workforce can be flexibly deployed in areas of labour shortage as and when they emerge. There are also external constraints on HR planners when considering any of the above such as, UK legislation and EU directives, regulations and court rulings, the employer brand or reputation and other factors must be taken into account when planning to hire, fire or alter working terms and conditions. Labour turnover is the number of employees leaving an organisation and being replaced. The rate of turnover is often expressed as the number of people leaving as a percentage of the average number of people employed, in a given period of time. The term natural wastage is used to describe a normal flow of people out of an organisation through retirement, career or job change, relocation etc. AN EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT AT NIS EUROPE. Recruitment is the phase, which immediately precedes selection. Its purpose is to pave the way for selection procedures by producing, ideally the smallest number of candidates who appear to be capable either of performing the required tasks of the job from the outset, or of developing the ability to do so within a period of time acceptable to the employing organisation. The main point that needs to be made about the recruitment task is that the employing organisation should not waste time and money examining the credentials of the people whose qualifications do not match the requirements of the job. A primary task of the recruitment phase is to help would-be applicants to decide whether they are likely to be suitable to fill the job vacancy. This is clearly in the interest of both the employing organisation and the applicants. The current approach to recruitment within NIS Europe works in six stages. Stage One Determining the vacancies Human resources would confirm what resources are needed and determine as to whether or not they wanted to fill the vacancy. This very much depends on the aim and objectives of NIS Europe. Stage Two Considering the sources internally and externally If appropriate they would advertise the vacancy internally, or think of possible transfers. HR within NIS always gives this very careful consideration and where possible favours this option first for the following reasons: * Existing employees are know to the organisation and are generally familiar with its customs and practices * The cost and time that recruitment, selection and induction procedures consume can be significantly reduced * Internal recruitment may be used as a means of career development, widening opportunities and stimulating motivation amongst existing employees If the vacancy were not filled internally then they would look to external sources. Dependent on the vacancy this would be via one of the two main means: * Through employment agencies governmental, institutional and private commercial * Advertisements in newspapers and journals Stage Four -Preparing and publishing information NIS Europe feels that this aspect of the recruitment process requires very special attention and skill. It is their objective to publish information, which fulfils the following conditions: * It is succinct and yet gives a comprehensive and accurate description of the job and its requirements * It is likely to attract the attention of the maximum number of potentially suitable candidates * It gives a favourable image of the organisation in terms of efficiency and its attitude towards people * It does not contravene employment laws concerning sex and racial discrimination Along with the submission of curriculum vitae, NIS Europe standard procedure is for each applicant to submit a NIS Europe application form. This falls in line with equal opportunities and allows NIS to obtain standard information about the applicant, that on a curriculum vita may be omitted. See appendix for job advert and application form. Stage Five Processing and assessing applications When all the applicants have been received by the due date, the next task is to select those applicants who, on the evidence available, appear to be the most suitable as future employees of NIS Europe and therefore, worth the time and cost of further examination in the selection procedures. The screening process is based on the published requirements for the job. It involves a scrupulous study of the information provided by the applicants, a comparison of this information with the job requirements, and then a final decision as to whether to accept or reject the applicant at this stage. Stage Six Notifying applicants Once the selection process from the applicants has taken place, the final step is to notify the chosen applicants of the arrangements for the selection procedures, and the rejected applicants that they have not been chosen. The letter to the successful applicants will have full details about the arrangements for the selection procedures, i.e. time and place. NIS Europe ensures that all letters informing applicants of the result of applications are sent as soon as possible. THE EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH FOR NAVIGANT INTEGRATED SERVICES EUROPE Below is an evaluation of the recruitment procedure for Navigant Integrated Services (NIS). The aim of this evaluation is to determine whether NIS recruitment procedures succeed in getting a suitable person for the job advertised and at an acceptable cost. The methods for auditing the recruitment process follow these performance indicators: Total numbers of applicants received: Dependent on the type of vacancy NIS Europe can expect to receive on average around a dozen applicants for an advertised job vacancy. They have recently advertised for an accounts co-ordinator and have received over 30 applicants. They have admitted by not stating the salary this has interested applications, covering a wide range of experience, or in some cases very little experience. Time taken to locate applicants: Most vacancies within NIS are usually filled within one month of the advert being placed. Cost per applicant: NIS calculates à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1000.00 per applicant, including the initial training. Time taken to process applications: NIS normally processes their applications within one week. Number of female /minority/ disabled applicants: NIS does not meet this indicator. They predominantly employ females; they have one minority employee and no disabled employees. When this was discussed with our HR department they advised this was nothing discriminate. The travel industry is known as being a female dominated environment and there have never been any disabled applicants at NIS. If there were any disabled or other minority applicants, they would go through the same process, as other applicants and no preferential treatment would be given. Number of qualified applicants: 90% of applicants are qualified for the job advertised. NIS biggest employment is of reservation staff for the travel industry. If they obtain a new account they will need to recruit fairly quickly, training is costly and time consuming so it is important that they stipulate qualified applicants only, at the advert stage, which is why they have a good success rate in finding candidates quickly for the vacancy advertised. Number of qualified female/minority/disabled applicants: About 70% of our applicants are female and qualified. NIS has very few minority or disabled applicants applying. Cost effectiveness of the recruitment methods: Dependent on the type of job will determine where NIS Europe advertises for staff. If they are looking for reservation agents they would normally get in touch with one of the industries recruitment agencys. Most staff within the industry registers with the agencies. Many years ago jobs were advertised in industry papers the trend now leans towards recruitment agencies. Dependent on the level of salary the agencies take a percentage. For example on a salary of 17,000 they would take 10% of the gross salary. As the salary increases so does the percentage. Although working with an agency can work out costly, they do have a majority of the qualified personnel on their database and therefore gives NIS access to qualified personnel straight away. Monitoring the make-up of the workforce: NIS Europe workforce is split into the following departments and the make up of the workforce is as follows: Reservations within the Travel, Hotel Conference reservations department, NIS employs 60 staff in this department, 10% of the workforce is male, 88.33% are female, none are disabled and only one staff member is a minority employee. * Sales and Marketing NIS employs eight staff in this department, 37.5% of the workforce is male and 62.5% are female. None are disabled or minority employees. * Accounts NIS employs four staff in the department, 25% are male and 75% are female. None are disabled or minority employees * HR NIS employs two staff in this department, 100% are female. None are disabled or minority employees. * IT NIS employs five staff in this department, 100% are male. None are disabled or minority employees. * Top line management The top line management of NIS is made up of four. 25% is female and 75% are male. None are disabled or minority. From the above information it is evident that there are three groups of employees that are underrepresented at NIS Europe, male, disabled and minority. Attitude Surveys: Once you under taken employment with NIS Europe, they do not require you to fill in an attitude survey asking you if you were satisfied with the stages of recruitment and selection process. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SELECTION PROCEDURES USED AT NIS EUROPE AND TD TRAVEL GROUP. Selection is the part of the employee resourcing process, which follows on from recruitment. It essentially involves the identifying of the most suitable of the potential employees attracted to the organisation by recruitment efforts. The crucial importance of selecting people who can meet the requirements described in the job description and person specification hardly need to be stressed. It is equally evident that mistakes in selection can have very serious consequences for corporate effectiveness. Such mistakes may adversely affect colleagues, subordinates and clients. Employee incompetence may lead to costly mistakes, loss and waste of valuable resources, accidents and avoidable expenditure on training. Employee selectors face an inevitable dilemma. They have to carry out a vitally important task, but one that at the same time is fraught with problems to which there are either no answers or no easy answers. The abiding problem is the dependence on subjective human judgment. We must take into consideration, that fallible human beings devise so-called objective lists. For example some person specifications require certain attitudes and attributes, such as conscientious or able to stand pressure, how can the selectors identify these requirements in a person whom they do not know during the short acquaintance of the selection process. In view of the importance and difficulties of the task, employers need to take selection most seriously. Appropriate investment at this stage can and will be cost-effective if it avoids the possibly enormous and incalculable cost that faulty employee selection may produce. For example, NIS Europe recently employed an operations manager through a recruitment agency, within six weeks of employment it was evident to NIS that he was not capable of the job he had been employed to do. Therefore NIS had to terminate his employment at a cost to the company of approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8,000. Other errors of the selection process could include lack of skill or experience of interviewers, stereotyping by the interviewer in the absence of more detailed information and incorrect assessment of qualitative factors such as motivation, honesty or integrity. Various selection methods are used to try to reduce the risks by gathering as much relevant information about the candidate as possible. Currently NIS Europe is working with UMIST on a competencies project where NIS is contacting their client base to investigate in terms of service, what their expectations of NIS Europe are. The information collated in turn will then be translated into competencies and then used in the selection process. Following on from our earlier systematic approach to recruitment is the systematic approach to selection Point five six of the systematic approach to recruitment overlaps with the first second point of the Systematic approach to selection. Stage One Processing and assessing applications When all the applicants have been received by the due date, the next task is to select those applicants who, on the evidence available, appear to be the most suitable as future employees of NIS Europe and TD Travel Group and therefore, worth the time and cost of further examination in the selection procedures. The screening process is based on the published requirements for the job. It involves a scrupulous study of the information provided by the applicants, a comparison of this information with the job requirements, and then a final decision as to whether to accept or reject the applicant at this stage. Stage Two Notifying applicants Once the selection process from the applicants has taken place, the final step is to notify the chosen applicants of the arrangements for the selection procedures, and the rejected applicants that they have not been chosen. The letter to the successful applicants will have full details about the arrangements for the selection procedures, i.e. time and place. NIS Europe ensures that all letters informing applicants of the result of applications are sent as soon as possible. TD Travel Group operates a very informal selection procedure. If the curriculum vitae are up to standard the applicant will be called for an interview, nothing will be advised on paper, arrangements are made on the telephone. If the curriculum vitae do not have the correct qualifications for the job it will be discarded straight away and no call to advise the applicant will be made. Stage Three Possible interviewees Possibles will then be more closely scrutinised, and a short-list for interviews drawn up. Ideally this should be done by the HR specialist and the perspective manager of the successful candidate, who will have a more immediate knowledge of the type of person that will fit into the culture and activities of his department. In TD Travel Groups case, John Owen (the operations Director) would be solely responsible for this stage, as there is no human resources department employed. At NIS Europe Barbara Sutton (Human Resources Director) and the line manager of the relevant department would be jointly responsible. Stage Four- Inviting candidates from the short list for interviews At this stage the company would require successful candidates to complete a standardised application form if not already submitted at the outset. NIS Europe standard procedure is for each applicant to submit a NIS Europe application form along with the curriculum vitae at the first stage for applying for the job. See appendix for application form. This falls in line with equal opportunities and allows NIS to obtain standard information about the applicant, that from a curriculum vita may be omitted. TD Travel Group have no standard information that is required and work off the submission of a curriculum vitae only. Stage five Interview potentially qualified candidates. Since the interview is likely to continue to play a major role in the selection process, it seems sensible to adopt a realistic approach, which means making the best possible use of the interview. There are many different types of interview including: * One-to-one interviews these are the most common selection method. They offer the advantages of direct face-to-face communication, and opportunity to establish rapport between the candidate and interviewer. Each has to give attention solely to the other and there is potentially a relaxed atmosphere, if the interviewer is willing to establish an informal style. * Panel Interviews A panel may consist of two or three people who together interview a single candidate, most commonly, a personnel manager and the departmental manager who will have responsibility for the successful candidate. NIS Europe use the above forms of interview, however they also have other interviewing techniques, which can be panel interviews or one to one interviews, such as: * Audition interview this is predominantly to assess people in leisure and service industries; it focuses on personality versus skill. This would involve exercises, which display the personality of the candidate as well as the skills. * Criteria based interview these are specific questions which highlight predetermined behavior which you are looking for e.g. if you need an outgoing person you would ask a question If somebody came into the room how would you put them at ease? You would rate the response as positive or negative. * Behavioral event interview ideally this interview is a taped interview. The interviewer would have a competence list on a chart and when questions asked and in turn answered, the competencies would be marked off. TD Travel has a much more informal interview technique. It is generally a panel interview conducted by the Operations Director with the General manager and also the Sales and Marketing Director. There are no set techniques; it is more of a formal chat about skills and qualifications, outlined on the curriculum vitae. Stage six Selection testing Once the interview has taken place, some companies go one step further by inviting candidates for a selection test. These tests are all standardised so that an individuals score can be related to others, reliable in that it always measures the same thing and is non discriminatory. These can be in various forms: * Intelligence or cognitive testing these test memory, ability to think quickly, perceptual speed, verbal fluency and problem solving skills. See appendix. * Aptitude tests these are designed to predict an individuals potential for performing a job or learning new skills. * Personality tests these may measure a variety of characteristics such as the applicants skill in dealing with other people, ambition, motivation or emotional stability. See appendix. * Proficiency tests these measure the ability of the applicant to do the work involved e.g. a typist would be asked to type, and a salesperson would be asked to sell. Td Travel does not use selection tests at all. Most people are employed through word of mouth, as travel is a very incestuous business. NIS Europe use personality and aptitude tests. Stage seven Checking references of short listed candidates References provide further confidential information about the perspective employee. A reference should contain: * Straightforward factual information confirming the nature of the applicants previous jobs, previous employment, pay and circumstances of leaving * Opinions about the applicants personality and other attributes. At least two employer references are desirable, providing necessary factual information, and comparison of personal views. NIS Europe and TD Travel Group offer the successful candidate the job subject to checking the references. Stage eight -Institute follow-up procedures for successful applicants The follow up procedures include: * Offer of employment Assuming that the right candidate has by now been identified, an offer of employment can be made. It is common for an oral offer to be made. With a negociated period for consideration and acceptance. * Draw up a contract or written particulars this should include all terms, conditions and circumstances of the offer must be clearly stated and negotiable aspects of the offer and timetable for acceptance should be set out, in order to control the closing stages of the process * Arrange work permits if required Work permits are required of people coming into the UK for employment * Plan induction Induction is a formal programme, designed and carried out by HRM to introduce new employees to the organisation, in all its social as well as work aspects. Stage nine- Review all candidates Review un-interviewed candidates and sort out those that my be kept on file for possible future use. Send standard letters to unsuccessful to applicants and holding letters to those being kept on file. NIS Europe will hold candidates on file for a maximum of one year. TD Travel group do not use this procedure, they would start their informal recruitment process again as and when required. SUMMARY OF THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR TD TRAVEL GROUP AND NIS EUROPE It is evident from the above information that NIS Europe carries out a more formal selection procedure than TD Travel Group. This is down to the fact that NIS Europe have more employees than TD Travel Group, and therefore see it necessary to have a HR department.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

William Henry Harrison Essay -- essays research papers fc

William Henry Harrison, (1773-1841), was 9th President of the United States. The oldest president up until then, he was also the first to die in office, surviving only one month. With his known Indian fighting his was given the nickname â€Å"Old Tippecanoe† and â€Å"Old Tip.† He was the first presidential candidate to campaign actively for office. His election slogan was â€Å"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Henry Harrison was born on Feb. 9, 1773, on the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the youngest of seven children, four girls and three boys. His parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth Bassett Harrison, were from prominent Virginia families. The Harrison’s father had served in both Continental Congresses and signed the Declaration of Independence. Harrison received his early education at home. He entered Hampden-Sydney College in 1787 and later enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to study medicine. After his father died in 1791, Harrison dropped medicine and joined the Army. George Washington, a friend of his father, approved this decision. There he served for seven successful years. Harrison served as a soldier in early American wars. There he fought a battle on the Great Miami River and developed a plan which led to an American victory. In 1795, he witnessed and signed the Treaty of Greenville. Thereafter he was promoted to captain and given the command of Fort Washington, Ohio. While at Fort Washington he met his wife Anna Symmes....

Monday, November 11, 2019

Jury Nullification

I  certify that  the attached  paper,  which was  produced for  the class identified above, is my original work and has not previously been submitted by me or by anyone else for any class. I further declare that I have cited all sources from which I used  language, ideas and information,  whether quoted  verbatim or paraphrased, and that any and all assistance of any kind, which I received while producing this paper, has been acknowledged in the References section.This paper includes no  trademarked material, logos, or images from the Internet, which I do not have written permission to include. I further agree that my name typed  on the line below is intended to have, and shall have the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's  signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature):    Debra Bush, Sherrolyn Newel, and John Sydney Abstract This paper will focus on race-based jury nullification as one of the remaining barriers to racial equality in the American system of justice.The paper will also focus on examples of past and present-day race-based jury nullification and shows how the exercise of race-base jury nullification is an ongoing source of controversy in American life. The controversy emanates from a lack of direct goals within the system. Finally, the paper will conclude by indicating that because of racial biases or motives, a jury may not always vote according to the facts presented. Jury Nullification Jury nullification is a jury that believes that a defendant is guilty of charges but on his or her own reason decide a non-guilty verdict.The jurors believe that the law is unjust and refuses to convict an individual even if there is proof of guilt. The reason can involve the jurors view on unjustness and injustice because of the race of the individual. Nullification is very controversial when it concerns race. Supporters of race-based nullification believe that black juries should acquit Black defendants for no n violent offense even when the evidence of guilt is clear (Cato, 1999). Supporters believe that Black American should participate in race-based jury nullification to bring changes in how justice handles minority cases (Jermal, 1997).Supporters believe that the system is set to arrest Blacks for economic crimes and allow child molesters, rapist, and murders go free. This injustice takes a toll on minorities and the faith they have in the criminal justice system. Several examples of race base nullification include * Harriett Tubman guilt of multiple Federal charges by violating Federal slave laws * Drug possession cases that involve three strike a person is out sentence. A third felony will grant a life sentence.Jury for nullification believe a harsh sentence is unjust than violating the act of the law * In Albany, N. Y. 11 white decided that an African American was guilty of distributing cocaine. The 12th juror, an African American, refused to convict because the juror was sympathet ic to African American who struggle to make a living * An all black jury acquitted an African American man accused of murder. The majority decided the man was guilty but returned a not guilty verdict Supporters for race-based jury nullification want fairness concerning laws for minority groups.Raced-based jury nullification hinges on two truths: (a) a juror cannot convict on a verdict that the renders, and (b) the Fifth Amendment concerning double jeopardy when the system cannot retry a defendant. Supporters for race-based jury nullification believe race is a strong factor for the high numbers of acquittal in criminal cases. Race-based jury nullification, as one would say, is a long time thorn in the side of both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Jury nullification is simply a jury who believes the defendant is guilty of the charges but for his or her own reasons decided to handout a non-guilty verdict (Rivera, 2006).Jury nullification can take many forms. For example, race-based j ury nullification may take the form of race, religion, and in some cases gender. However, based on the Cato Policy Report the nullification rest solely on the race of the defendant (Rivera, 2006). A strong supporter of race-based jury nullification is Paul Butler a graduate from Yale with a J. D. from Harvard and is currently a law professor at George Washington University. Butler believes that â€Å"Black juries should acquit black defendants for nonviolent offenses even when the evidence of guilt is clear† (Cato, 1999).On the surface, this may seem like the right thing to do after so many years of abuse by the system toward Blacks; but race-based jury nullification goes against everything the justice system stands for. Many jurors are using race nullification as a way of redemption for the years of the imprisonment of Blacks just because of their race. In 1991, a visiting Jewish scholar, Yankel Rosenbaum, suffered a fatal stab wound in Brooklyn by a black mob outraged that a Black youngster had been run over and killed by a religious Jewish motorcade. Rosenbaum lived long enough to identify Lemrick Nelson Jr. s the stabber, but a largely black jury did not convict Nelson. Later, some jury members went partying with Nelson to celebrate the acquittal. Nelson subsequently moved to Georgia, where he received a conviction for slashing a schoolmate (Leo, 1995). Another famous case called the most outre case of race-based jury nullification was the trial of Marion Barry, the second-term mayor of the District of Columbia. Barry received a conviction for drug possession and perjury, despite that he was obviously guilty of at least one of the 14 charges–he smoked cocaine on FBI videotape. Black prosecutors wanted their office to lose its case.The theory was that prosecution of Barry was another racist act by the law. Barry received a conviction on one of the 14 charges pending against him – a misdemeanor charge for possessing cocaine in November 1 989. Jurors acquitted him of one of the other charges – of possessing cocaine in September 1988. On the other 12 charges, jurors were so deeply and passionately divided they could not reach a verdict. â€Å"I believe the government was out for Marion Barry,† one juror said. U. S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson declared a mistrial on the 12 deadlocked charges (Washington Post).Barry eventually received a sentence of six months in prison in October 1990. Professor Andrew Leipold wrote in the Virginia Law Review view â€Å"That in his opinion the doctrine of nullification exerts more influence over the criminal justice system than one may expect. He argues that jury nullification imposes costs on the system even when it is not exercised; because of procedural rules, permit its possible use by a jury (O’Neill). Jurors must perform their duties properly and justly. They must take the situation seriously and must not make a decision based on their personal be liefs, but instead base their decision on the facts presented.Jury nullification is certainly a controversial topic that has many critics, especially those who claim that such an approach is disrespectful to the letter of the law. Because of these principles, The Fully Informed Jury Association came into existence in 1989 with the goal of protecting and publicizing the right of juries to nullify (Lal). This is not to say that there is anything wrong with allowing Latino or African American communities to deliver judgment matters according to his or her own standards, especially when the traditional criminal justice system certainly has done the American community an unequal disservice.The justice system is set up to be fair and impartial to all people. Although the system is set up to be fair, race-based nullification goes against these ideals. Nullification comes with many flaws one of which is incarcerate the innocent and set the guilty free. Conclusion The team examined the issue s of race-based jury nullification and concluded that external factors such as race, religion, or gender are ongoing sources of controversy in the American system of justice.The team believes that although some critics applaud the practice that a jury, as a symbol of law should represent diverse community interests and that no single set of values or biases control decision making. As a consequent, the team opposes race-based jury nullification on the premise that persons selected as trier of facts should demonstrate to society that persons charged of criminal wrongdoing are guilty on the basis of evidence presented.Although the team opposes such practice, the team also realizes that public respect and trust for persons selected as trier of facts will remain high within the American system of justice.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Discuss the training requirements for Higher Level Teaching Assistants Essay

Higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) have an increased level of responsibility. They usually undertake more complex tasks and tend to work more independently than other classroom-based staff. Under the direction of a teacher, they often plan, prepare and deliver learning activities to individual pupils, groups and (in the short term) whole classes. They also assess, record and report on pupils’ progress. They act as a special assistant for a specific subject (f.e. literacy, ICT, sign language), group (young children, teenagers, special needs, gifted and talented) or department and help develop support materials. In order to do this effectively, the HLTA must understand the aims, content, teaching strategies and intended outcomes. They likewise need to have a solid knowledge of the curriculum to make sure they teach to a high standard as well as a diverse portfolio of learning strategies and styles to enable each pupil to fulfil their potential. HLTAs should always have hig h expectations of all their pupils and respect them whatever their background (be it cultural, social, religious, linguistic or ethnic). It is expected that they support the inclusion of all pupils in the learning activities in which they are involved. HLTAs should also be able to work collaboratively with their colleagues and to liaise sensitively with parents and carers, acknowledging their role in pupils’ learning. HLTAs should be aware of the legal framework underpinning teaching and learning and although not required to have a detailed knowledge of it, HLTAs should be aware of their statutory responsibilities and where to gain information, support and assistance when and if they need it.  They should be familiar with their school policies and procedures, f.e. equal opportunities policy or procedures for health and safety. They should know the legal definition of Special Educational Needs and be familiar with the guidance about meeting SEN given in the SEN Code of Practice. HLTA are also required to achieve a nationally recognised qualification at level 2 or above in English / literacy and maths / numeracy to demonstrate that they are confident in these subjects and in teaching them to others. It is also required that HLTAs have a sound knowledge of ICT to advance their pupils’ learning and to be able to use ICT tools for their own as well as the pupils’ benefit. The term ICT i s wide-ranging and includes internet, interactive whiteboards, cameras, printers, scanners, video and DVD. HLTAs should be familiar with age-related expectations of students, including being able to discuss development stages form birth to teenager including speech and language stages. To become an HLTA, the candidate must demonstrate that he / she has the skills, knowledge and experience to take on the role and that he / she is familiar and understands all 33 nationally agreed professional standards. Furthermore, he / she should also have previous experience of working with children of a relevant age. Last but not least, each candidate needs to have a recent enhanced DBS check done to comply with the UK legal requirements.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Descriptive essay Mom Essays

Descriptive essay Mom Essays Descriptive essay Mom Essay Descriptive essay Mom Essay Mom My mother and I walk through the faded downtown streets. She looks around for a small restaurant to host my fifth birthday dinner. She points across the street to a small Italian restaurant that looks faded from the years. Her soft green eyes look down at me as we stop at the light. Her lips part as if shes going to speak, but they spread to a gentle smile. She looks up and the light catches her earring and makes it shine and shimmer. After a few seconds pass, the light turns green and my mothers hind fingers wrap around my hand as we proceeded walking across the striped lines that run across the busy street. The warmth in her hand makes me feel comfort, and security. Her feet moved softly across the pavement, each step seeming careful and precise. I look up from her feet to see what caught over my hand. Her light gray sweater blows back catching on our Joint hands which reveal the blue shirt shes wearing underneath. We reach the opposite side of the street at a slow pace. We stop next to a street lamp thats bursting with light. My mother releases my hand to tend to her sweater. She buttons the two white buttons designed with a pink flower. The sweater is concealing all but the top of her blue shirt. She then brings her large hands up to her hair thats kept up by a small clip. She releases the clip and her hair falls below her shoulders in beautiful waves. She places the clip In the small purse she carries on her right shoulder. She reaches back down to grab my hand as we continue walking down the faded street to the small Italian restaurant. We reach the faded red door of the restaurant. My mother kneels In front of me releasing my hand. She strokes my cheek and tells me happy birthday. Before she starts to stand I wrap my small arms around her. She lets out a small laugh and picks me up slowly. She places me softly back on the ground before turning towards the faded door. My mothers right hand reaches for the square shaped handle. As she pulls the heavy door her knuckles turn white. She stares at the happiness on my face, and returns It with a grin. Her perfect teeth show between her lips, In her perfect smile. She unlocks our tightly bound hands and gently pushes me through the door. Descriptive essay Mom By calcimining falls below her shoulders in beautiful waves. She places the clip in the small purse faded red door of the restaurant. My mother kneels in front of me releasing my door her knuckles turn white. She stares at the happiness on my face, and returns it with a grin. Her perfect teeth show between her lips, in her perfect smile. She

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Summary of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, a Short Story by Ursula K. Le Guin

A Summary of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, a Short Story by Ursula K. Le Guin Fiction â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† is a fictional story that is classified as a short story by the author Ursula Le Guin. The story has a vivid description that has a lot of repetition in the narration of the way of life of the people of Omelas. The story is full of deliberate vague and vivid descriptions. The narrator explains the happiness in the city of Omela, but it becomes clear that the narrator does not know the details about the details. The fictional nature of the story comes out clearly when the narrator gives the readers the freedom of imagining the details as it suits them, it doesnt matter. As you like it† (Le, 1973). The Context of the Story In the introduction, the story gives the details of the Festival of Summer celebrated by the Omelas. The matching of the people and the singing shows the happiness that dominates among them. However, the narrator shifts from the celebration and narrates the misery of a child locked in a house secluded from the Omelas. From the story of the suffering child, the idea of scapegoat arises. According to Nugroho (2016), the scapegoat is the act of laying the blame on someone instead of others. The narrator makes the reader understand that the child suffering is in exchange for the happiness of the people of Omelas. If the child is to let out of the house and given the opportunity to enjoy life as the Omelas, then suffering is bound to befall the people of Omelas. Thus, the child is depicted as the life saver since its misery makes life possible. Ritchie (2016) postulated that allegories are stories that describe events and represents events in a metaphorical manner. In this context, the suffering child is used to represent the wealthy and the poor. The poor seem to work for the wealthy and the few happy ones. However, any conclusions about the significance and the causes of the child suffering are left by the narrator at the disposal of the reader. Apollonian Work Based on the context and the insight of the story, the story can be concluded that it is Apollonian. Leddy (2016) describes the Apollonian as works whose aspects of human nature are presented as rational, ordered and full of discipline. The happiness fills the people of Omelas, and the writer describes the child as somebody whose freedom has been limited. The people, especially the children of the Omelas, who goes to see the child pity him or her. However, the goodness of the Omelas cannot go to the extent of rescuing the child from suffering. The Value and The Message of the Story The value of this fictional story lies in the themes illustrated by the narrator. The theme of suffering as seen in the child locked up in house shows how some people suffer in the society at the expense of others. The happy ones in the society enjoy themselves while the low class in the society suffers working hard with little or no return. Moreover, on the positive side, there is love and sharing among the people of Omelas. The festival brings together the people of Omelas; they play, eat, and interact together during the festival. Recommendation to other Readers The narrator calls the readers to make their conclusions after reading the story. Moreover, the narrator seems to be unsure of the facts surrounding the lives of the Omelas. The readers can make their conclusions after reading it. Therefore, it is important for people to read the story, and make their conclusions about the Omelas.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Describe and discuss the diverse ways in which the development of Essay

Describe and discuss the diverse ways in which the development of second generation sequencing technologies has extended the fie - Essay Example On the same note, the four components related to barcoding include specimens, laboratory analysis, database and data analysis (CBOL Plant Working Group 2009, p.12794). Since early 90s, DNA sequencing has involved the use of capillary-based and semi-automated techniques related to Sanger biochemistry. The process of DNA sequencing then involved two approaches that include shotgun sequencing and PCR amplification. Shotgun sequencing involves a process of cloning DNA that through a random fragmentation and transformed into high-copy-number plasmid that is used for changing Escherichia coli. PCR amplification, on the other hand involves a process of targeted resequencing where primers are used to flank the target. Following three decades of improvements, the Sanger biochemistry, is now applied to obtain read lengths that average 1000 bp and accuracies in regard to per base raw that average 99.999%(Hutchison 2007, pp.6227-6237). However, the introduction of second generation sequencing te chniques continues to expand the field of DNA barcoding beyond the Sanger sequencing technique. The second-generation technologies have contributed to alternative DNA barcoding strategies and can be grouped in a number of categories. This includes sequencing using hybridization, cyclic-array sequencing, microelectrophoretic techniques and observation of single molecules in real-time (Healy 2007; Shendure 2005; Soni & Meller 2007). Second generation technologies as used in the field of barcoding implies to the different types of sequencing that have been introduced recently, in a commercial product and includes 454 sequencing, Solexa technology, Heliscope technology of single molecule sequencer, the Polonator and the SoLiD platform. These products have improved the diversity of sequencing, and have helped in the application of alternative protocols for purposes of generating jumping libraries related to mate-paired tags that contain controlled distance distributions. Further, these n ew technologies through various approaches, permits the production of amplicons that are clonally clustered, and acts as sequencing features. A common feature among the second-generation technologies in DNA barcoding is that, PCR amplicons emanating from various single library molecules can be spatially clustered on a single site within a planar substrate or on micron-scale bead’s surface. The sequencing process has further improved because of the introduction of alternating cycles related to enzymes-based biochemistry and data acquisition that is based on imaging (Mitra et al. 2003, pp. 55-62). In essence, the benefits of the second-generation technologies in comparison to the Sanger technique in diversifying DNA barcoding includes, the introduction of in vitro construction related to sequencing library. This is followed by cloning amplifications that produce sequencing features and circumvent numerous bottlenecks considered affecting parallelism related to sequencing consid ered as conventional. Second generation technologies compared to Sanger sequencing, have an advantage in terms of introducing array-based sequencing. Because of the existence of an array-based sequencing, the process of DNA barcoding is able to realize a considerable degree of parallelism compared to capillary-based sequencing.