Doctoral statistical methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Doctoral statistical methods - Essay Example These involve observation of track behavior, responses and associate it with the sound trigger. However, the assessors may apply quantitative analyses to determine the experiences of the 33 women. Quantitative data are used when the factors being analyzed are countable (Chiang 2003). The results of which are extrapolated to draw general deductions on whole populations. These methods analyze and explain data in relation to a phenomenon; furthermore, it provides guidance in the presentation of data. The responses are studied for randomness and systematic sequences (Chiang 2003). The assessors correlate prenatal experiences with effects to sound by assessing the propensity to suckle in response to the most familiar readings. Consequently, the assessor must acknowledge the occurrences of sampling errors that may emanate from unique cases with the babies. These include the hearing ability, brain development, the general mood and appetite of the infant. Qualitative readings are represented scientifically in histograms, graphs and charts (Chiang 2003). However, quantifiable data are summarized to measure the correlation, variability and central tendencies. Merging of the two methods in a mixed approach provides a comprehensive answer that determines the responses of speech and language amidst

Creational Design Patterns in Detailed Design and Design Logic Essay

Creational Design Patterns in Detailed Design and Design Logic Patterns - Essay Example The benefit from this is that it allows creation of new derived types without requiring any changes to code that use base class. Factory method is a popular creational design pattern in object-oriented programming and it helps to put into practice the concept of factories. The design pattern may be specifically used to deal with problem of object creation without specifying exact number of object classes that would be created. This method is used when object creation and reuse becomes impossible without duplication of code (Otero, pp.188-189). It is a popular object creation software design pattern that aims to find solution to telescopic constructor anti pattern. This phenomenon of anti-pattern occurs when increase of constructor object parameter leads to list of exponential constructors. Thus, instead of using frequent constructors the builder pattern uses another builder object that takes initialization parameter sequentially returns resultant output object at once. It is a creational design pattern in the field of software development that is popularly used when object type is determined from prototype instance cloned for producing new objects. Abstract classes are required to implement this pattern that uses pure virtual clone method (Otero, pp.201-203). In software engineering, this design pattern restricts classes to be instantiated to objects. The pattern is very useful when one object needs to coordinate actions across system. The pattern generalizes systems that operates more efficiently with single object and restricts instantiation up to limited number of objects. It organizes business logic by particular routines handling single request from presentation layer and is the most common way of writing applications for beginners. Language semantics can be used to identify and express tasks and common routines may be broken into

Indicators of Motivation | Research Methodology

Indicators of Motivation | Research Methodology 1.1 REASON FOR SELECTING THE TOPIC AND THE ORGANIZATION Motivation among employees in a certain organization has been given immense importance for the success of that organization these days. Especially in the rapidly changing world, without identifying the key indicators in the motivation of employees, their commitment towards the work cannot be achieved. Therefore, while I was going through the various topics suggested in the RAP guidelines provided by Oxford Brookes University, as soon as I came across this topic, I instantly decided to work on it for my research project after having discussed it with my mentor. As far as selection of the company is concerned, I felt that Coca-Cola being an international brand that has gained loyalty among the masses, could actually be of great interest to base my research on. Moreover, I personally knew a relative of mine who is currently an employee at Coca-Cola. He had told me that the companys human resource department since the past few years has been doing a lot to increase employee motivation and commitment towards the organization. According to its official website, the company has a portfolio of over 3,300 products, among which the popular ones are Coca Cola soft drink, Sprite, Fanta, Diet Coke, Minute Maid juice, Aquarius mineral water and POWERADE energy drink. The company is currently striving to research on low calorie products and to substitute sweeteners in place of sugar considering the fact the people have now become more health conscious towards their diet. Moreover, Coca-Cola had revenue generation of $8.7 billion in the year 2010 and has targeted to achieve $500 million annual sales by the end of 2011 (Alazraki, 2010). Other than that, I had studied about different motivational theories in text books during my school life, so applying it to a global organization would actually make me learn how to convert theory into practice. Since I already knew one of the employees working at Coca-Cola, doing analysis on this company was particularly easier as well as accessible for me, which facilitated in increasing the efficiency of my project. 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES The objectives of my research project were as follows: To know about the history of Coca-Cola, how it started and where it stands now, along with the developments that took place in its human resource. To study the key variables that affect motivational level of employees such as promotion, personal growth, status, independence and simulation. To identify what initiatives have been taken by the company to increase its employee motivational level, and relating it to different motivational theories. To compare its initiatives with the techniques used by its competitors. To make a questionnaire based on my research topic and get it filled by the employees at Coca-Cola to find out what variables effect their motivational level and how far are they satisfied with their work. Analyzing the questionnaire, supporting it with graphical representation and also finding out the impact of the key indicators on motivational level of the employees. Commenting on the research findings. Drawing a conclusion from it. Suggesting some realistic recommendations that can be implemented in the future. 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH Before starting with my research, it was extremely important for me to frame reasonable research questions that would help me answer my research project. So, I developed the following questions that could help me answer by research approach: Have I completely understood the topic of my report? What information do I need to have, before I visit the organization? What are they key variables, usually, that help in employee motivation? What will be the sample size of my analysis? Is it large enough? Will I be able to manage such a large sample? Will I be able to apply statistical calculations effectively to analyze the questionnaire? Are my questions relevant enough to match my project objectives? Therefore, after identifying the questions, I tackled with each question one by one to make sure that I am not missing out on anything. I was also referring to the ACCA Project guideline constantly to keep my objectives clear and to strictly go according to what is required from the research project. I then had to decide on what sort of tools to use for carrying out the research and whether I was familiar with those tools or not. Technical tools included use of spreadsheets and using statistical features available on different softwares to calculate the results and facilitate its comparison. A questionnaire was built up based on the research question in which I had posed such questions where I had given appropriate ranges that would not only help employees in answering easily, but would also help me in interpretation and analysis of the data. Moreover, giving ranges had increased the reliability and relevancy of the data. The questionnaire was made to judge the key variables and factors that influence the motivational level of employees at Coca-Cola. The sample size taken to fill in the questionnaire was 200. A large sample size was taken so that more accurate results could be obtained by considering opinions of maximum number of employees. I also made a point to stay constantly in touch with few of the employees of Coca-Cola so that they are aware of how much important this project means to me and how much carefully and accurately they need to fill in the questionnaire. In addition to this, I made a point to compare each result with that of its competitors, so that my research becomes more relevant. I used various websites from the internet as my secondary research to find out information Coca-Colas competitors. Thus, deciding on proper sources of information, making a close-ended questionnaire from where maximum answers to my research can be extracted and analyzing that questionnaire with the help of technical skills and reasonable comparison, were my basic steps in conducting the research. INFORMATION GATHERING AND BUSINESS TECHNIQUES USED 2.1 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND METHODS USED TO COLLECT IT 2.1.1 Secondary source The basic secondary sources of information used in information gathering were the internet and the text books I had, in which different motivational theories were discussed in great detail. Management by Daft and Business Studies by Peter Stimpson were the two main books I frequently referred to while working on my project. Moreover, for my own understanding of these theories in a better way, I also referred to Psychology in Action written by Karen Huffman. I had also reviewed some sample reports to understand completely, how to interpret results or in what manner people, usually, write interpretations and gave recommendations. Different and very interesting articles were also available online that enriched my knowledge and made it easier for me to understand the whole scenario existing in the organization, thus, helping me in interpreting the results. The official website of Coca-Cola was also a major source to gain information about the history of the company and to access some published articles, which discussed the achievements of Coca-Colas HR department in motivating the employees reach their organizational goals. After referring to these sources, contra-verification was done in order to ensure that the particular website or article is providing the accurate information. 2.1.2 Primary source After building upon the secondary research and gathering sufficient information about the company, I then did the primary research. To conduct my primary research, I designed a questionnaire about which I discussed earlier. Before starting with the survey, I had arranged a meeting with the HR manager of Coca-Cola to have an overview about the workings of their department and to brief him about my research project. The meetings with him also acted as a source of gaining information on the factors they considered important to influence motivation of their employees and how far has the company been able to address those factors. Incase of any incomplete information, I then again referred to the authentic websites to find out the details. Statistical techniques were used to analyze the raw data obtained. 2. 2 LIMITATIONS IN INFORMATION GATHERING The internet: While browsing the net, we usually come across a lot of irrelevant and unauthentic websites; therefore, I had to be very careful in avoiding such websites to ensure authenticity of information. It was also very time-consuming to visit numerous websites and select information that best suited my research. Referencing material from electronic media was also an issue, as the originality of the source was sometimes in doubt. Also, the information gathered had to undergo a lot of editing so that the focus of my topic was not deviated and irrelevant material could be avoided. Questionnaire: Although I tried to put in straight forward questions in the questionnaire, still the information achieved from it cannot be fully reliable as employees sometimes reluctantly do not go for the right option and deliberately go against their actual opinion due to their own psychological reasons. Since the sample size was large I had emailed the questionnaires to the respective employees and to get back the filled questionnaires was again time-consuming as constant reminders had to be sent and great care had to be taken to not bother them much. Interviews: The initial interviews with some employees and the HR manager helped in gaining a lot of information about the company, but still not all the relevant information was provided, such as the drawbacks and the issues being faced by employees. So interviews helped me in knowing about the pros of the company but not the cons. Moreover, some complex questions asked by me to the employees and the manager were either left unanswered or were answered diplomatically in order to prevent disclosure of information that the company considered as confidential. Sample reports: The limitation faced in reviewing sample reports was that every report used different formats according to the requirements of his/her instructor or employer. Moreover, authenticity of the information presented in the report could be questioned. The interpretations made in those reports were according to their subject matter and the same could not be applied here. 2.3 ETHICAL ISSUES FACED AND HOW THEY WERE RESOLVED One of the main ethical issues that I faced during my research was the confidentiality of information. Some of the information that was useful for my project could not be made part of it as the company considered such information as private. Secondly, employees did not actually give the true picture of the organization and only narrated all the good stuff about the company. Moreover, when comparing Coca-Colas statistics with its competitors, it was not ethical to name those competitors weaknesses and leak information without their consent, therefore, I had to be careful when interpreting my results. Also, getting questionnaires filled from such a large size was a tedious task and I had to patiently deal with it in order to give minimum trouble to the employees. Questionnaires had to be made according to the mental capability of the employees and such questions had to be avoided where employees feel that their weaknesses are being judged and portrayed. To overcome such problems, I firstly ensured the employees that they could fill in the questionnaires without mentioning their names. Secondly, I assured them that their opinions will be strictly used for the purpose of analyzing the research project, and would not be exploited by any means. 2.4 BUSINESS AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED ALONG WITH THEIR LIMITATION To facilitate my analysis and interpretation, I used some famous motivational theories by renowned psychologists. For instance, Maslows Hierarchy of needs theory by Abraham Maslow states that satisfaction of employees basic physiological needs such as adequate heat, air and a base salary, is the first step to increase his/her motivational level in the hierarchy. Following it are the safety needs such as safe work and job security; the third level comprises of belongingness needs such as relationship with co-workers; the fourth step includes esteem needs such as high status and recognition; and after all these needs are satisfied, the employees look for fulfillment of self-actualization needs such as growth, advancement and creativity. Thus, an employee would first want an adequate salary that could fulfill his physical needs and then he would strive to achieve the top level needs such as achievement and growth. Limitation: The limitation in this theory is that employees not necessarily go through all the levels when satisfying their needs and their might be a possibility that a high-order need might be satisfied before the low-order need; it varies from one person to another. Frederick Hergbergs two-factor theory also identifies the key indicators of motivation and the factors that lead to dissatisfaction of employees. According to this theory, if hygiene factors are poor, employees would be dissatisfied. Limitation: The theory ignores the fact that their might be employees who are adaptable to poor working conditions and the hygiene factor might not be of significant importance to them if other factors such as their pay and position in the company are satisfactory. Moreover, when I was designing my questionnaire, I also kept in mind the acquired needs theory developed by David McClleland and the schedule for reinforcement tools to be used by organizations (Daft, 2003). Acquired needs theory states that needs, such as need for achievement, power and affiliation, are not in born in a person, but are acquired by the person as time passes by. On the other hand, the reinforcement approach links the behavior with its consequences. For instance, if employees are given rewards, a variable-ratio schedule should be used instead of fixed-ratio schedule, because when the number of rewards is not fixed and is dependent upon to what extent employee performed well, employees are motivated more to work harder in order to get a greater reward (Daft, 2003). Statistical techniques used and their limitation The statistical technique used to analyze the data collected was exploratory factor analysis. Some basic tests were carried out to see if the assumptions of the techniques are applicable in our data set or not. Primary Component analysis was done to extract the results and explain variance, and the Eigen values derived from the results were graphically represented using a Scree Plot. The variables were then grouped into components by using Varimax Rotation. Moreover, before starting the analysis, pre-testing was done through reliability analysis. The method used for reliability analysis was Cronbachs alpha. The limitations associated with these techniques there are several ways to implement different techniques, so argument exists over which technique is the most suitable one. Likewise, opinion diversity is there about what amount of components to use or which rotation matrix to apply. Therefore, all such limitations lead to the problem of reliability. ANALYSIS, CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 ANALYSIS 3.1.1 Pre-testing The instrument was pre-tested by getting filled 5 to 6 samples of questionnaire to discover if there were any issues with the instrument and to find out whether the questions were easily understood and comprehended. By pre-testing, it was concluded that all respondents were at ease in responding and the instrument appealed them. Reliability analysis is done through various methods (Cronbachs alpha being one of them), and the purpose of analysis is to know whether the same set of items would result in same responses if the questions are re-administered or re-casted. The variables are considered as reliable if they are portraying stable results after being repeated a number of times (Santos, 1999). Cronbachs Alpha is the internal consistency model which is based on the average correlation. The data is split into two halves and the correlation coefficient is taken out, and the average of the two values represents Cronbachs Alpha (Field, 2006). Here the value of Cronbachs Alpha is 0.839 which signifies consistency of data. 3.1.2 Respondent Statistics The above diagram displays the total no. of people in terms of gender that have participated in our study. The total no. of sample size is 200 (N=200). Out of the sample size of 200, 128 of the total population is represented by male and 72 respondents are females. Although, the number of females, were less as compared to males, but were enough to understand the behavior of both the genders with respect to the factors that affect the motivation level of the employees. The above diagram displays the total number of people in terms of age that participated in our study. In our analysis the total no of sample size is 200 (N=200). Out of the sample size of 200, people lying in the age bracket of 21-30 is 43; 46 people lie in the bracket of 31-40; 60 are in the age bracket of 41-50; 40 lie in the bracket of 51-60; and only 8 of the respondents lie in the age category of above 61 years. The population division in terms of age is well diversified. The above diagram displays the total number of participants in terms of marital status. In the analysis, the total number of sample size is 200(N=200), out of which, 81 people were single and 116 were married. This indicates that the population division in terms of marital status is almost equal, however, in terms of specific numbers there were more married people as compared to single ones. The above diagram displays the total no. of people in terms of working experience that participated in our study. In our analysis the total no. of sample size is 200 (N=200). Out of this size, 123 people were having a working experience of 1-5 years; 66 had it of 6-10 years; and only 8 people had an experience of 11-15 years. Thus, we conclude that majority of the respondents lied in the category of 1-5 years. The above diagram displays the total number of participants in terms of designation. Out of the sample size of 200, there were 62 Junior Employees, 51 were Supervisors, 64 were working as Managers, and 20 people were working as Senior Managers. In this study, the focus was to collect the data from all the levels of organization, so that a better understanding of the results is prepared. 3.1.3 Description of the factors There are some basic assumptions of every test/technique that need to be fulfilled before their implementation; factor analysis also has its own assumptions. The two basic assumptions of the factor analysis are the KMO value and the Bartletts Test of Sphericity. For the validation of factor analysis, the KMO value should be greater than 0.5 and the significant value of the Bartletts Test of Sphericity should be less than 0.05. In the above table, the value of KMO is greater than 0.5 that is 0.644 and the significant value of Bartletts Test of Sphericity is 0.000 that is less than 0.05. It means that both the basic assumptions of the factor analysis are met; therefore, we can apply factor analysis on our data. Communalities table is one if the primary output of factor analysis, initially it was assumed that all the variables were equally important by assigning them value equal to one. Later on, based on the data, variables that were most important or prominent in the data set were identified. The highest extraction value gave us the idea about the variable that is most important in the analysis. The highest extraction value in the above table is 0.824 for the variable perks. Perks are the facilities granted to employees, such as day care centers, parking space, free car washes, flexible timings and vacations (Mintzer, 2006). It means that perk, available to the employees in Coca-Cola, is the most important variable in terms of enhancing the motivation level of the employees, apart from their salary and other benefits. Granting perks to employees improves the overall work environment of the organization, making it more attractive for its employees to work for the organization. Following per ks, the second most important variable is teamwork; the extraction value of the variable is 0.821. Teamwork fosters a culture that increases unity, equality and collaboration in the organization. Teamwork removes any barriers that exist between departments or divisions (Susan, 2011). Total Variance Explained The Principal Component analysis was used to extract the results for the given data set. The table of total variance explains the different aspect of the analysis. Firstly, it explains the number of factors or groups that are building out of the analysis; the basic criterion behind developing the components is Eigen Value. The components that have Eigen value equal to or greater than one would be included in the final set; here we have also included the factor that has an Eigen value of 0.910 for displaying better results. As it can be observed in the above table that out of a total number of 38 components, 14 components have been formed representing the 72.706% variation of the data set. The minimum requirement of the variation explained by the factors is 60%. The above table shows the variance percentage represented by each group individually as well as collectively. The variance percentage of the first component is the maximum among all other components in the extraction square of sum loadings, but when the Varimax rotation was applied, the variation explained by all the components becomes equal, as it shows that all the formed components are of equal importance. Scree Plot is just a graphical representation of Eigen Values and components. On the x-axis we have components and on the y-axis, there are Eigen values. If we examine the above diagram in detail, it can be observed that same pattern is followed after component thirteen in the graph. Before that, the line is in curve, showing a downward trend, but after component fourteen the line becomes steeper showing a similar pattern. Scree plot, therefore, helps in identifying that what number of components should be used to be formed in the analysis. From the above diagram, maximum thirteen components would be enough to prepare the results. Rotated Component Matrixa Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 26 iterations. The above table Rotated component Matrix is been developed by using Varimax rotation. Rotation of the components helps in minimizing the errors as well as biasness in the results. There are total fourteen components that have been formed. As seen in the table, The first component represents the factor equipment, visibility, and variety. The second component represents simplicity, social interaction, clarity, and bonuses. Third component factor is represented by independence, insurance, and flexibility. Fourth component includes regularity, responsibility, and power. Fifth component comprises of Location, intellectuality and organizational image. Sixth component includes teaching, competition, and tranquility. Seventh component includes perks and pays. Eighth component consists of status and simulation. Ninth component includes personal relevance, recognition, and personal growth. Tenth component includes balance and contribution. Eleventh component includes security and benefits. Twelfth component has teamwork and conditions. Thirteenth component comprises of busy and jockey, The last fourteenth component consists of a single factor that is promotion. The variables in each component having highest value are also known as surrogate variables, therefore, all these variables are essential factors in affecting the motivational level of the employees. Surrogate variables also gave the idea that if they are achieved or are on the higher side, the other factors of the component will automatically be achieved or moved towards the higher side too, collectively increasing the motivation level of the employees. For e.g. if teamwork is the surrogate variable for component twelve, it means that if in any organization the teamwork is promoted, and people are joined together to work on a task or a project, it will increase the motivational level of the employees. With this, the person starts to find out good working conditions in his work too and performs much better. 3.1.5 Analysis of the Factors on Gender basis Affecting Motivation The above studied variable is one of the important variables that plays important role in the motivation level of the employees. If we look at the above diagram, we can observe that the behavior of the equipment is same in both the genders. People working in organization either male or female consider availability of equipment equally important. If facilities such as printer, scanner, and photocopy machine, writing pad, files and other such equipments are round the clock available in the organization, it helps in speeding up their work and removes barriers that could exist in increasing their efficiency. Over here, Hergbergs two-factor theory is applicable, which considers work environment an important factor in satisfaction or dissatisfaction of employees. Availability of equipment contributes to a positive work environment that is employee-friendly and affects their level of satisfaction including both, male and female (Daft, 2003). The above studied variable is also one of the important variables affecting the motivation level of the employees. If we look at the above diagram, we can observe that the behavior of promotion differs with respect to Gender. Promotion is the most important factor for males as compared to females. Male motivation highly differs with respect to the promotion they get. Although the median line of both the genders is equal, but the overall box plot of males is on the higher side. There are some outliers also present in the male category, but we have considered them as exceptional. Promotion is a factor that extremely plays a highly essential role in employee motivation, especially among the males. Promotion increases their focus on the work and affects their pay as well as position in the organization, thus employees after a considerable period of time; desperately wait for the organization to promote them to a higher level. Applying the reinforcement approach over here, if promotion instead of at fixed intervals and ratios, is given at variable intervals, it would increase the motivation of employees to work harder and with more focus, since the time of promotion would be unexpected. Secondly, variable ratio means that the amount of reward or the degree of promotion is variable and according to the tasks performed by a certain employee, therefore, if promotion is also given in variable ratios, it would act as a positive reinforcement tool in the organization (Daft, 2003). The above studied variable is one of the important variables that plays role in the motivation level of the employees. If we look at the above diagram, we can observe that the behavior of status is highly important for females as compared to males. Females are highly specific about the respect and status they got in the organization. In addition, this factor has a huge impact on their motivation level, as the median line is upward for the females. However, as compared to males, status is important but relatively less essential when compared with other factors. There are other factors that motivate males, but for females status is highly important and it affects their performance highly in the workplace. If we apply the acquired needs theory over here, it could be seen that women are not status conscious by birth, but this factor has built in them over time and status defines power, affiliation and achievement, which is to be superior above all. So, if their acquired needs are fulfilled by the organization that would be a key variable in increasing their willingness to do work. As far as males are concerned, Maslows hierarchy of needs theory could be applied, since status in Maslows hierarchy could be categorized under self-actualization, it comes after the satisfaction of other basic needs. The graph shows that having a high status is an essential key variable but there are other factors that males consider more important than status. According to this theory, those other factors could include pay, promotion, job security and condition of the work place (Daft, 2003). 3.2 CONCLUSION Coca-Cola is a company that encourages a work environment that satisfies all its stakeholders existing within and outside the organization. Studying these variables helped in understanding the management techniques to be used in the organization to drive employees effectiveness and efficiency in their work. In our analysis, promotion is standing separate among all the other factors, showing that this factor is of prime importance and has a huge impact on the motivation level of the employees. Personal relevance is also one of the most important motivation factors. Employees find themselves highly motivated when they are able to use any of their personal talent, education or training in their jobs. Therefore, Coca-Cola needs to develop programs and design jobs in a way that encourages employees to show their personal talents and skills, which would then help them in performing well and boosting their enthusiasm. The analysis further concludes, that status is also one of the important aspects that directly affects the motivation level of the employees, who feel that their job is of high status and seen as a respectable one in the society. Simulation refers to the personal liking of the job work. If employee finds things to do in a job that is of his/her personal interest it improves his readiness level. If employee finds something in his/her work that he or she loves to do, then this aspect of the job increases his/her willingness to do so. Past researchers have witnessed that material reward and motivation has a direct relationship with each other. Thus, Coca-Cola needs to focus on material rewards and should plan according to the need of the employees. Further it has been witnessed, that independence of doing work is also one of the prime factors that has a huge impact on the motivation level of the employees. If the people are provided the liberty to work with less supervision and perform their job in a way they want to, this will surely develop their motivation in doing work. Apart from this, personal growth is also exceedingly important. Every one wants to develop him/her self with the passage of time, therefore, providing opportunity to employees to develop themselves and grow as an individual has a direct positive impact on their level of keenness. Thus, we conclude that the study has identified that a number of factors have a direct impact on the motivation level of the employees, so if proper working is done on it, it will result in a higher motivational level of the employees. Working on these factors would help Coca-Cola in enhancing their productivity of the work, as well as in improving the job satisfaction of the employees. 3.3 RECOMMENDATIONS After a thorough analysis of my

Aristotle Vs. Copernicus :: essays research papers

Aristotle vs. Copernicus Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist, who shared with Plato the distinction of being the most famous of ancient philosophers. Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. At the age of 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. He remained there for about 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher. When Plato died in 347 bc , Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where a friend of his, Hermias (d. 345 bc ), was ruler. There he counseled Hermias and married his niece and adopted daughter, Pythias. After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians, Aristotle went to Pella, the Macedonian capital, where he became the tutor of the king's young son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great. In 335, when Alexander became king, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. Because much of the discussion in his school took place while teachers and students were walking about the Lyceum grounds, Aristotle's school came to be known as the Peripatetic ("walking" or "strolling") school. Upon the death of Alexander in 323 bc , strong anti- Macedonian feeling developed in Athens, and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea. He died there the following year. His works on natural science include Physics, which gives a vast amount of information on astronomy, meteorology, plants, and animals. His writings on the nature, scope, and properties of being, which Aristotle called First Philosophy ( Prote philosophia ), were given the title Metaphysics in the first published edition of his works (c. 60 bc ), because in that edition they followed Physics. His treatment of the Prime Mover, or first cause, as pure intellect, perfect in unity, immutable, and, as he said, "the thought of thought," is given in the Metaphysics. To his son Nicomachus he dedicated his work on ethics, called the Nicomachean Ethics. Other essential works include his Rhetoric, his Poetics (which survives in incomplete form), and his Politics (also incomplete). Some of the principal aspects of Aristotle's thought can be seen in the following summary of his doctrines, or theories. Physics, or natural philosophy. In astronomy, Aristotle proposed a finite, spherical universe, with the earth at its center. The central region is made up of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. In Aristotle's physics, each of these four elements has a proper place, determined by its relative heaviness, its "specific gravity." Each moves naturally in a straight line-earth down, fire up-toward its proper place, where

Book Analysis: The Hunger Games Essay

In the novel The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins a new country is created. Panem is born in place of North America, were the Hunger Games began. In the Hunger Games, there are 24 tributes. Tributes are people who live in the districts. The tributes in the Hunger Games are all the same. They kill one another and become the Capitols puppets. The tributes become violent, emotionless puppets. Then there is Katniss. Katniss is an excellent hunter and becomes lethal during the games. However, she has not lost her compassion. Katniss does not think of herself as a good person. When in reality she is a good person with a large heart, who puts others before herself. Katniss does many things others will not do in her situation. Whether it is helping her family or helping others. Katniss’ father died in a mining accident when she was eleven (5). Katniss’s mother did not handle it well. She stopped caring for her family. She became a zombie. Katniss had to start caring for her fam ily (26, 27). One day Katniss figured it all out. Katniss thought, â€Å"The first dandelion of the year. A bell went off in my head. I thought of the hours spent in the woods with my father and I knew how we were going to survive† (32). This is when Katniss realizes her family would no longer starve. Katniss knew hunting in district 12 is illegal and the penalty could be death (5). Katniss risks her life. Katniss’s only concern is her family, no matter the danger. The reaping is when a male and female tribute is chosen from each district. When the day of the reaping arrives, a surprise tribute is chosen. Which is Prim Katniss little sister (20). Prim’s name has only been entered once (21). Katniss cannot comprehend what has happened. Her chances were very slim. Katniss exclaims, â€Å"I volunteer! â€Å" I gasp.† I volunteer as tribute† (22). When Katniss goes on stage, everyone is surprised. No one gives applause. Everyone looks devastated. Effie Trinket says,† I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don’t want her to steal all the glory, d o we? Come on, everybody! Let’s give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!† (23). Effie Trinket thinks it is an honor to be chosen. Effie is happy things are more exciting this year. Effie does not understand why Katniss truly volunteered. Unlike others, Katniss cares about more than herself. Katniss was the only volunteer in district 12 others were scared. Katniss will do anything for her sister. This act shows what kind of person she truly is. Katniss will do anything for her family. She often is afraid her actions will harm her  mother and sister. Katniss tries to protect them from life. When Katniss was able to start putting her name in the reaping, she did it often. Katniss tells the reader, â€Å"You can opt to add your name more times in exchange for tesserae. Each tesserae is worth a meager year’s supply of grain and all for one person† (13). To keep her family fed Katniss added her name multiple times. This was the only thing she could do at the time. However, Katniss would not allow Prim to do the same. Prim has only entered her name once and that was because she had to. Katniss tells the reader, â€Å"I protect Prim in every way I can, but I’m powerless against the reaping† (15). Katniss worries about her family multiple times throughout the book. When Katniss is training in the Capitol, she shows off her temper. Katniss is supposed to show her skills to the Gamemakers but they ignore her. They are more interested in their food then her. Katniss then shoots an arrow toward them. The arrow spears the apple, which is in the pig’s mouth. This gets their attention. Katniss runs out and soon regrets her decision. As soon as she realizes what she did, she thinks of her family. Katniss thinks,† What really scares me is what they might do to my mother and Prim, how my family might suffer now because of my impulsiveness† (103). Katniss constantly thinks about her actions. She often wonders how they will affect the ones she loves. Instead of worrying about herself, Katniss worries about others. This could lead to her death or her victory. During the Hunger games, the tributes are supposed to be killing machines. Katniss meets a girl in the games. Her name is Rue and she reminds Katniss of Prim (201). Rue warns Katniss of a tracker jacket nest in the tree. In return, Katniss forms an alliance with Rue. Katniss says,† You know, they’re not the only ones who can form alliances† (200). Alliances in the Hunger Games can be dangerous. Creating an alliance can be your death. Katniss and Rue know their alliance will not last long. For now they decide to share their supplies and enjoy each other’s company (200,201 203). When the night comes Katniss tells Rue,† You can share my sleeping bag if you want. We’ll both easily fit (205). Katniss could tell this was more than Rue expected (205). Rue and Katniss made the perfect alliance, but it ended too soon. Katniss and Rue come up with a plan. While Rue was setting a fire, she was caught in a trap. Katniss was yelling for Rue then she heard Rue scream (231). Katniss went running and saw the boy from district 1 throw a spear through Rue’s stomach (232).  In return, Katniss kills the boy from district 1. Rues last request is for Katniss to sing. Katniss sings Rue â€Å"asleep† (234). Katniss tries to think of a way to respect Rue. Katniss decorates Rues body in flowers (237). Katniss thinks,† I decorate her body in the flowers. Covering the ugly wound. Wreathing her face. Weaving her with bright colors† (237). Katniss wants to show the Capitol they cannot take away Rues humanity or hers. Katniss does not only care about her family and herself but others. Katniss would die for anyone who truly deserves her trust. When the games take a turn, Katniss is surprised. Two people can win, but they have to be from the same district. Katniss hears this and her first reaction is screaming Peetas name (244). Katniss knows Peeta is injured because what Cato and the careers said (247). Katniss knows she will become more vulnerable, but she still has to go after him. After she finds him, Katniss has a bigger problem then she thought. Peeta is very ill and hurt (252-240). The only thing Katniss can do is nurse Peeta back to health. One night Katniss thinks,† I spend the night, refreshing the bandage, and trying not to dwell on the fact that by teaming up with him, I’ve made myself far more vulnerable than when I was alone† (263). Peeta is getting worse and needs medicine. Katniss knows it may be impossible. At this stage in the games, medicine and other supplies are very expensive (265,266). When Katniss gets a chance to go to the Cornucopia, Peeta will not let her (274). Katniss screams,† All right, I am going, and you can’t stop me?† (274). Katniss does not care. She would rather die herself then let Peeta die. While trying to get Peeta medicine she almost dies herself. The female tribute from district two tries to kill her. Katniss makes it back to Peeta and injects him with the medicine before she passes out. After Peeta gets the medicine, they spend some time together. They are relaxing and healing. The two really get to know one another through telling stories. While talking Katniss thinks,† And while I was talking, the idea of actually losing Peeta hit me again and I realized how much I don’t want him to die† (297). Katniss realizes she does not want Peeta to die. Katniss could never imagine him leaving her. Katniss and Peeta decide they have to kill Cato before he can kill them first. When Cato is finally dead, they wait for the trumpets. The trumpets signal their victory. Nothing happens. It turns out the rule has been revoked (342). Now they have to kill one another. Peeta refuses to kill Katniss and Katniss will not kill  Peeta (342-345). Katniss knows she cannot and will not live her live without him (345). Instead, they decide to eat the poison berries. It will kill them both and the Hunger Games will have no winner. The Capitol realizes this and decides there will be two victors. Katniss would rather sacrifice her life to save someone else. Even someone she hardly knows. Katniss is a good person at heart. Katniss may have hunter’s instinct; kill anything or anyone who tries to harm the people she cares about. Katniss would risk her life for them. Even in the games, Katniss would not kill the one person who stood in her way of winning. Katniss shows what matters compassion and her humanity. Katniss shows she is more than apiece in their games (232). Katniss remembers what Peeta said on the Roof. Peeta said,† I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not† (141). Katniss does not want to lose herself, which she never does. Katniss shows she is a good person by forming alliances and taking care of other tributes. Katniss does not think she is good but she really is even if she cannot see it.

Customer Service Essay

1. Organisations that intend to be successful need to design products, services and product/ service bundles to meet customer needs. How can they do this and how can they ensure that the organisation’s plans achieve quality, time and cost specifications agreed with customers? What data and records might be drawn upon to make plans intended to meet customer needs? Organisations that use market research to gather feedback from consumers regarding product design and product/ service bundles tend to be more successful that those who do not use market research as a business tool. Data received from the market research records that have been collected from any market research including surveys, questionnaires, focus groups or simply speaking with customers, are drawn upon to ensure the organisation achieves quality, time and cost specifications as per the customer’s requirements. For example, the Mining Village I currently work at have designed a total accommodation bundle for its clients. Each room is equipped with Wi-Fi, a Smart TV, air conditioning, refrigerator and advanced security systems. After a hard day’s work guests can unwind around the fireplace, watch a movie in the cinema, socialise in the Tavern and recreational room or work out at the gymnasium, pool or tennis court before sitting down to a meal in the restaurant. The cost of the bundles includes 3 meals a day plus use of the facilities as mentioned above. The Owner of the Village, has done market research with Companies who would require accommodation in the area with the Coal Steam and Gas development in the Area. They drew down on the information received and purposely built the accommodation to house those working in the area. The market research provided a edge to the company over the Hotels in the area, as the Village supplied everything the market were after. 2. What monitoring and evaluation procedures might be followed to ensure that the organisation keeps up with changes in customer needs and in market conditions, obtains and distributes resources appropriately and is able to consistently meet product quality and delivery standards? Monitoring and evaluation procedures are important to keep up with changes in customer needs and in market conditions. They ensure the organisation  obtains and distributes resources appropriately, and constantly meets product quality and delivery standards. Monitoring and evaluation procedures include interviewing and communicating with customer regularly, as market conditions and customer needs often change. It is important to find out their priorities, likes, dislikes and purchasing intentions, demographics and psychographics. Procedures also include measuring progress against the organisations vision, its goals, and its predetermined performance expectations and quality standards. KPIS and KRAs should be monitored as they provide measurement criteria. Data should be compared with the forecasted or expected performance, and measured against the organisational goals and against the individual, team/section/division and organisational KPI’s. Customer feedback is vital and can be collected through customer surveys, product testing, focus groups or simply speaking with the customers during sales transactions. Speaking with sales staff is also important, as they are the ones who deal with the customer’s every day. They are able to directly observe customer responses to products and to the service they receive. 3. How can customer feedback be collected and used and why is it necessary to consult with customers (internal and external) and with other stakeholders when monitoring and assessing the organisations progress toward achieving quality targets? Customer feedback should be collected and used to investigate and identify target markets, current and emerging needs, satisfaction levels and complaints. The ways you can collect feedback are through formal surveys including mail, email and phone, questionnaires, focus groups, speaking with customer service operators and speaking to customers while they shop or customer feedback forms. It is necessary to consult with customers and other stakeholders to identify progress towards the results, the likelihood of receiving the results towards quality targets and the impact of work against the targets.  Consulting with customers and stakeholders helps to keep the work on track, and can let you know if things are going according to plan. For example The Old Spaghetti Factory has Customer Feedback forms on their dining tables. Customers are able to fill in a feedback form to comment on customer service quality, food quality, speed of service and the dining experience overall. By collecting the feedback forms the managers are able to see if the team is performing up the standard the organisation is aiming for. 4. Within the organisation there will be groups of people or teams which work toward goal achievement. How can managers and supervisors ensure that team members have the skills needed to communicate effectively with customers and to provide excellent customer service? How might they assist colleagues in overcoming difficulties with meeting customer service standards? Managers and supervisors need to ensure that team members have to skills needed to communicate effectively with customers and to provide quality customer service. For this to be done, the managers and supervisors themselves need to have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives the organisation is trying to achieve in relation to customer service standards. They need to be able to help team members understand and act towards meeting those requirements. Managers and supervisors also need to be able to communicate well with team members. To ensure the employees are fulfilling the customer service requirements of the organisation, the manager or supervisor need to make sure the team members know how the organisation expects is employees to behave and what the organisation expects the team members to achieve in the workplace. Their performance should be measured and adjusted according to the organisations goals. To assist their colleagues, if they required assistance in overcoming difficulties in customer service standards, they need to communicate with their colleagues. They should ask if there was any reason as to why they are having difficulty reaching the customer service standards of the organisation. They should reiterate the company’s customer service standards and the reasons why they need to meet and exceed customer expectations, and how it impacts on the achievement of the organisations goals. The offer of support as well as retraining, coaching or mentoring should be given by the  manager or supervisor. Kerri has noticed that Terri work performance is lacking. She is being rude to the customers and is not completing the tasks that are required to provide superior customer service. Kerri has spoken with Terri and reiterated the organisations goals and objective in relation to customer service. She can see that Terri’s performance is lacking as she is unmotivated at work. Kerri has offered Terri a series of coaching sessions to help her be motivated and work to the organisations standards. 5. What procedures might be followed to identify problems with appropriate individuals and groups to adapt customer services, products and/or service delivery so that it continues to meet customer needs? KPIs and targets can be applied at individual level or as a department. Those who do not meet their targets can be coached or placed on a performance improvement plan to assist them in achieving their targets.

45 Synonyms for Food

45 Synonyms for Food 45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food† 45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food† By Mark Nichol Food means â€Å"a substance we eat for nutritional and/or gustatory purposes,† but that word is bland. For a tastier experience, use one of its synonyms listed below to convey the connotation you desire your readers to digest: 1. Aliment: food as nourishment 2. Bite: a bite’s worth of food, but also a small amount of food, such as a snack, or a casual reference to a larger amount 3. Board: the food laid out on a table, from the association of board with table; also denotes the part of the housing arrangement known as room and board, where room refers to lodging and board to meals 4. Bread: a synecdochic reference to food (synecdoche is a rhetorical device in which a part stands for a whole, as in â€Å"All hands on deck† for â€Å"All sailors on deck†) 5. Chow: food (slang); also a verb, as in â€Å"Chow down† 6. Comestible: food (formal or mock-formal); also a synonym for the adjective edible 7. Comfort food: food that satisfies nostalgic yearnings for traditionally prepared meals 8. Cooking: food, especially as specifically prepared, as in â€Å"I like her cooking† 9. Cuisine: food prepared in a specific fashion, as according to cultural tradition, or the manner or style of cooking 10. Diet: the particular combination of food for a person, group, or society, or a combination of food specified for or by a person for health reasons and/or weight loss; also a verb referring to the process of improving or maintaining health and/or losing weight 11. Dish: a preparation of food served in a single container as part of a meal; also, a container or piece of dinnerware for cooking, serving, or eating food, or an attractive person, or a verb meaning â€Å"to gossip† 12. Eatable: food; also a synonym for edible 13. Eats: food, especially convenient or simple food (slang) 14. Entrà ©e: the main course of a meal 15. Fare: food, in the sense of what is available or what is traditionally eaten 16. Fast food: food prepared rapidly, especially in restaurants that serve food quickly and at a high volume; also, used as an adjective in this sense or in that of something produced with little regard for quality 17. Feed: food for livestock; also used to describe an informal fund-raising event such as a crab feed in which a featured food is served with other dishes 18. Fodder: see feed; also refers to material in general that is readily available for use or consumption (â€Å"cannon fodder†) 19. Foodstuff: something used as food, especially as a raw ingredient in a food product 20. Goodies: edible treats 21. Groceries: food purchased at a store 22. Grub: see eats 23. Handout: food given free for charitable purposes 24. Home cooking: food prepared at home in a traditional manner, with the nostalgic connotation of comfort and familiarity 25. Larder: a supply of food, from the synonym for pantry 26. Meal: the food served at a particular sitting 27. Meat: see bread, or food consisting of the flesh of an animal other than a fish 28. Menu: the food served during a meal, or a list of food to be served; also, any list of offerings or choices 29. Mess: a meal served to a group of people who routinely eat together, as a ship’s crew; also, that group of people or the location where they eat, or a certain amount of food 30. Nourishment: food in the sense of something that satisfies the need to eat; also, the act or state of nourishing or being nourished, or something other than food that provides a corollary benefit 31. Nutriment: something that satisfies the need for nutrition 32. Pabulum: food prepared in a semiliquid state for ease of eating and/or digestion; also, communication of minimal value or sophistication thought to be acceptable to lowest-common-denominator consumers, or, rarely, communication thought to be intellectually stimulating 33. Provender: see feed, or food in general 34. Provisions: a supply of food made available for specific use, as by an expedition 35. Ration: a supply of food made available for a specific person, as a member of a military unit, or, in plural form, such food in general; also, a supply of another commodity as dictated by availability 36. Refreshment: a snack or small meal intended to sustain until the next meal 37. Slop: low-quality food, or leftovers given to livestock; also, garbage, excrement, or slush, or effusive communication 38. Store: see larder 39. Subsistence: the minimum amount of food necessary for survival; also, the equivalent in nonedible commodities 40. Sustenance: see aliment 41. Table: see meal and larder 42. Take-out: food obtained from a restaurant to be eaten elsewhere 43. Viand: see dish, or a piece or item of food, especially a particularly delicious one, and, in plural form, see provisions 44. Victuals: food, or see provisions; as victual, a verb synonymous with provision in the sense of supplying with provisions 45. Vittles: food (a dialectical spelling of victuals) 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:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsThe Writing ProcessAdvance vs. Advanced

Free Essays on Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin

Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin In an article by Axel Bugge two opinions on what should happen to the Amazon are discussed. One view is that it’s more important to cut down the Amazon due to the growing number of people living in Brazil. The other more vocal side wants to stop any cutting down of the Amazon but at least wants to minimize the amount that is being cut down every year. They don’t want to lose the Amazon that is nicknamed â€Å"the lungs of the planet† for all the oxygen that comes from there (Bugge 1). The Brazilian authorities and large percent of Brazilians know that they should limit the amount of Amazon that is being cut down. They cannot which comes from the problem of population explosion in Brazil. Brazils population has grown from 3.5 million people in 1970 to 20 million people nowadays. This would not be a problem but the Amazon represents more than half Brazil’s territory. Brazilian authorities also face pressures to develop the Amazon. There seems to be a $40 billion government economic development plan, which could possibility, destroy, or heavily damage, up to 42 percent of the Amazon (Bugge 2). On the other side of the argument we have mostly environmentally conscience people. These environmentalists are against the deforestation of the Amazon especially since a piece of the Amazon equal to Rhode Island in size is destroyed every year. This is not that much of the Amazon as a whole especially since the Amazon is an area larger then Western Europe. In the end the feeling is that if we keep cutting down the Amazon at this rate we are losing, as many environmentalists call it, the â€Å"lungs of the planet† since according to them the Amazon produces the vast majority of the earth’s oxygen (Bugge 1). A major problem of deforestation is the vast number of plants and animals living in the Amazon are not only being killed but also are dieing to points of extinction. Already a large... Free Essays on Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin Free Essays on Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin In an article by Axel Bugge two opinions on what should happen to the Amazon are discussed. One view is that it’s more important to cut down the Amazon due to the growing number of people living in Brazil. The other more vocal side wants to stop any cutting down of the Amazon but at least wants to minimize the amount that is being cut down every year. They don’t want to lose the Amazon that is nicknamed â€Å"the lungs of the planet† for all the oxygen that comes from there (Bugge 1). The Brazilian authorities and large percent of Brazilians know that they should limit the amount of Amazon that is being cut down. They cannot which comes from the problem of population explosion in Brazil. Brazils population has grown from 3.5 million people in 1970 to 20 million people nowadays. This would not be a problem but the Amazon represents more than half Brazil’s territory. Brazilian authorities also face pressures to develop the Amazon. There seems to be a $40 billion government economic development plan, which could possibility, destroy, or heavily damage, up to 42 percent of the Amazon (Bugge 2). On the other side of the argument we have mostly environmentally conscience people. These environmentalists are against the deforestation of the Amazon especially since a piece of the Amazon equal to Rhode Island in size is destroyed every year. This is not that much of the Amazon as a whole especially since the Amazon is an area larger then Western Europe. In the end the feeling is that if we keep cutting down the Amazon at this rate we are losing, as many environmentalists call it, the â€Å"lungs of the planet† since according to them the Amazon produces the vast majority of the earth’s oxygen (Bugge 1). A major problem of deforestation is the vast number of plants and animals living in the Amazon are not only being killed but also are dieing to points of extinction. Already a large...

Case #2 Technology in retail Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

#2 Technology in retail - Case Study Example When they are ready to pay, the tap the phone or by use of a reader which is usually attached to the register. The customers can also scan shelf edge by using their phone to get details of the products they want to purchase. This system enhances the ease in acquisition of information about products easily and therefore boosts Topshop’s sales. M&S Browse and order hubs. Allows customer to scan barcodes bar code to browse. The screens come along with the card payment machine. The customers can order the products by use of the hub, and have it delivered to them or pick it at a later date. This can be used to the advantage of the shop in competitions as it makes the process of selling quite efficient and accurate, above all

Principles of coaching and practice in sport Essay

Principles of coaching and practice in sport - Essay Example The autocratic dominance on older and more proficient athletes was related to a relationship to coaching behaviors that emphasized negative feedback as opposed to positive encouragement (Coach burn out). As the athlete becomes more accomplished their loss of control can be perceived as dominance. At the other end of the scale is the democratic style of coaching. In this style, the coach mandates the overall goals and training requirements of the athletes. The athletes have more freedom to choose and make suggestions for their training as well as the strategy of play. The democratic coach will consider these inputs from the players and weigh them into the final decision. Professional players who have reached a high level of competency may be allowed to simply play the game using their own best judgment. As with the autocratic style, the democratic is also broken down into two subgroups. These are the sharing and the allowing style. In the allowing style, the athletes are given much greater opportunity to make their own decisions on the training and objectives. In both groups, players choose the training session and the coach approves it based on rationality and safety. This style is appropriate where the players have sufficient skill and experience to make independent decision s. It may also be a useful style when the outcome is not highly critical such as participation simply for leisure activity. One such coaching method is the command style. The coach is a commander and the player is the receiver of the instruction. According to Brian Grasso (n.d.), President of Developing Athletics, "Coaches who display this habit believe that coaching success is based on how well the athlete can reproduce the skills as taught or demonstrated by the coach". This style can be effective in a sport where technical movements or standards must be met such as figure skating. However, it mandates that the athlete be open to total trust in the coach and their subsequent decisions. This style has been criticised because it fails to account for the various learning methods that young players may use as well as their individual needs. Coaches who are involved with highly trained and well-organised players may take the Laissez

The doctrine of Parliamentary privilege has no place in a modern Essay

The doctrine of Parliamentary privilege has no place in a modern democratic society. Discuss - Essay Example To understand the magnitude of the doctrine in the modern political establishment, parliamentary privilege can be illustrated to be synonymous with parliamentary system. Even if debate for its review and in extreme debates its abolition persist, it is an issue that cannot be abandoned just in the heat of the arguments. The following discourse explores the possibilities of abandoning the doctrine based on some of its principles, in light of their appropriateness in a modern democracy. Parliamentary privilege and it purpose Parliamentary privilege according to legal experts is the immunity accorded some legislators whereby the legislators enjoy legal protection against criminal or civil liability in the course of performing their legislative duties (BBC2 para 7)1. Essentially, the privilege makes it possible also for parliament to debate or question issues that could interfere with court ongoing judicial proceedings in a case, expose state secrets, undermine national security, scour fo reign relations, and slander individuals – whether parliamentarians or not. The concept of parliamentary privilege has its roots in the Westminster system and is widely applied across the world. The privilege emerged as a direct result of the contentions that hundreds of years ago existed between the courts the Crown, and the House of Commons2 (Attorney General’s Department para 4). Some of the countries that apply the privilege to parliament other than Britain include Australia, the United Sates of America, Canada, and Kenya, in Africa. In the UK for example, such privileges allow members of the two Houses (House of Commons and House of Lords) to freely deliberate in their participation in parliament without fearing legal action based on claims of contravening the Official Secrets Act, contempt of court or slander. This privilege also assures parliamentarian that they are immune from civil arrests in matters undertaken within the precincts of parliament, in this case the Palace of Westminister3 according to the BBC1 (para 2). However this is conditional in that the members of parliament only enjoy this privilege if their statements are uttered as part of parliamentary proceeding. One such event that reinforces the application of parliamentary privilege in the United Kingdom is with respect to the Zircon affair as it threatened to reveal national secrets. Protection of the parliament against any form of interference while handling legislative obligations is by far a genuine reason for the existence of such freedom as accorded to parliamentarians (Limon 34). However, abuse of the privileges appears to be inseparable from the process of their enjoyment. The purpose of the privilege accorded to parliament rests within the context of legislative duties but other contingent intricacies of interpretation have always made efforts futile to identify balance the genuine purposes. Parliament has failed to implement the appropriate balance and checks that w ould facilitate the relevant procedures to be applied in determining parliamentary privilege usage as genuine or not. Democratic institutions need such control as would be necessary for their independence on one hand while their abuse is clearly identified and dealt with amicably on the other hand. Arguments against Parliamentary Privilege The basic rule that parliamentary privilege is intended to achieve is resolve issues bearing a matter that is of public interest

Introduction to Estimation and Analysis of Variance Research Paper

Introduction to Estimation and Analysis of Variance - Research Paper Example The One – Way ANOVA is thus named, since it compares the variance of the different groups as a function of one Independent Variable. The ANOVA can only be conducted if certain conditions have been met – the data collected is either on an equal interval or ratio scale; the cases are independent of each other, the data comes from a normally distributed population, and that the population variance for the groups is equal. An example of a situation in which it would be possible to apply the One – Way ANOVA static would be one in which the efficacy of different training methods was to be measured. Suppose that a group of novices was to be taught a particular trade, and there were a number of ways in which the novices could be trained. It is possible to study the results of different kinds of training on group’s o novices and use the One – Way ANOVA to identify the most effective training method. ... Thus the levels of the independent variable are categorical; and exclusive. For this example, it is possible to examine four types of training methods – Classroom teaching; On-the-job training; Guided Practice, and Simulation Training. Thus, the Independent variable – Type of Training – now has four levels - Classroom teaching; On-the-job training; Guided Practice, and Simulation Training. The effect of these techniques is tested on the way in which the individual completes a day of independent activity at the end of the training period. Thus, it is possible to say that at the end of the training period, the novices are tested to evaluate their level of learning. On the basis of this understanding it is possible to say that the Dependent Variable in this example is the Learning Exhibited by the novice, as measured by a test of skill. If this experiment were to be conducted; it would require the testing of a hypothesis. The null hypothesis for a One – Way A NOVA is – â€Å"There is no difference between the groups on learning that may be associated with the type of training†. Assuming that the study expected to find a difference in the learning exhibited; the alternative hypothesis â€Å"There will be a significant difference in the learning exhibited by novices as a function of the training method† may be put forth. In the event that there is a significant difference between the four groups – that is – the ANOVA static is significant at the chosen level; it becomes necessary to conduct a Post – Hoc test like the Tukey’s HSD. This is because, a significant ANOVA result indicates that there is a significant difference between the groups; but it does not indicate which groups differ significantly from each other. In order to ascertain this; i9t is

Strategic Management Businesss with Marketing Degree Assignment

Strategic Management Businesss with Marketing Degree - Assignment Example SWOT Analysis The primary strength of Virgin is its strong presence in the market. It could be realized that it’s the number one brand in UK with strong presence in Europe and US. In US is has performed while competition with the giants like Apple TV and Google TV. A growing tendency for consumers to access increasingly personalized on-demand content has spawned various devices and gadgets seeking to provide an integrated experience across a proliferating number of online and mobile platforms, has encouraged Virgin Media to come up with innovative technologies in the market with regard to media and communications. The company is the largest providers in UK in terms of residential broadband internet, TV and telephone services if compared by number of customers. (VMED Annual Report, 2010) Another Strength of VMED is its advanced and excellent Research & Development capability, efficient and effective supply chain, and mass production at a competitive production cost. These compe titive strategies of VMED have helped it to become a market leader in many products. In 2010, VMED launched TiVo set top boxes, thereby developing next generation set top boxes by partnering with TiVo Inc (VMED Annual Report, 2010). This was a shear display of Research initiatives of the company. With the use of technologies like e-commerce, the company had created an efficient supply chain which helps it with seamless flow of information and products among resources. Mass production done by VMED helps it achieve economies of scale thereby increasing operating profits of the company. The primary weakness of the company is that it is investing a lot of amount in restructure activities involving spin-off of certain subsidiaries and disposal of assets. In Jun-10, the company also sold British Sky Broadcasting as well as Kestrel Broadcasting as a part of its restructuring and disposal activities (VMED Annual Report, 2010). In the same year company also recognized impairment charges from such transactions. These activities may be beneficial for the long wrong if executed correctly but they reduce profit making capability of the company. The company should concentrate more on the activities involving expansion and research for innovative technologies. Another Weakness of VMED is its low market share in emerging economies. To be a cash cow for the future every technology company should be in search for opportunities in the emerging markets as they give the advantage of escalated growth compared to developed markets where growth stagnates after a point of time. It should be noted that VMED has a low presence in emerging economies e.g. India whilst many other companies like Apple and Sony are aggressively gaining market share in these countries. To retain market capitalization VMED needs to expand its operations aggressively to emerging countries. Primary opportunity for VMED is expanding into markets with the help of joint ventures, tie-up and agreement with other com panies. This would give VMED the advantage of achieving economies of scale and also act as a risk hedging activity while entering new markets. It could be realized from the fact that in 2009, VMED entered into patent cross license agreement with IBM (VMED Announcements, 2011). The Consumer Electronics Association, an industry trade group, expects US sales of connected TVs to grow from about 3.2

Law and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law and ethics - Essay Example There are instances when the paramedics are faced with extreme pressure, especially when there are patients who refuse to be treated and withhold their consent. This is the exact situation in the case at bar, where the patient Jack refuses any medical treatment and does not want to be taken to the hospital. Hence, the paramedic attending to Jack should be able to practice the â€Å"doctrine of necessity†. â€Å"The Medical Treatment Act of 1988 provides a provision for the competent adult to refuse medical treatment even if the refusal may place their life at risk† (Steer, 2007). In the case of Malette V. Shulman, [1991] 2 Med LR 162, Donnelly J., pointed out that â€Å"the right to refuse treatment was an inherent  component of the supremacy of the patient's right over his own body not  premised on the risks of refusal. He further where a competent adult rejects and medical treatment, â€Å"the courts cannot be dictated by its view of what would be in the best  interests of the patient, but must look to the validity of the refusal in  terms of the capacity of the patient to give such refusal and to determine whether it  must be respected†.

Anselm's ontological argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anselm's ontological argument - Essay Example Whereas ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, hinted at the existence of a God, Anselm’s ontological argument offered one of the first expressly rational proofs for the Judeo-Christian God. In this paper, the author examines the ontological argument of St. Anselm by taking a look at the argument itself, and analyzing both the value and criticisms against it. Further, the discussion examines the influence of the ontological argument on modern thought, particularly Rene Descartes’ revival of the said proof. The ontological argument derives its name from â€Å"ontos†, meaning â€Å"being†. The term â€Å"ontological† signifies an emphasis on the â€Å"being† or â€Å"nature† of an entity. An ontological argument, therefore, derives its strength from the nature itself of what is argued for. In the case of the ontological argument of Anselm, it is referred to as such because it seeks to prove the existence of God by appealing to the nature of this Supreme Being, or perhaps more correctly, to the definition of the latter. He argues that to have an understanding of God as that than which nothing greater can be conceived, entails the acceptance of God’s existence since such a conception necessitates existence. He states: Therefore, if that than which nothing greater can be conceived, exists in the understanding alone, the very being than which nothing greater can be conceived, is one than which a greater can be conceived. But obviously, this is impossible. Hence, there is no doubt that there exists a being than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and in reality (Fremantle 89). It can be seen that such a proposal allows for a proof that is â€Å"built in† the term, so to speak. For if God is such a being, then it is of necessity that he must exist, since not to exist would mean that there is another being that is greater still, namely, one that exists. Thus, Anselm quotes Psalm 14:1

Law and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law and ethics - Essay Example There are instances when the paramedics are faced with extreme pressure, especially when there are patients who refuse to be treated and withhold their consent. This is the exact situation in the case at bar, where the patient Jack refuses any medical treatment and does not want to be taken to the hospital. Hence, the paramedic attending to Jack should be able to practice the â€Å"doctrine of necessity†. â€Å"The Medical Treatment Act of 1988 provides a provision for the competent adult to refuse medical treatment even if the refusal may place their life at risk† (Steer, 2007). In the case of Malette V. Shulman, [1991] 2 Med LR 162, Donnelly J., pointed out that â€Å"the right to refuse treatment was an inherent  component of the supremacy of the patient's right over his own body not  premised on the risks of refusal. He further where a competent adult rejects and medical treatment, â€Å"the courts cannot be dictated by its view of what would be in the best  interests of the patient, but must look to the validity of the refusal in  terms of the capacity of the patient to give such refusal and to determine whether it  must be respected†.

Argumentative Essay Essay Example for Free

Argumentative Essay Essay In America there are so many people who live without healthcare. President Obama has tried hard to change that known fact by introducing and passing his new Obama Care Act. It is very important for people to have proper healthcare coverage, medical care, affordable medications, and for all healthcare services to be available to everyone, whether they are poor, middle class or rich. For most Americans, high quality care generally is readily accessible without long waits but at high cost. However, the uninsured and, increasingly, the underinsured, the poor, and members of underserved minorities often have poor access to health care and poor health outcomes. The health workforce is well trained, yet the United States faces a severe shortage of primary care physicians. Approximately 45% of the U.S. population has a chronic medical condition, and about 60 million people, half of these, have multiple chronic conditions; the CDC estimated these numbers during a recent survey. 2 Most Americans 250 million (84.2%) have some form of health insurance coverage. But an estimated 47 million Americans (15.8%) were uninsured for a year, as reported for 2006 by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 43.6 million people (14.8%) of all ages were uninsured at the time of the National Health Expenditure Survey interview in 2006. However, as many as 89.5 million people under the age of 65 years lacked health insurance for a least 1 month or more during 2006-2007, according to a study by Lewin and associates published by Families USA. In addition, another 16 million people can be  considered underinsured. People without health insurance are much less likely than those with insurance to receive recommended preventive services and medications, are less likely to have access to regular care by a personal physician, and are less able to obtain needed health care services. Consequently, the uninsured are more likely to succumb to preventable illnesses, more likely to suffer complications from those illnesses, and more likely to die prematurely. The U.S. health care system has much potential for improvement. Disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status has pervaded the U.S. health care system. In addition to the large numbers of Americans who lack adequate health insurance, the cost, quality, and utilization of health care services vary widely. Meanwhile, the need for long term care services and care coordination is increasing. Preventive care, cross discipline coordination, and proactive management of long term care might reduce the cost of care, but these services often are uncovered or poorly reimbursed. 3 Spending on health care in the United States has been rising at a faster pace than spending in the rest of the economy since the 1960’s. According to the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services- National Health Statistics Group states that in 2005, national health care spending amounted to approximately $2.0 trillion, or $6697 per person and 16% of the gross domestic product. By 2015, health care spending is expected to reach $4.0 trillion. People with large medical care cost are often chronically ill, disabled, or poor. Our society’s inability to provide continuous, coherent patient centered care for this group of individuals is one cause of the high aggregate cost of health care and contributes to the cost of public insurance programs. Patients who enter Medicare without previous insurance but with chronic illness will be sicker and more disabled and therefore more costly to that government program. Health insurance premiums increased drastically since the year 2005. Many have been unable to even afford health coverage. Employer based health insurance has been the basis for paying for health services since 1940, but  it is fast eroding under the pressure of relentlessly rising costs of care. Despite the growing need for coordination of health care services, government and private insures pay for health care services primarily on a episodic, visit related basis with few, if any, incentives for providing comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous care for the prevention and management of chronic illness. Primary care physicians now spend about 20% of their time in unreimbursed coordination of care tasks using the telephone or e-mail. Despite repeated attempts to rein in federal expenditures for Medicare and Medicaid, federal have continued to increase much faster than inflation in the entire economy. 4 The Medicaid program provides medical benefits to over 52 million people who meet categorical eligibility standards. The federal government and the state share responsibility for funding Medicaid. The success of the VA system in dramatically restructuring itself indicates that major gains can be achieved in the United States in improving health care access and quality while reducing costs. One response to rising health care costs has been the adoption of consumer directed health plans in which the individual takes greater responsibility for paying for care out of pocket rather than the employer or government. Unfortunately, for those with modest incomes, cost sharing has reduced medically necessary care, such as taking medicines for hypertension. The United States is in such a crisis when it comes to the health care system, yet is very important to see that every one of its citizens is afforded health coverage. People are sickly in this nation, like it is in other countries. The United States is in the midst of a primary health care workforce crisis that is expected to worsen in the next decade. The population is aging, and baby boomers are at a high, and a large amount of people will soon be over 65 years and at greater risk for needing care for chronic conditions. The United States should continue to work on having national policies introduced to the health care system to help guide training, supply, and the distribution of health care providers to better assist those in need of health coverage. It is very important to make this a reality, because we the  people of the United States need to be able to receive medical care, and health coverage, no matter if we are rich or poor in this society.

Geological Applications of the Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen

Geological Applications of the Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen Bruce Botton Hard rock, geological applications of the stable isotopes of nitrogen. Introduction. Gammon and Ebbing book of general chemistry define isotope as â€Å"an atom with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons. So isotopes are just different forms of a single element.†[ Gammon, Ebbing. (2005). (8th ed., p. 467)] There are two broader definitions of isotopes, light isotopes are elements that are lighter (contain less neutrons) than the common more stable element (eg. 12O,26S and 34Cl) and Heavy isotopes are the atom contains greater number of neutrons than the most common form( eg. Fe, Cu and Zn). Focusing on light stable isotopes in low temperature environments such as H, C and O and with specific reference to Nitrogen isotopes. Below are a few properties of light stable elements: They are usually of low atomic masses. The mass difference between the heavy, uncommon isotopes and the common light isotopes is usually very large. The lighter elements form bonds with more covalent properties. These light elements form a large number of compounds that are found in the natural environment. Exist in more than one oxidation state. The relative abundances of isotopes are high enough for precise determination of isotropic ratios by mass spectrometry. Sedimentary rocks, low grade igneous and metamorphic rocks (ie. That form at temperatures of 350 degrees Celsius and less) are the type of rocks that we are expecting to find these stables isotopes of interest. Any temperature above this constitutes as high temperature geochemistry. The use of isotopes in analysis of rocks is of increasing popularity, it uses the variations in isotope abundance of various elements to determine certain properties of a rock. These properties that are available are origin and age of the rocks; air or water bodies and even to see if there has been any mixing of magmas to change the composition of the rocks. Stable isotope geochemistry is mainly focussed on the isotropic variations from mass dependant isotope fractionation as compared with radiogenic isotope geochemistry which uses the products of natural radioactive decay (eg. Half lives). Equation 1. Enrichment factor equation. Many isotopes the amount of fractionation that an atom or body of molecules undergoes is very small (both kinetic or equilibrium), so small measured in parts per thousand or less. The formula above shows us the enrichment factor that is present in a sample. This formula uses the ratio of heavy isotopes to light isotopes as compared with a standard sample. So for nitrogen we will be using 15N/14N For the purpose of this assignment, we are focusing on the use of nitrogen and its two isotopes 14N and 15N in the analysis of hard rocks. Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless tasteless and most commonly a diatomic non metal gas, it actually makes up 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. Not only is it over three quarters of our atmosphere but it is a part of all living tissues and is an essential part of life as it is part of DNA and therefore important in the genetic code and the evolution of life. The nitrogen cycle (figure below) is an essential part of existence on earth. Nitrogen cycle. Figure 1 . Schematic diagram of the Nitrogen cycle.[ Petrucci, et al (2002). (8th ed., pp. 887–889). Prentice Hall.] There are 9 stages of the nitrogen cycle, there is no start point the nitrogen cycle is a complex, continous and simultaneous system. Nitrogen fixation: this is a chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is transformed into organic compoundsby microorganisms. N2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N-org Ammonification: this process is a conversion of organic nitrogen to ammonium by bacteria. N-org à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH4+ Nitrification: this is a process by which a nitro group is substituted for another group in organic compound. NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO3 Assimilation: is the conversion of nutriment into a usable form that is incorporated into human tissue and organs after digestion NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N-org Dentrification: is a process by which microbacteria breaks down a nitrate to produce N2. NO3 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N2O à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N2 Volatilization: in this instance it is when liquid ammonium is transformed into ammonia gas. NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH3 gas Case studies: Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian, China: the mantle signature. Nitrogen is of low abundance in the earth’s mantle due to lack of knowledge. But fibrous diamonds are a N rich form and are associated with MORB vesicles these have been tested and give a ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N value of -5†°, the reason for a negative value is due to it being a relative value to the external sources (atmosphere) This has lead people to believe in the heterogeneous accretion model of the earth. In Pierre Cartigny et al experimental procedure they separated diamonds into broad categories, type 1 has no nitrogen and type 2 does not contain any Nitrogen. These abnormalities are linked to diffusion process and might help tell us if diamonds formed in multiple steps. The nitrogen and the ÃŽ ´15N were measured with accuracy  ±2.5% and 0.5% respectively. After IR analysis 25% of the diamonds taken from Pipe 50 were determined as type 2 , and the remainder a mixture of type 1 and 2 diamonds. These ‘mixed diamonds’ are separate platelets compacted together, this zonation of the aggregated states of type 1 and type 2 platelets conform that the octahedrally shaped diamonds growth was over a extended period. 25% of the samples that were analyzed were found to have a lower value of a ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N the in previous works ranging from -12†° to -25†° and the nitrogen concentrations vary from 0 to 1473 ppm. Below figure 2 shows us the ÃŽ ´ 15N histogram which show us fibrous diamonds from all over the World and the octahedrally shaped diamonds from pipe 50, the result as can be seen is that they are based around the same value ( -7†° and -5†°). These results are coincidently similar to the ÃŽ ´13C; this shows us that the fractionation of stable nitrogen isotopes during non fibrous diamond growth is unlikely. The growth of octahedral shaped diamonds should be seen as a large open system with limited supply of volatiles and periods of time in which resorption can occur. Geochemical evidence shows fibrous and peridotitic diamonds originate from similar sources, believed to be the convecting asthenosphere with values of ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N being -5  ± 2 and -4.5  ±1†° respectively. If we wanted to strengthen this argument we would have to look at Diamonds that are found in the lower mantle. These diamonds would originate from a less degassed mantle, this would mean that there wou ld be little to no nitrogen present. If the nitrogen content is controlled by rate of growth rather than the carbon nitrogen ratio of the fluid, this means that there will be little or no correlation between N and ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N, and even less between ÃŽ ´13C and nitrogen which is present in this case. [ Geà ¢ochimie, et al. (1997). Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179.] Figure 2. histogram comparing ÃŽ ´15N values of diamonds from pipe 50 kimberlites and previously analysed fibrous diamonds.[ Geà ¢ochimie, et al. (1997). Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179.] Concentrations and isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur in the ocean floor basalts. The concentration of stable isotope ratios in fresh basalts on the sea floor provides us with information on abundance and isotope ratio of volatile elements in the upper mantle and crust. Samples were taken from less than 10mm from billow basalt ridges and then other samples were taken from the inner portions of the pillows where the groundmass ranges from glassy to crypto-crystalline. The isotropic ratios ÃŽ ´ was atmospheric nitrogen and the uncertainties was  ±1†°. The contents and the ratio of nitrogen present in the ocean floor basalts range from 0.3 – 2.8 ppm and from -0.4†° – 0.8†°. The nitrogen that was attained was of one order of magnitude bigger than the blank nitrogen cycle. This said but the uncertainties in the experiment were rather large  ±1†°, this is due to the small sample sizes. This said, the discrepancy of the isotope ratios should not be taken to be significant but the uniformity of the isotropic ratio and their similarity to the N2 ­ in the air should be emphasized. Nitrogen’s most common form in igneous rocks is in the form of N2 ­ and ammonia. When nitrogen vapour is in contact with magma it would most likely exist as N2, but if it is in the magma it will most likely be in the form of ammonia. The nitrogen in the magma itself will most likely escape as N2 from ascending magma and decreasing confining pressure and will act as a alkaline cation when undergoing fractional crystallization and therefore will be more evolved in a more evolved magma. As Degassing and fractional crystallization proceed NH+4 is enriched relative to N ­2, and NH3 would become depleted and more enriched in 15N this means that 15N/14N in igneous rocks increases with decreasing nitrogen content. According to Sakai, H et al. The average ÃŽ ´ 15N of magmatic crust, atmosphere and sedimentary rocks are 4.2, 0 and 5.2†° respectively. Therefore the global distributions of nitrogen isotopes have been interpreted as the result of out gassing of magma and fractiona tion between N2 and NH+4. ÃŽ ´15N found in MORB are close to the crustal values and therefore can be said to support the above model. Conclusion: Finally in conclusion we can see the importance of nitrogen not only in the atmosphere and our very being. But we can see that there are uses for the stable isotopes in the continued attempts to try and understand the Earth’s history and origin. Reference list: Gammon, Ebbing. (2005). General Chemistry. (R. Stratton, Ed.) (8th ed., p. 467). New york: Charles Hartford. Geà ¢ochimie, L. De, Physique, I. De, Vii, U. D. P., Cnrs, U. R. A., Cartigny, P., Boyd, S. R., Harris, J. W., et al. (1997). Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian , Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: the mantle signature. Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179. Petrucci, Harwood, Herring. (2002). General Chemistry. (J. Challice, Ed.) (8th ed., pp. 887–889). Prentice Hall. Sakai, H., Des Marais, D. J., Ueda, a, Moore, J. G. (1984). Concentrations and isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in ocean-floor basalts. Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 48, 2433–41. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11540821 Sharp, Z(2007), Principles of stable isotopes Geochemistry. Prentice Hall,NJ.

Microprocessor-based Mobile Robot with On-board Vision System Driving Range Golf Ball Retriever :: essays research papers

Microprocessor-based Mobile Robot with On-board Vision System Driving Range Golf Ball Retriever   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Golf Retrieving Mobile Robot is an undergraduate thesis of the DLSU students. It is a robot that is capable of retrieving golf balls automatically without the assistance of a person. This is very useful in a driving range or the area where golfers practice their swings to hit golf balls. The robot is named Greg, it is able to accumulate golf balls on the field. The problems that might arise are the confusion of the driving ranges and re-use of golf balls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The flow of the operation starts from capturing the image, after which is the process image for detection of the borders as well as the golf balls. Using image processing base on the RGB values or the white and non-white image, the system is capable of distinguishing whether the object is a golf ball or not. The logic of the system is created using neural networks. The logic is programmed in such a way that the robot is able to determine how far the golf ball is and whether the object is actually a golf ball or not. The dimples of the golf ball are also one of the considerations they use in creating the logic of the system. The person is able to set the boundaries for the robot to move around. This is done by putting a boundary using blue or red tapes for the robot to sense. The border detection and avoidance is used to prevent the robot from going out of the prescribed area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main objective of the system is to be able to identify and retrieve golf balls. There are five main components of the system, namely, the PC compartment, the remote control, the wheels and chassis, the vision system, and the ball counter. The vision system used is the modified desktop computer. Wheels and chassis are utilized to have the mobot move around the field. The robot is capable of moving around and retrieving golf balls by itself, but the user has the option of controlling the robot through the use of the remote control or the master control of the robot. The robot consists of a front wheel which is the caster wheel and a back wheel or the rubber wheels.