Nothing Is Permanent in This World Other Than Change Essay

â€Å"Nothing is permanent in this world Other than the Change† -is a famous proverb. In this mechanical world all of us are moving towards the pursuit of money having not even single second to spare, to think of world. So I would like to bring to spotlight 3 most prickling things in my mind, which I think, given a power I will surely change, to make the world a better place to live in Poverty according to my view is a thorn in flesh of the world. Society in India is very sharply divided between ‘Haves’ and ‘Have Nots’. With all the wealth of the country getting so accumulated in a few hands the rest of the population find it difficult to even make 2 ends meet. So obvious reason for poverty is ‘distribution of wealth’ which is too uneven. On one side India is leading gold importer in the world, whereas on other side India has most number of population that cannot even afford for a single meal as stated as follows†¦ â€Å"Rich continues to become richer-and Poor continues to become poorer† Recent news coverage in media focusses fully on Indians and their illegal blackmoney deposited in Swiss and Morocco banks, and a pitiful fact is that most of them having account are politicians of our very own country. Isn’t it a big shame for our nation? Harmful effect of poverty include mitigation of crime activities like theft, robbery, smuggling, kidnapping, cheating

Does a Revolution Always Have to Include Terror Essay

The radical leader of the Committee of Public Safety, Robespierre had fanatic and opinionated ideas and beliefs that made him a passionate leader. He believes that to safely go through the stormy revolution, the people’s behavior should be regulated by stormy circumstances, and their plans should be based on the combination of the spirit of revolutionary government and democracy. Virtue, the â€Å"fundamental principle of the democratic government,† was a strong factor of his viewpoint. He thinks that if there is no virtue in the government, then the people’s virtue can be a source, but when the people are corrupted too, there is no chance of winning liberty. These ideas did no harm; they were beneficial and very true. However, he also had radical ideas that were appalling and that weren’t necessarily correct. In his opinion, the people should be lead by reason and the people’s enemies by terror. Robespierre also mentions that a popular government in revolution evolves from virtue and terror. This is his outlook on virtue and terror: â€Å"virtue, without terror is fatal; terror, without which virtue is powerless.† He says, â€Å"the characteristic of popular government is confidence in the people and severity towards itself.† In other words, the popular government has to have confidence in the people and be strict and severe with itself. According to him, terror is the principle of despotic government and he thinks that because of this, the despot may govern by terror his brutalized subjects and subdue by terror the enemies of liberty. Even though these are only his opinions, his perspectives on the use of terror and ruthlessness led him to cause the Reign of Terror and ultimately led him to his execution on July 28, 1794. A revolution doesn’t necessarily have to include terror and the popular government does not have to be ruthless to its people, because then the revolutionaries may lose their supporters (or they may even revolt) and the radicals might have to face more enemies. This was true, because Robespierre’s former followers had him arrested and executed, and the day after the execution, everyone felt relieved. The famous radical leader’s attributes and beliefs led the country into terror and himself to his end.

Good Management in the Public Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Good Management in the Public Sector - Essay Example To achieve this, all barriers to good management in the public sector should be identified and done away with. After the barriers have been eliminated, the officials serving in the public sector should find ways through which they can improve the quality of both management and work life so that the public can enjoy the services available (13). One of the barriers that come in the way of good management in the public sector is too much red tape. Excessive bureaucratic tendencies have been known to bring whole organizations down to their feet. When compared to the private sector, there is a big difference in the way matters are handled in the public sector, where there are too many people who must approve of something before it goes through (Denhardt and Denhardt 35). This kind of rigid conformity to excessive regulation not only impacts negatively on management roles, it also hinders timely and relevant delivery or services to the general public. Bureaucratic tendencies are also a recipe for uncontrolled misuse of power by managers in different levels of the public sector (37). In this situation, it becomes hard for the officials on the ground to offer quality services to the people that the government is supposed to serve with diligence. Another common barrier to good management practices in the public sector is corruption. Corruption in government offices comes in many forms and can include irregular financial dealings and power corruption. Due to the lack of clear policies which can act as professional guidelines for managers and employees in government agencies, there is a lot of room for misappropriation or resources, including funds (Cohen, Eimicke and Heikkila 23). Managing such a work environment becomes tricky especially when it is considered that people are normally unwilling to fight against such practices. When finances are mismanaged, or when an individual uses his influence in

Leadership and Management devlpment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership and Management devlpment - Case Study Example Lose of social networks is among the major reasons why employees sent on overseas assignments may feel dissatisfied with their jobs. Even when the assignment might come with higher financial prospects, many expatriates miss the social support accorded to them by fellow employees and others in their circles (Ducharme and Martin, 2000). Employees of multinationals who are sent on oversees assignments find it hard to establish social ties with those from the local communities and are therefore not able to learn about the culture of host country. According to Maney and Stevenson (2001), the lack of social interaction between expatriates and locals is because of the perceived difference in both social and economic differences between the two groups. The expatriate might be isolated from the locals due to a number of reasons language barriers being a major factor. Daily, Trevis and Dalton (2000) notes when employees feel isolated, they are bound to experience high levels of stress especially when it is combined with having to work in a new and unfamiliar business environment, hardship in cross cultural adjustment as well as lack of enough information about work environment coming from the headquarters. Further, some employees fear that their career development is not well examined when they are on international duties. Lack of close contact with the headquarters makes the employee on international assignment feel that there career will not develop as planned due to the reduced contact with superiors and colleagues. Organizations with leadership and management development programmes should define job satisfaction using a multi-facet approach in order to take care of all the angle employees’ emotional response towards the assignment. Leadership and management programmes that fail in most cases perceive job satisfaction in terms of monetary and job promotion gains an employee stands to get by accepting the international

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - MMPI Essay

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - MMPI - Essay Example The MMPI has assessed in a variety of areas, such as: Criminal justice and corrections; evaluation of disorders; screen candidates for high safety positions; assess medical patients; evaluate participants in substance abuse programs; support college students and counseling; marriage and family counseling; and, screen international adoption parent. The MMPI is not sold and has been replaced by the MMPI-2 (Wikipedia, 2007). Scale 2 Depression, it identifies poor morale, the lack of hope in the future, and general dissatisfaction with ones own life. The high scores are identified as clinical depression and the low scores as unhappiness with life. Scale 5 Masculinity-Femininity was originally used to detect homosexuals but was not accurate. It is used to measure traditional masculine or feminine roles prior to 1960 and it is related to intelligence, education, and socioeconomic status. Scales 8 Schizophrenia assesses bizarre thought processes and peculiar perceptions, social alienation, poor familial relationships, difficulties in concentration and impulse control, lack of deep interests, disturbing questions of self-worth, and sexual difficulties. Hunt (2000) wanted to test that low iron status or other nutritional deficiencies are associated with symptoms of depression in premenopausal women of child bearing age. The author associated the blood indices of iron status to scores on the MMPI and responses to a mood adjective checklist. This took place during the women ´s menstrual cycle. There were 365 women who seemed healthy participants from Grand Forks, North Dakota. They found that the frequency of the elevated MMPI Depression scores did not relate to the frequency of low hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, or ferritin. The results did not support the hypothesis of low iron status contributing to symptoms of depression in women. According to Butcher et al. (ND) both the MMPI and

DNA Retention for Criminal Investigation Assignment

DNA Retention for Criminal Investigation - Assignment Example The present paper has identified that in 2003, the law was altered to collect DNA on the arrest of a recordable crime rather than just a point of charge. This principle of maintaining the DNA of anyone arrested highlighted countless innocent people including children who had never been convicted but have their DNA retained in the Database forever. Because of this, the DNA database is considered extremely discriminatory. In the year 2008, this issue was brought up by the European Court of Human Rights in S and Marper v UK case and concluded that this policy violates the rights to privacy of innocent people under the European Convention of Human Rights. Then in 2010, in answer to this issue, the law was passed which restricts the DNA retention of innocent people. Six years was confirmed for the adults and three years for children. (Michael Lwin, 2010) Still, this policy continued to create discrimination and stayed arguable among many regions. In 2010, the Government was again compelle d to modify the law and shift to the ‘Scottish model’ which defines the right to destroy DNA of anyone arrested but not charged or charged but later found not guilty for most offenses. It also explains the policy of limited time DNA retention for people who were charged with serious wrongdoings like sexual assault or violence (Bruce Barbour; NSW Ombudsman.; New South Wales. Office of the Ombudsman, 2006). The collection of DNA samples are still a major subject of discrimination among many innocent people. It has given a significant boom to social and ethical issues which are because most arrestees were found innocent of the crime but their DNA was kept for an indefinite time. Moreover, if innocent people’s DNA is kept in a police database, it is possible that the DNA might match or partially match the DNA found at the locations of crime. This can create a big problem for a person who has been once arrested but never convicted or anyone who is totally innocent. Th is issue is ethically and socially correct as innocent people would be suspected of criminal activities at the crime scene where their DNA is even slightly similar. A DNA sample illustrates sensitive information about an individual’s genetics, for instance, family relations and diseases vulnerability. Naturally, no one likes his or her personal information to be accessible. Police, forensic science department and researchers using this sensitive information without the consent of the DNA beholder have offended any innocent people who have given their DNA. They see it as a violation of their civil liberties and interference in the personal privacy of an individual (  Andromachi Tseloni; Ken Pease, 2011). It has been observed in the United Kingdom’s criminal DNA database that racial minorities are overrepresented in the number of arrestees. Now this gives rise to racial differences and institutionalized racial biases in the criminal justice department. When a large num ber of minorities are populating the DNA database, police would be likely to suspect one from the minorities rather than the actual criminal. This way an innocent individual would be convicted only because of the race he falls in. DNA retention for the Criminal Investigation Department has raised several concerns among many innocent people but we must not overlook the good it does for the criminals who should be actually punished. DNA retention serves the police department in many ways too. Likewise, it is observed that the majority of the crimes are committed by the people who have been already arrested for other offenses. If the DNA database already has the DNA bank, it could become very easy for the police to identify the suspect or criminal.  

War on Terror Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

War on Terror Bachelor - Essay Example The war on Iraq is a good example of this. Iraq had long fallen out with the US. Accordingly, the war on terror has been said to be responsible for the influence into the formulation of certain policies. For instance, how suspects are to be treated and even how personal privacy can be breached all in the name of security. As far as foreign policy is concerned, the United States seems to have used the war on terror to pursue some very aggressive policies. For this it has earned open criticism and condemnation from many different quarters. These policies are on the political, economic and military fronts. (2007) The war on Iraq is a true demonstration of this. It is openly clear that the war on terror was used in more ways than one to make sense of the war against Iraq. The people were openly against a war in Iraq but the President Bush and his administration went ahead with it anyway making use of forged documents and giving misleading information to gain the approval and support of t he American people. Careful analysis of the war on terror reveals instances of double speak where language was used to hide the true intentions of the government. The fact is that there were no links to terrorism that were openly visible and real in Iraq. Somehow even President Bush appeared to think so. This is probably why he resorted to using the forged documents. (Braun, 2008) So, there had to be some other reason that the Bush administration was keen on the war in Iraq. Conversely, while Afghanistan was the first to be targeted in the war on terror, being bombed by the United States in the search for Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist group, after some time the war shifted focus and Iraq became the target. So why the shift Iraq has a long history with the United States. When Iraq had attacked Iran, the US had been openly supportive. In addition to supplying Iraq with over 5 billion dollars worth of finances, it also supplied intelligence information and heavy apparatus in the form of trucks and even other machinery. The reason the US was openly involved and supported was so that it could make sure that Saddam Hussein won the war and Teheran, especially the Islamic radicals therein, was humiliated. It was in the 1980's when President George Bush, the senior, adopted the policy of accommodation as far as Iraq was concerned. In the policy the US would be able to gain access to the oil in the Persian Gulf as well as the security of certain friendly states in the region. However, the rapport was to fall after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. (Tirman, 2001) Thus, there are various reasons why the United States focused its attention on Iraq as opposed to Afghanistan as far as the war on terror was concerned. First of all, Iraq was no longer in the good books of the US, not since the time it invaded Kuwait. Before then, the US was able to look the other way even in instances when it was clear that Iraq was committing serious offences and crimes right under its nose. However, the most convincing reason would have to be that Iraq has massive oil reserves which the US wanted to take for itself and exercise control over. In the global arena and especially in politics, countries act by way of leverage and oil is an important tool. Think of all the power and influence that

Academic and Career Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academic and Career Goals - Essay Example I have a positive attitude towards my academic achievements and this is what I will use to help me attain my goal within the specified time frame. I will however need to adjust my schedule and dedicate more time to academic than before but I have hopes that my grad team will help me on that. My career goal is based on my academic goal and it is to become a successful RN with my own private practice to help people with terminal illnesses enjoy and be comfortable in their last years of life. The motivation to do this is extrinsic and comes from my family members some of whom have terminal illnesses but cannot get the comfort and joy needed to overcome the illnesses and enjoy their last years due to lack of proper private practices set out particularly for such a tasks. Seeing them receive only professional help where there is lack of love and social support is what drives me to want to achieve my set career goal and make a difference in the community of the people with terminal illnesses. The attitude I have which I will have acquired from experience as a LPN and academic achievement will help me sail through this tasking career goal smoothly. I believe I have no adjustments to make since I will have all I require to achieve my career goal once I complete my education. The above grad team is my key to achieving my academic goal and finally to having a successful career goal and hence close contact and mutual relationship is very necessary. My admissions representative will come in handy when the time comes to make transition to RN from LPN without having to wait for several months for the application to go through since I am on a time schedule to attain the goal. This will also not be successful if my academic counselor does not constantly advise me and keep me in check on my academic work, upping my grades and putting more effort not only in class but also during my

Act of Kindness Essay Example for Free

Act of Kindness Essay Today i will be telling you about one of my act of kindness, but before i do that i will be giving you hints as to what your about to read. It happen at a store that was one city over from me and was one of the best places to be be around because of the places near it. I was really young and it happen in the toy aisle because when your little and a boy its your favorite place. There was a young boy who was crying out for his mom. I was a worried alot when i was little and so i had my older sister help me look for the kids mother so he could smile. Those are my hints to what your about to read in my essay about my act of kindness. My act of kindness takes place at Kmart in Simi Valley, Califronia. I lived one city over from Simi and it was the only major shopping store close to us that was like a Walmart. I loved going to Kmart with my mom and sister because i would most likey get a toy for going with them. Once before when i went to Kmart with my mom i got lost from her and it was the scariest thing a young boy can feel being lost from his mother. When i got lost there was someone there to help me get back to my mom, so i always felt that i should help someone else who was lost from someone they love. MY act of kindness happened in Kmart but to be more precise it happened in the toy aisle in Kmart. When your a young boy the toy aisle is like a candy shop and every toy is like a different flavor. I was six years old with my mom and sister and i would always go to the toys to look and see what i wanted for chrismas because chrismas was like a month and a half away. I saw a little boy in the toy aisle with me he had his hands on his face and i didnt know what he was doing. The little boy was three years old and his hands were over his face because he was crying and i didnt know why he was crying i was thinking it was for a toy and he mom wouldnt let him get it. Then i hear him starting to cry mama mama where are you mama. I started to worry for the three year old boy even though i was only six years old i worried and to this day i still worry about stuff. When i went up to my mom i told her i think that boy is lost from his mom. I got to the point where i didnt want him to be sad any more because i knew when i got lost from my mom someone helped me. I ask my sister if she would help me with looking from his mom, my sister was 12 so she was older than me and could do alot more than i could. We started to look around the toy aisle because that where the three year old boy was so we thought his mother would be close by. Then we started to look other places we went to the food  aisle and the young kids clothing aisle. We looked everywhere we were thinking his mom left Kmart and left her son in the toy aisle. We went to the cash register have an employee page that a little boy lost his mom, but right when we got there we heard the mom yell the three year old boys name and he yelled mommy and she thanked us for helping her son look for his mom and i was happy knowing he got back with his mom. That is one of my act of kindness but to me this is one of the biggest act of kindness i have done because i was six when i did this act of kindness. To some people it might not seem like a big act of kindness but even the littlest acts of kindness can help someone in the long run. So if i could say that someones act of kindness to me made me in turn help someone else. I hope what you get from this story is that you can help someone no matter the age or the place. These are my words of wisdom for someone who was helped and who in return helped someone else.

Different Power Factor Correction Engineering Essay

Different Power Factor Correction Engineering Essay Different power-factor correction methods are reviewed, as well as the back ground to the power-factor. Problem is arising in modern electrical distribution systems due to the connection of rapidly increasing numbers of non-linear electronic loads. The basic principles of harmonic generation and limitation in power systems are first discussed. The main part presents a critical review of commonly used power-factor correction techniques that have been identified in a literature review, and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques. After the analysis of methods and their working principles, the development of the most promising systems such as the boost-type PFC converters is considered. Finally, a project plan is proposed for the next phase of the dissertation work. This will involve investigating the operation, dynamic control and performance of the most promising systems by conducting a theoretical study and setting up and running a number of simulation models using the MATLAB/SIMULINK software tools. Key-words: Power factor correction, harmonic mitigation, PFC converters Contents List of Abbreviations and Principle Symbols Abbreviations: AC Alternating Current APF Active Power Filter CCM Continuous Conduction Mode DC Direct Current DCM Discontinuous Conduction Mode DF Distortion Factor FFT Fast-Fourier analysis IGBT Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor PF Power Factor PFC Power Factor Correction PWM Pulse Width Modulation RMS Root Mean Square THD Total Harmonic Distortion TDD Total Demand Distortion Principle Symbols: Power Factor Distortion Factor Displacement Factor h Harmonic contents RMS value of the line-current fundamental component RMS value of the line-current harmonic components Total RMS value of the line-current 1. Introduction It is now clearly visible from power systems journals and general literatures that power-factor correction is now an important research topic in the power systems area. As non-linear power electronic systems are increasingly being connected to power systems in greater quantities as well as capacities for such applications as power quality control, adjustable speed drives, uninterruptible power supplies, renewable energy-source interfacing, and so on [1] [2]. The power quality regulators of those systems are highly concerned now, because some of their drawbacks, such as harmonics generation and reduced power factor can spoil their advantages [3]. Power electronic systems are effective because their high efficiency and rapidly adjustable output. However, when processing and controlling the input electric energy suitable for users [4], power electronic systems often operate at a low power-factor, and that may cause serious problems to power system operators by reducing distribution comp onent RMS current capacity and to other users on the same network by distorting the sinusoidal supply voltage seen by other user connected at the same point of common coupling as a heavy electronic or power electronic load.. Of all power line disturbances, harmonics are probably the most serious one for power users because they exist under steady state conditions. This literature review considers harmonic generation prediction of power electronic systems and examines the effectiveness of harmonic mitigation methods. The boost-type power factor correction converters will be taken as the core power factor correction method for future research. The existing publications arising from research in this area and their conclusions have set a good foundation for this report. Results in this report will be based on a theoretical study and simulation studies using software MATLAB/SIMULINK power-factor correction system models which be developed. 2. Background This section provides discussion on the fundamental principles of power-factor correction, including definitions of power-factor terms and a consideration of the common standards which affect how harmonics controlled in power system. Also, the harmonic generation prediction of ideal power electronic systems is discussed at the end of this section 2.1 Important definitions and objective of power-factor correction The power factor (PF) is the ratio of the real power to the apparent power [5] and gives a measure of AC supply utilization on how efficient that the energy is supplied and can be converted into effective work output. The definition of power factor is as shown below: (2.1) In the definition, the value of the power factor is always between 0 and 1, and can be either inductive or capacitive. That means average power is always lower than apparent power. The reason is harmonic components and phase-displacement angle,. Hence, the power factor equivalent can be described as below: (2.2) is termed the (current) distortion factor (DF) and represent the harmonic components in the current and relative to wave shape [6]. DF is defined as the ratio of the fundamental current component to the RMS current value [4]. is termed the displacement factor and defined as the current and voltage waveform phase angle [6]. Displacement factor has unity value for in-phase current and voltage. The increase of displacement angle will cause larger reactive current in the power system [4]. Hence, the objective of power-factor correction is to decrease the current distortion or harmonic content and increase the displacement factor or bring the current in phase with the voltage. The closer power factor is to the unity value, the higher efficiency and lower energy loss. And the power system will operate at a lower supply voltage. Another commonly used index for measuring the harmonic content of a waveform applied for current distortion level is total harmonic distortion, THD. THD is the distortion current as a percentage of the fundamental current. The equation of THD is given by: or (2.3) In AC supply utilizations, power factor,, can be expressed in terms of THD and the displacement factor: (2.4) With these equations, it is easy to see that high THD leads to low power factor and even damaging of the power network. THD and power factor will be used together in the following work as important index in measuring performance of the harmonic mitigation techniques. 2.2 Effects and limitation of harmonic distortion on power system In any power conversion process, to get high efficiency and low power loss are important for two reasons: the cost of the wasted energy and the difficulty in removing the heat generated due to dissipated energy [4]. The performance of power output efficient is defined by several factors. The power factor and harmonic distortion are the most important ones. References [8] [9] show the main issues of harmonics within the power system include the possibility of them exciting series and parallel resonances which cause a further increase of harmonic levels, low efficiency caused in generation, transmission, and utilization of electric energy, increasing thermal losses in the electrical components and shortening their useful life and causing malfunction of motors and other components in the power system. Those effects can be divided into three general categories: Thermal stress, Insulation stress and Load disruption [10]. Those represent effects on increasing equipment losses and thermal losses, increased value of current drawn from the power system and insulation stress and failure to action and malfunction of some electrical devices and systems. The IEEE Standard 519-1992 recommended harmonic current limits with an additional factor, TDD. This is very same as THD except the distortion factor is expressed by load current instead of fundamental current magnitude [11]. Hence, the equation of TDD is given by: (2.5) Therefore, IEEE Standard 519-1992 limitation for harmonic current in power system expressed with TDD is shown below: Maximum harmonic current distortion in percent of Individual harmonic order (Odd harmonics) TDD 4.0 2.0 1.5 0.6 0.3 5.0 20 7.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 0.5 8.0 50 10.0 4.5 4.0 1.5 0.7 12.0 100 12.0 5.5 5.0 2.0 1.0 15.0 >1000 15.0 7.0 6.0 2.5 1.4 20.0 Even harmonics are limited to 25% of the odd harmonics limits above. Table 2.1 IEEE 519-1992 Standard for harmonic current limits [12]. Also, there are limitations for power system harmonic voltage and power factor regulation, like IEC 61000-3-2 standard. The methods for power factor correction should not cause disturbances for other aspects of performance. 2.3 Harmonics generation in power electronic systems Power electronic systems may naturally operate at low power-factor due to large harmonic generation and phase shifting in controlled devices like controlled rectifiers. Understanding characteristics of the harmonic current is essential for harmonic mitigation research. Based on the form on the two sides, converters can be divided into four categories [4] including: 1. AC to DC (rectifier) 2. DC to AC (inverter) 3. DC to DC 4. AC to AC Power electronic systems always draw high quality of low frequency harmonic current from the utility and hence cause problems for other users. Take an ideal single-phase diode bridge rectifier as example, the total harmonic distortion can be up to 48.43% [4] and the 3rd harmonic current can be as large as one third of the fundamental current. If a non-linear load is considered, the displacement factor will fall down from unity value and cause a decrease of power factor. This is surely over the harmonic standards limitation and needs to be corrected. Theoretically, Rectifiers and choppers output DC and draw a fundamental AC source current and large low frequency harmonic content. On the other hand, inverters output low frequency AC and supply fundamental current and harmonic content usually at higher frequency. Harmonic contents can be reduced by harmonic mitigation techniques and hence increase power factor. Take Fourier analysis result diagram of single-phase diode bridge rectifier and PWM control Buck converter as example. (a) (b) Figure 2.1 Fourier analysis diagram for input current of (a) single-phase diode bridge rectifier and (b) PWM control Buck converter. 2.4 Software tools for harmonic mitigation evaluation To filtering harmonic current in the power system, the frequency of harmonic contents is essential. However, in practice, the harmonic frequency is not absolutely equal to the theoretical value and that makes analysis of harmonic frequencies very difficult. The reason is stray inductance and capacitance in the system and reverse recovery time and forward voltage drop of non-ideal devices [1]. To analyze harmonic contents, appropriate software can be helpful. In this project, the software chosen to help analyzing harmonic current drawn by power electronic systems is MATLAB/SIMULINK. Taking the three-phase diode bridge rectifier as an example, a simulation model can be established as shown below. In the model, a three-phase 50Hz AC power supply is used for a resistive load and most devices are not ideal. The model is followed by the diagram of input current waveform and frequency spectrum of AC input current. Values of each order harmonic content and total THD are given by Fast-Fourier (FFT) analysis in powergui analysis tools. With the help of Fourier analysis, the performance of harmonic mitigation techniques can be evaluated and compared quickly. Figure 2.2 Simulation model for three-phase diode bridge rectifier. Figure 2.3 Waveform of rectifier input current (phase A). Figure 2.4 Frequency spectra of AC input current of three-phase rectifier. 3. Power Factor Correction Techniques After tens of years developing and improving, various types of power factor correction techniques or harmonic mitigation techniques can be chosen to solve power factor problem. Those techniques can be divided into five categories [11] [13] as shown below: 1. Passive filters Passive filters can improve power factor with low cost and reduce high frequency harmonics effectively. However, they are always in large size and cannot vary flexibly with system changes [4] [14]. If tuning reactors are not used, parallel resonance may occur in operation [15]. 2. Active filters Active filters improve power factor and provide stable output even under varying supply condition, and reduce harmonics in the output current effectively and efficiently [4] [16]. These, however, always requires much higher costs and the harmonic currents they injected may flow into other system components [13] [14]. 3. Hybrid systems Hybrid active filters combine active and passive filters together in various forms [17]. Hence they can reduce initial and running costs and improve performance of the filter [11] [13]. Smaller filter inductor, smaller dimension, light weight and better filter performance hybrid system take advantages of both passive and active filters [18]. However, the complexity of operation is the main drawback of hybrid systems. 4. Phase multiplication Increasing the pulse number of power converters can raise the lowest harmonic order generated by the converter [2]. Typically, 6-pulse converter has the lowest harmonic order of 5 [1]. When rising pulse number to 12, the lowest harmonic order can increase to 11. As value of harmonic current are ideally proportional to fundamental current value [4], the amount distortion of the power system can de reduce to a low level. On the other hand, the effectiveness of this technique is based on balanced load [13] which rarely happens in practice. 5. PWM PWM converters have much better performance compared to traditional converters like diode rectifiers and square-wave control inverters [4]. As a control strategy improvement, PWM harmonic mitigation technique can even used with some devices for traditional converters and hence get broad application prospect [11]. However, the topology complexity and difficult on designing controllers [19] makes the use of PWM is limited. The objective of these techniques is to make the input current nearly a pure sinusoidal waveform and hence to improve the power factor in electrical supply system. All these five techniques are discussed separately in the following work. 3.1 Passive filters Passive filters have widely been used to absorb harmonics generated by the power electronic systems, primarily due to their simplicity, low cost and high efficiency [20]. Passive filters are always consists inductors, capacitors and damping resistors [21]. The objective of the passive filter is to stop the flow of the harmonic current from disturbing power system, either by preventing them with the usage of series filters or diverting them to a shunt path [9] [11]. That is the different between series filter and shunt filter, too. Series filters can be tuned LC system or only a single inductor in the system. Parallel inductance and capacitance are tuned to provide low impedance for fundamental frequency current and high impedance for a selected frequency current, always high level harmonic current. The series tuned filters are simple and reliable to use. The circuit configuration can be shown as below. Figure 3.1 Series LC tuned filter. The series tuned filters are always used as input filter for power electronic systems. However, a big drawback limits the using. If the series tuned filter is used in a VSI system as the input filter for the inverter, several order harmonic current need to be filtered, 5th, 7th, and so on. Each order harmonic current required an individual filter, and hence the size of the system can be intolerable. On the other hand, shunt filter have much more types including shunt-tuned filter, double-band pass filter and 1st, 2nd and 3rd -order damped filters. Also, broadband filters are good solution for filtering wide range of harmonics [22]. The circuit configurations of these widely used passive filters are like shown below. (a) (b) (c) (d) Figure 3.2 Typical harmonic filters: (a) Single-tuned filter (b) Double tuned filter (c) High-pass parallel filter (d) C-type high-pass filter [5] [27]. A few single tuned filters cope with large level harmonic contents and a high-pass (2nd order) filter filtering high frequency harmonics is the typical model for shunt passive filters and can get better characteristic than series filters [24]. Take the single tuned filter as example, single-tuned filter also called the band-pass filter as only a selected frequency of current can pass in low impedance. The tuning frequency of the single-tuned filter could be: (3.1) And at this frequency, the impedance of the filter is: (3.2) where s is the Laplace operator, L represents value of inductance and C represents the capacitance value. However, mostly passive filters can only filtering 30% of harmonic current in the power system [23] and can not match IEEE 519-1992 standard well. Even the broadband filter, which can filter a range of harmonic contents and reduce system THD to approximately 10%, the resonance caused by the filter and the big size of inductor and capacitor still limit the usage of the filter. So we can get the list of advantages and disadvantages for passive filters shown in table 3.1. Advantages Disadvantages Effectively for filtering high frequency harmonics Low availability for low frequency harmonic filtering Very low cost and reliable Bulky devices and inflexible devices parameters Simple structure Individual branch is necessary for each dominant harmonics in the system High probability resonance Table 3.1 List of passive filter performances [4] [14] [25] [29]. 3.2 Active power filters (APF) The basic idea of an active filter is to compensate current or voltage disturbance so as to reduce the reactive power electronic systems drawn from the power system [23]. The active filters using in power system are not the same as what we use in electronic circuits. The active filters conventional means combined operational amplifiers and passive components like inductors and capacitors, and always been used in electronic circuits operating under low voltage. That is the beginning of the active compensation applications and came out earlier than active filters using in power systems. The active filters which are used in power system for active power compensation and harmonic compensation are always called Active Power Filter (APF) [30]. The active in APF means the filters are act as power sources or generators and provide compensation currents which have opposite phase angle with the harmonic currents in power system [30]. Similarity between electronic circuit active filters and pow er system active filters are the requirement of external power supply. The active filters which are talked in the following parts are all means APF. With the active power filters, the compensation for reactive power and for harmonic current can de done at the same time, hence efficiency on harmonic compensation and also dynamic response are all be improved [23]. The trend of active power filters began in 1970s and was introduced by Mr. Akagi. The incentive for active filters is the inductor is not appropriate to use under high frequency, so the trend is to replace the inductor with active components. As the harmonic contents in the power system various frequently, fast response of active filters required a good control strategy to make active filters smarter and faster. But more complex devices and sophisticated control strategy are required, that all makes active filters more expensive and hard to use [26]. Active filters can also be classified by converter type as shunt-type active filters and series-type active filters. The diagrams of two basic types of active filters are shown below. The other way to classify active filters is the phase number of filters which will be discussed later. (a) (b) Figure 3.3 Diagrams of (a) Shunt-type active filter and (b) Series-type active filter [11] [28]. Series active filters are good at compensate voltage harmonics and capacitive, voltage-source loads. When applied to an inductive or current-source load, a low impedance parallel branch is necessary. Similarly, shunt active filters are always used with inductive, current-source loads and high current distortion conditions. Sometimes over current condition occurs with the use of shunt-type active filters [31]. Typical working principle of the active power filter is: 1. Detection. The sensor detects the waveform of the instantaneous load current and feedback to the controller, which is typically a digital processing block. 2. Analysis. Load current is always high distortion current including fundamental current and many orders of harmonic current. The processor must distinguish the fundamental current with the harmonic currents and give out the information including frequency, value, and phase angle of harmonic contents, so as to control the power source inverter providing opposite phase current of harmonic current. 3. Compensation. The power source inverter draws current from individual DC voltage supply and converting to required current to cancel harmonic currents. Like the diagram shown below. Figure 3.4 Diagram of compensation characteristics [31]. Hence, we can draw a conclusion of advantages and disadvantages of active power filters shown in the table below. Advantages Disadvantages High compensation efficiency and high ability on harmonic compensation Low reliability with sophisticated control system and devices Small size components Difficult to construct a large rated current source with a rapid current Fast action on harmonic current variation makes good dynamic response High initial costs and running costs No resonance causing Complex control strategy and controllers are necessary Suitable for widely supply and load conditions, like unbalanced power supply Table 3.2 List of active power filter performances [13] [22] [30] [31]. 3.3 Hybrid systems Hybrid filters comes from the idea to combine the advantages of both passive filters and active filters together hence to get brilliant performance on harmonic mitigation [17]. Combine passive filters and active filters can significantly reduce costs and improve the compensation characteristics in the power system. Also, various types of hybrid systems of passive and active filters can get better performance than only passive or active filters. Like the reference [18] and [20], small rating active power filter and passive filter connected in serial or shunt type. Smaller filter inductor, smaller dimension, light weight and better filter performance hybrid system take advantages of both passive and active filters [18]. However, as the basement of the hybrid power filters are always active power filters, the initial costs and control complexity is still big disadvantages of hybrid systems. 3.4 Phase multiplication The purpose of phase multiplication is to increase the pulse number of the converter and hence to increase the harmonic order and frequency [4]. The low frequency harmonics can be mitigated effectively and phase multiplication technique does not cause serious resonance and other bad effects on power system performances [13]. The practical application of phase multiplication technique, the multipulse converters, have the ability to draw low distortion current from power source and generate DC current with low level ripple [32]. Typically, 6-pulse converter has the lowest harmonic order of 5 [1]. When rising pulse number to 12, the lowest harmonic order can increase to 11. As value of harmonic current are ideally proportional to fundamental current value [4], the amount distortion of the power system can de reduce to a low level. Also, the multipulse thyristor converters can output various value current by controlling the thyristor fairing angle () [32]. The drawbacks of phase multiplication technique are mostly the contradiction between the cost and output characteristic. If controlled output is required, the multipulse converter should contain at least 12 switching devices and that can be a big amount of costs. On the other hand, multipulse converter only use diodes may operate on low efficiency [11]. 3.5 PWM PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is a modern control technique for power electronic systems. PWM converters have much better performance compared to traditional converters like diode rectifiers and square-wave control inverters [4]. Like the phase multiplication technique, PWM control can raise the frequency of harmonic contents of current so as to reduce the effect caused by harmonics. Also, converters using PWM control can have high efficiency and small size. With all these advantages, PWM control absorbed great concern in modern power conversion systems. However, the topology complexity and difficult on designing controllers [19] makes the use of PWM is limited. 3.6 Power factor correction converter Power factor correction (PFC) converter is a typical active power factor correction method. As a mature technique for power factor correction, PFC converters have been widely used in power electronic systems to achieve high power factor (PF) and low harmonic distortion [33]. PFC convener forces the input current follow the input voltage, which makes the input current drawn from power supply nearly in a unity power factor [34]. The Boost-type PFC converters are the most used topology which have many advantages, such as low level ripple in the input current, high power factor, small size and simple circuit structure [35]. A typical circuit diagram of Boost-type PFC converter is as shown below from reference [36]. Figure 3.5 Typical circuit diagram of Boost-type PFC converter [36]. As we seen in the diagram before, conventional PFC converter consists two main stages [33] [37]: Power factor correction stage. This stage is combined with a diode rectifier and a DC/DC converter and used to correct power factor of the input current drawn from the power system. The most used type of chopper is Boost chopper. Also, the new Buck and Cuk type PFC converters are increasingly being used now. The switching working principle can be divided into two types, DCM and CCM. 2. DC/DC converter The chopper here is used to convert the power output voltage and current match the users demand. Since choppers only drawn low distortion power from supply, the typical filter on the utilization end is always a passive filter. This is the working principle for conventional PFC converters, the two-stage DCM/CCM Boost-type PFC converter. However, this type of PFC converter has some disadvantages and need to be improved [33]-[39]: 1. Stage number Individual control system and switching devices are required for each stage of PFC converter, hence increasing the costs of the whole system and cause some other problems, such as power density, transmission efficiency and control response [38]. Also, the design of control system can be a challenge. A new one-stage PFC converter topology has been introduced to power factor correction research area. The circuit diagram is as shown in figure 3.6 [36]. The combination of the power factor correction converter and the forward converter may bring many advantages point as below [36]: 1. High power factor correction performance 2. Reduced value of ripple in the DC output 3. Low initial cost and running cost 4. High efficiency and easy control system And so on. Figure 3.6 Circuit diagram of single stage PFC converter [36]. 2. Converter type Like shown in figure 3.6, Buck converter is increasingly being used in PFC converters. Also, Cuk converter and other type of choppers are becoming good choice for PFC converters [36]-[39]. The Buck type PFC converter was rarely used since its high input current distortion. However, with the characteristic improving of the Buck type PFC converter, it can reach good performance with specific dual mode duty cycle control scheme [36]. The main advantage of Buck type PFC converter is easy to reduce the stage number to one stage. 3. Devices and control strategy One of the most important aims in the design of power electronic systems is the reduction of the size of the passive devices, since it allows increase on the power density and the reduction in the initial and running cost. As inductor and capacitor are still using in the PFC converter, the reduction of them can be very important [33] [37]. However, the improvement of devices must base on the developing of the control strategy [37]. With a good detect and control system, the size of the inductor and capacitor can be reduced while the harmonic content can still meet the requirement [33]. The further analysis and improvement of PFC converter based on this literature review will be an important work in the last stage of project. 4. Conclusion This literature review provides a critical study on power factor issues and power factor correction techniques. A theoretical review of power factor definitions and harmonic generation by power electronic systems are presented at the beginning of the paper. The performance of five basic types of harmonic mitigation techniques has been discussed with the support of many previous research publication and their results. The PFC converter is chosen as the promising system for power factor correction after the analysis and comparison. The simulation model establishment and simulation comparison of power factor correction techniques will be important works for the next period of the project. Also, design rules and guidance of PFC converters will be designed in the next period, too.

What The Dsm Attempts To Do Psychology Essay

What The Dsm Attempts To Do Psychology Essay DSM-IV is a classification of mental disorders that was developed for use in clinical, educational, and research settings. American Psychiatric Association, DSM-IV-TR, 2000 What the DSM attempts to do is have specific criteria for specific disorders, but at the same time, not have the manual be used in a cookbook fashion. Meaning that the specific diagnostic criteria in the DSM are meant to serve as guidelines concurrently with clinical judgment. As we all know, each disorder included in the DSM has a set of diagnostic criteria that signify what symptoms must be present in order to meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Conversely, there are some disorders where there are symptoms that must not be present in order for an individual to be eligible for the diagnosis. A strong point of this particular set-up of the DSM manual makes finding the disorder and its diagnostic criteria easier because of its conciseness. The use of the DSM diagnostic criteria to diagnose has been shown to increase diagnostic reliability (Mezzich, 2002). As noted above, the DSM-IV is a manual that helps outline mental disorders. A major strength is that healthcare professionals such as physicians, psychologist, psychiatrists, and others combined their resources and knowledge to create a universal manual (Well in the US anyways) (Speigel, January 3, 2005). Also, the DSM is used for appropriate coding for billing and insurance purposes which, for most psychologists, is imperative in order to receive reimbursement for treatment. Another strength of the DSM is that it allows researchers to gather a group of patients who meet the described criteria for the disorder, try different treatments, and compare the results. For example, a percentage of patients with social phobia might be helped by placebo, and if a greater number will be helped by a psycholeptic, or psychotherapy, or whatever the treatment is in their design, then one of these treatments can be found valuable. This is important because the idea of evidence based treatment appeal s to the general public, to the field, and is just common sense. Therefore, it is known that empirical data is more useful than untested theories and endless debates that are not proven by research. One weakness that I have found is the reoccurrence of including the social effects of disorders in the criteria by which the same disorders are identified (Widiger Sankis, 2000). It has been argued that when a person meets or exceeds the criteria for a disorder, the DSM does not satisfactorily take into account the context in which a person is living, and to what degree there is a disorder of an individual versus a psychological response to their negative environment (Chodoff, 2005). Therefore, should someone who is in a very poor living situation (emotional or physical abuse, in poverty, ect) these may be the sole factor for some their symptoms, so should it still be assessed in the criteria? Sometimes, an individuals quantity of impairment is often not correlated with symptom counts, and can stem from various individual and social factors, the DSMs standard of distress or disability can often produce false positives (Spitzer R.L., Wakefield J.C., 1999). However, the reality still is that some individuals who dont meet all the symptom criteria may still experience similar suffering or dysfunction in their life. The DSM-IV is practically known as a categorical classification system. The categories are models, and a patient with a high relation to the model is said to have that disorder. The DSM-IV (2000) states, à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"there is no assumption each category of mental disorder is a completely discrete entity with absolute boundariesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  At the same time, unique, mild, or non-criterion symptoms are not given any importance in the diagnosis (Maser, JD., Patterson, T., 2002). On the other hand, qualifiers are sometimes used when explaining the level of disorder; for example: mild, moderate or severe forms. For many the disorders, symptoms must be adequate to cause à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. (APA, DSM-IV-TR, 2000) It has been said that ever since the DSM was created, it has been argued that its system of classification makes indiscrete categ orical distinctions between disorders, and uses somewhat random cut-offs between normal and abnormal (Widiger Coker, 2003, p. 3). I agree that the cut-offs seem a bit arbitrary, and though it is not always voiced, my professors seem to silently have the same opinion. It has been argued that rather than using a categorical approach, a fully dimensional or continuum approach may enhanced the diagnosis people and make it more individualized. (Dalal P.K., Sivakumar T., (2009). What I feel would make the next version DSM superior comes from a suggestion by Dr. Kraemer at the American Psychiatric Association 2007 Annual Meeting, in San Diego, California. (Busko, June 14, 2007) She stated that the purpose of a diagnostic system of mental health disorders, such as the DSM, is not to say what is normal or acceptable but to describe the presentation of a person who comes to get clinical help. The point being made is when a healthcare professional uses the DSM they have to answer this question,Does the patient fit this mental disorder category? Right now, there are only 2 options: Yes or No, which makes the DSM very categorical. However, a dimensional diagnosis, would give us 3 or more potential values that can be ordered. An example, provided by Dr. Kraemer was: While I think that having more than a binary option is a good idea, I am not sure about this Absolutely Sure or Unsure categorization that is presented. Yes, the diagnostic classification should lead to a diagnosis that is reliable and valid, but it should also trust in the professionals life experiences and knowledge in determining how any one disorder is presented in an individual. At the same time, I am cautious about having a classification system that starts running into subclinical diagnosis. I feel that this would lead into everyone leaving a psychologists or psychiatrists office with a disorder. One side note I would like to add, is that as it has been presented by the APA, the DSM-5 is leaning towards making Aspergers Syndrome a combined disorder with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a person who has a brother with Aspeger and having worked with the general Autistic community, I feel abhorred that such a thing would be considered. They are similar, but not the same thing. Especi ally when we are discussing an individuals ability to live independently and function in their community. For me, this would be like combining Schizoid personality disorder and Schizotypal personality disorder. Well, I will just stop my rambling for now. Hello Ms. XD, I hope you are doing well. After our evaluation and my consultation with my supervisor, we have determined that you have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. Within Panic Disorder, you can have panic attacks. A panic attack can described as an event of very intense fear or uneasiness that comes on rather quickly. People can experience Panic Disorder in different ways, but some of the symptoms are: chest pain, feeling like you are choking, a feeling like you might be dying, feeling like you may have not control of your emotions. You can also have hot flashes, chills, nausea, numbness, shortness of breath, sweating. fast heartbeat, or you may start shaking. Once again, these symptoms can start all of a sudden and usually gets more intense as time goes on, but these feelings usually peak within 10 minutes. You also have Agoraphobia along with your Panic Disorder. This means that you may have a strong fear of being in a difficult or embarrassing situation that you cannot escape from. Some people who have severe agoraphobia may not want leave home. There may be certain locations or situations that may make you concerned that you will have a panic attack. These feelings can have a big impact on your social, work, or educational life. It may make it difficult for you to be around others because you may be concerned that you will have another panic attack. Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia is one of the most common anxiety disorders. Approximately 1-2% of the general public have this disorder. Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia can start at anytime during someones life, but it usually starts in adolescence and mid 30s. It is rare to have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia over the age of 45. So you fit the within common age range of occurrence. Also, with Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, females are 3 times more likely than males to have it. If someone in your immediate family also has this disorder, you are 8 times more likely to get it. Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia is generally considered chronic. This means that it is not likely to go away in the near future. However, the severity can go from very low to very high while you have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. You may eventually stop having panic attacks, but it is common to still have the symptoms of agoraphobia. There are many reasons on how Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia happens, but there is no one direct cause. Some think there is only a genetic reason why this happens. That means that it is in your genes that were transferred on from your parents. It is also believed that panic disorder may be a learned behavioral response to stressful situations. This means that you may have learned at some point during your life that, maybe unconsciously, it was okay for you to react in a certain way and that is what has lead you to have panic attacks. It is also thought that some peoples brains are wired in a way that makes it easier and more common for them to have a panic attack. These are all possibly reasons why you have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, but the important thing now is to look into what the best way to treat it. There are many different options. For medications, there are a variety to choose from, but the most common medicine to use is called an SSRI. Some medicines that you have h eard of before, such as Prozac and Zoloft, are SSRIs. You have about a 60% chance of being panic attack free if you stick with your meds. However, if you dont, it is very likely that you will have more panic attacks. Another choice is using a specific kind of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is a type of therapy that helps you focus on how you think about things and how you behave. Within CBT is something called Panic Control Treatment. This would meant that you would experience the symptoms of a panic attack in a safe environment. Along with this you would learn deep breathing and relaxation. I highly recommend that you go with this therapy. Therapy and medicine can be combined, but that is up to your physician or psychiatrist to decide. Ms. XD, I hope the best for you and please let me know you if you have an issues or concerns.

Comparison of the Two Speeches in Julius Caesar -- comparison compare

Comparison of the Two Speeches in Julius Caesar    In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two speeches are given to the people of Rome about Caesar's death. In Act 3, Scene 2 of this play Brutus and Antony both try to sway the minds of the Romans toward their views. Brutus tried to make the people believe he killed Caesar for a noble cause. Antony tried to persuade the people that the conspirators committed an act of brutality toward Caesar and were traitors. The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both Antony's and Brutus's speech to the people are conveyed through tone and rhetorical devices. Brutus made his speech effective in persuading the people by using tone and rhetorical devices. Brutus was compassionate when referring to how he loved Caesar as much as Caesar`s friends of his speech. Brutus was showing compassion on lines18 - 20 when he said, "If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus's love to Caesar was no less than his." Brutus said this to help the people understand the sorrow he felt for the loss of Caesar, but he felt he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus anticipated an objection by the people when he said he loved Caesar , so he went on to say on lines 20 - 23, "If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I love Caesar less, but Rome more."Brutus manipulated the people with rhetorical questions. He asks them on lines 29 - 33, " who is so base, that they would be a bondman, who is so rude, that they would not be a Roman, and who is so vile, that will n ot love his country," the people do not want to be against their country nor do they want to be so base to be a slave.... ...ns. This made Antony's speech more effective in the fact that he used detailed reasoning for why Caesar was not ambitious. This was why the people came to his favor in the end. The tones and rhetorical devices they used helped to capture their audience by appealing to their emotions and helping to move the views of Antony and Brutus's views across to their listeners. Comparing effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both speeches was important in determining which way the people would be swayed. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Chelsea House Publisher; Connecticut, New York, & Pennsylvania. 1988, Pg. #33 - 36 Durband, Alan. Shakespeare Made Easy: Julius Caesar. Barron's Educational Series, Inc.; New York. 1985. Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Ed. Alan Durband. London: Hutchinson & Co. Publishers Ltd., 1984.

Lions :: essays research papers

Lions Physical Characteristics Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows on average to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. It stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. The mane will vary in color and length; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. Females are smaller but equally muscular. Lions vary in color from golden to brown. The mane of a male lion will vary from black to yellow. Both sexes have retractable claws to keep them sharp when they are needed. Lions have wide powerful jaws. The lions roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 (5.6 miles) kilometers away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning. Habitat & Human Impact Lions once ranged throughout Africa and from Europe to Iran and India. By 1900 lions were no longer found in Syria; today Asiatic lions are limited to the GÃ ¬r Sanctuary in India. Lions also roam Africa south of the Sahara, particularly the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Kruger National Park in South Africa. This drastic reduction in range came about as humans and domestic livestock spread into savanna lands. Because lions live in open areas, they are easily shot by hunters and herders. Lions fur coats are a highly prized possession by poachers, and are worth a lot. Over the last 200 years, over 90% of the world’s lion population has either been shot or killed as result of humans. Lions are also a very popular attraction for zoos and many lions live in captivity. Diet & Predatorial Behavior Lions are one of the world’s most famous predators. Their preys ranges from insects to giraffes; but they prefer large animals such as zebras and wildebeast. The lion will cautiously stalk its prey until it is within close range and it will sprint reaching speeds about 50 to 60 km/h. The lion will usually take its prey down by the neck using its huge jaws and razor sharp claws. The female is the hunter and will have the first meat, soon after the male comes to share the meat. Lions :: essays research papers Lions Physical Characteristics Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows on average to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. It stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. The mane will vary in color and length; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. Females are smaller but equally muscular. Lions vary in color from golden to brown. The mane of a male lion will vary from black to yellow. Both sexes have retractable claws to keep them sharp when they are needed. Lions have wide powerful jaws. The lions roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 (5.6 miles) kilometers away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning. Habitat & Human Impact Lions once ranged throughout Africa and from Europe to Iran and India. By 1900 lions were no longer found in Syria; today Asiatic lions are limited to the GÃ ¬r Sanctuary in India. Lions also roam Africa south of the Sahara, particularly the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Kruger National Park in South Africa. This drastic reduction in range came about as humans and domestic livestock spread into savanna lands. Because lions live in open areas, they are easily shot by hunters and herders. Lions fur coats are a highly prized possession by poachers, and are worth a lot. Over the last 200 years, over 90% of the world’s lion population has either been shot or killed as result of humans. Lions are also a very popular attraction for zoos and many lions live in captivity. Diet & Predatorial Behavior Lions are one of the world’s most famous predators. Their preys ranges from insects to giraffes; but they prefer large animals such as zebras and wildebeast. The lion will cautiously stalk its prey until it is within close range and it will sprint reaching speeds about 50 to 60 km/h. The lion will usually take its prey down by the neck using its huge jaws and razor sharp claws. The female is the hunter and will have the first meat, soon after the male comes to share the meat.

Comparing Benjamin Franklin to Mary Rowlandson Essay

The literature written during this time period reveals the important part the supernatural (God) played during those changing times. The new world was struggling for a new identity. Were these individuals also defining the role of God to themselves? In this discussion the lives of Mary Rowlandson and Benjamin Franklin will be compared. Each penned a narrative of their life experiences. There are marked contrasts and comparisons between these two individuals in relation to their perceptions of God. Religion was a dynamic part of life in Colonial America. A shift from faith to deism was occurring. The Puritans of this time were escaping the Church of England. Their hope was to return to the more primitive ways, to reject the churches hierarchy and ritual. Mary Rowlandson, a puritan in Lancaster, Massachusetts was seized by Indians, along with three of her children in 1676. In her narrative she recounts the story of her survival in the wilderness for a period of three months. She is tak en away from her home and husband, â€Å"all was gone (except my life); and I knew not but the next moment what might go too. Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography is an account of his life and begins with his boyhood in Boston. He later flees to Philadelphia to escape his brother’s rule over him. He relates how he was â€Å"dirty†, â€Å"fatigu’d†, and â€Å"Want of Rest†. In these depictions we can see a similarity. Both individuals are removed from their homes and families. Although Benjamin Franklin’s removal was of his own free will. They each suffered as they no longer had the comforts of which they were comfortable. Rowlandson’s faith was amazing considering all that she endured. Throughout the narrative she must rely on her faith in God. She includes numerous verses from the Bible to offer explanations for all that she has suffered, â€Å"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord†. It is also noted that she was able to use her trade to survive, â€Å"knitting a pair of white cotto n stockings for my mistress†. This is also a parallel to Franklin in that he also used his trade to survive. But one must ask what is moving Rowlandson? Is she writing for posterity or is she simply egocentric? Rowlandson has portrayed herself as the ultimate Puritan. Was the glory to God or to herself? She also relates here â€Å"how many Sabbaths I  had lost and misspent†. It is fascinating to note that toward the end of the narrative she begins to see that her fate is in God’s hands, â€Å"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee†. At the end she recounts her old ways, â€Å"I have seen the extreme vanity of this world†. Franklin, states, â€Å"I had been religiously educated†, I rarely attended any Public Worship†. Some of the doctrine he described as â€Å"unintelligible†, â€Å"others doubtful†. He saw a need to center authority for our lives not in God but in oneself. He also noted â€Å"My conduct may be blamable, but I leave it without attempting farther to excuse it†. Franklin is explaining his behavior but not making apologies. It is also noted that he reveals that he had undertaken â€Å"the bold and arduous Project of arriving at moral perfection†. He had also written a â€Å"Form of Prayer for my own private use†. In Franklin’s â€Å"Thirteen Names of Virtues†, He lists the qualities he deems â€Å"Desirable†. Originally there were only 12 but â€Å"a Quaker friend kindly inform’d me that I was generally thought proud†. The last virtue is humility, and his statement â€Å"imitate Jesus and Socrates†, reflect deism. Although Franklin does state that he was not able to achieve this virtue, he reveals, â€Å"I had a good deal with regard to the Appearance of it†. Franklin also had a â€Å"Memorandum Book†, in which he kept track of his virtues. The book was lined in red ink and his faults were marked in black, â€Å"which marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge†. Could this possibly be an analogy to God? Franklin is establishing his own destiny in relation with his deist beliefs. The ideas he projects are decency, justice and belief that happiness may be found in secular values. Near the end Franklin journals his â€Å"Scheme† and communicates it â€Å"was not wholly without Religion† but it did not necessarily reflect any â€Å"particular sect†. An illusion of the America to come? A new world which offered religious freedom? This America in its infancy was establishing an identity free from the mother land. Breaking the tie that binds is never easy. In his Autobiography Franklin was seeking to establish a new identity for the new world. This parallels Rowlandson in that she at the end of her captivity has evolved into a new person. Although Rowlandson has placed her fate more in the hands of her God. Franklin suggests that man controls his own destiny but also makes reference throughout to God. He must deal with his excessive pride, even as Mary Rowlandson has dealt with her own vanity. Hence the supernatural (God) did help to shape our  country to what it is today. Our beliefs reflect what our purpose is, what our identity is. Mary Rowlandson and Benjamin Franklin were setting the standards for Americans to aspire to be. Mary Rowlandson contributes to a young American nation searching for its identity the power of survival without conforming to the behaviors and acts of others. Her faith and trust in God sustained her from becoming like the savagely, as she first perceived, people who took her by force into captivity. At the end of her journey dependence on the grace and providence of God was displayed. In my opinion this is a great contribution to any nation seeking its identity. Benjamin Franklin contributions were/are remarkable. He advocated personal responsibility, intellectual curiosity, honesty, persistence, and prudence—principles that have helped people everywhere lift themselves up. He encouraged an entrepreneurial culture which creates opportunity and hope through peaceful cooperation. He affirmed that by improving yourself and helping your neighbors you can make a free society succeed. His most glorious invention was—and is—the American dream.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-two

SYDNEY AND HER FRIENDS weren't happy that we weren't going to take them with us. â€Å"I would,' I told her, still reeling from what I'd learned from Ian. â€Å"But getting us in and out has been hard enough! If we step outside with you, we'll all be busted. Besides, soon it won't matter. Once we tell everyone at Court what we know and clear my name, the guardians won't need you anymore.' â€Å"It's not the guardians I'm worried about,' she replied. She used that blase tone of hers, but I could see a glint of legitimate fear in her eyes–and I wondered who she was referring to. The Alchemists? Or someone else? â€Å"Sydney,' I said hesitantly, despite knowing Mikhail and I needed to get out of there. â€Å"What did Abe really do for you? There has to be more than just the transfer.' Sydney gave me a small, sad smile. â€Å"It doesn't matter, Rose. I'll deal with whatever comes. Just go now, okay? Go help your friends.' I wanted to say more †¦ to find out more. But Mikhail's expression told me he agreed with her, and so, with brief farewells, he and I left. When we got back to where the others were waiting in the parking lot, I saw the situation hadn't changed much. Dimitri was pacing, no doubt restless at being out of the action. Jill still stood near Sonya, as though seeking protection from the older woman, and Adrian stayed away from all of them, barely sparing a glance when Mikhail's car pulled up. When we told the group what we'd learned, however, that got a reaction from Adrian. â€Å"Impossible. I can't believe that.' He stamped out a cigarette. â€Å"Your Alchemist pals are wrong.' I could hardly believe it either, yet I had no reason to think Ian would lie. And honestly, if Adrian was having a hard time with this, there was no telling what he would have thought if we'd told him who our previous suspect was. I stared off into the night, trying to come to terms with who had murdered Tatiana and framed me. It was hard even for me to believe. Betrayal was harsh. â€Å"The motives are there †¦' I said reluctantly. Once Ian had described whom he'd seen, a dozen reasons for the murder clicked into place. â€Å"And they arepolitical. Ambrose was right.' â€Å"Ian's ID is hard evidence,' said Dimitri, as shocked as the rest of us. â€Å"But there are a lot of other holes, a lot of pieces that don't fit into it.' â€Å"Yeah.' One in particular had been bothering me. â€Å"Like why I was set up for the fall.' No one had an answer for that. â€Å"We need to get back to Court,' Mikhail said at last. â€Å"Or I'm going to be missed.' I cast Jill what I hoped was an encouraging smile. â€Å"And you've got to make your debut.' â€Å"I don't know which is crazier,' said Adrian. â€Å"The killer's identity or Jailbait being a Dragomir.' His words to me were cold, but the look he gave her was gentle. Crazy as the news was, Adrian hadn't had that hard of a time believing Jill's parentage. He was jaded enough to believe in Eric's infidelity, and those telltale eyes sealed the deal. I think hearing what Ian had told us was hurting Adrian more than he was letting on. Finding out the person responsible for his aunt's murder was someone he knew had to intensify the pain. Finding out about me and Dimitri couldn't help matters either. Much to Mikhail's dismay, Sonya offered to stay behind while the rest of us went to Court. We couldn't bring both cars, and his only held five. She considered herself the least useful in this endeavor. With much hugging, kissing, and tears, she promised Mikhail they'd see each other again, once this mess was sorted out. I hoped she was right. My charm would obscure my face enough to get me through the gate. But Jill was a trickier problem. Her kidnapping was hot Moroi news, and if she was recognized by any of the gate guardians, we would be stopped then and there. We were gambling that the guards would be too harried to notice her like they would Dimitri and me. That meant Dimitri took priority for disguising–requiring Adrian's help. Adrian wasn't quite as adept with illusion as Sonya was, but he understood enough of it to make Dimitri's appearance altered to the eyes of others. It was similar to how he'd used spirit during my jail escape. The question was whether or not Adrian would actually do it for us. He hadn't said a word to anyone about what he'd seen between me and Dimitri, but the others must have felt the sudden rise in tension. â€Å"We have to help Lissa,' I told him, when he didn't respond to the request. â€Å"Time's running out. Please. Please help us.' I wasn't above groveling, if that was what he needed. Fortunately, it wasn't. Adrian took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment. I was certain he wished he had something stronger than cigarettes. At last, he nodded. â€Å"Let's go.' We left Sonya with the keys to the second car, and she stood there with shining eyes, watching as we drove off. Dimitri, Mikhail, and I spent most of the journey analyzing the our data collection. The woman Ian had described couldn't have done everything we'd been pinning on the murderer. I was sitting in the backseat with Adrian and Jill, leaning forward and checking things off on my fingers. â€Å"Motive? Yes. Ability? Yes. Paying off Joe? Yes. Access to Tatiana's chambers †¦' I frowned, suddenly thinking of what I'd overheard while with Lissa. â€Å"Yes.' This earned me a surprised glance from Dimitri. â€Å"Really? That was one piece I couldn't figure out.' â€Å"Pretty sure I know how she did it,' I said. â€Å"But the anonymous letter to Tatiana doesn't make sense. Not to mention obscuring Lissa's family–or trying to kill her.' Or trying to frame me. â€Å"We might be dealing with more than one person,' said Dimitri. â€Å"Like a conspiracy?' I asked, startled. He shook his head. â€Å"No, I mean, someone else had a grudge against the queen. But not someone who'd go as far as to kill her. Two people, two agendas. Probably not even aware of each other. We're mixing up the evidence.' I fell silent, turning over his words. It made sense, and I picked up on the nuance that by someone, he meant Daniella. We'd been right about reasons she'd dislike Tatiana– the trainings, the age law not being hardcore enough, encouraging spirit †¦ But that hadn't been enough for murder. An angry letter, bribery for her son's safety? Those were the kinds of actions Lady Daniella Ivashkov took. Not staking. In the ensuing silence, I heard soft words between Jill and Adrian, who'd been having a conversation while the rest of us plotted strategy. â€Å"What do I do?' Jill asked him in a small voice. His answer was swift and sure. â€Å"Act like you deserve to be there. Don't let them intimidate you.' â€Å"What about Lissa? What's she going to think of me?' Adrian hesitated only a moment. â€Å"Doesn't matter. Just act the way I told you.' My stomach sank, listening to him give her such earnest, kind advice. Rowdy, smug, and flippant †¦ he was all those things. But his heart was good. The heart I'd just broken. I knew I was right about his potential. Adrian was great. He could do great things. I just hoped I hadn't set him back. At least I hadn't had to tell him his mother was a murderer †¦ but still. All of us grew quiet when we reached the gate. The line of cars was still there, and we became more and more nervous as we crept forward. A flip to Lissa's mind told me we weren't missing anything in the Council. The chaotic situation was pretty much the same as before, though the exasperated look on Nathan's face made me think he'd call a close to proceedings soon and continue tomorrow. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. The guardians recognized Mikhail, of course, and while still vigilant, their initial instincts didn't suspect him of nefarious deeds. He vaguely said he'd been sent to pick up some people. The guardian looking in the car scanned over Dimitri, me, and– thankfully–Jill. Adrian, a well-known figure, got us added respect. After a mandatory check of the trunk, we were sent on through. â€Å"Oh my God. It worked,' I breathed, as Mikhail drove over to the guardians' parking area. â€Å"Now what?' asked Jill. â€Å"Now we reestablish the Dragomir line and call out a murderer,' I said. â€Å"Oh, is that all?' Adrian's sarcasm was palpable. â€Å"You know,' remarked Mikhail, â€Å"that the instant your illusions are dropped, you two are going to be jumped by guardians and thrown back into jail. Or worse.' Dimitri and I exchanged looks. â€Å"We know,' I said, trying to ignore the memories of that terrible, claustrophobic experience. â€Å"But if everything works out †¦ we won't have to stay there for long. They'll use what we've found out and then eventually set us free.' I sounded more optimistic than I felt. Once parked, our party headed toward the ballroom's building, which could have been seen miles away with all the people around it. How strange. Not long ago, I'd made this same journey, with nearly the same people, hurrying away from Court. We'd worn spirit disguises then, too, and had been seeking escape. Now we were knowingly walking into peril. I was convinced if I could make it in undetected and deliver my news, everything would work out. Sonya's charm had worked perfectly when I saw the Alchemists. I had no reason to doubt it, but the fear still lurked in the back of my mind: what if it stopped functioning? What if the disguise failed and I was spotted before even getting into the building? Would they arrest me? Or would they simply shoot first? The doors were barred to spectators, but guardians were allowed access, so once again Mikhail talked us in–using a sullen Adrian as the reason. The late queen's nephew could hardly be refused, and with the chaos inside, more guardians–which Dimitri and I appeared to be–were welcome. Adrian kept an arm around Jill as they entered, and the guardians let her pass. We slipped into the ballroom, completely unnoticed. I'd seen the arguing through Lissa's eyes, but it was totally different in person. Louder. More grating. My friends and I exchanged looks. I'd braced myself for a big confrontation with the audience–hell, it wouldn't be the first time–but this was a test of even my skills. â€Å"We need someone to get the room's attention,' I said. â€Å"Someone not afraid to make a spectacle–I mean, besides me, of course.' â€Å"Mikhail? Where have you been?' We turned and saw Abe standing before us. â€Å"Well, speak of the devil,' I said. â€Å"Exactly what we need.' Abe peered at me and frowned. Charms could be seen through when others knew one was being used. Charms were also less effective if others knew the wearer well. It was how Victor had recognized me in Tarasov. Sonya's was too strong for Abe to fully break through, but he could tell something wasn't right. â€Å"What's going on?' he demanded. â€Å"The usual, old man,' I replied cheerily. â€Å"Danger, insane plans †¦ you know, the stuff that runs in our family.' He squinted his eyes again, still unable to fully see through the charm. I was probably blurry. â€Å"Rose? Is that you? Where have you been?' â€Å"We need the room's attention,' I said. I wondered if this was what it felt like when parents busted their kids for breaking curfew. He looked very disapproving. â€Å"We've got a way to settle this whole argument.' â€Å"Well,' observed Adrian dryly, â€Å"we've at least got a way to start another one.' â€Å"I trusted you at my hearing,' I told Abe. â€Å"Can't you trust me now?' Abe's expression turned wry. â€Å"You apparently didn't trust me enough to stay put in West Virginia.' â€Å"Technicalities,' I said. â€Å"Please. We need this.' â€Å"And we're short on time,' added Dimitri. Abe studied him too. â€Å"Let me guess. Belikov?' There was uncertainty in my father's voice–Adrian was doing a good job in keeping the illusion over Dimitri–but Abe was clever enough to deduce who would be with me. â€Å"Dad, we have to hurry. We've got the killer–and we've got Lissa's †¦' How did I explain it? â€Å"A chance to change Lissa's life.' Not much startled Abe, but I think my earnest use of â€Å"Dad' did. Scanning the room, his eyes landed on someone, and he gave a small jerk of his head. Several seconds later, my mother squeezed her way through to us. Great. He called; she came. They were awfully chummy lately. I hoped Lissa remained the only one with a surprise sibling. â€Å"Who are these people?' my mother asked. â€Å"Guess,' replied Abe flatly. â€Å"Who would be foolish enough to break into Court after escaping it?' My mom's eyes widened. â€Å"How–‘ â€Å"No time,' Abe said. The sharp look he got in return said she didn't like being interrupted. Maybe no siblings after all. â€Å"I have a feeling half the guardians in this room are going to be all over us soon. Are you ready for that?' My poor, law-abiding mother looked pained, realizing what was being asked of her. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"Me too,' added Mikhail. Abe studied us all. â€Å"I guess there are worse odds.' He headed up to where Nathan Ivashkov was leaning against his podium. He looked weary and defeated–and utterly at a loss on what to do with the mess before him. At our approach, the monarch candidates glanced over curiously, and I sensed a sudden jolt of surprise through the bond. Lissa could see right through the spirit charms. I felt her breath catch at the sight of us. Fear, shock, and relief played through her. And confusion, of course. She was so glad to see us that she forgot all about the elections and started to stand at our approach. I gave her a quick shake of my head, urging her to keep our cover, and after a moment's hesitation, she sat back down. She was worried and puzzled–but trusted me. Nathan came to life when he saw us, particularly when Abe simply shoved him out of the way and grabbed the microphone. â€Å"Hey, what are you–‘ I expected Abe to yell for everyone to shut up or something like that. Of course, Nathan had been trying that for a while with no results. So, I was quite shocked–as was everyone else–when Abe put fingers to his lips and let out the most ear-piercing whistle I had ever heard. A whistle like that through a microphone? Yeah. It hurt my ears. It had to be worse for the Moroi, and the screeching feedback in the speakers didn't help. The room quieted enough for him to be heard. â€Å"Now that you have the sense to keep your mouths shut,' said Abe, â€Å"we have †¦ some things to say.' He was using his confident, I-control-the-world voice, but I knew he was taking a lot on faith here. â€Å"Act fast,' he muttered, extending the microphone out to us. I took it and cleared my throat. â€Å"We're here to, uh, settle this debate once and for all.' That brought grumbles, and I hurried on loudly before the room erupted again. â€Å"The laws can stay the way they are. Vasilisa Dragomir is entitled to her Council vote–and eligible to be a full candidate for the throne. There's another member in her family. She isn't the only Dragomir left.' Murmurs and whispers broke out, though it was nothing like the roar earlier–most likely because the Moroi loved intrigue, and they had to know how this would play out. In my periphery, I could see guardians forming a very loose perimeter around us. Their concern was security, not scandal. I beckoned Jill forward. For a moment, she froze; then I wondered if she recalled Adrian's words in the car. She stepped beside me, so pale that I worried she might pass out. I almost felt like I could too. The tension and pressure were overwhelming. No. I'd come too far. â€Å"This is Jillian Mastrano Dragomir. She's Eric Dragomir's illegitimate daughter–but she is his daughter and officially part of the bloodline.' I hated usingillegitimate, but in this case, it was a necessary fact. In the heartbeat of silence that followed, Jill hastily leaned toward me and the microphone. â€Å"I am a Dragomir,' she said clearly, despite her trembling hands. â€Å"Our family has its quorum, and my s-sister has all her rights.' I could see another explosion building, and Abe jumped in between Jill and me, grabbing the microphone. â€Å"For those who don't believe this, a DNA test will clear up any doubts about her lineage.' I had to admire Abe's audacity. He had only learned this information sixty seconds ago and was already advocating it with certainty, as though he himself had performed the necessary tests back in his home genetics lab. More faith–and an advantage he couldn't pass up. My old man loved secrets. The news triggered the reaction I'd expected. Once the audience had processed the information, a flurry of shouted commentary began. â€Å"Eric Dragomir didn't have any other children, illegitimate or not!' â€Å"This is a scam!' â€Å"Show us the proof! Where are your tests?' â€Å"Well †¦ he was kind of a flirt †¦' â€Å"He did have another daughter.' That last one shut the crowd up, both because it was spoken with authority and because it came from Daniella Ivashkov. She had stood up, and even without a microphone, she had a voice that could carry in a room. She was also an important enough person in our society to draw attention. Many among the royals were practically conditioned to listen to her. In the now quiet room, Daniella continued speaking. â€Å"Eric Dragomir had an illegitimate daughter, with a woman named Emily Mastrano–a dancer, if I recall correctly. He wanted it kept secret and needed certain things done– things he couldn't do himself–to help with that. I was one of the few who helped.' An uncharacteristically bitter smile turned up her lips. â€Å"And honestly, I wouldn't have minded it staying secret either.' Pieces clicked in my head. I knew now who had broken into the Alchemists' records. And why. In the room's silence, I didn't need a microphone to respond either. â€Å"Enough that you'd make certain papers disappear.' Daniella fixed that smile on me. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"Because if the Dragomirs faded, spirit might too. And Adrian would be safe. Spirit was getting too much attention too fast, and you needed to get rid of any evidence about Jill to kill Vasilisa's credibility.' Daniella's expression confirmed as much. I should have left it at that, but my curiosity wouldn't allow it. â€Å"Then why admit it now?' Daniella shrugged. â€Å"Because you're right. One DNA test will show the truth.' There were gasps of awe from those who took her word as gospel and wondered what this meant. Others people refused to believe and wore looks of scorn. Daniella, undoubtedly disappointed the truth had leaked, nonetheless seemed resigned and willing to accept it. But her smile soon dropped as she studied me more closely. â€Å"What I'd like to know is: who in the world are you?' A good portion of the audience appeared to want to know this as well. I hesitated. Sonya's charmed disguise had gotten me pretty far at this point. We had a fragile acceptance of Jill and the Dragomir line. If we let the system run its course, and if Lissa won like I now wanted–I'd have a queenly advocate to help in the case to clear me. But staring at the crowd–full of people I'd known and respected and who had still condemned me without question–I felt anger burn within me. Spirit-induced or not, it didn't matter. I was still outraged at how easily I'd been accused and tossed away. I didn't want to wait for this to be settled in some quiet guardian office. I wanted to face them. I wanted them to know I was innocent–of killing the queen, at least. And so, surpassing my own records for dangerous, reckless behavior, I ripped off Sonya's bracelet. â€Å"I'm Rose Hathaway.'

Review a Range of Assessments Methods Essay

Without some kind of assessment then you will find it difficult to measure whether learning has taken place or not. The reasons for assessing is to find out if someone is capable of doing a course at a particular level or to see if they are ready to go on to the next level due to the higher level of work required. â€Å"Assessment is the process of obtaining information about how much the student knows and evaluation involves using that information to form judgements which, in turn, are to be used in decision making† (Ian Reece, Stephen Walker chapter 6) There are a number of assessment methods used and used in different contexts. Different types of courses require different types of assessments. Initial/ Diagnostic Assessment; this is usually done at the start, before someone is about to undertake a course or qualification. As you need to know what they know already about the chosen subject to learn. This then gives you an idea of what level you can place them at. It is an evaluation of a person’s strengths and weaknesses, knowledge and skills. Independent Assessment is an objective view by someone who is from outside the organisation (Independent governing body), who comes into the course (usually towards the end) and makes a decision on the students achievement. Formative Assessment- as a Business and Enterprise Manager this on going assessment is used and allows the student to improve and I can monitor and observe them in practical’s on a regular basis. Allowing regular feedback on what they need to improve on. The main use of assessments for teachers is the on going or formative assessment†( Geoffrey Petty 1998 p401). Summative Assessments are usually done at the end of the course of learning. Students will then know if they have passed or failed in their bid to gain the qualification or referred to re-do part of the course. Observational assessment allows the tutor to see if the student can perform a certain skill that has already been demonstrated or taught. This also allows me to step in if the student is making any mistakes. Questions and Answers are usually used to see if a student has gained the understanding and assess their knowledge of a chosen subject. You may need to re-phrase questions as some students can be put off by the way a question is being asked. Simple explanations and clarity for a simple response and answer. This area would also cover written reports, assignments, projects, portfolios and tests as well as oral questioning with regards to past experience and achievements. Log Books/ Learning journals are a useful way of seeing if a student has transferred the theory into practice. Practical assessments allow you to see if the student can put the theory based learning into practice. Possibly by doing role play and demonstrations. In my teaching role I use a range of assessment methods that include Practical observation , this involves role play, It allows me to see what the students are like within a group setting but also how they work on their own and to see if they are reaching the targets that have been set. I also use questions and answers. This process is used at the end of the session but before the recap to identify that the students have understood. This involves asking the students questions related to the task or activity so they can give me a critical answer of what and why they are doing a particular thing. I am then able to make a record of this by a simple â€Å" thumbs up if understood† or â€Å" thumbs down† if not. I am then able to make an evaluation of my teaching sessions.