Greek Stuff

THE ANCIENT GREEKS NAME ___Harrison Funk_________________________________ To complete this worksheet use the information found on the following website: http://www. mythologyteacher. com/GreekIntro. html GREEK INTRO 1. At roughly what time period was the golden age of ancient Greece? 500 B. C. 2. Who was an ancient Greek writer of fables? Homer 3. Who was a Greek mathematician? Pythrogras 4. Why should Americans study ancient Greece? We oew everything to ancient Greece. GREEK CITY-STATES 5. How is a city-state more than just a city? It had no desire to join a larger country. 6.What term was not in use during the golden age of Greece? Why not? They did not say greece so it was dotted with city-states 7. What is an agora? Assembly of the people/ town meeting THE LIFE OF A GREEK GIRL 8. How were women oppressed in ancient Greece? Treated with disrespect 9. What would happen if a family did not have a male heir? All wealth would go to the closest male relative 10. At what age did most gi rls get married? 14 11. What is a dowry? Money goods estate 12. What was the goal of every Greek wife? To produce male heir 13. When was murder completely legal in ancient Greece?When someone was caught in a affair with a married women. THE LIFE OF A GREEK BOY 14. What is a Greek adage about their newborn children? If its a boy keep it and if its a girl expose it 15. What ceremony did boys go through before becoming men? They cut their hair 16. Boys were sent to do what at the age of eighteen? Left for two years for military purposes. 17. What does the word gymnos mean? Means wearing no clothes 18. How long were men subject to the military draft? Two years 19. What is a lyre? harp 20. What is rhetoric? Is persuasive speaking 21.What was the Greek word for one who participates in sport contests? 22. What was a sophist? 23. What was the most dangerous Greek sport? 24. What is the â€Å"bible of the Greeks†? 25. The gymnasium was the ancient predecessor of what modern institutio n? 26. What were the two tools teachers used to teach reading and writing? 27. When did education end for most boys? 28. Why were Greek men expected to keep their bodies in shape? GREEK RELIGION 29. According to the Greek moral code, what two crimes were capital offenses? 30. Explain how Greece did not have a strict religious code: 31.Spotting what kind of bird during the daytime foretold death? 32. What could priests tell from an animal’s organs? 33. What does fortuitous mean? 34. What is a pantheon? 35. What is augury? 36. What usually occurred after a Greek sacrifice? 37. Where did the Oracle of Delphi sit? 38. Which god or goddess was most honored in Athens? 39. Whom did kings consult to learn their future? GREEK DEMOCRACY 40. How did citizens vote sometimes vote in Athens? 41. What groups were excluded from Athenian citizenship? 42. What type of democracy did Athens have? GREEK OLYMPICS 43. When did the first Olympics occur? 4. What Olympic contest was held at the Olympi an hippodrome? 45. Were the Olympics the only games held in ancient Greece? 46. What was the Heraia? 47. What are the five sports in the pentathlon? SPARTA 48. How were the lives of Spartan women different from the lives of Athenian women? 49. Sparta was one of the few societies to produce no _______. 50. Spartan boys started their training at what age? 51. Spartan boys were yearly flogged for what reason? 52. What did an apprenticeship of a young boy to an older boy accomplish? 53. How were Spartan boys taught stealth? 54.What did the Spartans do with their unwanted children? Toss them of a cliff 55. What story demonstrated the Spartan discipline? 56. What was a Spartan wedding night ritual? 57. What word is a synonym for gorge? 58. Sparta was completely dedicated to the art of what? HIPPOCRATES 59. Hippocrates is often called: 60. How many children died in ancient Greece before the age of ten? 61. What is leeching? 62. Write one line from the Hippocratic Oath: ALEXANDER THE GREAT 63. How old was Alexander the Great when he became the King of Macedon? 64. What did Alexander spread around the world? 65.What empire did Alexander conquer? 66. What did Alexander the great die of? 67. Why was Alexander a successful conqueror? SOCRATES & PLATO 68. How was Socrates different from the sophists? 69. Who were the â€Å"scientists† of ancient Greek? 70. What does philosophy mean in Greek? 71. What poison did Socrates drink? 72. What is the Socratic Method? 73. What was Plato’s Academy named for? 74. What was the charge brought against Socrates? HOMER, THE ILIAD & ODYSSEY 75. How was the dark age of Greece different from the golden age of Greece? 76. What are three rumors concerning Homer the poet? 77.What is an â€Å"epic poem†? 78. What is the plot of the Odyssey? 79. What started the Trojan War? 80. When did the â€Å"real† Trojan War probably occur? 81. Which did the Greeks like better: the Iliad or Odyssey? Why? HERODOTUS 82. Herodotus is often called: 83. What wars did Herodotus write about? 84. What else did Herodotus write about? 85. What is â€Å"western civilization†? GREEK SLAVERY 86. Most Greek households had how many slaves? 87. What does humane mean? 88. What is the rack? 89. What were lawyers allowed to do to slaves in order to get information? 90. What were three jobs a slave might receive? 91.Where did the Greeks obtain their slaves? DEATH & BURIAL 92. Greeks believed your spirit would never be at rest if: 93. What were two capital offenses in ancient Greece? 94. What is a garland? 95. What is a libation? GREEK WARFARE 96. How did one warship defeat another? 97. How did the rowers on a warship keep in time with each other? 98. Sparta was known for its infantry; Athens was known for its ________. 99. What is a hoplite? 100. Where did Sparta and Athens stop King Xerxes’ march into Greece? 101. What is a phalanx? GREEK THEATER 102. How many spectators could be seated in the theatron? 03. What amplified the voices of Greek actors? 104. What are satyrs? 105. What does obscene mean in Greek? 106. What innovation did Sophocles create? 107. What is a chorus? 108. What is catharsis? 109. What theatrical innovation did the playwright Aeschylus come up with? 110. What type of play is a crude parody? 111. What type of play tells the downfall of a noble character? 112. Who was the patron god of the theater? 113. Whose opinion did the chorus represent in Greek plays? 114. Why are modern actors called thespians? 115. Which type of play made fun of daily life in Athens?

The Importance of Being on Time

Time is one of the utmost valuable entities that we have while we’re alive. We need time to develop our personal characteristics and talent, understanding relationships. Nothing becomes instantaneous, nor is it happenstance when it comes to understanding the importance of time.Everything in life requires time†¦from simply eating a meal to driving to a remote destination to developing a career. It is only thorough time that we are able to mature and develop wisdom through experiences we participate in as we move along our life’s journey. Time help us to set our priorities. Looking at the importance of time, we find that life is but a whisper—one day we are born, we grow up to experience an array of decision-making events (good and bad), and if we are fortunate to get to a ripe age, we leave this world—hopefully leaving a positive mark on society. In comparison to time, life goes by so fast. Time is one commodity that can be stored up and used for a lat er occasion—everyone has the exact amount of time in a day—24 hours.In fact, time is so essential that there never seems to be enough of it and we tend to believe that if we only had more time we would be able to accomplish great things, or something productive like a develop a relationship, accomplish a project or task, or even just rest for a longer period of time. On the contrary, some believe that they have too much time on their hands and have not discovered a true sense of using time wisely.While the management of time in terms of applying principles, skills tools and systems is essential from a military point of view, I’ve learned that the precision of time is extremely critical when it comes to collaborating operations in order to accomplish satisfactory results. Planning timed events not only does it save lives, but we learn to be an army in sequence and on one accord.Not only have I heard echoed as long as I can remember catch phrases like, ‘time is money’, ‘seize the moment’ or ‘time is of the essence’, but I’ve learned that the consumption of time that is wasted cannot be retrieved and that time must be appreciated. When time is not  cherished, causalities will develop in terms of seizing the perfect moment, taking advantage of the perfect scenario, or lost opportunities. Inappropriate use of time always affects others—it produces a domino effect. It’s gone forever.For centuries, time has left its mark in history and many fallen heroes have paid the ultimate sacrifice because of it. Timing has also allowed us to commemorate victory in liberating countries out of the bondage of hatred and despair.When time is taken more seriously, great accomplishments are made and outstanding memories grace the pages of history for all to know about. While none of us are perfect in any area of our lives, I’ve learned that we should get the most out of each day, and that we sho uld enjoy life to the fullest; which helps us to understand the importance of every moment. Time allows us to recognize triumph and failure†¦especially when it comes down to military strategies. Through a series of strategically planned and comprehensive precisely timed events, which included all components such as the time of day, natural elements, environmental surroundings, scheduled events, and a host of other supportive circumstances, the Allied Airborne Operations during Operation Overlord, otherwise recognized as D-Day, is noted to this day for its historical success.The landings were conducted in two phases and synchronized timing played a major role in this operation. The first landing of an airborne assault consisting of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops arrived shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armored military on the coast of France that started at 6:30 a.m. sharp. The surprise attack was achiev ed thanks to inclement weather and set of comprehensive deception plans implemented many months before the landings. One deception plan, Operation Bodyguard was intentionally launched to distract the German’s attention from the possibility of landings in Normandy.A key success was to convince Adolf Hitler that the landings would actually occur at another location. There were also decoy operations taking place simultaneously with the landings under the code names Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas. These operations  were successful because of timing and operating as an army of one clearly defined goal. Operation Market-Garden on the other hand was considerably an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War.It was the largest airborne operation up to that time. While the beginning parts of the strategy plan were successful; the operation failed miserably be cause of lack of synchronized timing and delays, unforeseen circumstances and inadequate information which caused system breakdowns and total chaos near the end of the carefully strategized operation. The end resulted in severe negligence factors which left our military and allied forces trapped and vulnerable to enemy attacks, and unplanned resources had to be called in to evacuate and help support the initiative.If this operation had been successful, it would have shortened World War II by six months but instead a prolonged war became inevitable. From sunrise to sunset, timing affects everything that we do. Timing should be treated with the upmost respect; because once time is used up†¦it cannot be recovered again. Whether time is wasted, mismanaged or even used wisely, it always has a significant bearing on others. Time can either help or hinder others from their achievements and we must all learn to be considerate of using someone else’s time wisely. Each day, I have decided to be more intentional in planning, and I am not the same person I was a year ago.Within a year timespan I now value time because past experiences have taught me not to take it for granted. One thing that I have learned for sure is that everyone experiences time differently, and I have decided take a conscience approach to use my time wisely.

A Biography Of Sir James Chadwick History Essay

A Biography Of Sir James Chadwick History Essay James Chadwick, a remarkable man, may rank among the greatest of all experimental nuclear physicists and he may have played a pivotal role in the development of the atom bomb. James Chadwick had many achievements – Nobel Prize, wartime knighthood, Master of Gonville and Caius, Companion of Honor à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬  but was a troubled, hyper-tense human being, capable of love and anger as well as restraint. Chadwick was born in Bollington, not far from Manchester, England, on October 20, 1891, to John Joseph Chadwick and Ann Mary Knowles. Chadwick senior owned a laundry business in Manchester. At the age of sixteen, Chadwick won a scholarship to the University of Manchester, where he had intended to study mathematics. However, because he was mistakenly interviewed for admittance to the physics program and was too shy to explain the error, he decided to stay in physics. Initially Chadwick was disappointed in the physics classes, finding them too large and noisy. But in h is second year, he heard a lecture by experimental physicist Ernest Rutherford about his early New Zealand experiments. Chadwick established a close working relationship with Rutherford and graduated in 1911 with first honors. Chadwick stayed at Manchester to work on his master’s degree. During this time he made the acquaintance of others in the physics department, including Hans Geiger and Niels Bohr. Chadwick completed his M.S. in 1913 and won a scholarship that required him to do his research away from the institution that granted his degree. At this time Geiger returned to Germany, and Chadwick decided to follow him. Chadwick had not been in Germany long when World War I broke out. Soon he was arrested and sat in a Berlin jail for ten days until Geiger’s laboratory interceded for his release. Eventually Chadwick was interned for the duration of the war, as were all other Englishmen in Germany. Chadwick spent the war years confined at a race track, where he shared w ith five other men a stable intended for two horses. His four years there were quiet, cold, and hungry. He managed to maintain correspondence with Geiger. Although the work he did under such harsh conditions was not very fruitful, Chadwick felt that the experience of internment contributed to his maturity. Moreover, when Chadwick returned to England, he found that no one else had made much progress in nuclear physics during his time away. His careful self-humbleness, though, kept him from the limelight, and his primary role over the next 20 years was as Rutherford’s assistant. They had a complex relationship where Chadwick was confidant, critic and counselor as well as general factotum (laborer) for the great man, particularly during their long association at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. One of Chadwick’s first tasks was to help Rutherford establish a unit of measurement for radioactivity, to aid in experiments with the radiation of atomic nuclei. Chadwick th en developed a method to measure radioactivity that required the observation of flashes, called scintillations, in zinc sulfide crystals under a microscope and in complete darkness. Chadwick and Rutherford spent much time experimenting with the transmutation of elements, attempting to break up the nucleus of one element so that different elements would be formed. This work eventually led to other experiments to gauge the size and map the structure of the atomic nucleus.

Trauma and Human rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trauma and Human rights - Essay Example s innately associated with human rights in the sense that the violation of any quintessential human right does connote to an individual an utterly stressful and distressing experience which could be called to be a trauma or a traumatic experience. The sense of trauma of any violated individual gets augmented manifold if one is deprived of one’s basic human rights owing to some essential and intimate aspect of one’s own identity. For instance denying justice to an individual owing to one’s race or persecuting and violating an individual owing to one’s gender are not only gross violations of human rights, but also amount to utterly traumatic experiences that could accrue intense emotional and psychological pain. Thereby, the very fact of being a human accrues one certain fundamental and basic rights and violation of any of these rights, by its very nature, content and intent could amount to be a traumatic

Video paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video - Term Paper Example The one point is clear: â€Å"now there is no concerned national response for climate change†. No, the video didn’t sway me regarding my opinion, as there are lots of neosporimih facts, which prove that global warming is an ecological problem. Sure, carbon dioxide is a â€Å"plant food†, but still while deforestation takes place, carbon dioxide emissions only increase. Sceptics call it â€Å"life†, but I consider that that is pollution. Though I believe that the issue of global warming has already become an instrument of political manipulation, I don’t think that initially â€Å"was not based on science but was a political consensus, which included a number of scientists†. Skeptics had found the seats at the table, and one of them was Myron Ebel, who was acting on a broad strategy by his action plan â€Å"Victory Will Be achieved† in order to make public recognize uncertainties in climate science. State Senator David Rouzer considers that climate of the Earth is changing from the wery beginning of the world, so it is difficult to continue coastline study and define the correlation between climate change, global warming and sea-level change. Nevertheless, when cap-and-trade came up for a vote in the House in 2009, it passed, with eight Republicans on board and was supported by President Barack Obama. Sen. John Kerry also took part in coming to an uneasy consensus, that â€Å"galvanized the action of people who opposite it†. I consider that Administration shouldn’t ignore the problem of global warming. In addition, there should be taken some actions in order to protect America’s citizens from the consequences of climate change. Finally, as â€Å"now there is no concerned national response for climate change†, something should be done on international level. US Administration should cooperate with governments and scientist of other countries in order to prove the existence and that to solve the problems of global

Explore the Measurement, Extent, Causes And Consequences of Inequality Essay

Explore the Measurement, Extent, Causes And Consequences of Inequality - Essay Example This essay stresses that income inequality results in many intense issues including low levels of trust, high prevalence rate of mental illness, infant mortality, homicides, and teenage births, increased imprisonment rates, decreased life expectancy, and high incidence of obesity. Evidently, this situation would force national governments to allot huge funds for addressing these issues. Therefore, governments cannot raise enough funds for promoting development activities; instead, they get less time to focus on economic growth. Researchers indicate that income inequality and the resulted social stratification may lead to high levels of psychological stress which in turn may intensify the issues like alcohol and substance abuse, depression, and poor community life. This paper makes a conclusion that it is clear inequality is becoming a growing issue all around the globe. The lion’s part of the world’s total incomes goes to a small percent of the richest people. Inequality leads to issues like lower life expectancy, high violence rate, low levels of trust, and other health and social problems. Hence, this issue adversely affects a nation’s economic growth. In order to address this issue, national governments must ensure a minimum wage for all citizens regardless of their age, sex, religion, or politics. It is also recommendable for governments to impose huge income tax rates on rich people and to exempt the poor from taxes and other duties.

Beveridges Social Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beveridges Social Security - Essay Example "There is world economy, but there is no world polity". (Altiero Spinelli and Brit Federa: Writings by Bevirdige, Robbins and Spinelli) The Beveridge Report is based on certain principles that put forth the cause of the lower strata of the society and social security. Firstly, the main principle underlines in the Report is that all the proposals for the establishment of a Welfare State and to promote the interests of the society, need to be unbiased and non-partisan. The proposals need to be commonly targeted and certainly not in the interest of a section of the society. Besides using past experience and knowledge in governance, proposals need to highlight the positive impact they would bring about, on the entire society, and not only the affluent strata. Secondly, the Report highlighted that social insurance must be incorporated into the process of bringing about social welfare.

The Role Of Playing for Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Role Of Playing for Children - Essay Example There were 15 guys and we all had to have one game plan rather than each of us wanting different things. Although we were young and didn’t want to follow orders from one person we knew that it was the right thing to do. We had a leader and knew that respecting him was important to our success as a group. If we each chose our own path and didn’t listen to our coach we would fail and therefore let down a group of 14 guys who all listened to the coach. We didn’t always agree with our coach or think he was making the best decisions but we had to trust that he knew what he was doing and making the best decisions for our team. There was no room for joking around when we were practicing and this taught us to be mature and serious when we had goals to accomplish. We also believed in each other and our potential if we practiced hard and went over plays until they seemed to run as smoothly as possible. We put in extra time after dark to make sure that when we played in the big game Friday night we wouldn’t mess up that play. Down the road, in a work environment, there will be a boss who wants you to be a team player and be willing to put in the extra time, just like that football team. Just from playing football in high school there was a value instilled in me to play a team and know who leads and to respect that person. You cannot always take charge and run everything but in time if you do a good job in your position you have the opportunity to move up into higher positions. I fully believe that having kids in sports will help them to succeed later in life. Prompt 2: There is obviously debate on whether children receive better care if their parents work during the day or not and how this attention or lack of attention changes the child. A child may react in different ways to getting more attention and may get to be more involved with their parents staying at home with them.  Ã‚  

Trust2 Home Fund Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Trust2 Home Fund - Case Study Example In 2003 and 2004, accounting irregularities in mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac grabbed the attention of every one in the world. The failure of Northern Rock in UK has shaken the public confidence in financial markets.Sub prime lending killed many homes dreams in US and UK. Global recession has turned many financial institutions and programmes in doldrums. Stability in the financial market is lost. Investors have become shaky about hazy dealing from financial institutions. If the private sectors are to rebuild that confidence and trust, they must have transparency, respect and integrity. They must be central to the development of a successful and trustworthy brand in financial services. These values need to be introduced at the macro level. Sufficient confidence has to be built among customers that the banks have quality capital and that they can absorb the losses incurred in course of operation. Insurers must have the capacity to support liabilities. There is urgent need for sound back up by reliable institutions preferably government to all risk plans and transactions. Protection must come from the government through stable financial system. Products launched in the financial segment need scrutiny and approval by the authorities. Only then confidence of public and investors can be restored and stability can be promoted in the financial market. This can be more effectively done by the single institution of Government. FSA is on the work to strengthen and rebalance regulations that were lost in between so that lost confidence is restored in the financial system. Sam Fleming, November 1,2007, Daily Mail, Credit crisis 'could cripple UK economy' Product Keeping the above scenario in the mind there is need for opening such business fronts wherein investors have confidence, trust and reliability. Money market mutual funds have such face to restore the investors' confidence if backed by government. The industry represents a multibillion-dollar investment segment. Money market accounts are popular alternatives to CD's, short-term bonds, and savings accounts. This is possible by competitive yields, daily access to the money, and a sense of safety and stability that a money market provides. Money market funds offered by the top banks and brokerage houses are also not immune to a loss in value or liquidity but they can present a better picture. Banks in the money market plan use the depositors' money in buying a large pool of very short term bond including, government bonds, corporate bonds, or municipal bonds, which are more secured. True money market funds are not a

Current Events in Business Research Essay Example for Free

Current Events in Business Research Essay INTRODUCTION There are six basic stages to the research process. Stage 1 is clarifying the research question. This would be the process in identifying the problem that is prompting the research. Stage 2 is proposing research, which would be the act of identifying the resources necessary to do the research. The third stage is designing the research project, or deciding which method to use to gather the information. Stage 4 involves data collection and preparation, which is gathering the data and making it ready to be evaluated. Stage 5 would be the data analysis and interpretation stage. Stage 5 is defining what the data is saying about the problem. The final stage, stage 6 is reporting the results. This is breaking down the interpretation into a presentation that shows the meaning of the data collected. (Cooper Schindler, 2014) This is the process used by Paramount Pictures recently when it was in contract negotiations with the DVD rental company, Redbox. THE DILEMMA As the major Hollywood studios took sides for and against Redbox, Paramount Pictures was staying neutral. The studio had signed a first-of-its-kind trial deal guaranteeing that its titles will be available from the fast-growing $1-a-night DVD rental company through the end of the year. During that time, Paramount would study the effect of Redbox rentals on its total home-entertainment revenue, examining whether there is any decrease in the sales of its DVDs at stores that house Redbox kiosks. Under the terms of the agreement, Paramount would have the option at the end of the year to trigger a five-year deal with Redbox similar to ones recently struck with  competitors Sony Pictures and Lionsgate. The estimated value of the agreement was $575 million. Redbox President Mitch Lowe agreed because Paramount movies performed better at the box office that year. A Paramount agreement would give the studio a share of rental revenue, meaning it could earn more than $575 million if its movies prove popular. Sony and Lionsgate are selling their discs wholesale to Redbox. Though it doesnt have a formal deal with the company, Walt Disney Studios allows its wholesalers to sell discs to Redbox as well. (Fritz, 2009) There has been a lot of debate in the industry about the impact Redbox is having and will have, and we felt the best way to make a decision is by getting the information, said Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore. Then we can make an informed decision based on what we will have learned over the next four months. Guaranteed access to Paramount’s movies was important for Redbox. The studio released two of that summers biggest movies, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Trek.(Fritz, 2009) A movie that plays well in the theaters tends to do well when it is available to rent. Rental revenue could also provide a much-needed boost to the bottom line of Paramount. Lowe said he was confident that providing detailed data to Paramount would help resolve the heated disputes in Hollywood about his companys effect on the entertainment business. Lowe has previously said his companys research found that DVD sales dropped less than 1% in stores that installed a Redbox kiosk. Many studios do their own analysis that we know is not as reliable and is aimed at coming to the answer they want to hear, he said. We find that when we can form a relationship with a studio and share real data, it results in a positive step forward. Moore said he hadnt reached any definitive conclusions as to what steps he would take if the data showed that Redbox rentals do in fact reduce overall revenue. So, the dilemma that Paramount has is whether or not partnering with Redbox will reduce its sales income more than it will increase its rental revenue. THE PROCESS Paramount and Redbox did the research to determine whether or not rentals available the same day to buy decreased the sales revenue any more or less than those studios who decided to wait 28 days to make them available. Despite some content executives recently having touted the benefits of a  28-day window for DVD titles, Coinstar Inc.’s CEO Paul Davis said the companys own research showed Redbox Automated Retail LLC kiosks have a minimal impact on DVD sales. We did a major study, a little over a year ago, with a major studio and a major retailer and we found that the impact on new product sales as a result of our $1-a-night being out there, day and date, was less than 1%, Redbox worked closely with Paramount, and they did a lot of testing as well, and the fact that they decided to go with day and date (of release) I think speaks volumes.(James, 2010) CONCLUSION After reviewing the data collected by themselves and Redbox in 2009, Paramount Pictures made their decision. In June, 2010, Paramount exercised its option to extend its revenue-sharing license agreement with Redbox, which gives Redbox access to Paramount’s newly released DVDs and Blu-ray titles on the same day they are released in the sell-through market. Paramount’s extended agreement with Redbox runs until the end of 2014, though the studio will had the option to terminate the agreement early at the end of 2011. (James, 2010) As a result of the research, Davis thought that studios that have the 28-day window might opt to tweak their Redbox agreements to get certain DVD titles out for rental sooner. Especially as more and more data gets out there and as the studios that have opted for the 28-day window, as they have a year or so to look at the data, see how its impacted their new product sales it could move that we get some titles earlier, he said.(James, 2010) The process that Paramount and Redbox used, and the data they collected, could prove to be useful data to the other studios as to whether or not they should wait the 28 days. Reference Cooper, D. R., Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business Research Methods (12th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. Fritz, B. (2009, Aug 26). COMPANY TOWN; paramount to give redbox a spin. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/422289074?accountid=458 James, S. B. (2010). Impact of day-and-date redbox rentals on DVD sales less than 1%. SNL Kagan Media Communications Report, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/869743836?accountid=458

Maintain international peace and security

Maintain international peace and security The United Nations, the UN is an international organization established to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, development cooperation between States. The basis of its activities and structure developed during the Second World War, leading participants-Hitler coalition. The name â€Å"United Nations† was first used in the United Nations Declaration, signed on Jan. 1, 1942. The UN Charter was adopted at the San Francisco Conference, held from April to June 1945 and signed on June 26, 1945 representatives of 51 States. Date of entry into force of the Charter (24 October) is celebrated as United Nations Day. The organization occupies a central place as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ. The General Assembly shall consider the principles of cooperation in the field of international peace and security; elects non-permanent UN Security Council members, members of the Economic and Social Council, on the recommendation of the Security Council appointed UN Secretary-General, in conjunction with the Security Council elects the members of the International Court of Justice, coordinates international cooperation in the economic social, cultural and humanitarian spheres; exercise other powers stipulated in the UN Charter. Security Council. Primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security; its decisions are expected to obey all the UN members. The five permanent Security Council members (Russia, USA, Britain, France and China) have veto power. The Security Council consists of 15 members: five members permanent (USA, UK, France, Russia and China), the remaining ten members (in the terminology of the Constitution â€Å"no standing†) were elected to the Council in accordance with the procedure stipulated by the Charter (paragraph 2 Article 23). Secretariat this is an international staff working institutions around the world and perform a variety of daily activities of the Organization. It serves the other principal organs of the United Nations adopted and implemented their programs and policies. Secretariat units are located at UN Headquarters in New York and elsewhere in the Headquarters of the UN bodies, the largest of which are the United Nations Office at Geneva and Vienna. At the head of the Secretariat is the Secretary-General who is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council for a term of 5 years, renewable for another term. Currently, there is a gentlemans agreement that a citizen of the country a permanent member of the UN Security Council can not be the UN Secretary General. An important instrument for maintaining international peace and security are the UN peacekeeping operations. Their activity is determined by a number of General Assembly resolutions adopted in accordance with the Charter of the Organization. Implementation of the UN peacekeeping operation can be expressed as: Investigation of incidents and negotiations with the warring parties with a view to reconciliation; Verifying compliance with the ceasefire; Contributing to the maintenance of law and order; The provision of humanitarian assistance; Monitoring the situation. Human rights. On 10 December 1948 UN General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and then recommended that all Member States to publish the text of the Declaration by the â€Å"spread, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without any distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.† Humanitarian aid. Humanitarian disasters can occur anywhere and at any time. Whatever the cause flood, drought, earthquake or conflict they always lead to deaths, displacement, loss of the ability of communities on their own to ensure their existence and bring immense suffering. In countries which have for a long time been exposed to natural disasters or recovering from conflict, humanitarian aid is increasingly seen as one element of an overall effort to ensure that peace-building, along with the development of political and financial support. Perhaps the most dramatic natural disaster in recent years has caused a tsunami in the Indian Ocean earthquake. Early in the morning Sunday, December 26, 2004, off the west coast of northern Sumatra occurred strong earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, which resulted in a huge tsunami, which reached a height of 10 meters and move along the surface of the Indian Ocean at a speed of 500 kilometers per hour. The tsunami hit the coastal areas in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Myanmar, the Seychelles and Somalia. It has been estimated that as of April 2005 more than 217 thousand people died, 51 thousand missing and more than half a million people homeless. Organization of the United Nations began to take measures immediately, trying to satisfy a range of humanitarian needs, including in areas such as agriculture, coordination and support services, economic recovery and infrastructure, education, family housing and consumer goods, food, health , measures related to mine clearance, protection of human rights and the rule of law, security and water and sanitation. For this purpose, 5 January 2005 was made â€Å"urgent appeal† to the mobilization of 977 million dollars to fund critical of relief efforts undertaken by some 40 United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). However, despite its uniqueness, the UN has been discredited by failings and scandals. The organization has demonstrated that it is not always able to promptly adapt to rapidly changing global political realities. In this regard, the UN is often criticized for its inefficiency, undemocratic, the lack of attention to the problems of developing countries, bureaucracy, overstaffing and excessive budget.On behalf of the UN have also been linked, and some high-profile financial scandals. In one of them, the Program for Iraq â€Å"Oil for Food program, was involved even Kojo Annan (Kofi Annans son). American Commission of Inquiry program of assistance to Saddams Iraq Oil for Food has revealed the involvement of UN officials for corruption by the regime of Saddam Hussein. In addition, the number of peacekeepers and employees were indicted for sexual crimes against refugees. According to RBC daily interviewed experts inflation scandals plaguing the UN is being targeted, and above all they a re interested in the U.S. who do not want to reckon with the UN as an independent player in the international arena. Therefore, Washington was determined to discredit the organization. The new regulations the UN is an attempt to keep the organization itself and restore its shaken credibility in the world. However, it is unlikely to lead to desired results: in its current form, this organization is not able to solve the tasks assigned to it. All in all, despite the scandals and disadvantages, it can be said that the United Nations is an effective institution, which has been proven many times by its actions. The organization has many goals for the sake of the society all over the world, among them are: To maintain international peace and security and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace and suppress acts of aggression or other breaches of peace and by peaceful means in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment and settlement of international disputes or situations which may lead to a breach of peace; To develop friendly relations from nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms to all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, and To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations and the achievement of common goals.

Violence in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

Violence in Literature Mohandas Gandhi once stated these words, "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent." The same can be said about many things in life. However, when thought about, few people may consider the violence brought up in literature. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are many scenes that illustrate the blind, violent nature that most humans tend to share. Mark Twain has used violence throughout his novel to enhance his beliefs on the injustices of slavery and any other form of senseless violence known to mankind. From the beginning with Pap's continuous abuse towards Huck, till the end with Emmiline Grangerfords poetry, is filled with violent sections that magnify the hypocrisy and stupidity of people. Almost immediately we are introduced to the drunken, deranged man who is Huck?s father, Pap. Pap is an alcoholic who roams from place to place buying up booze and sleeping wherever he can. Huck has never viewed him as a real father figure because Pap has almost never been there for Huck, except when he is ?disciplining? him. Pap is uneducated and disapproves of Huck attending school. Pap tells Huck, "you're educated...You think your're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't?" (14) Huck puts up with Pap?s numerous beatings because he does not want to be the cause of any more controversies between himself and Pap. Huck explains, "If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way" (95). Pap?s addiction to alcohol is how Twain views the affect that alcohol can have on a person. He believes that alcohol is a money waster, can affect the sanity of people, and how it can turn even de cent men into complete scoundrels. Subsequently, Huck continues his journey down the river to another town where he suddenly finds himself staying with the Grangerfords. Huck soon befriends a boy named Buck who tells him all about the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. Both have been fighting for over 30 years but neither of them know exactly why they are battling each other. Buck explains, ??but they don?t know now what the row was about in the first place?(180). The tribal ware fare of the families is suppressed with religion.

Regal Imagery in Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converg

Regal Imagery in Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge Flannery O’Connor uses images of regality as represented by hats, colors, and ironic regal references in the short story â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge† to symbolize Julian’s mother, and her societal views. She, like the hat, is not as upper class as she would have herself or others believe. In addition, her racist beliefs are challenged when a black woman enters the bus with the very same hat, forcing her to realize that the regal attitude she holds will never be validated, and she will no longer be able to pretend that she is superior to anyone. The hat, which â€Å"looked like a cushion with the stuffing out,† resembles â€Å"the dumpy figure† of the mother. In addition, the hat is referred to as â€Å"preposterous,† and â€Å"ridiculous,† all the ways her son considers her to be. The hat is gaudy and not worth the money she paid for it, but she is certain of its taste just as she is certain how good it looks on her (because the sales lady had told her so), and how superior she is to those at the Y. The sales lady had said that ‘â€Å"with that hat, you won’t meet yourself coming or going,† which means that she will not be alike anyone else. Of course, this is not the case, and the black Negress would ultimately be the last person Julian’s mother would wish to meet. The colors in the hat are extremely significant. Its purple velvet flap creates the image of royalty, and the rest of it, green, represents money. This is the only time that green is mentioned in the story, for money is not something that they have, which even the mother cannot dispute. In addition to the hat, the sky of their once â€Å"fashionable† neighborhood is the color of â€Å"a dying violet,† and the house... ... apparently does not realize this: ‘â€Å"Most of them in it are not our kind of people,† she said, â€Å"but I can be gracious to anybody. I know who I am.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ironically, she is completely unsure of whom she is, and this is why it is so hard for her to come to terms with any of the reality around her. The importance of the hat becomes most overt when the Negress enters the bus wearing one exactly identical. ‘â€Å"That was your black double,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ says her son. She had, until this point, thought herself greater than most she encountered, whether black or white, and for a working- class black woman to have the same taste as her, in addition to the means by which to attain it, her fragile view of life has been forever shattered. The fact that this â€Å"black queen† ends up more powerful than the â€Å"white queen† underscores the irony inherent in the main characters delusions of grandeur. Regal Imagery in Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converg Regal Imagery in Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge Flannery O’Connor uses images of regality as represented by hats, colors, and ironic regal references in the short story â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge† to symbolize Julian’s mother, and her societal views. She, like the hat, is not as upper class as she would have herself or others believe. In addition, her racist beliefs are challenged when a black woman enters the bus with the very same hat, forcing her to realize that the regal attitude she holds will never be validated, and she will no longer be able to pretend that she is superior to anyone. The hat, which â€Å"looked like a cushion with the stuffing out,† resembles â€Å"the dumpy figure† of the mother. In addition, the hat is referred to as â€Å"preposterous,† and â€Å"ridiculous,† all the ways her son considers her to be. The hat is gaudy and not worth the money she paid for it, but she is certain of its taste just as she is certain how good it looks on her (because the sales lady had told her so), and how superior she is to those at the Y. The sales lady had said that ‘â€Å"with that hat, you won’t meet yourself coming or going,† which means that she will not be alike anyone else. Of course, this is not the case, and the black Negress would ultimately be the last person Julian’s mother would wish to meet. The colors in the hat are extremely significant. Its purple velvet flap creates the image of royalty, and the rest of it, green, represents money. This is the only time that green is mentioned in the story, for money is not something that they have, which even the mother cannot dispute. In addition to the hat, the sky of their once â€Å"fashionable† neighborhood is the color of â€Å"a dying violet,† and the house... ... apparently does not realize this: ‘â€Å"Most of them in it are not our kind of people,† she said, â€Å"but I can be gracious to anybody. I know who I am.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ironically, she is completely unsure of whom she is, and this is why it is so hard for her to come to terms with any of the reality around her. The importance of the hat becomes most overt when the Negress enters the bus wearing one exactly identical. ‘â€Å"That was your black double,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ says her son. She had, until this point, thought herself greater than most she encountered, whether black or white, and for a working- class black woman to have the same taste as her, in addition to the means by which to attain it, her fragile view of life has been forever shattered. The fact that this â€Å"black queen† ends up more powerful than the â€Å"white queen† underscores the irony inherent in the main characters delusions of grandeur.

Alzheimer’s Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewed to the extent it is known today. Alzheimer’s disease in many ways is not yet defined. It is a progressive disease afflicting between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65. Additionally, it is not restricted to the elderly, reportedly having presented in teenagers. Prior to 1960, the term Alzheimer’s was reserved for presenile dementia’s resulting in death within 5 years where the classical neuroanatomic changes were seen upon autopsy. Currently, there is still considerable debate as to whether the disease called Alzheimer’s in the elderly is the same disease as that called Alzheimer’s in younger people. In addition, recent and past research into Alzheimer’s has been in geared toward defining the disease as much as describing the disease process. Presently, diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is based on characteristic dysfunction’s of the individual and on brain biopsy or post-mortem brain autopsy looking for cortical degeneration, a preponderance of plaques, and neu rofibrillary tangles. Exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease is unknown. Aging has been blamed for Alzheimer’s. The preponderance of cases being among the aged supports this theory but the existence of Alzheimer’s scattered across the population not explained. Transmissi... ...Transport of Neurofilament as a Mechanism of Pathogenesis Underlying Alzheimer’s Disease and Many Other Degenerations of the CNS. Normal Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease and Senile Dementia , 51--67. Katzman, R. , T. Brown, P. Fuld, L. Thal, P. Davies, R. Terry (1986) Significance of Neurotransmitter Abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease. Neuropeptides in Neurologic and Psvchiatric Disease: 279-286. Martin, A., P. Browers, C. Cox, and P. Fedio (1985) On the Nature of the Verbal Memory Deficit in Alzheimer’s Disease. Brain and Language: 25, 323-341. Rosen, W. G. , R. C. Mohs, K. L. Davis (1985) Assessing Symptom Severity in Alzheimer’s Disease. Interdis. Topics Geront.: 20, 35-42. Wisniewski, H. M., G. S. Merz, G. Y. Wen, K. Iqbal and I. Grundke-Iqbal (1985) Morphology and Biochemistry of Alzheimer’s Disease. Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type: 263-274

Flow of Silver

In the mid sixteenth century a silver mine located at Potosi, South America was formed. This silver mine was one of the few major silver mines in the world, the others located in Northern Central America and Southern Japan. This certain mine was known for its distinctive rich black flint. Extensive excavation required more than three-thousand Indians to work away with picks and hammers to break up the ore and bring It up to the surface. Just after refining the ore, the silver Is shipped to Spain then from Spain to India, China, East Indies, Great Britain, and Imperial Russia.But all this only happened after the Spanish took over the city and put the Indians on silver mining overdrive. According to the Spanish royal records thirty-six million silver coins have been taken out of the mine since the Invasion. Meanwhile In Spain, the high process ruined Spain as prices attracted Asian commodities with silver currency flowing out nonstop to pay for them. The constant flow of silver from Po tosi made the Spanish very blind with their riches.Once the silver from Potosi was gone Spanish economy would plummet. Aslan Trading ships where so common that some Spanish oads where paved with the extra granite cobblestones taken out of the Chinese trading ships' ballast to compensate for the massive weights from the sheer load of silver. Silver economy was almost the complete opposite in the Chinese areas, for the need of silver was there, and there In large quantities. It Just seems that way because of the lack of an actual metal currency. The venerable elders of my home district explain that the reason grain is cheap despite poor harvests in recent years is due entirely to the scarcity of silver coin. † This is a quote from a report given to the Emperor from a Ming dynasty official. Basically since the Chinese national government uses silver as tax payment and gives little back Into the Chinese economy cycle. Because of this, Chinese citizens are very wise with their smal l amount of funds. Spain wasn't the only place China imported silver from.Importations from Japan where there also, but not in quantities as large as Spain. Japanese silver Is mined from South Japan then shipped to China, India, and mainly Portugal. Japan doesn't ship directly to Portugal. What happens is that Portugal sends their trading ships sail over to Macao, China carrying their cargo of silk, gold, erfume, and porcelain. Then they sail over toJapan where they returned with, to the Portugal's surprise, six-hundred thousand coins worth of Japanese silver, The Portuguese use this in their favor in china.They do so by feeding Japan's silver to China to get what they want. Bring Japan resources and get silver. Bring the silver over to China to get resources and luxury goods. Bring the luxury goods back to Portugal, and the resources over toJapan. Which brings the focus back to China, Ming dynasty to be exact. Ming dynasty dye shops would allow their customers to have onsiderable a mounts of cloth and silk dyed right before deciding the actual costs of said dye.This used to be paid in rice, wheat, soybeans, or fowl, but during the dynasty everything from tools to cattle was paid In silver coins. Also, speaking of silk, Chinese officials have realized how much silver the Spanish have In relation to how much they trade for. So they did an experiment. China sent trading ships with equal amounts of goods to Luzon, located in the Philippines, and Spain. To their slight surprlse tney return Trom tne pnlllpplnes almost trlple wnat tney usually recelve Trom rading to Spain.Plus, they will also accept most native Chinese fruit, porcelain pottery, and sugar. Then there's Europe, Europe also trades with Asia. Sadly, they draw nothing of actual use, yet they pay them in valuables such as gold and silver, these commodities never return. The luxury of Asian spices have tainted the Europe population, most of them think of it as a necessary ingredient. Because of the pleasure that Asian products bring to all of Europe, including the colonies, and also to the Spaniards in America, Breaking up the trade was never a favorable idea for England.

Life of Pi and Religion

In the first part of Life of Pi, Pi Patel tells the reader about important memories from his childhood before the ship accident and his adventure as a castaway at sea. It is from these memories that we see a real development of Pi's character; we come to better understand his thoughts and standings on life, religion, and the knowledge he gained from his family and others. One of his many musings about religion and the integration of it into our lives appears in Chapter 22, where he describes the end of two individuals lives. Both see a white light overtaking them. One person recognizes that it is God, in one form or another, overtaking them and drawing them in from their moral life, and they become believers. The other stays stubborn in his scientific reasoning, and dismisses the white light as a visual phenomenon that is caused by a lack of oxygen to his central nervous system. Pi does not necessarily dismiss either as false, but claims that the scientific person â€Å"lack(ed) imagination and miss(ed) the better part of the story. This is precisely one of the major ideas of Life of Pi, that despite what life throws at you, you can choose how you perceive reality and make a better story out of it, should you choose to do so. Pi sees religion as one of the greatest ways to engage the human imagination and take full advantage of life. It would appear as though Pi is claiming that even if religion isn't true, it is more exciting to live your life as though it were than to live with the mind of an atheist, that there is a â€Å"better story† through a life of religion. And this may well be true, that belief in a higher purpose is more fulfilling than belief in our existence being a natural phenomenon devoid of God. But if you choose religion to be your â€Å"story,† then does it truly become reality? In the case of Pi, he tells us that we can shape our reality. But to truly analyze this statement, we must define reality. Though Pi suggests that reality is a truth based on personal perspective, common sense affirms otherwise. There is reality, in the sense of what truly has taken place, and there is what people believe, they can be unified or separate of one another, but to be both would be a paradox. If there were no reality underlying life, then we would need no judicial systems in the world, for certainly if the accused believes they are innocent, then we should not dare call them false by the convictions of our own reality. No one could lie either, for reality would be relative to perspective and one cannot expect his or her own reality to align with the other party's reality. Furthermore, we could not chastise children for stealing from one another, for they truly believe that they should take what they want, and we must not punish them for simply living out their own reality. There is much â€Å"meat† lacking in Pi's statement, but such is to be expected in his case. It is important to consider one fact in all that he says-the story's setting is during his childhood. For one so young in the world, he speaks rather firmly on some considerable matters, of religion and how to live a fulfilling life. Pi talks as though he had lived a lifetime-worth of social and religious observations that give him qualification to speak so adamantly. Yet he is not stubborn, or narrow-minded, he simply has faith in himself. This mindset of faith in self can be expected from a person of any religion, which includes Pi since, basically, he has created a religion of his own, one that involves the idea of incorporating other religions. More importantly, children also hold this view, a belief in their own perspective. The story with the animals is certainly the more preferable story to read. If the book were made from the second story, it would be quite boring. But this is not to say that the second story is not the better one. Yann Martel simply chose to write the first one with more embellishment and elements that create a good story, a more positive story of steadfast courage and personal triumph. He wrote the second story to sound blockish, horrid, and unpleasantly real. The second story is the reality and the first one is Pi's askew take on reality. I do however think that if you incorporate the first story into the character of Pi in the second story, therefore making the second story more â€Å"story-like† by giving Pi characterization, the second story would be the better one, and the most real. It would be a tale of a castaway, who must endure the mutilation of other castaways, one being his mother, at the hand of a deranged Frenchman, who evidentially dies, leaving the boy alone in the lifeboat. But through all of this, the boy imagines that he is sailing on an incredible journey with animals, and they see many wondrous things, and through his struggles comes to look back on the journey as the one with animals, and not the horrid truth. Ah, but wait-that is the true story of the Life of Pi, the third story, the one that is not told explicitly but is instead derived by the combining of truth and perspective to mold an ultimate reality.

Strategic Alliances: A Competitive Necessity

The past two decades has been an era of global evolution, in which the globalisation of markets, the convergence of and rapid shifts in technologies, and the breakdown of many traditional industry boundaries, has rendered strategic alliances a competitive necessity (Ohmae, 1989). A single firm is unlikely to possess all the resources and capabilities to achieve global competitiveness. Therefore, collaboration among organisations that possess complementary resources is often necessary for survival and growth (Dussauge, Garrette and Mitchell, 1998).Defined as a long-term, explicit contractual agreement pertaining to an exchange or combination of some of a firm's resources with another firm(s), strategic alliances allow firms to share risks and resources, gain knowledge and technology, expand the existing product base, and obtain access to new markets (Burgers, Hill and Kim, 1993; Dacin, Hitt and Levitas, 1997; HagedoornAlthough the benefits of strategic alliances are well documented, w hether strategic alliances can be a viable entry strategy option for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to successfully penetrate markets held by major incumbent suppliers is less clear.In this paper, strategic alliances are shown to be an effective entry-cum-deterrence strategy for SMEs to successfully penetrate markets that are well established and dominated by major corporations. In addition, the conditions under which SMEs can use strategic alliances as an entry strategy without restricting themselves to target only those markets ignored by bigger firms are identified.In terms of methodology, this paper follows a deductive approach – one based on game theory, to examine explicitly the reactions of bigger firms to the entry of SMEs into their markets, specifically taking into account the resource limitations faced by SMEs. To verify that the theoretical arguments presented are consistent with practice, two cases of the use of strategic alliances by SMEs as an entry s trategy to penetrate markets dominated by major corporations are examined. The practices and experiences of these SMEs were found to be consistent with the theoretical arguments presented here.

A Summary on the Article

The article entitled Omit the Unimportant discusses design in general and how it should be executed. There have been numerous technological innovations at this time and people patronize them because these things make their lives easier and more comfortable.However, many companies forget this important fact and turn their efforts to a product's design. They spend too much time on unnecessary details just to sell a product that they do not realize that the product has lost its functionality because of these details.â€Å"One of the most significant design principles is to omit the unimportant in order to emphasize the important† (Rams, 1989). Designers need to remember that simplicity can speak so much more than a complicated design.They need to go back to the basics and ask themselves what their customers want to see in them: functionality or design? While design is an important factor of a product, there is no doubt that their functionality should still be their main strength in terms of their ability to sell to the consumers.â€Å"Complicated, unnecessary forms are nothing more than designers' escapades that function as self-expression instead of expressing the product's functions† (Rams, 1989).It is also important for designers to remember that consumers are very influenced by a product's design. While this is beneficial for designers, it is not what consumers really need and they do not realize this soon enough.The author indicates two essential points that should be taken into consideration when designing. The first is that â€Å"items should be designed   in such a way that their function and attributes are directly understood† (Rams, 1989). Designers should be creative and innovative when it comes to their designs.However, their designs should not be misleading and confusing. They should remember that people appreciate it more when they can use something without too much effort. It all goes back to the basics: people patronize these innovations due to the way they make lives easier. Complicated designs and products loses this basic point.The second point that the author tries to make is that â€Å"the fewer the opportunities used to create informative designs, the more design serves to evoke emotional responses† (Rams, 1989).This means that people are influenced to buy a product just because of what it looks like. It also means that the more designers focus on the product's design, the more that the product's functionality is compromised. Products nowadays are made so as to attract people to be able to sell more.What the author suggests is for designers to go back to the idea of simplicity. Competition cannot be helped and it will always be present in all fields.However, this is not the only factor that makes a product â€Å"sellable† to consumers. No matter how great the design is if it proves to be confusing or not practical because the functionality is lost, the product will not sell in the ma rket. â€Å"Design is the effort to make products in such a way that they are useful to people† (Rams, 1989).Having said all these, it is still important to note that the author does not have anything against a great design. What he wants to say is that a product can have both without compromising the other.A product does not have to have a complicated design to be able to sell. In short, designers should omit those that are unnecessary so that they could focus more on the product's uses.Many people, especially those who belong in the older age groups, do not really mind how a product looks like as long as it does what it is supposed to do.

VoIP Vs Cell Phone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

VoIP Vs Cell Phone - Research Paper Example Further research is conducted on the impacts of the development of VoIP over the existing telecommunications industry focusing on the mobile and land phone operators. A comparison is also drawn on the parameter of benefit earned over the cost incurred with regards to both cell and VoIP phones. Finally the paper concludes by drawing a summary on the research made by providing fruitful suggestions thereof. Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3-4 Mechanism of working and quality of service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4-6 The Impacts on business and the society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6-10 VoIP and smart phon es impacts over cell phone and telecom companies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10-19 Cost and Benefit analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19-20 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20-21 Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21-22 Introduction Brief History of VoIP The development of VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is considered as a major breakthrough in the field of Internet communication technology. ... technological, economical and cultural. Technological history shows that VoIP process first came into existence after the innovation of ‘Internet Phone’ application by Vocaltec Incorporation in Israel during February 1995. Development of the internet phone application helped the users to communicate to each other through the integration of computer, internet and voice modulators. However, to make the VoIP process useful the existence of the ‘Internet Phone Software’ was needed at both ends i.e. the speaker and the receiver. However with the advent of 1998 the development of hardware technology spread the use of VoIP in computer to telephone and telephone-to-telephone networks. VoIP process in the context of modern period has totally revolutionized the field of communication technology in terms of voice clarity and economy of use. This present day notion of VoIP has brought a cultural modification in many companies shifting over to the use of the innovated pr ocess. Development and expanded use of VoIP technology caused many telecom companies to mushroom out to economically cater to their client’s call needs. The telecom market for the dearth of proper administrative regulations became populated with many such small telecom companies competing against each other. Telecom giants like Telco mostly managed these companies. (Hallock, 2004, pp.4-11; VoIP:  Voice Over Internet Protocol Architecture and Features, n.d., pp.14-15). Brief History of Cell phone The history of mobile or cellular technology goes far beyond than what has been recorded for. Use of mobile phones was restricted to the business and governmental societies during the period of the 1970s. Thus the common man had no notion about the cellular technology for being devoid of its access. The

Business to Business Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business to Business Marketing - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the Business to Business marketing is rigidly structured in nature, i.e. it is less flexible in comparison to the Business to Consumer market. As the consumers, in this context, are business people having higher bargaining power, the company who is involved in this section needs to put more effort to attract the customers. To attract the customers, personal selling is more preferable rather than advertisement in this type of marketing, as the organizations rarely pay attention to the advertisement. The customers in this context are mostly organizations themselves and tend to know the very marketing trick which stands as one of the reasons to avoid advertisement. Here, the intermediates have no role to play as it mostly involve with direct selling or direct channels to its customers. It is worth mentioning here that relationship made with the customers is usually long lasting and very complex in nature which plays a significant role in the Business to Business mar keting. Competition level experienced is high in this process due to which the organizations dealing with Business to Business operations attempt in establishing effective and interdependent relationship with its customers so as to secure its position in the market. Goods which are produced for Business to Business marketing are very different from those goods which are produced for general consumers in the market. This is because the need of the goods and the customers themselves are very different in both the cases, but the intention remains same i.e. selling the products and attaining significant customer satisfaction. Various ways are being followed for the purpose of classifying these types of goods (Brennan & et. al., 2010). They are as follows: Entering Goods In this context, finished goods of one organization tend to become raw material of other organization. For instance, aluminum can be used by the company, which is producing electronic products, as raw materials (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, finish goods of one company is the raw material of the other which are necessary as the resources used by the later organization to manufacture its product. Foundation Goods Foundation goods are those goods which are used by other organizations (customers) as a support for making their own goods. This includes goods which are installed or used as accessories by the other organization, such as car producing company uses tyre manufactured by other companies (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, tyre has not been used as the raw materials but the part of the finished goods as a much necessary substance. Facilitating Goods Goods which are purchased by the company with an intention to achieve its goals and objectives are known as facilitating goods. These goods are not used in manufacturing purpose by the purchasing company. For instance, BPO

Human Beings and Human Doings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Beings and Human Doings - Essay Example It is reported that 25 percent of the world resources was consumed alone by the Americans. From the very garments that people need to wear to the time-filler hobbies of one is being encouraged by entrepreneurs at the same time welcomed with open arms by many American consumers. There's a vast difference of defining human with his doings rather than to his beings. Others have often mistakenly introducing themselves with their own acquisition with their doings for their beings. With a materialistic lifestyle of many people today, from the basic necessities up to the very vices, people are succumbed in meeting these commercialized needs. Thus, these put them in pressuring state. Thus these factors all goes into sociological attachment. Influence and social trend dictates the activities that people able to do customarily. Through these, society somehow set limits and norms in the human activities within its premise. Some of social stigma somehow made way in the midst of the people through the social norms and limits. Even technical components of men in some cases were under the common verdict of the social norms, like economic condition or even color of the skin. This inevitably set pressure to the one being

Corparate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corparate finance - Essay Example The Company also had been operating in a country with under-developed stock of exchange. There has been therefore the need to carry out research to look into the ways that the firm can maintain its development to a high level. The research is therefore expected to look into an alternative capital sources for the company and analyze the impacts of dividend policy and level of debt on the value of the firm. The firm having been operating under economy with under-developed stock of exchange limited its goals towards adjustments. Risks diversification opportunities were therefore limited for the company. The company’s investment decision was influenced by high diversification costs, making it to avoid financial market use. The technological adjustment is therefore limited as the company end up choosing production technologies that are less capital intensive subject to short-term risk. The company was therefore unable to adjust up to the latest technologies which were more capital intensive. The under-developed stock exchange market prevents the company from structuring their financial packages optimally (Levine, 2002). Conflicts of interest usually exist between the managers of the firms and its suppliers and customers, and also between different firm investors. Hoad Company if having high debt levels had increased its possibility of bankruptcy sufficiently which may put them into risky projects harming their creditors. The company, if highly leveraged, could be unable to get additional credit due to incentives created by debt financing to the taking of greater risks. Availability of well-developed stock of market exchange would allow for equity issuance. This issuance would mitigate problems of incentives providing room for more borrowing to the company. Stock market has always played an important role in the provision of information. A well-developed stock markets gathers information concerning prospects of companies that had their shares traded availing

Poverty related issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty related issues - Essay Example This scheme allows and asks all the citizens across all the states irrespective of their residence to participate in the charity, because poverty and charity are both indiscriminate disregarding time and space. In this process one may not think that pro rata contribution of a few dollars by him/her is the job done. One may contribute as much as he can comfortably afford. Here comfortable affordability means the amount, which can alleviate a suffering of a poor without causing a suffering for you. And one should never sit back to see what others have contributed. If all of the citizens think like that then the charity may go empty and poor may die. While drawing a thin line between charity and duty one must be very careful. A man who gives regular and enough charity should not consider himself generous. Bread left over from one's meal always belongs to the poor. Here it is never meant that a citizen is required either to give away half of his income into charity, or all that he himself does not need. The beauty of helping others lies in a feeling for those who suffer from poverty. Utilitarian point of view is very clear about this. One should work enough to have enough to give away in charity. Keeping oneself underutilize is not good. And one should never think that since government is responsible for the social spending on poor, he/she is absolved of this responsibility. Other point which may stop a person from charity is that poor are always over populated and they do not follow the population control programs. Coercive application of these programs never works. A conducive environment comes from enough purpose oriented recreational and educational programs. Poverty is also a state... Poverty is the name of a situation and process. This is a situation when an individual, family or a community can not provide for bare minimum needs of food, clothing, shelter and heath. It is the process when this situation causes, hunger, disease, and death. Historically poverty and affluence have coexisted in the human society (Peter singer 1972). The solutions to the poverty always existed in human morality. When the human conscience is rightly jerked, it is hoped that poverty would no more be seen in the human societies. State the general occurrence of poverty in Unite States (the most affluent society) In United States of America only about 32 million people live below the line of poverty. This number is distributed unevenly amongst different socio-economic groups of the states. 25%Afro-American, 22% Hispanics, 10%Asian American, 8% non-Hispanic whites respectively live in the perpetual poverty. Income inequalities and racial discrimination is the worst producer of poverty in the American Society. The worst hit groups in the ethno-racial groups are the poor children, women and disabled. These marginalized people are vulnerable to homelessness, street crimes, malnourishment, neglect in the health care, domestic violence and discriminate educational facilities. What are the social problems emanating from poverty? Different social problems emanate from this marginalized group of American society that directly hit the American society. Poverty is badly impacting the health of women and children. The burden on health facilities and health insurance is increasing many folds in these poverty stricken communities. When the parents cannot afford the children’s feeding costs.

Intertextual examination of two texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intertextual examination of two texts - Essay Example Based on Bricklayer’s Boy, it is clear that the pressure put on the youths by their parents and the older generations damages the relationship between these two groups, often resulting in conflicts. In the Bricklayer’s Boy, one aspect brought out is that many young people, especially men, are required to do what their parents want them to do. This is often against the wish of the young people, and ends up straining their relationship with their parents and older generations. In this literally text, the narrator says that his father, a bricklayer, did not like his idea of becoming a newspaper reporter. According to his father, newspaper reporting paid â€Å"just a little more than construction does† (Lubrano, 5). He wanted to his son to pursue a more lucrative job like being a lawyer. This was the sole reason why his father worked so hard to educate him in college. This predicament, which most young people face, is also brought out in the article by Bruno Bettelheim (1968). In his article, Bettelheim notes that there is a conflict of generations because of â€Å"the parent who sees his child’s main task in life as the duty to execute his will or justify his existence† (Bettelheim, 74). When the child fails to honor or follow the parent’s wishes, as the narrator in Bricklayer’s Boy did, then the relationship between the parents and children is damaged. Bricklayer’s Boy story also points to the belief held by most parents: their children have to succeed where they failed. Throughout the story, the narrator’s father wanted his son to become a better person because he had failed to live up to his dreams. In the story, it is noted that the â€Å"father wanted to be a singer and actor when he was young...† (Lubrano, 20). However, he had to do what was available in order to support his parents at the time. In the end, he expected his son to do something that could earn him bigger money just as singing and acting would have earned him money. As the

Problems in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Policing is a hazardous and pressurizing job that involves risk of personal safety and even life to the police officers. In comparison, the remuneration they receive is meager. Corporate executives, who are in a position to enjoy a much relaxing lifestyle, earn much more than police officers, who are duty bound for 24/7. This is especially so in view of the escalating problem of international terrorism. This factor may cause resentment in the police officers and entail a lack of motivation in them. Besides, criminals and terrorists have access to latest technology and modern weaponry, while most police forces are using outdated technology and weapons. This reduces their operational efficiency apart from having a demoralizing effect on them. In order to overcome this problem, the government must review the pay package of the police forces and upgrade it to conform to the inherent risks of the job. Additionally, police forces also need to be provided with latest technology and weaponry. Problems for Courts: The main problem of courts is the difficulty due to â€Å"inadequate legal representation† for the accused persons during trials (466). Besides, a general trend exists that public prosecutors tend to be less experienced than counselors being hired by wealthy defendants. Thus, on the one hand, accused individuals who hail from a poor background do not receive adequate or timely legal representation.... Besides, they also must be provided with latest technological support to monitor, investigate and process criminal cases. Policing is a hazardous and pressurizing job that involves risk of personal safety and even life to the police officers. In comparison, the remuneration they receive is meager. Corporate executives, who are in a position to enjoy a much relaxing lifestyle, earn much more than police officers, who are duty bound for 24/7. This is especially so in view of the escalating problem of international terrorism. This factor may cause resentment in the police officers and entail a lack of motivation in them. Besides, criminals and terrorists have access to latest technology and modern weaponry, while most police forces are using outdated technology and weapons. This reduces their operational efficiency apart from having a demoralizing effect on them. In order to overcome this problem, the government must review the pay package of the police forces and upgrade it to conform to the inherent risks of the job. Additionally, police forces also need to be provided with latest technology and weaponry. Problems for Courts: The main problem of courts is the difficulty due to â€Å"inadequate legal representation† for the accused persons during trials (466). Besides, a general trend exists that public prosecutors tend to be less experienced than counselors being hired by wealthy defendants. Thus, on the one hand, accused individuals who hail from a poor background do not receive adequate or timely legal representation. On the other hand, accused persons who are wealthy, enlist the services of highly proficient advocates, who outsmart relatively less experienced public prosecutors. Thus,

Church and Government Essay Example for Free

Church and Government Essay According to Article II, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that, the separation of Church and State shall be inviolable and Article III, Section 5 states, No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall be forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights. Given the articles of the constitution regarding the relationship of the church and the state, is the Catholic Church violating the principle of the Separation of Church and State by daring to speak out against certain bills? First, what does the separation of the church and state really means? The separation of the state means that the state does not have an official religion. It means that the people are free to choose in what religion depending in their own belief. It also means that there should be no laws that shall be pass that favors a religion over the other. It also means that there should be no discrimination of the religion and belief of the people. In short, what the union of the church and the state really means is that the citizens should be forced to follow a particular doctrine and those that do not follow should be penalized. We can see from banners outside of cathedrals the popular phrase â€Å"No to RH Bill, Yes to Life.† But can we consider this action as a violation of the constitution? The separation of the church and the state does not mention that church officials cannot speak or try to influence the state policy. Since the Philippines is a democratic country, every person, group and organization is free to express their own opinion regarding certain issues. The church does not force people to go against a certain bills; the decision still lies in the people according to their conscience and understanding. It means that the church is not violating the constitution since it is only expressing its right to speak in order of its belief. Given the reasons above, that the Philippines has no state religion and given that the state does not subsidize the church, and that no church has any official access to the instruments of state power, I believe that the church does not violate the constitution and that there is really a separation of the church and the state.

Nature of Partnerships Essay Example for Free

Nature of Partnerships Essay Nature of Partnerships When starting a business, it can be with a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or as a company. A partnership is the most popular and the easiest to form. Partnerships combine individual talents and skills together for a hopefully successful business enterprise venture. Man has realized that it is easier to do something with the help of others than singly. Partners, also, provide a greater chance of obtaining equity capital for their business venture, while sharing the risks that go along with a rapidly growing business. There are basically three types of partnerships: the general artnership, the limited partnership, and the limited liability partnership. This paper discusses the general partnership. The definition of a partnership is the association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit . Partnerships may be formed as a formal agreement or informally with a handshake. Either way, a partnership agreement should be written up with all the aspects of the partnership covered. Once the partnership agreement is filled out and agreed on by all partners, each partner will need to sign stating they are in agreement. A artnership agreement helps to alleviate any conflicts that may arise at any future date. When accounting for a partnership, it will depend on the accounting method stated in the partnership agreement. If any noncash assets were contributed, these will need to be assigned a fair value. Any noncash assets brought to the partnership are the property of the partnership . Each partner investing capital will have to be agreed upon by all partners. This investment will determine the ratio or percentage of net profit or loss to be divided between each partner. If there is no ratio or ercentage stated in the partnership agreement, then everything is divided equally. When setting up the accounting for the business, most accounting methods have multiple accounts for each partner. These accounts are the capital account, which shows the initial investment of each partner, the drawing account, showing any withdrawals taken over a years time, and the loan account, where partners can take a loan from the business. The capital account can be maintained in two different ways: the fluctuating capital method or the fixed capital method . The division of net profit equally. To account for this division, say S, T, and U decided to set up a partnership. S contributes $40,000, T contributes $30,000, and U contributes $30,000. This would be a ratio of 4:3:3. The total contributed to the partnership is $100,000. Profit for the first year is $300,000. Because the ratio is 4:3:3, Ss net capital would be $120,000. T and Us net capital would be $90,000 each, for a total of $300,000. If the partnership decides to add a partner, whatever was determined in the partnership agreement will determine what steps to take for adding this new partner. Adding a new partner normally adds profitability. If the partners decide to cease operations, there are two alternatives to help them decide which approach is better for the business: liquidation or dissolution. Liquidation refers to the complete sale of the business assets and dissolution refers to the closure of a business, often on voluntary terms of the business owner. Liquidation means that the business is closing its doors and liquidating all noncash assets and liabilities. Dissolution may mean that the partnership is dissolving and a new partnership, another partnership or business is buying out the business, or the business is dissolving. When considering dissolution, there are two types, a technical dissolution and a general dissolution . A technical dissolution is when there is a change in the composition of the bus iness. A general dissolution is a complete dissolution or winding up of the partnership and the business. The dissolution may result with a mutual agreement of all partners, a partner being served notice, a court order, fraud, misrepresentation, or illegal activity, or where the business is not making a profit. Whether liquidating or winding up a business, transactions to process are the collection of receivables, conversion of oncash assets to cash, payments to creditors, liabilities closed out, and the remaining distribution of net balance to the partners, in cash . When starting a business with a partnership, it is with the intent purpose of longevity.

Zeus Robotic Surgical System Information Technology Essay

Zeus Robotic Surgical System Information Technology Essay Robots are ubiquitous today. They are found in our cars, in our houses, in our industries inside buildings and to places we neglect to notice. We trust robots to do everyday chores for us either by knowing directly or indirectly. Robots are becoming part of our lives and we have all accepted it. Today technology has advanced so that it allows for innovative robotic systems to be inserted in the medical field. New materials, ideas and technological advancements bring robotics into medicine. Robotics in medicine entails many advantages and benefits for both the doctors and the patients. But there are also some limitations in robotic surgery that cause doubt and uncertainty to people. However, as it happens with every new technological development, people need time to become familiar with it, to accept it and finally trust it. So the question is if the world is ready to accept and trust robots in health and more specifically in surgery. There will be people who are pioneers and enjoy trying something new, people who are skeptical and need to know everything about it before agreeing and people who will be afraid no matter how much proof theyre given. There cannot be an abrupt transition from classical surgeries without robots to surgeries all aided with robots. Gradually, the surgeries aided with robots will increase as peoples experience and trust increases. IT Background History of robotics Most of us when we hear the word robot we think of science fiction movies showing robots of the future, performing outstanding tasks. In fact, most of these robots seen are now everyday reality making our lives more convenient. One definition that could be given to a robot is a reprogrammable multi-functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.  [1]   Robotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, their design, manufacturing, and applications. It is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. Robots could not be manufactured until the 1960s when transistors and integrated circuits were invented. Compact, reliable electronics and a growing computer industry added intellect to the power of already existing machines. In 1959, researchers demonstrated the possibility of robotic manufacturing when they disclosed a computer-controlled milling machine.  [2]   Unimate Robot picks up and puts down parts in General Electric Factory. http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ht_2bunimate_080415_ssh.jpg The first digitally operated and programmable robot, the Unimate, was installed in 1961 to lift hot pieces of metal from a die casting machine and pile them.  [3]   Commercial and industrial robots are ubiquitous in performing jobs better, cheaper, more accurately and reliably than humans. They are also found in jobs that are too hazardous, dirty or tedious for humans.  [4]   Robotics in surgery  [5]   Robotics in medicine is a fairly new, yet advancing field. It is now introduced in medicine, in the field of surgery as it allows for exceptional control and precision of surgical devices in minimally invasive procedures. Robotic surgery has as its main goal to design robots that will be able to be used in performing closed-chest, beating-heart surgery in collaboration with the surgeons. Surgery using the Da Vinci robot http://www.phoenixville-hospital.com/specialties/robotic-surgery/Today numerous surgical robots have been adopted by many operating rooms all over the world. Surgical robots are not actually autonomous surgeons capable of performing assignments on their own, but a helping assistant of the surgeons. A number of commercial corporations have been founded in order to create surgical robotic systems. Computer Motion, Inc. developed the AESOP Endoscope Positioner: a voice-activated robotic system for endoscopic surgery. In January 1999, Intuitive launched the DaVinci Surgical System, which is classified as a master-slave surgical system as it uses true 3-D visualization. In 2001 Computer Motion, Inc built the SOCRATES Robotic Telecollaboration System as well. It includes integrated telecommunication equipment along with the robotic devices in order to provide remote surgical telecollaboration. Computer Motion merged with Intuitive Surgical, Inc., in June of 2003. They introduced the ZEUS Surgical System. Robotic Surgery Systems Robotic surgery systems are divided into three types: supervisory-controlled systems, shared-control systems and telesurgical systems. These systems differ in the sense that in each case there is a different degree of involvement of the surgeon. In some cases, the operation is carried out by the robotic system with a minimal intervention of the doctor. In other cases, the surgery is performed by the doctor with the help of the robotic system. Supervisory-controlled systems  [6]   Surgeon demonstrates a robotic surgery system at the Montefiore Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery in New York City. http://science.howstuffworks.com/robotic-surgery2.htm Supervisory-controlled systems are the most automated systems of all. But they still need the guidance of the surgeon and an extensive preparation before the initiation of the surgery. The surgeon inputs information and programs the robotic system to follow certain instructions. However, once these robots have been programmed, and start operating there is no option for adjustments and thats why the surgeon must keep a close watch of the surgery in the need of intervention. As it is known, not all people have the same body structure and so it is not possible to have standard instructions for the robot to follow. This is done in three stages: planning, registration and navigation. In the planning stage, the surgeon captures images of the patients body. As soon as the surgeon has imaged the patient, he must determine the path that the robot will take to operate. The next stage is registration, in which the surgeon links the images obtained before with points on the patients body. In order for the surgery to be completed successfully, the points must be positioned precisely according to the patients body. The final stage is navigation, which is the actual surgery. In this stage the surgeon places the patient and the robot so as the movements of the robotic system to follow the programmed instructions. When all preparations are complete, the robot is activated and the surgery is carried out. Shared-control robotic systems  [7]   Shared-control robotic systems are a helping hand for the surgeons. The operation is carried out only by the surgeon who uses the robotic system manually in order to have greater efficiency. The robotic system monitors the surgeons actions during the operation and provides support and stability by active constraint.7 Active constraint is the process of labelling regions of the patients body with one of the four possibilities: safe, close, boundary and forbidden. Surgeons label safe regions the regions that are appropriate for the robot to be and to operate. For instance, a close region can be found in orthopaedic surgery in orthopaedic surgery, near the soft tissues. Many orthopaedic surgery tools can damage the soft tissue and so the robot limits the area that the surgery is safe to take place. This is done using haptic technology  [8]  , which is the science and physiology of the sense of touch. This means that as the surgeon approaches the boundary region he will start feeling a resistive force and as he proceeds to the forbidden region the force is getting larger and once he enters the forbidden region the robotic system stops operating immediately. But in order for the robotic system to know which are those regions, the surgeon must program it first as it is done with the supervisory controlled systems. Telesurgical systems  [9]   Telesurgery is a field of telemedicine that was developed in recent years and holds great interest. Today it can be seen as a two way transmission of picture and sound, allowing the communication between surgeons of little experience and surgeons of great experience to cooperate no matter the distance separating them. Also it is understood, this technology needs highly advanced software in order for the simulation to be feasible in the remote surgery room. For this purpose, systems of virtual reality are required that allow the surgeons that are in a different room or city or country to have an actual image of the operating room and of the procedure. Robots with camera will provide a better quality of the images as they will be in colour and enlarged. Da Vinci Surgical System  [10]   The Da Vinci Robot is probably one of the most well-known robotic surgery systems in the world. It is a robotic system that is used in minimally invasive surgery, which means that the robot makes a petite aperture in the patients body that brings many positive results. Da Vinci Surgical Robot http://womenshealthinstitute.net/di%20vinci.htm http://www.saintbarnabas.com/ services/robotics/specialties.html During the surgery, the surgeon sits in a console inside the operating room and handles the surgical tools of the robot. After the patient has been anaesthetized, three apertures are made on the patients body allowing the rods to enter. On the screen the surgeon observes the 3D image that the camera is transmitting through the patients body and which is handled by joysticks. The camera sees every movement of the robot and can be activated or deactivated any time from a button.  [11]  Every surgical arm is connected with a surgical tool and there is camera in the end of the main arm. One of the rods has a camera on it while the others have surgical tools able to cut, remove or stitch the tissues. The robotic system uses the same stitches and materials used in the traditional surgery. The surgeon can bend and rotate the arms like the human wrist guaranteeing increased percentage of success and important benefits much for the patient as for the surgeon. The Da Vinci robotic system includes a lenses system of three-dimensional view, which can make the surgical field as 15 times larger. Also, the camera allows the surgeon to go closer at the point of surgery than the human vision can and so the surgeon can perform the operation in a smaller scale than the conventional surgery allows. Zeus Robotic Surgical System  [12]   The robotic surgical system Zeus was the first system to be used in 1999 to perform the first full endoscopic robotic surgery bypass with a beating heart. It consists of three basic parts: An ergonomic control console the central control computer Robotic arms, which move with the movement of the surgeons hand. Zeus Robotic Surgical System http://joshuagough.blogspot.com/2007/07/surgical-robots-r2d2-to-rescue-visible.html The surgeon sits comfortably in the surgical seat and handles the tools that are placed inside the patient. After the surgeons movements have been digitalized they are filtered, thinned and transmitted to the computers control station, which transfers those movements through an electromechanical interface to the robotic arms and to the tools. In addition, Zeus robotic system enhances the optical field of the surgery by enlarging it and also with the help of AESOP robotic system the surgeons hands are free to handle the surgical tools. AESOP Robotic Surgical System  [13]   AESOP Robotic surgical system was developed by Computer Motion Inc. The period when it first came out, the surgeon could control the robotic arm remotely, manually or with a foot pedal but the most recent edition of AESOP 3000 is controlled with voice commands. AESOP Robotic surgical system http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/images_videos/iv_pages/27AESOP.html The robotic arm contains and moves a camera which is used in MIS surgeries for the observation of the surgical field. The camera is placed at the edge of the robotic arm and is inserted in the patients body through an aperture of about 2cm. The robotic system AESOP is the surgeons third arm. By using simple commands such as AESOP, move up or AESOP, move left, the surgeon tells the robot to move the camera as he wishes. Every surgeon records his voice and has a voice card that is inserted into the system whenever he operates, in order for the robot to identify the commands. Usually the system works well. The robot may sometimes not recognize the tone of the voice of the surgeon is different from the recorded voice. But there is a support system with which the surgeon can handle manually if something like this happens. SOCRATES Telecollaboration System  [14]   Socrates telecollaboration system was the first system to be approved (October 2001) for the new-founded category telesurgery robotic systems. It consists of advanced telecommunication equipment that is connected with medical devices and robotic systems. The system gives the surgeon who is at a remote location the opportunity to work with another surgeon who may be in an operating room across the globe. The system provides real time view of the surgery. In collaboration with Zeus robotic system, Socrates is the first fundamental step that marks the start of minimally invasive telesurgery. In 2001 Socrates robot along with Zeus robotic system performed the first translantic surgery. On September 7th, 2001 a group of surgeons in New York performed a cholecystectomy surgery on a patient located in France with the help of doctors that were there. The console and the robot were connected with fiber optic wires. This surgery was first tested on six pigs.That was the first complete telesurg ical process that was performed by surgeons 7000 away from their patient. The patient left the hospital 48 hours after the operation and returned to his social activities a week later. Advantages and Limitations  [15]   Advantages The advantages of robotic surgery are listed below: Tinniest incisions result in: Faster recovery Shorter hospital stay and reduced costs Less pain and fear Less blood loss Cosmetic benefit Reduced risk of infection or complications Less anesthesia required Better sterilization Robot immune to radiation and infections. No muscle tremor or fatigue. Elimination of need for personnel resulting in lower costs for the hospitals. Shorter return to everyday activities(1-2 weeks) Telesurgery: The ability to perform surgery from a different operating room. A 3D camera provides an enhanced view. Robots reach places that surgeons alone couldnt before. Can be designed for a wide range of scales. Surgeons dont get tired quickly as theyre seated and have less eye strain and they have the ability to control their natural flinching or nerves more effectively. Limitations However some of its disadvantages and concerns are: Robotic systems have highly complex software and it is very difficult to program and debug them. Costs including the robotic systems ($750.000-$1 million), the maintenance and the training of surgeons are considerably high. Since the need of personnel will be minimized, some surgeons will be left unemployed. Telesurgery is based by a large percentage on the transmission of information between two locations. The more the distance between the two locations the more the time delay is inserted. This increased the period between the action and the result and after a certain point this makes surgery impossible in real time. Synchronization during telesurgery is very critical and is not easy to attain. Telesurgery is highly dependent on the security and reliability of the network. Robotic Surgery in Greece  [16]   The first robotic navigation system used in a surgery procedure in Greece is the Vector Vision II system in Ygeia (see www.ygeia.gr) hospital in Athens. In February 2003 the robotic surgical system Aesop 1000 was used to perform the first laparoscopic operation in the General Hospital of Crete, Greece. Aesop 1000 is being improved in the labs of University of Crete and will be released as Aesop 2000 and Aesop 3000 and soon is expected to be used in more complex operations and surgeries. In addition, the school of medicine in the University of Athens offers advanced courses on robotic surgery. The course aims to teach basic robotic surgery skills such as instrument manipulation, camera control among others. This is done using the Da Vinci surgical system.  [17]   In November 8th,2006 the opening day of the Da Vinci robotic system took place in the Athens Medical Center Hospital. The president of the Hellenic Scientific Robotic Surgical Association Prof. K. Konstantinidis explained the fundamental principles of the Da Vinci robot to Greek ministers and the establishment of the Hellenic Scientific Society of Robotic Surgery. The first total hysterectomy in Greece was successfully carried out with the latest-generation Da Vinci Robotic Surgery System at the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre of Athens HYGEIA. the operation was broadcasted in real time during the daily conference held at the Hospital on Tuesday, July 1st 2008, titled Robotic Surgery in Gynaecology.  [18]   Survey analysis A survey was conducted during October and November 2009 in Athens about robotic surgery, in which 73 people answered (ages 14-50). The survey included a questionnaire and it was distributed by email. Robotic surgery in Greece is in its infancy so it is quite reasonable to see that 72% of the people asked knew nothing about robotic surgery. Social Concerns Safety Safety is the prime concern of patients and doctors. People today have trouble trusting robotic devices in general and in the case of their healthcare the issue of trust is intensified. First of all, there is always the possibility of errors happening as total safety is a fallacy. Robots are programmed by humans who in turn are not infallible and are prone to make mistakes. In the case of robotic surgery a fault could have serious health injuries or death. Thus, the probability of errors must be kept at a very low level and in the case of a malfunction the system must be programmed to shut down immediately. Afterwards, the surgeon will have to take over complete the operation manually. So, it is obvious that the presence of a human doctor is mandatory and critical. There are many things that can go wrong which experts must take under serious consideration. Some problems resulting in system failures can be flawed design of the system, malfunction of software and hardware  [19]  or misinterpretation and inadequate specification. In order to eliminate the possibility of errors, mechanics must undergo heavy testing and reasoning about infinite scenarios. Also surgeons must prepare the robotic system cautiously so as not to forget anything which can backfire. They also need to have contingency plans like converting the robotic surgery to open surgery.  [20]   The increased testing and reasoning is time-consuming and usually involves high costs. Even though safety is a big issue, 41% of the people asked would go through a robotic surgery. This can be considered a good percentage as 65% of the people asked believed that robotic surgery is safe and reliable. Reliability and knowledge Nowadays most people dont trust robots very easily. The reason for this is the lack of information and the fear that these robots/machines can harm them in a physical level or in a professional level. As it can be seen from the figure above 88% of the people asked have heard of robotic surgery but 56% of the people asked claimed to know very little about it. As it is stressed in a website about robotic surgery, and prostate cancer surgery in particular, most people worry about the side effects it could have on them such as sexual dysfunction and impotence.  [21]  Another concern was the fear of the robotic system and the probability of errors, but most people do a little research before resorting to robotic surgery. This way they minimize their worries and concerns. However, there still are people who despite the evidence dont trust robots with their health. Therefore, robotic surgery needs time to become known and trusted by the people. This percentage of 56% must be minimized and increase the percentage of knowledge. In the future, as robotic surgery will start being implemented into hospitals, there will be many surgeries done, successful or not, which will enhance robotic surgery by correcting the errors, the failures and any problem that may arise. This way, patients who had successful operations will spread the word and people will become more aware and acquainted with this new technological development. Elevating concerns, resolving problems Robotics in surgery is a great helping tool, which holds many benefits and advantages for the surgeons and the patients. However, since it is still at an early stage of development there are problems in need for resolutions. One great concern is the reliability and safety in delicate surgical procedures. We cannot deny that machines are made from humans, who are not infallible and thus tend to make mistakes. Whether the surgery is done by a plethora of surgeons or by a single surgeon and a robot there is definitely the possibility of error. As with every new technology, people need time to get familiar with it and to start trusting it. Thus robotic-aided surgery just needs time to advance and to become more well-known. People who go through robotic surgery procedures will spread the good news. The media will start making more coverage of the issue as they learn about more cases. As mentioned by many patients in the Da Vinci website, they were very pleased with the surgery and the recovery time which proved to be shorter than expected.  [22]   Furthermore, the training of surgeons may take a while but it does not compare having to do a 6-hour surgery above the patient, getting tired and stressed with a 4-hour surgery sitting in the robotic device some metres away from the patient. The surgeon will tire less and will finish the surgery in less time. As far as the costs are concerned, patients in the Da Vince website did not worry about the costs so much because they were dealings with their health. And most people will do anything for their well-being.  [23]   Future Robotic surgery has made quite a progress and development but it still has a long way to go. Many obstacles will be dealt with time and undoubtedly some new concerns may appear. Questions such as malpractice liability, credentialing, training requirements and license granting will have to be resolved in the future. Most people on the survey (49% to be exact) answered that robots could have negative implications on employment as robots will do most of the work that humans currently do and many of related jobs will be reduced. However, as mentioned in the advantages chapter, new fields are inserted into robotic surgery such as telemedicine, which shows that new needs for personnel emerge. Also it is quite interesting to note how the people asked are divided into three groups based on their answers concerning robotic surgeries in the future: There is a 64% of the people asked who have a positive outlook on robotic surgeries in the future and a 36% who are quite intimidated and afraid of this potential change. Part of this comes from the lack of information about robotic surgery and from the fact that it is still in an early stage. As far as robotic surgery is concerned, there is much to be done until it can reach its full potential. Even though, these robotic systems have enhanced dexterity significantly, they still need to advance the full potential in instrumentation or to integrate the full range of sensory input. Most people when hear about robotics, they think of automation. The possibility of automating some tasks is both exciting and controversial. Future systems might entail the ability for a surgeon to program the surgery and merely supervise as the robot performs most of the tasks. The possibilities for improvement and advancement are only limited by imagination and cost. Conclusion Robotic surgery may be at an early stage, but that does not mean that it has not demonstrated its potential and significance, particularly in areas previously inaccessible by traditional procedures. However, it still remains to be seen if robotic surgery will replace completely conventional instruments in less technically demanding procedures. Robotic technology will bring major changes in surgery by enhancing and expanding laparoscopic procedures, advancing surgical technology and thus bringing surgery into the digital age. Not to mention, it possesses the potential to expand surgical treatment beyond the limits of human ability. The benefits of robotic surgery outweigh the costs. Bibliography Online (World Wide Web) Sources Pearl Tesler, Universal Robots: The history and workings of robots, 10 October 2009 Wikipedia, Robotics,16 July 2009 History of robotic surgery, Overview of Major Surgical Robotic Systems and Companies,17 July 2009 William Harris, How Haptic Technology Works, 4 September 2009 http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/haptic-technology.htm Youtube, Robotic surgery demonstration, July 24, 2007, 7 September 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NZLpWrJGgk Youtube, Robotic Surgery, April 05, 2007,15 September 2009 Youtube, Robotic Heart Surgery, February 12, 2007, 19 September 2009 Youtube, Robotic Heart Surgery Allen Raczkowski, MD, February 03, 2009, 25 September 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezbxU5P1uc Robotic Surgery in Greece,22 April 2009,8 October 2009 http://roboticsurgery.gr Robotic Surgery, Simulation assisted training in Robotic Surgery,15 January 2010 Robotic Surgery ROBOTIC SURGERY IN TELEMEDICINE HYGEIA S.A.: The first total hysterectomy in Greece with the da Vinci  ® S Robotic System,1 July 2008,20 January 2010 http://www.kapetanakis-center.gr/www_eng/news/010708.pdf Robotic Surgery blog, Robotic reliability, 2 March 2007,17 January 2010 http://www.njurology.com/RoboticSurgeryBlog/robotic_surgery_basics/ Da Vinci Surgery, Patient Stories, 25 January 2010 http://www.davincistories.com/search-stories/search-stories-result.html?start=15condition=Prostate%20Cancer Works-research papers ΆÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÃŽÂ ¹Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦,ÃŽÂ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬ ÃŽÃŽÂ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬ ÃŽÂ £Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ®ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± (da Vinci, Ze ,Hermes). ÃŽÂ  Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ®ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ à Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡.( Despoina Xisaroglou ,Robotic Surgical Systems, Problems and perspectives (accessed July 23rd,2009) Caroline GL Cao Gary Rogers, Tufts University, Robotics in healthcare, (accessed June 12th ,2009) Sunitha M.V, Robotic surgery, seminar report, August 2008 (accessed July 10th, 2009) ÃŽâ€Å"ÃŽÂ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ ΑΠ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡(Grinis Athanasios), ÃŽÂ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ · à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ® (robotic surgery) (accessed September 13th,2009)