Learning About Seahorses

A seahorse isnt a horse at all, but an extremely unique fish. It is named for its  head, which resembles that of a very tiny horse. From its horse-like head, the seahorses body tapers down to a long prehensile tail. Prehensile is a fancy word that means used for grasping. Monkeys also have prehensile tails. Seahorses use their tails for grasping underwater plants to anchor themselves in place. They hold onto coral and seagrasses and camouflage themselves by changing color to hide from predators. Seahorses dont have many predators, but some crabs and fish will prey on them.   Seahorses  also like to hold onto one anothers tails while they swim in pairs. There are many different types of seahorses and all are unique in many ways. For one, although they are fish, they dont have scales. Instead, they have skin. A seahorses skin covers a series of bony plates that run from its head to its tail—including its neck, a body part that other fish dont have. One thing seahorses do have in common with other fish is that they breathe through gills. They also have swim bladders like other fish.  Very slow swimmers, seahorses move about through the water with three small fins. They swim upright, using their fins to propel them forward through the water and their swim bladders to move them up and down. Another surprising fact about seahorses is that the male carries the babies. The female lays the eggs in a pouch, sort of like that of a kangaroo,  in the males stomach. He then carries the eggs until they hatch, usually two to four weeks later. Many people think that these tiny fish mate for life, but facts about seahorses dont seem to bear that out. Seahorses eat plankton, shrimp, and small fish. However, seahorses dont have stomachs! Food passes right through their bodies. That means they must eat almost constantly. Luckily for these tiny fish, they are good hunters. They hold on to coral and seagrass with their tails  and suck food into their mouths with their long snouts. They can slurp up food from over an inch away. Reading About Seahorses Books are a fun way to learn about any topic, including seahorses. Mix fiction and non-fiction to engage young learners. Try these titles: Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle  is a fun and educational story about how male seahorses are the caretakers of their eggs. Find out which other fish fathers have the same responsibility. Seahorses by Jennifer Keats Curtis is a beautifully-illustrated, non-fiction book about the life of a seahorse from the moment hes born—along with 300 brothers and sisters! One Lonely Seahorse by Joost Elffers will draw in your preschool students with its counting story that begins with one lonely seahorse. Amazing Pictures and Facts about Seahorses by Mina Kelly will answer your students questions about seahorses. How do they breathe underwater? Why do seahorses curl their tails?   Seahorse Reef: A Story of the South Pacific by Sally Walker is a delightful, educational story whose facts about seahorses have been reviewed by the Smithsonian Institute for accuracy. This is a must-have for your seahorse study. Seahorses: A Life-Size Guide to Every Species by Sara Lourie will prove an invaluable resource to older students. It features photos and facts about 57 different species of seahorses. Other Resources for Learning About Seahorses Look for other engaging opportunities to learn about seahorses. Try some of these ideas: Use free seahorse printables to learn the vocabulary associated with and facts about these fascinating fish. The printable set includes activities such as word search and crossword puzzles, vocabulary sheets, and coloring pages.Visit an aquarium. If you live near an aquarium, call to see if they offer a seahorse exhibit. Its so much fun to observe seahorses in person!Visit a store that sells fish. You can keep seahorses as pets, so some fish and pet stores will have some that you can see in person.Watch videos and documentaries. Check sources such as your local library, YouTube, Netflix, or Amazon video for films about seahorses.Make a diorama depicting seahorses in their underwater habitat.Make seahorse crafts. Seahorses are fascinating fish! Have fun learning about them. Updated by Kris Bales

My Freedom A Fictional Narrative Essay - 2050 Words

The entire town was gathered in front of our town hall surrounding the raised wooden platform that had one long wooden pole, where three ropes hung above each rebel. I watched from the sidelines next to my father, the Lieutenant General, searching for the familiar face I have come to know so well, my Daemon. It was six months ago when I was taken from the shelter of my home. â€Å"Mary! Mary!† I hear my longtime friend, Katherine, getting closer to the door. â€Å"Katherine, what are you yelling about? You need to be quiet, Matt and Joseph are sleeping and what are you-.† She doesn’t answer me just frantically pulls on the long sleeve of the prairie dress women are required to wear. â€Å"Please you must hurry, I found an injured man in the forest on†¦show more content†¦Anger and panic swirls in the pit of my stomach, I start to bang against the wooden door, â€Å"Hello! Is anyone there! Let me out!† I don’t know how long I bang and yell, it feels like ages, I don’t stop until my voice is hoarse and my hands throbbing like my head. â€Å"Please.† I whimper stumbling back and falling to my knees clasping my hands above me my cross gripped tightly in my hands leaving an imprint in my hands. I begin to recite verses of the bible, praying for the Lord to free me from my prison. I hear the creak of the door opening, though I keep reciting the verses, my anger grows at the mysterious figure who took me from my home. â€Å"I thought you Christian girls were supposed to not make a sound unless told to do so.† A gravelly voice pulls me out of my prayers; the grip on my cross slackens until it falls landing on the floor with a clang as I realization stops me cold. â€Å"Noah?† I breathe out as I look upon the man I once thought was dead. ‘He hasn’t changed in the three years I last saw him. Still believes himself to be the rebel.’ I note looking at the stubborn set of his define d jaw. â€Å"I was told you were dead, killed by a Muslim bombing.† I stand up from my kneeling position, waiting on Noah to disappear in front of me. His jaw tightens â€Å"no that was a lie,† he growls eyes sparking with irritation, â€Å"and the name given to me by your people is Daemon.† â€Å"Daemon? What are you talking about? That’s the name ofShow MoreRelatedIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs1671 Words   |  7 Pagesand narrative aspect of a fictional slave girl to highlight, through the many angles, the effects of slavery on African American individuals, families, and lives. By doing so, she hopes to motivate, inform, and engage others to strive for change by telling her personal life experiences through a fictional character so that slavery can be addressed as the root of all problems, first hand. 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How to write a readers response free essay sample

How to write a reader response paper Prof. Margaret OMara What a reader response paper is: A critical essay that tells the reader what a historical monograph (book) means to you. It reflects a close reading of the work, contains specific examples drawn from the work (documented parenthetically with page numbers), and provides your well- considered opinion of the works strengths and/or shortcomings. The essay demonstrates that you have read the book, internalized and contextualized its arguments, and can articulate and substantiate your reactions to it. What a reader response paper Is not: A descriptive summary of the book or of the historical events it describes. Assume your reader has read the book and has a familiarity with the era under consideration. A research paper. You may consult additional sources (other studies of the same subject; other critiques of the book) if you like, but you are not required to do so. We will write a custom essay sample on How to write a readers response or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Use parenthetical documentation rather than footnotes. A classic thesis paper, In which you state a thesis argument at the front end and use the book to support this thesis, reiterating the argument in the conclusion. The essay must have an organizing argument (see below) but it should be more analytic han descriptive. Its intent goes beyond proving a certain point of fact. An opportunity for general opinionating (I thought It was really good, or l thought it was terrible) nor an opportunity to make statements of opinion that are not supported by evidence drawn from the text. A test of whether you had the right interpretation of the book. This is a venue for you to tell us what the book means to you. It should display thoughtful evaluation of the text and express of how it may have contributed (or not contributed) to your understanding ofa particular period, and why. Ask yourself the following questions as you prepare to write a reader response they can help you organize your thoughts and decide what youd like to write about in your response. What were the main arguments of the book (hint: historians often put these in the introduction, the conclusion, or both)? Did the author, in your opinion, do a decent Job of following through on those arguments? Why or why not? How is the book talking to other parts of the historical literature? Is the author styling him or herself as a particular type of historian (womens historian, social historian, political historian, etc. ? Who are their subjects? What is their purpose in writing this book? What parts of the book did you like the most, and why? How does this book relate to what interests you about American history? What did you learn from it? If you didnt learn much, why was that? What questions did this text leave you with? What would you like to learn more about? What about the authors style and methodology did you like or dislike? How are they using sources and how does this reflect on the integrity and validity of their arguments? For useful things to keep in mind as you read the book, consult

Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi Municipality

The Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi: current strategic position The Spatial Data Division is part of a department responsible for Abu Dhabi’s municipal planning. In a nutshell, our office/division knows where the city is going in terms of plans, prospects and strategies for the future. Private individuals and organisations are some of the customers. This planning office has to provide internal innovations in order to effectively serve its customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi Municipality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This office receives many data requests from customers (ordinary citizens, individual landowners, developers, private contractors, etc.) for certain projects or for businesses pertaining to land use. The division’s database is a depository of spatial maps, charts, statistics and valuable data and information ready for dissemination to citiz ens upon request. The process is the division’s â€Å"building block† and intangible asset which is weakening and needs improvement. Figure 1 Functional chart of Spatial Data Division under the Abu Dhabi Town Planning Sector This office offers several services ranging from issuance of documents containing data and information, maps and satellite pictures to land examination / investigation and surveying. Activities for the staff include planning, investigations of lands for ownership, and other spatial matters. The information and data are voluminous, as they include present information and background, which may be in the form of statistics, charts, maps, and so on.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Information and data include land ownership, references, histories / backgrounds of lands in question, and any valuable information that may have been inputted befor e but which are significant in planning and creating a built environment (Department of Municipal Affairs: Abu Dhabi city municipality 2014). Important database contents include planning maps, aerial photographs and satellite images with their corresponding data and information, coordinates of lands, landmarks, and built environment, lands under litigations, and much more. Histories of lands are very important in building new structures, or in determining the usability of such lands. The voluminous information is also part of the Geographic Information Systems database that may be formulated for plans and strategies of government agencies concerned. Soft and hard copies of the information, such as maps, charts, and other forms, are available upon request. GIS is still in the process of application and may be fully operational sometime in the near future. There are many inputs coming from studies, researches, field inspections / investigations, representations, essays and narratives of histories or backgrounds of the different areas and sites within the Abu Dhabi municipality. Aspects of Operation Management The 4 Vs analysis Volume The Spatial Data Division has high volume of output. Tasks are repeated and the application of technology (GIS) can make the process fast and answerable to the demand. Researchers and investigators provide researches, papers and documents. Aside from words and numbers, the database contents are replete with aerial and satellite photographs. The staff retrieves these copies and photographs upon request from customers, and they are doing it over and over. Inputs are high and demands from customers are also high.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi Municipality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Variety There is high variety with many activities. Skills nd technology are needed, because staffs have to perform several tasks like inspect ion, investigation, and many other inputs. Activities include retrieving data from the organisation’s database per the customers’ requests. Once these are retrieved from the database, the data and information are contained in a document. Teams also conduct inspections and land surveys. Data and statistics are some of the inputs. Variation Demand is predictable and constant. Resources are provided and can address the demand. Requests can be granted easily because the staff members are skilled in browsing the contents of the database. The members were trained how to retrieve data and print a hard copy. The members can predict the customers’ demand. They know what the customers want and how to meet their demands. Visibility How much of the copies will the customers really see? First, the customer will only be able to see a hard copy (document on a piece of paper) or digital copy (CD or USB). But the database which is contained in a software and computer cannot be s een by the customer. The process of requesting from the time the customer fills up the form may be seen and experienced by the customer. In other words, the customers experience the waiting time and delay of the request process. Figure 2 4  Vs Analysis for Spatial Data DivisionAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The chart (4Vs analysis) shows that services are declining, with high demands from customers. There is low repetition and high unit cost because some personnel are doing one job repetitively. If this office can add technology, there will be high volume efficiency and the problem of low speed can be solved (Slack et al. 2013). Self-service are low volume in as much as this is not yet offered or not available. Demands are always high while service is low. Five performance objectives for the Spatial Data Division Quality Copies contain all necessary data and information per customers’ requests; contents are quality oriented Speed Total time customers wait; short waiting time Dependability (Trustworthiness) Keeping the customers asking for more Flexibility All requests are considered Costs The lowest fees Quality is the foundation of any organisation. Quality of service and quality of the contents of the requested copies from the organisation’s database are s ignificant in the transaction. Quality does not only mean conformance to customers’ requests but it also refers to the accuracy and reliability of the contents, the data and the maps (Beyond.UK: big five 2013). Speed refers to ‘just being fast’, meaning, the time the requests are made to the time the ‘product’ (data and maps) is received by the customer. Speed is a prime concern of the division I am in, but speed has remained a goal in as much as change is difficult to introduce. Change has to deal with culture and tradition which are ingrained in the people. Political will is also a concern. Dependability (trustworthiness) means the division is on time in the delivery of service, and customers keep coming back because they feel and know that their requests will be addressed to. Flexibility in the Division’s operations means how it can answer to the requirements of the requests even if it requires too much work for the staff, or change the pro cedure to conform to the request. Costs should be the lowest expense for the customers since this office is for public service, but the value of the service must be the highest. Figure 3 Polar diagram for a three-year series My personal survey for this office is that the Division’s performance has been declining for the three-year series, with respect to the five areas of performance objectives: ‘quality, speed, dependability, flexibility, and costs’. However, quality has always been top priority as it got high percentage for the different periods. In summary, the division needs overhaul (changes and innovations to make service better) in order to improve the organisational performance and meet clients’ specifications and requests. Analysis of the organisation’s current strategy The current strategy needs innovations and changes. It is not clear when this method was started, although we can quickly surmise that this has been the case ever since the Spatial Data Division was established to answer to the needs of customers wanting spatial data, along with pictures and maps. The database has been established and it is undeniable that it is very valuable to private individuals and business people. As always been stated here, culture and tradition influenced how systems work and are worked out. The usual problem in our division is the long process and the delay in addressing the many requests from the customers. The process is repetitive and can be considered traditional and time-consuming, at risk of corruption and red tape. Our aim of speed of delivery has long been a goal but cannot be fully accomplished, because of lack of effective strategy and coordination, perhaps. One of the problems is that the request form cannot be sent online. Online requests must be part of the processes to eliminate the long delay in the requests. Online negotiation is effective in providing speed of delivery of service. This process can be enhanced through personal contact, i.e. the requesting party can conduct online and may have to appear to the officer concerned if need be. But important transactions can be conducted online. Even map requests and other information can be processed online, including payment. First the customer goes to the customer service to fill up the request form and inform the office of the request’s rationale and the coverage area of the project or study. Then customer service sends this request to the Executive Director to register and send it to the division manager. Next, the division manager sends the request to the head of section, and the head of section assigns the task to an employee. When he has done this, the employee should submit the validated request to the head of section again for approval, until the customer obtains the request, finally. The customer has to wait for the long tedious process. The request form passes through several persons before it reaches the personnel/section he ad responsible for validating the request. The traditional method or process in our department is the old-fashioned way of delivering service to the people, because this has been the method we have been used to ever since I was employed by my department. There must be a way to deliver service without the unnecessary steps. This means we can shortcut the process without sacrificing the service quality and jeopardising organisational performance. This current strategy reflects the norms and community behavior of the people (Matthews Marzec 2012). In fact, it is part of our identity. We look at it as ingrained in our collective spirit, that is why it is difficult to modify but it is possible to improve. The workflow demonstrates that there is quality, although there is lack of it, and there has been no change for the past several years. The process is an ‘old system’. The managers and the government need political will to institute reforms. A simple IT application can sol ve the problem. IT application can simplify the process and total quality management can enhance effective and fast service delivery. The position of the two managers, the Executive Director and Division Director Manager, can be merged into one position. This practice demonstrates the ‘old system’. An OM theory worthy of note is the theory of production, which refers to inputs and outputs. Inputs produce outputs but various inputs can be used to produce several outputs. Inputs can be analysed to describe how costs and outputs are met and how to maximise outputs. The theory of production helps determine the value of the input-output processes (Gupta Boyd 2008). The principle behind this theory involves the introduction of utilities, and utilities refer to labor which in essence is production. Consequently, production is the making of inputs into products or services. In the context of the work area in question, the Spatial Data Division of the Abu Dhabi municipality, in puts do not necessarily mean tangible product but can be in the form of training, communication, and improvement or development of the website of the Abu Dhabi municipality, particularly the Spatial Data Division. A detailed evaluative investigation using the application of Operations Management analysis tools, theory, concepts and principles In the current process, the customer goes to the customer service to fill forms or requests. The process of validation is time-consuming. Before the request goes to the person responsible of validating or studying the request, the customer has to pass through the Executive Director and the Division Director Manager, then to the head of section, who passes the job to the head of unit. An employee is assigned to check on the request, and the job is checked by Quality Assurance. The paper trail goes back to the head of section and finally to the customer service. Additional inputs can produce good results or output for this division, which needs m ore coordination, communication and training of personnel in order to be effective, and to erase surplus, surplus in the form of personnel (who are doing nothing), or inadequate processes. The efficient use of time should be introduced in the division and not on accumulating more time before the customer gets his/her requests. Figure 4 Current Workflow The current workflow demonstrates that the request has to pass through the office of the Executive Director Manager and the Division Director Manager before it goes to the Head of Section and the Head of Unit. The steps involving the Executive Director and Division Director Manager can be eliminated, albeit temporary, because they still have to approve the request. But the approval should only be after the Head of Section and Head of Unit shall have done their part. The division needs more thinking and planning to make the processes more effective. The application of TQM, the theory of constraints, and supply chain management enables an organisation to have systems thinking, integration of the various functions, and a more horizontal structure. The operations manager will be able to introduce effective teams and participate in a collaborative decision making process with the team members (Gupta Boyd 2008, p. 991). In manufacturing, they have this just-in-time and the application of teams. JIT and effective teams can be done in my division. Service will then become very effective. Total quality management (TQM) is defined by Deming (as cited in Coman Romen, 1995, p. 1404) as ‘conformance to requirements,’ which means an office has to comply with the customers’ requests per the customers’ specifications and at the soonest possible time. ‘Requirements’ means what the customers want. Coman and Romen (1995, p. 1404) adds that the difference between meeting the needs of the customers and following requirements hinder effective service. One of the reasons for lack of effective service being offered by an organisation is tradition. Tradition becomes the law which should be followed to the letter, and so quality service is sacrificed. Tradition is ingrained in the context of the Spatial Data Division and is very difficult to extract and heal. But, as they say, time will heal. It only needs for the managers and people behind the system, who are traditionalists themselves, to dispense with what they are used to doing routine and be acquainted with new principles and new technology, which are really indispensable in this age of globalisation and high-speed Internet. The division also needs total quality. TQ is a philosophy based on principles, practices, and techniques, which should focus on customers, continuous improvement, and teamwork. Each of the principles has several practices or activities that may collect information from customers and analyse processes. Techniques are also provided in applying the practices. Emphasis on customer needs, or customer f ocus, is the most important. The objective of satisfying customers is a basic requirement in total quality (TQ) and is a part of the organisation’s goal to design and provide products and services that meet customers’ needs (Dean Bowen 1994, p. 394). Another theory we can apply is system dynamics (Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Thun, Milling 2008). System dynamics, which is further expounded at the conclusion of this paper, is a ‘structural theory’ which can be applied to the structural problem that causes service delays in the Spatial Data Division transactions. This theory is based on a concept that ‘the structure of social systems is generally characterized by feedback loops, accumulation processes, and delays between cause and effect’ (Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Thun, Milling, 2008, p. 374). System dynamics, which is comprised of conceptualisation and experiments, is integrated in many kinds of systems. It aims to design formal models and generate reaction for a c ertain period of time. System dynamics theories result in real-world objects which offer ‘a lens to observe and to understand the represented system, but not a description of the total system or of all social systems’ (Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Thun, Milling, 2008, p. 374). Concepts in this theory are: feedback loops, accumulation processes, and delays between cause and effect. These concepts are all important in oprations management situations, most especially the Spatial Data Division. We can provide an example here. If in this organisation, we have to apply improvement program we can use the feedback loop which influences worker motivation. Improvement program decreases employee motivation since there are fears that employees are made redundant with a successful program already introduced (Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Thun, Milling, 2008). Critical discussion and recommendations Since this is a government agency or department, the effective solution is to shorten the process and the waitin g time, and also avoid â€Å"red tape†. Red tape means unnecessary steps in the process of delivering service to the people who are the customers, and the process can also lead to corruption. This activity can be avoided by providing speed in the delivery of service, which is what the people in a democratic situation needs. Shortening the process does not mean bypassing department or section heads. The effective way is for the customer to fill up the request form in the office of Section Head who will validate the request for a project. If the section head approves the request, then the process of approval can start right up to the Executive Director. The process is reduced to two or three steps and may just take up to one day or a few hours to complete. If more studies are needed for the project, it may only take a short time before the request can be approved or denied. The website should be developed and improved, enhance the features by providing an interactive communicat ion between the department and the customers. The potential costs in not solving the problem are waste of time and resources involving taxpayers’ money. The cost of building a database such as this division is no easy feat. It involved government resources. Much more of these resources will be lost if changes are not provided in the soonest possible time. The office and the government as a whole will also lose its credibility and trust from the people. Some inferences of spatial data are still unknown and are in the process of verification (Fotheringham Brunsdon 2004). If these are not verified and investigated, they might forever be lost. Another practical solution to the problem of the Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi municipality is the application of Systems Dynamics. This is a method to show, replicate, and reproduce active systems, like our organisation which is just a division or department of the Abu Dhabi municipality. Brunswick (1956 as cited in Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Th un, Milling, 2008, p. 374) formulated the ‘lens theory’ which states that ‘theories are like lenses that influence the perception of phenomena’. System dynamics also refers to articles and journals with empirical evidence about the relationships of factors in social systems. The background for a certain system influences the future development of that system, which is characterised by time delays (Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, Thun, Milling, 2008). The ‘product’ in applying system dynamics theory and method to the parameters of the Spatial Data Division are, still, theories but they represent linkages between the objects as they become part of the real world. This means the result is improvement in service and the elimination of time delays in providing service. Good systems dynamics models are considered authentic representations of specific problems, for example, the improvement in the processes inside the Spatial Data Division. The application of Informa tion Technology (Geographic Information Systems) should be perfected to ensure and improve quality service. GIS provides a database for keeping, management, and recovery of higher volume of geographical statistics (Alkobaisi et al. 2012, p. 30). GIS is composed of layers or elements and the subject of the information data, for example roads and lands. Coordinates provide the relation of the layers, so that when layers are in the same coordinates, a relationship is established. Yu and Peuquet (2009) argued that ‘object, field, and time’ are three basic elements for representation of surveyed environmental dynamics. The new GIS should be more than the current data-centred paradigm to detect geographic representation in a knowledge rich period. Figure 5 Proposed workflow In this proposed workflow, time and process are shortened. The customer who signs the request form at the customer service is directed to the head of section, with the Executive Manager Director and Divis ion Manager informed and their opinion being sought. At the same time, the paper trail goes to the head of unit who passes this to quality check and quality assurance and then back to the customer service. The process is already shortened. The division needs to work as a team, or formulate teams. In the current workflow, the system seems not working because the personnel are not members of a team. Work teams save time and allow the process to work for the customers’ needs and conform to their specifications. Communication is enhanced in the team. Effective communication will not allow flaws in the system, but it allows the system to flow for the team members to work for the success of the organisation and the customers. The Spatial Data Division personnel and managers need motivation through training and development. The team members have to experience continuous training to enhance their skill and capability. Training, capability building and motivation will harness their fu ll potential. The managers and the members working as a team will erase the ‘boss and subordinate’ mindset and make this department successful in serving the people of Abu Dhabi and beyond. References Alkobaisi, S, Bai, W, VojtÃ"â€"chovskà ½, P, Narayanappa, S 2012, ‘An interactive framework for spatial joins: a statistical approach to data analysis in GIS’, Geoinformatica, vol. 16, pp. 329-355, via EBSCOHOST database. Beyond.UK: big five 2013. Web. Coman, A. Ronen, B. 1995, ‘Information technology in operations management: a theory-of-constraints approach’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 1403-1415, via EBSCOHOST database. Dean, J Bowen, D 1994, ‘Management theory and total quality: improving research and practice through theory development’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 19, no. 3, via ProQuest Research Library. Department of Municipal Affairs: Abu Dhabi city municipality 2014. Web. Foth eringham, A. Brunsdon, C 2004, ‘Some thoughts on inference in the analysis of spatial data’, Internal Journal of Geographical Information Science, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 447-457, via EBSCOHOST database. Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, A, Thun, J, Milling, P 2008, ‘System dynamics as a structural theory in operations management’, Production and Operations Management, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 373-384, via EBSCOHOST database. Gupta, M Boyd, L 2008, ‘Theory of constraints: a theory for operations management’, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 28, no. 10, pp. 991-1012, via EBSCOHOST database. Matthews, R Marzec, P 2012, ‘Social capital, a theory for operations management: a systematic review of the evidence’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 50, no. 24, pp. 7081-7099, via EBSCOHOST database. Slack, N, Brandon-Jones, A, Johnston, R, Betts, A 2013, Operations and process management: principles and practice for strategic impact (3rd edn), Pearson Ltd., London. Yu, C Peuquet, D 2009, ‘A geo agent-based framework for knowledge-oriented representation: embracing social rules in GIS’, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 923-960, via EBSCOHOST database. This essay on Spatial Data Division of Abu Dhabi Municipality was written and submitted by user Anderson Everett to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Definition of Psychological Realism

The Definition of Psychological Realism Psychological realism is a style of writing that came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It’s a highly character-driven genre of fiction writing, as it focuses on the motivations and internal thoughts of characters to explain their actions. A writer of psychological realism seeks to show not only what the characters do but also to explain why they take such actions. Theres often a larger theme in psychological realism novels, with the author expressing an opinion on a societal or political issue through his or her characters. However, psychological realism should not be confused with psychoanalytic writing or surrealism, two other modes of artistic expression that flourished in the 20th century and focused on psychology in unique ways. Dostoevsky and Psychological Realism An excellent example of this genre (although the author himself didn’t necessarily agree with the classification) is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. This 1867 novel (first published as a series of stories in a magazine in 1866) centers on Russian student Radion Raskolnikov and his plan to murder an unethical pawnbroker. Raskolnikov needs the money, but the novel spends a great deal of time focusing on his self-recrimination and his attempts to rationalize his crime.   Throughout the novel, we meet other characters who are engaged in distasteful and illegal acts motivated by their desperate financial situations: Raskolnikovs sister plans to marry a man who can secure her familys future, his friend Sonya prostitutes herself because she is penniless. In understanding the characters motivations, the reader gains a better understanding of the conditions of poverty, which was Dostoevskys  overarching goal.   American Psychological Realism: Henry James American novelist Henry James also used psychological realism to great effect in his novels. James explored family relationships, romantic desires and small-scale power struggle through this lens, often in painstaking detail.   Unlike Charles Dickens realist novels (which tend to level direct criticisms at social injustices) or Gustave Flauberts realist compositions (which are made up of lavish, finely-ordered descriptions of varied people, places, and objects), James works of psychological realism focused largely on the inner lives of prosperous characters. His most famous novels- including The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, and The Ambassadors- portray characters who lack self-awareness but often have unfulfilled yearnings. Other Examples of Psychological Realism James emphasis on psychology in his novels influenced some of the most important writers of the modernist era, including Edith Wharton and T.S. Eliot. Whartons The Age of Innocence, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1921, offered an insiders view of upper-middle-class society. The novels title is ironic since the main characters of Newland, Ellen, and May, operate in circles that are anything but innocent. Their society has strict rules about what is and isnt proper, despite what its inhabitants want.   As in Crime and Punishment, the inner struggles of Whartons characters are explored to explain their actions, while at the same time the novel paints an unflattering picture of their world.   Eliots best-known work, the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, also falls into the category of psychological realism, although it also could be classified as surrealism or romanticism as well. Its definitely an example of stream of consciousness writing, as the narrator describes his frustration with missed opportunities and lost love.

Biography of Max Weber

Biography of Max Weber Max Weber was born in Erfurt, Prussia (present-day Germany) on April 21, 1864. He is considered one of the three founding fathers of sociology, alongside Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim. His text The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was considered a founding text in sociology. Early Life and Education Weber’s father was greatly involved in public life and so his home was constantly immersed in both politics and academia. Weber and his brother thrived in this intellectual atmosphere. In 1882, he enrolled at the University of Heidelberg, but after two years left to fulfill his year of military service at Strassburg. After his release from the military, Weber finished his studies at the University of Berlin, earning his doctorate in 1889 and joining the University of Berlin’s faculty, lecturing and consulting for the government. Career and Later Life In 1894, Weber was appointed a professor of economics at the University of Freiburg and then was granted the same position at the University of Heidelberg in 1896. His research at the time focused mainly on economics and legal history. After Weber’s father died in 1897, two months after a severe quarrel that was never resolved. Weber became prone to depression, nervousness, and insomnia, making it difficult for him to fulfill his duties as a professor. He was thus forced to reduce his teaching and eventually left in the fall of 1899. For five years he was intermittently institutionalized, suffering sudden relapses after efforts to break such cycles by traveling. He finally resigned his professorship in late 1903. Also in 1903, Weber became the associate editor of the Archives for Social Science and Social Welfare where his interests lied in more fundamental issues of social sciences. Soon Weber began to publish some of his papers in this journal, most notably his essay The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which became his most famous work and was later published as a book. In 1909, Weber co-founded the German Sociological Association and served as its first treasurer. He resigned in 1912, however, and unsuccessfully tried to organize a left-wing political party to combine social-democrats and liberals. At the outbreak of World War I, Weber, aged 50, volunteered for service and was appointed as a reserve officer and put in charge of organizing the army hospitals in Heidelberg, a role he fulfilled until the end of 1915. Webers most powerful impact on his contemporaries came in the last years of his life, when, from 1916 to 1918, he argued powerfully against Germanys annexationist war goals and in favor of a strengthened parliament. After assisting in the drafting of the new constitution and the founding of the German Democratic Party, Weber became frustrated with politics and resumed teaching at the University of Vienna. He then taught at the University of Munich. Weber died on June 14, 1920. Major Publications The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904)The City (1912)The Sociology of Religion (1922)General Economic History (1923)The Theory of Social and Economic Organization (1925) Sources: Max Weber. (2011). Biography.com. biography.com/articles/Max-Weber-9526066Johnson, A. (1995). The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers.

Explain what proposition knowledge is, and explain the JBT theory of Essay

Explain what proposition knowledge is, and explain the JBT theory of propositional knowledge. Be sure to explain why it seems th - Essay Example For example John and Brian apply for the same job and john believes that Brian will get the job and he has twenty bucks in his pocket. John is justified in believing that the one who will get the job has twenty bucks in his pocket, so it can be said that john is justified in believing the truth although he also has got twenty bucks in his pocket which he is does not know of. Another example is, for instance just meeting a person is not enough. One should have knowledge about the person. One should have details about that person. This kind of knowledge is known as Personal knowledge. Procedural knowledge also involves some kind of propositional knowledge. For instance, if you have knowledge of how to operate a computer then obviously you will know that by pressing a specific key what function will the computer perform. The Justified True Belief (JTB) theory was given by the famous Greek Philosopher, Plato. Plato was student of the great philosopher Socrates and was the teacher of Aris totle who was also a celebrated philosopher of his time. In Plato’s view, three elements, justification, truth and belief combine to form the definition of propositional knowledge.

English Criminal law Problem question - Discuss the criminal Essay

English Criminal law Problem question - Discuss the criminal liability, if any, of Bruiser for the murder of Dot - Essay Example In the event the actus rea and the mens rea are concurrent, then the accused person will be deemed fully liable for the act and be penalized for first degree murder. The establishment of mens rea is particularly important to establish guilt, since according to Edward Coke who first proposed the theory of mens rea, â€Å"an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty.†2 When a criminal act – especially murder – has occurred, it is also necessary to establish a concurrence with the mens rea.3 The case of R v Lamb4 set out the precedent that mens rea â€Å"is an essential ingredient in manslaughter†. The criterion that is used is by assessing whether a reasonable man would have been able to assess the risk inherent in his actions that caused harm, which will be sufficient to establish mens rea5. However, a recent significant development in this area is the case of R v Andrews6 (2003), wherein the Court upheld a conviction for manslaughter although it was a strict liability offense. The prosecution was not required to prove mens rea in that case7. This could impact significantly upon the extent of Bru iser’s liability and the possibility of conviction. The context within which an offense occurs forms an important part of the sentencing and in making a determination of the extent of liability of a person when mitigating circumstances exist, the accused could be deemed to have a diminished responsibility for his actions and will be liable for the lesser charge of manslaughter. However, there is also provision in English law for transferred malice, whereby a person intending to cause grievous bodily harm to one person may actually cause it to another by some slip or change in circumstances, nevertheless the accused will be deemed to be as guilty as if he had intended to carry out the damage on the second person. Moreover, in making the determination about whether grievous bodily harm has taken place, the Court will also

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay Example for Free

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay â€Å"Hands up. Don’t shoot.†[1] This is a refrain shouted by #BlackLivesMatter activists throughout the United States. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that gained national momentum in 2014 after acts of police brutality resulting in the death of black Americans such as Mike Brown and Eric Garner. In both of these cases, the respective police officers involved were not indicted for the death of American citizens.[2] This prompted the reaction: â€Å"black lives matter†; the livelihood of black people should and must be as important as that of white people. Throughout history, people of African descent in the United States have not equally enjoyed the same life and opportunities as other Americans due to racism, defined by public health scholars Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcia and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, and advantages others.†[3] In the early 1900s, multiple doctors brought attention to the disparity in the morbidity and mortality of diseases, many that result from poor living conditions, between black and white Americans. Lawrence Lee, a doctor writing in 1914, noted: â€Å"that tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases and still-births cause a death-rate of 917.9 per 100,000 against a rate of 354.7 for whites.†[4] In 1927, a movement in favor of eugenics took hold, beginning with the Buck v. Bell ruling.[5] This United States Supreme Court case gave doctors the authority to designate cert ain people more fit to breed than others and supported the procreation of the so-called â€Å"fit† and limited that of the â€Å"unfit† through means such as forced sterilization.[6] During this time, forty percent of the â€Å"unfit† people sterilized were non-white.[7] However, #BlackLivesMatter activists demonstrate that racist agendas that are viewed as history in truth have ongoing effects to this day that negatively impact the daily lives and public health of African Americans. Opponents use the social media hashtag #AllLivesMatter, expressing the view that all people deserve equal rights and access to basic necessities, regardless of race. #AllLivesMatter is distinct from the #BlackLivesMatter movement in that it does not acknowledge the past and present inequity in the quality of life between white Americans and those of African descent. #BlackLivesMatter has given voice to a historically oppressed class of people and opened a discussion on how the eugen ics movement has compromised that of black Americans and how this can be corrected and how future racially-charged infractions can be prevented. The racialization of medicine has  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­had a significant role in the development of the eugenics movement. Garcia and Sharif define racism as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities† and claims that â€Å"racism as a social condition is a fundamental cause of health and illness.†[8] The eugenics movement is one that is founded on the racist ideology that was detrimental to the African American community. Negative eugenics was carried out through marriage restriction, forced sterilization, and confining the â€Å"feeble-minded† to colonies. The restriction of marriage through issuing marriage licenses was critical in the racist agenda of eugenics. It was illegal to have children outside of wedlock.[9] Virginia in particular banned inter-racial marriage. By doing so, Virginia politicians and eugenicists were intentionally preventing people from having mixed ra ce children, something they saw as undesirable.[10] #AllLivesMatter activists would argue that the eugenics movement was not focused on African Americans, as many of the victims of eugenics were white. In Buck v. Bell, a case heard by the United States Supreme Court that secured eugenic doctors’ ability to forcibly sterilize the feeble-minded, the defendant was Carrie Buck, a white woman.[11]   Proponents of #AllLivesMatter would note that eugenic doctors instead targeted individuals of lower socio-economic status. Some of the diagnostic criteria for detecting feeble-mindedness included â€Å"cold and clammy hands and excessive pallor or blushing.†[12] While many of the victims of the application of negative eugenics were of lower socioeconomic status, it cannot be ignored that the eugenics movement grew from calls to improve black public health in the early 1900’s. Advancements in germ theory allowed for doctors to understand that diseases are transmissible r egardless of race; as a result, doctors emphasized the need for sanitary living conditions for black Americans.[13] Historian Andrea Patterson claims that â€Å"public health measures were hijacked by eugenicists†[14] – rather than these public health measures benefitting blacks, they, in part, created an environment in which eugenicists had reason to believe that people of particular racial background were predisposed to certain illnesses. Although Buck v. Bell enabled the eugenics movement to impact people of all races, the racist political regimes that preceded it supported the development of eugenics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paternalism was a major contributing factor to eugenic’s establishment. In 1915, Doctor L. C. Allen posited that â€Å"the negro health problem is one of the white mans burdens, and it is by no means the least of those burdens.†[15] It was his belief that the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality rates of diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis among black Americans were the responsibility of the white population to resolve. Allen credited the strict supervision of slave owners over black slaves for the lack of illnesses related to an unclean living environment and sexually transmitted diseases while slavery was legal.[16] According to Allen, â€Å"freedom has not benefited his health, nor improved his morals,† where â€Å"he† refers to African Americans.[17] Without white slave owners to ensure that African Americans bathe, clean their living spaces, and do not engage in promiscuous sex, Allen clai ms that African Americans did not properly take care of themselves. His answer to this perceived problem is for white Americans to champion a public health reform by way of changing the educational curriculum for blacks. Allen’s proposed â€Å"industrial education† would consist of teaching African American children proper hygiene and cater to their future career prospects, which mainly consist of service or manual labor roles.[18] By singling out a minority group to be segregated for the purpose of a different education based on race, Allen’s â€Å"industrial education† plan would have been an institutionalized instance of structural racism. Black Americans would have been denied access to an equal education, and by virtue of that, they would be further limited to the jobs available to them. Although this plan did not come to fruition, the ideas behind it lingered. Eugenic doctors felt that it was for the betterment of all humankind to promote the procre ation of those with what these doctors deemed desirable traits while simultaneously diminishing or altogether ceasing the procreation of the â€Å"unfit.†[19] The widespread belief that eugenics existed in order to improve the global gene pool is paternalistic. The socio-economic elite utilized their position of power to further their self-interested ideology at the expense of those below them, particularly African Americans. Mass incarceration of African Americans is a modern practice that in many ways is a continuation of eugenics. Victims of eugenic sterilization told their stories in a 2011 testimony in North Carolina arranged by The Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board. One such victim was Elaine Riddick, a black woman. Her son, Tony Riddick commented on the ongoing systemic racism in the United States, saying, â€Å"A young man nineteen years old, first time convicted, nonviolent offense, you give him fifteen to twenty years in prison. Now look at what happens, now he can no longer be a father, his mother loses a child.†[20] Though the testimony took place a few years before the #BlackLivesMatter movement gained momentum, these sentiments are the same as those felt by activists today. #BlackLivesMatter advocate and doctor Mary Basset argues in â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities† that â€Å"there is the great injustice in the daily violence experienced by young black men. But the tragedy of lives cut short is not accounted for entirely, or even mostly, by violence.†[21] Indeed, as Tony Riddick pointed out, systemic racism has cost many black Americans the ability to lead a productive life in society and often the ability to reproduce. In the mid-twentieth century, this took the form of the eugenics movement. People designated â€Å"feebleminded,† a categorization for the so-called unfit of society, were often sent to colonies to live out their lives and forcibly sterilized.[22] Though eugenics has been abolished, similar practices occur today. When a person is sentenced to a prison sentence that spans their prime reproductive years, they are segregated from the rest of society and are much less likely to raise a family.[23] Tony Riddick drew a comparison between eugenics and mass incarceration, likening each to genocide.[24] Flaws in today’s criminal justice system have allowed a form of racial genocide to perpetuate in the United States. A quick internet search of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter will bring up a sizable list of names that activists for the movement mourn as preventable deaths. Though many people know of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown, lesser-known but equally important people are added to the list of casualties regularly. One such person is Joyce Cornell, a fifty-year-old black woman who died in jail on July 22, 2015. Cornell was arrested for failing to pay court fines, a minor offense. Cornell experienced severe nausea and vomiting and was not granted medical treatment or water. She passed away one day later from dehydration.[25] These people, every black person who has lost their life early from preventable causes, represent a public health epidemic. Structural racism has decreased the life expectancy of black people living in the United States.[26] As Garcia and Sharif argue, it is necessary to â€Å"reshape our discourse† and consider racism a public health issue in order to begin to combat its effects.[27] It is vital that positive change happens for the betterment of our fellow Americans. This process begins with recognizing that racism exists and that #BlackLivesMatter. Bibliography Allen, L. C., M.D. THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM. The American Journal of Public Health, 1914. Accessed February 8, 2016. Bassett, Mary T., M.D., M.P.H. #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities. The New England Journal of Medicine 372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085-087. Accessed March 11, 2016. Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. Dorr, Gregory Michael. STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded. In Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia, 107-36. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008. Garcà ­a, Jennifer Jee-Lyn, Ph.D., and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH. Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health. Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 8 (August 2015): E27-30. doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011. Hutchinson, Woods. The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,. The American Journal of Public Health 3 (1913): 238-42. Knapp, Andrew, and Dave Munday. Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail. Post and Courier. February 24, 2016. Accessed April 21, 2016. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. Lee, Lawrence, M.D. THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY. The American Journal of Public Health 5 (1915): 207-10. Patterson, Andrea. Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South.Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 529-59. doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [1] Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcà ­a, Ph.D. and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH, Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health,  Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health105, no. 8 (August 2015): e27, doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. [2] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [3] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [4] Lawrence Lee, M.D., THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 207. [5] Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. [6] Woods Hutchinson, The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,  AJPH  3 (1913): 238. [7] Gregory Michael Dorr, STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded., in Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia(University of Virginia Press, 2008). [8] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [9] Dorr, 112 [10] Dorr, 111 [11] Dorr, 129 [12] Dorr, 113 [13] Andrea Patterson, Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South,  Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 541, doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [14] Patterson, 529 [15] L. C. Allen, M.D., THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 194. [16] Allen, 195 [17] Allen, 194 [18] Allen, 200 [19] Hutchinson, 240 [20] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011, D-10 [21] Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities,  The New England Journal of Medicine  372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085, accessed March 11, 2016. [22] Dorr, 120 [23] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [24] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board, D-10. [25] Andrew Knapp and Dave Munday, Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail, Post and Courier, February 24, 2016, accessed April 21, 2016, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. [26] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [27] Garcia and Sharif, e27

Teachings of Life Through the River Essay -- Personal Experience, Autob

My father was always a man of infinite knowledge for those willing to listen. Unbeknownst to him, his knowledge extends beyond what he has to teach. For example, when asked how to clean a fish, he goes through the process in great detail. From where the incision is made to de-scaling the fish, he would always emphasize the care, attention to the smallest detail. With every lesson, the majority of his teachings show how no matter how long the task, any person will always have enough time to finish what they set out to do. As with most aspects of life the same principles apply. The most memorable time of my life was my father’s ecstatic look when I said I would love to learn how to fly fish. When camping as a child of eight years old, my parents, sister, our two dogs and I would go for a hike. During most hikes, we would trek near a small creek or tributary, my father would take off, on his own, to fly fish. I could only stand in awe as the fly line’s arc, still wet, would glisten over my father’s head during each cast. I wasn’t of age to learn the art quite yet. My mother would grab the back of my shirt and drag me back to the hiking trail for fear of me falling in. With every time she pulled me back, I would dig my heels into the ground and flail my arms violently to try and loosen her grip. All I wanted to do was watch and contemplate in my father’s love and splendor for fly fishing. The day eventually came when I was of age to learn the art of fly fishing. At the age of twelve or so, he popped the question, â€Å"do you want to learn how to fly fish† and all the heavy gates lifted. To me, learning how to fly fish would finally bring me that one step closer into the same graces of manhood where my father already stood, patience, ... ...re will always be a long, treacherous path ahead. This path is almost always a bumpy one and is most definitely not a straight one. In one class, a person may completely disagree with a teacher and never heed any of their advice. In others, the teacher could very well be one, if not the only reason for even attending that class. No matter what the circumstances, patience will play an extreme role in anyone’s successful journey through education. Now, patience is never the only thing that gets a person through, determination plays the role of perpetuating the patience, much like catching your dinner. For many, the determination is to attain a better, more fulfilled life. For some, the goal is merely to have fun with their career in the future. Whatever the case may be, patience, determination, and, if that person has it, a little bit of finesse will take anyone far.

Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Catalase Activity in a Potato

Effect of Temperature ( C ? ) on Enzyme Catalase Activity in potato Aim: To investigate the Effect of temperature (10, 37, 60) Celsius (C ? ) on enzyme catalase activity in potato using 2% of hydrogen peroxide (H202) as the substrate measuring the height (cm) of oxygen gas (bubbles) and calculating the volume of oxygen bubbles produced (cm3) Introduction: Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up metabolic reactions without being affected. They lower the activation energy needed to start a reaction. Enzymes are affected by several factors including PH, Substrate concentration; Temperature & other factors.Each enzyme has an optimum temperature at which its activity is the highest, below this optimum temp, the kinetic energy of molecules decrease , therefore the collisions between the active site of the enzyme and substrate decreases , as a result the enzyme activity will decrease , so decreasing the rate of the reaction If the temp. Exceeds the optimum temp. The kinetic energy be tween molecules increase therefore collisions increase leading to the change in the tertiary structure of the enzyme and in this case active site is lost and the enzymes will be denatured so the reaction will slow down &stops.Catalase is an enzyme, found basically in all living cells. It breaks down hydrogen peroxide (waste product) into water and oxygen. 2H? O? 2H2O+O2 As predicted, the enzyme catalase activity would be the highest at 37c ? (Optimum temp. )if increased to 60c ? then the enzyme would be denatured and if decreased to 10c ? (very low temp. ) then the reaction would be slow. Variables: Dependent: Height of oxygen bubbles (cm) using a ruler. Independent: Temperature (10c ? , 37c ? , 60c ? ) using three different water baths each adjusted to a specific temp . Controlled: 1.Number of potato cubes: 3 cubes of potatoes were used in each trial at each different temp. If changed, whether decrease or increase, then the number of enzymes (active site) available would change, th erefore affecting the rate of the reaction. 2. Size of potato cubes with dimensions 1cmx1cmx1. 5cm . This is controlled by cutting all potato cubes with same dimensions using a ruler & a cutter. If changed, then this would affect the rate of enzyme activity, therefore affecting the results. 3. Volume of hydrogen peroxide: 15cm3 of hydrogen peroxide was measured using graduated cylinder for each trial at different temp.If changed then the rate of enzyme activity would change, therefore results won’t be accurate. 4. Concentration of hydrogen peroxide: 2% of hydrogen peroxide was used through all trials this is prepared by adding 20cm3 of H2o2 to 1000cm3 of water. If changed it would affect the rate of enzyme activity since substrate concentration is one of the factors that affect enzyme activity. 5. Volume of liquid detergent: 2drops of liquid detergent were added to each test tube throughout the experiment. If changed, then this will affect the height of oxygen bubbles measure d cm3 therefore the results won’t be accurate. . Time: time was recorded for 2 minutes; if changed this will affect the results. Materials: * 27 cubes of potato each with dimensions 1cmx1cmx1. 5cm. * 15cm3 of 2% hydrogen peroxide for each trial. * 9 test tubes * Water adjusted to (60c ? ,37c ? &10c ? adding ice) * 2drops of liquid detergent in each test tube * Cutter * Ruler * 100cm3 graduated cylinder * Stopwatch * 1000cm3 volumetric flask * 50cm3 beaker Procedure: 1. Use the cutter, and ruler to cut 27 cubes of potato with dimensions 1cmx1cmx1. 5cm 2. Adjust the water bath temp one at 60c ? , the other one at 37c ? amp; last one at 10c ? adding ice. 3. Place 3 potato cubes in each of the three test tubes placed at 10c ?. 4. Leave the test tubes at 10c ? for 10min. 5. Add 2 drops of detergent for each test tube. 6. Measure 15cm3 of 2% hydrogen peroxide for each test tube using graduated cylinder. 7. Add 15cm3 of 2% H2o2 to each test tube, and immediately start the stop watch recording time for 2 min. 8. After 2 min exactly, use the ruler to measure the height of oxygen bubbles (cm). 9. Repeat steps 3 to 8 at a different temp (60c ? ,70c ? ). 10. Record all data in an organized table. Processing and Presenting Data: Table (1): Shows the height of oxygen bubbles produced (cm) at different temp. (C ? ) TemperatureC ?  ± 0. 05| Height of oxygen bubbles produced after 2 minutes (cm)| | Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 3| 10. 00| 2. 00| 6. 00| 2. 00| 37. 00| 3. 00| 4. 50| 1. 50| 60. 00| 3. 00| 2. 00| 2. 00| Table (2): Shows mean height in (cm) for oxygen bubbles  ± 0. 05 and volume of oxygen bubbles (cm3) ±0. 05 at different temp (C ? ) Temperature C ?  ± 0. 05| Mean height (cm) for oxygen bubbles  ± 0. 05| Volume of mean height of oxygen bubbles cm3 0. 05| 10. 0| 3. 33| 16. 34| 37. 00| 4. 86| 23. 84| 60. 00| 2. 06| 10. 11| * Sample calculations 10c ? 1. Mean height of oxygen bubbles in cm. T1+T2+T33= 2+6+23= 3. 33cm 2. Volume of oxygen bubbles cm3 Volume o f cylinder: ? r2xh 3. 14x (1. 25)2Ãâ€"3. 33=16. 34cm3 Discussion: As shown in table (2) as temperature increased from 10c ? to 37c ? , the mean height in cm of oxygen bubbles increased from 3. 33cm to 4. 86cm. Aa temperature increase from 37c ? to 60c ? the mean height cm of oxygen bubbles decreased from 4. 86cm to 2. 06cm. Reffering to the table (2) and graph , as temp. ncreased from 10c ? to 37c ? the volume of oxygen bubbles (cm3) increased from 16. 34cm3 to 23. 84cm3. As temp increased from 37c ? to 60c ? the volume of oxygen bubbles produced (cm3) decreased from 23. 84cm3 to 10. 11cm3. Each enzyme has an optimum temp. at which the rate of enzyme activity is the highest. Above the optimum temp the kinetic energy of molecules increases therefore the collisions between the active site and the substrate increase and as a result the enzyme would lose its 3D structure and active site and the enzyme would be denatured.This is shown in the graph, as the volume of oxygen bubbles cm3 de creased from 23. 84cm3 to 10. 11cm3 at 60c ?. Below the optimum temp the kinetic energy of molecules decreases ,therefore the collisions decrease and the enzyme would slow down and the rate of energy decreases as it’s shown in table (2) the volume of oxygen bubble decrease from 37c ? to 10c ?. According to our results in table (2) and graph, the optimum temp was 37c ? at which rate of enzyme catalase activity was the highest as the highest volume of oxygen bubbles was produced 23. 84cm3.The results obtained matched the hypothesis which stated that 37c ? is the optimum temp for enzyme catalase to break hydrogen peroxide which is a toxic product into water & oxygen. Evaluation & Improvements: 1. Size of potato cubes . Potato cubes were cut into cubes of dimensions 1cmx1cmx1. 5cm using a ruler and a blade which was a source of error since all cubes vary slightly in size which means the concentration of catalase enzyme is different. A potato cutter that cut the potato into equal sizes . 2. Height of oxygen bubbles measured by a ruler. This was inaccurate method.Volume could be measured instead in height using gas Syringe which will give more accurate results 3. Volume of detergent. 2 drops of detergent were measured using a dropper. A pipette can be used which will give more accurate results. Done BY: JIHAN AL-BUKHARI 9A ——————————————– [ 1 ]. [ (Jones, 2009) ] [ 2 ]. â€Å"Introduction to Enzymes. †Ã‚  Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity (). N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. . [ 3 ]. â€Å"Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity. †Ã‚  Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. .

Marketing Strategy of Beeline Essay

INTRODUCTION GTEL Corporation and VimpelCom penetrated in Vietnamese telecommunication market in 8th July 2008 under the brand name Beeline VN to provide GSM/EDGE voice and data services to cover all Vietnam with over 86million people. Until now, Beeline wants to select more strategies in order to achieve their objective which is growing their market share to 30% like the three giants: Mobilephone, Vinaphone and Viettel. From the last study, IBD strategic counseling center have identified and analyzed Beeline’s strategy as well as the position of the company in Vietnamese market. Furthermore, some suggestions for improving were also given. This report, hence, will evaluate every possible strategy for Beeline in many aspects as well as propose a  plan for the most appropriate future strategies. MAJOR FINDINGS I. Possible alternative strategies for Beeline 1. Identify possible strategies. According to the last study, Beeline’s position in the BCG matrix is question mark due to the high growth rate of the industry while the market share of Beeline is relatively low (only 4%). Moreover, in the product life cycle, Beeline has launched and introduced their services not for long. As a result, for three others stages in the product life cycle (growth, mature and decline), Beeline can implement most of the substantive growth, limited growth and retrenchment strategies. In order to identify those strategies, the most effective tool is Space matrix. Figure 1. BCG matrix Figure 2. Product life cycle a. Environmental stability By using the information from the external environment, we can identify as well as score the options in this factor. First of all, telecommunication market in Vietnam especially mobile network services has recently rocketed significantly. From the limited network until now, most of the places in Vietnam are coverage by applying many new technologies and liquidate the outdated one (GSM/EDGE, IP utilizing the NGN technology with frequency band of 1800MHz) so as Beeline will not be lagged behind by the three giants. Secondly, according to many economists, the inflation rate of Vietnam is still a double digit (14%) and it is considered as really high compared to other developing country (in 1 digit). Now, the Vietnamese government is using ceiling and floor price as well as tariffs to modulate the inflation rate back to one digit. Furthermore, at the beginning, Beeline launched the most extraordinary cheap services (Big zero) to market while other three giants’ price is much higher than Beeline. Therefore, the price range of Beeline with the average price of the industry is really high. Nevertheless, the last thing belongs to the environmental stability is barrier to entry into the market. From the political factor in the previous study, Vietnamese government is encouraging investments from oversea to increase the FDI  (Foreign direct investment), so that the tariffs and policy are absolutely motivating every foreign business like Beeline. Moreover, telecommunication is the most vital service in the modern world and this is also an industry which gains the most attention from the politician. As a result, besides high initial investment, the barrier to entry of this industry can be scored 4. b. Financial strength Financial strength is a strong point of Beeline. According to the annual report of Beeline, the return on investment rate of Beeline remains in 4.2%for each billion of dollars invested after payback. Besides, the profitability ratio of Beeline always stands above 50% (50.4%) and nearly equal to Mobilephone (53%). In another aspect, Beeline has 16years of history in the telecommunication market which means Beeline has experience in the current market. Until now, Beeline has provided 86 million mobile subscribers in total and it is till increasing while the price of services become cheaper and cheaper. Thus, they are able to have a large economy of scale. If there is a potential plan, Beeline will not hesitate to invest because they have the capital required for most of the plan by extracting a part in the total revenue of $2.27 and from the huge capital of Beeline. In the future, Beeline can maintain this strength to obtain their objectives especially updating new technology. c. Industry strength In this aspect, we can concern on three main factors: Financial stability, resource utilization and capital intensity. Firstly, the demand of using telecommunication services is always stable in most of the time, so that the revenue and financial status of this industry will always in a stable position. In the modern world, telecommunication is no longer a demand but a need of every citizen in the world. Thus, 6 will be the score for this option. On the other hand, the utilization of resources can also be taken full advantages by every business not only capital but also human resources (think global, act local). For instance, Beeline hired a professional force from both oversea (Mr. Alexey Blyumin, CEO) and Vietnam (Mr. Nguyen The Binh, Deputy CEO) to administrate the company in Vietnamese market. From the professional force, they will propose the best way of utilizing the financial resource in the most economical way. Last but not least, Beeline  is a foreign group with a huge amount of capital available. Consequently, the capital intensity of Beeline deserves to receive the highest score. d. Competitive advantage As aforementioned, Beeline has the capacity of providing services for more than 86 million people which is equal to the population of Vietnam while other three giants are in the process of signal coverage for the whole country. For Beeline, this objective will be obtained more easily than competitors (5years while others may take 10 years). From the statistic above, Beeline market share at the moment remain in 4% which is not high compared to the three giants. However, the service of Beeline quality is quite acceptable according to the opinion of the students who are the target customers of Beeline. Moreover, the time for Beeline to launch a new service is quite short (about 3 months) whereas Viettel or Mobilephone takes 6 months or a whole year to release a new service (3G). To sum up, the whole information and analysis will be shown in the table below to identify the position of Beeline in Space matrix. Diagram 1. Space matrix of Beeline When Beeline takes market penetration into consideration, they should invest more on PR and marketing campaign to create awareness and reputation in the public. Moreover, improving after sales service will help Beeline gain customer loyalty for repeat purchasing. For market development, Beeline may find some other potential market in Vietnam especially in the rural areas but the living standard of the citizens at that place is at medium level (Dien Bien, Sapa, Tam Dao, etc). This strategy can be apply easily thanks to  the development of technology, so that Beeline just have to concern about human resource or others factors. However, Beeline still have to use other strategies as well at the rural area to compete with Viettel who have coverage most of the places in Vietnam. Next, product development strategy is about focusing on R&D. Beeline needs to create the new product line or add more value to the services like packaging, online counseling, etc. However, no matter what they do, they have to assemble to maintain their corporate image, their style (black and yellow) during the campaign. Finally, diversification will be the last secret weapon in the aggressive strategies. Specifically, Beeline can use forward , backward integration and horizontal integration like building more agencies throughout Vietnam or even providing mobile phone and internet, wireless, etc with the attractive price like Viettel sell Iphone 3, internet network Dcom 3G. Invest more on new technology| v| v| x| x| 13| 3rd | Table 3. Ranking and scoring From the table, it is noticeably that there are some tactics have the same score. Thus, it is depend on the manage board to decide which activities should do first or they need to have a strategic allocation of capital to do these activities simultaneously (find the critical path). If Beeline allocates the resource as well as schedule in the most effective way, they will not only minimize but also increase their profit and market share. The first thing they have to do is all about people. Hiring the right people is the most important for all business because it is the people who create the product, seek for customer and bring back profit for the company. This activity will lead to a good result of other activities of Beeline. That’s why, they hired a professional Vietnamese person to be the vice deputy of Beeline. It is obviously that when you do nothing, you gain nothing but sometimes during the economist crisis, do nothing is a good strategy unless the cost of doing nothing lower than making a new plan. II. Strategic plan of the most appropriate strategies for Beeline 1. Select the final strategies: At the end of the day, after analyzed and evaluated every available strategy, IBD agency will propose Beeline to apply market penetration and product development. Others strategies like market development or diversification are slightly risky according to some internal stakeholders. Moreover, the three giants have successfully applied market development and if Beeline do so, it is really hard to compete because even Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City which are the most potential market of Vietnam, Beeline have to endeavor to survive. For diversification, this kind of services play a role as a contributor only and most of the telecommunication company create their own supply, so that Beeline could hardly to do so. Making a new product seems to  be hard for Beeline because they have to maintain their style and corporate image. Thus, just do what you are best. At the moment, there are some strategies which is work for Beeline like Cost leadership or differentiation (for different services). However, when Beeline success like Viettel, cost leadership will not necessary like Viettel in the past, they launch out many cheap services but now it rarely has new promotion. 2. Strategic plan Implementation is most difficult part which every company faces. Making a plan is easy but when they implement it, they will face many unexpected problem like physical risks (an manager may got an accident, etc) or business risks, financial risks, natural risks, etc. As a result, there need to be a detail plan and closely control system. This plan will be taken charged by the management board as well as every departments of the company. a. Management board Management board is the head of the company, so that Beeline needs to hire a professional person to take charge this position. First of all, the senior manager have to make a clear vision and mission as well as objectives for every department to explain deeply for them to work in the right direction. This is called envisioning. Apart from that, controlling and encouraging will ensure every department especially Marketing and Financial Department support each other and the manager also have to support them not only for professional issues but also ratify their plan. By recognizing contribution with fair wages and salaries, Beeline’s manager will not only motivate them for increasing productivity but also gaining their respect. Last but not least, in order to implement well, Beeline need to apply both intended (deliberate) and emergent (realize) strategies because by doing so, they will not only have clear and reality mission from the information gather from functional department but other department also have a clear mind about their mission to implement the strategy. For the managers, by creating the responsibility charts will help Beeline manager have a clear and logistic plan. A clear objectives, sub-objectives, general program and make an assumption will set a mile stone for the employees to achieve and also make a competitive environment when the manager utilize with his/her motivation program. b. Departments Working as a team is not about in a inside but also among departments together. Marketing department will take charge of making plan to build reputation and promote the profit of Beeline. However, Beeline cannot use all of their money for advertising. This is the time for financial department, the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) will calculate the cost of advertising and ask the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) to adjust the plan to match with the budget of the company. However, in order to have such a professional labor to do so, the Human resource department has to ask other department for their demanded labor. Base on that, the manager of HR department will seek and find the right person for that position especially the labor force for PR activities. There are others department which Beeline needs to concern but as a telecommunication provider, those three departments are the most important. c. Allocate resources As a contributor of mobile network, the human resource of Beeline need to be allocate most in the sales department while other professional one will place in the vital position (manager, team leaders). Moreover, Beeline also needs to contribute the services fairly between the southern and northern of Vietnam so as not face the overload problem in one territory. About financial issue, minimize expense by hiring the local people and maximize the profit because the local people know their customers best. Moreover, always checking the budget will help Beeline have a timely adjustment. All of the resource are available in the society both HR (in the society or university) and financial (bank, issuing share, etc). When Beeline become the one of the heavenly king of Vietnamese telecommunications market, they can have another network system to allocate the resource not only the urban areas but also the entire country. CONCLUSION This report has made a comprehensive evaluation of many strategies available for beeline. However, the most effective strategies which Beeline needs to take into consideration are market penetration and product development. Furthermore, not only the management board of Beeline must envision but also make sure every department support and working together as a team. REFERENCES * Product life cycle: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/product-life-cycle.html * Beeline VN information: * http://beeline.vn/vn/pages/news.aspx?id=72 * http://www.maivoo.com/2011/03/29/Suc-tang-truong-cua-thi-truong-vien-thong-manh-tro-lai-n324141.html * http://en.beeline.vn/en/pages/content.aspx?id=100 * http://ebrandium.com/thu-vien/marketing/mot-chien-luoc-tiep-thi-toan-dien-case-beeline-vietnam.html * http://vccinews.vn/?page=detail&folder=96&Id=276 http://vnexpress.net/gl/kinh-doanh/2009/08/3ba11ea3/ * Secondary data: * BPP Professional Education, 2004, Business Strategy, London: BPP Professional Education * BPP Professional Education, 2004, Business Environment, London: BPP Professional Education * Duc, Nguyen Anh (2010), â€Å"Marketing research of transmission and recommendations for VIETTEL† NEU’s MBA course. * Tuan, Doan Anh (2010), â€Å"Developing the services of Hanoi telecommunication company†, NEU’s MBA course. * General Statistic Office, 2011. Social – economic in 2010 [Online] Available at: http://www.gso.gov.vn/default.aspx?tabid=621&ItemID=10835 [Access: April 11, 2011] * Scribd.com, 2010. Beeline Vietnam marketing strategy [Online] http://www.scribd.com/doc/28790390/chi%E1%BA%BFn-l%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3c-markeeting-c%E1%BB%A7a-beeline * Binh, Vu Quoc (2011) â€Å"Bà ¡o cà ¡o vá »  tà ¬nh hà ¬nh và   nhá » ¯ng vá º ¥n Ä‘á »  Ä‘á º ·t ra trong phà ¡t triá »Æ'n kinh tá º ¿ xà £ há »â„¢i cá » §a thá » § Ä‘Ã ´ Hà   Ná »â„¢i và   cá º £ nÆ °Ã¡ »â€ºc nhá » ¯ng thà ¡ng Ä‘á º §u nÄÆ'm 2011; nhá » ¯ng kiá º ¿n nghá »â€¹, giá º £i phà ¡p† Hanoi researching socio-economic development study published. * Cuong, Vu Huy (2011) â€Å"Business strategy assignment 1† * Beeline strategies:

Sixteen Candles essays

Sixteen Candles essays The 1986 film Sixteen Candles tells a timeless tale of growing up in suburban America. The films star, Sam, played by Molly Ringwald, wakes up with big expectations on her sweet sixteenth birthday only to be completely disappointed. Not only does she find that she looks exactly the same as when she was fifteen, but her family is so preoccupied with her older sisters wedding that they forget her birthday altogether. The film opens with Sam on the phone with her best girlfriend Randy. She is examining herself in her full length mirror and is totally horrified to find that her body didnt magically transform overnight. She was hoping to wake up with a body just like Carolines. Caroline is the head cheerleader, prom queen, and girlfriend of the most popular boy in school, Jake Ryan. Sam is hopelessly in love with Jake and is convinced that he wont know she exists until she is more developed, more mature, more like Caroline. Little does she know, Jake does notice her. He is intrigued by a certain mispassed note containing some very personal information about Sams sex life (or lack of one). In this note, Sam confesses that she is a virgin (she has never done it) and is saving herself not for marriage, but for Jake Ryan. Jake finds himself wanting to get to know Sam and wanting a real relationship with someone like her, rather than with someone like Caroline. He knows Caroline doesnt love him, and he doesnt love her either. The only real reason theyre together is because hes the most popular boy at school and shes the most popular girl. Throughout the movie, Sam is preoccupied with becoming more like Caroline, while the real reason Jake is interested in her is because she is not like Caroline. By the end of the movie Sam learns a valuable lesson about being her own person and even gets the guy along the way. ...

Programming a Tic Tac Toe Game in Visual Basic

Programming a Tic Tac Toe Game in Visual Basic Programming computer games may be the most technically challenging (and possibly the best paying) job that a programmer can have. Top level games require the best from both programmers and computers. Visual Basic 6 has now been thoroughly bypassed as a platform for game programming. (It never really was one. Even in the good ol days, serious game programmers would never use a high-level language like VB 6 because you just couldnt get the cutting edge performance that most games require.) But the simple Tic Tac Toe game is a great introduction to programming that is a little more advanced than Hello World! This is a great introduction to many of the fundamental concepts of programming since it combines techniques including: The use of arrays. The X and O markers are kept in separate arrays and the entire arrays are passed between functions to keep track of the progress of the game.Using VB 6 level graphics: VB 6 doesnt offer great graphical capability, but the game is a good introduction to what is available. Much of the rest of this series is an exploration of how GDI, the next generation of Microsoft graphics, replaces the VB 6 level graphics.Using math calculations for program control: The program uses clever modulo (Mod) and integer division calculations using the two-game marker arrays to determine when a three-element win has occurred. The class of programming in this article is perhaps just a little past the beginning level but it should be good for intermediate programmers. But lets start at an elementary level to illustrate some of the concepts and get you started with your Visual Basic game programming career. Even students more advanced than that may find that its slightly challenging to get the objects in the form just right. How to Play Tic Tac Toe If youve never played Tic Tac Toe, here are the rules. Two players alternate at placing Xs and Os into 3 x 3 playing field. Before the game starts, both players have to agree about who will go first and who will mark his moves with which symbol. After the first move, the players alternately place their marks in any empty cell. The goal of the game is to be the first player with three marks in a horizontal, diagonal or vertical line. If there are no empty cells and neither player has a winning combination, the game is a draw. Starting the Program Before starting any actual coding, its always a good idea to change the names of any components you use. Once you start coding, the name will be used automatically by Visual Basic so you want it to be the right name. Well use the form name frmTicTacToe and well also change the caption to About Tic Tac Toe. With the form established, use the line toolbox control to draw a 3 x 3 grid. Click the line tool, then draw a line where you want it. Youll have to create four lines this way and adjust their length and position to make them look right. Visual Basic also has some convenient tools under the Format menu that will help. This is a great chance to practice with them. In addition to the playing grid, well need some objects for the X and O symbols that will be placed on the grid. Since there are nine spaces in the grid, well create an object array with nine spaces, called elements in Visual Basic. There are several ways to do just about everything in the Visual Basic development environment, and creating control arrays is is no exception. Probably the easiest way is to create the first label (click and draw just like the line tool), name it, set all of the attributes (such as Font and ForeColor), and then make copies of it. VB 6 will ask if you want to create a control array. Use the name lblPlayGround for the first label. To create the other eight elements of the grid, select the first label object, set the Index property to zero, and press CTRLC (copy). Now you can press CTRLV (paste) to create another label object. When you copy objects like this, each copy will inherit all properties except Index from the first one. Index will increase by one for each copy. This is a control array because they all have the same name, but different index values. If you create the array this way, all of the copies will be stacked on top of each other in the upper left corner of the form. Drag each label to one of the playing grid positions. Be sure that index values are sequential in the grid. The logic of the program depends on it. The label object with index value 0 should be in the top left corner, and the bottom right label should have index 8. If the labels cover the playing grid, select each label, right-click, and select Send to Back. Since there are eight possible ways to win the game, well need eight different lines to show the win on the playing grid. You will use the same technique to create another control array. First, draw the line, name it linWin, and set the Index property to zero. Then use copy-paste technique to produce seven more lines. The following illustration shows how to set the index numbers correctly. In addition to the label and line objects, you need some command buttons to play the game and more labels to keep score. The steps to create these are not detailed here, but these are the objects you need. Two button objects: cmdNewGamecmdResetScore Frame object fraPlayFirst containing two option buttons: optXPlayeroptOPlayer Frame object fraScoreBoard containing six labels. Only lblXScore and lblOScore are changed in the program code. lblXlblXScorelblOlblOScorelblMinuslblColon Finally, you also need the label object lblStartMsg to mask the cmdNewGame button when it shouldnt be clicked. This isnt visible in the illustration below because it occupies the same space in the form as the command button. You may have to move the command button temporarily to draw this label on the form. So far, no VB coding has been done, but were finally ready to do that. Initialization Now you get to finally start coding the program. If you havent already, you might want to download the source code to follow along as the operation of the program is explained. One of the first design decisions to make is how to keep track of the current state of the game. In other words, what are the current Xs and Os on the playing grid and who moves next. The concept of state is critical in a lot of programming, and in particular, its important in programming ASP and ASP.NET for the web There are several ways that this could be done, so its a critical step in the analysis. If you were solving this problem on your own, you might want to draw a flowchart and try out different options with scratch paper before starting any coding. Variables Our solution uses two two-dimensional arrays because that helps keep track of state by simply changing the array indexes in program loops. The state of the top-left corner will be in the array element with index (1, 1), the top-right corner will be in (1, 3), the bottom-right in (3,3), and so forth. The two arrays that do this are: iXPos(x, y) and iOPos(x, y) There are a lot of different ways this can be done and the final VB.NET solution in this series shows you how to do it with just a single one-dimensional array. The programming to translate these arrays into player win decisions and visible displays in the form are on the next page. You also need a few global variables as follows. Notice that these are in the General and Declarations code for the form. This makes them module level variables that can be referenced anywhere in the code for this form. For more on this, check Understanding the Scope of Variables in Visual Basic Help. There are two areas where variables are initialized in our program. First, a few variables are initialized while the form frmTicTacToe is loading. Private Sub Form_Load() Second, before each new game, all variables that need to be reset to starting values are assigned in an initialization subroutine. Sub InitPlayGround() Note that the form load initialization also calls the playground initialization. One of the critical skills of a programmer is the ability to use the debugging facilities to understand what the code is doing. You can use this program to try: Stepping through the code with the F8 keySetting a watch on key variables, such as sPlaySign or iMoveSetting a breakpoint and querying the value of variables. For example, in the inner loop of the initialization: lblPlayGround((i - 1) * 3 j - 1).Caption Note that this program clearly shows why its a good programming practice to keep data in arrays whenever possible. If you did not have arrays in this program, you would have to write code something like this: Line0.Visible FalseLine1.Visible FalseLine2.Visible FalseLine3.Visible FalseLine4.Visible FalseLine5.Visible FalseLine6.Visible FalseLine7.Visible False instead of this: For i 0 To 7linWin(i).Visible FalseNext i Making a Move If any part of the system can be thought of as the heart, its subroutine lblPlayGround_Click. This subroutine is called every time a player clicks the playing grid. (Clicks must be inside one of the nine lblPlayGround elements.) Notice that this subroutine has an argument: (Index As Integer). Most of the other event subroutines, like cmdNewGame_Click() do not. Index indicates which label object has been clicked. For example, index would contain the value zero for the top-left corner of the grid and the value eight for the bottom-right corner. After a player clicks a square in the game grid, the command button to start another game, cmdNewGame, is turned on by making it visible. The state of this command button does double duty because its also used as a boolean decision variable later in the program. Using a property value as a decision variable is usually discouraged because if it ever becomes necessary to change the program (say, for example, to make the cmdNewGame command button visible all the time), then the program will unexpectedly fail because you might not remember that its also used as part of the program logic. For this reason, its always a good idea to search through program code and check the use of anything you change when doing program maintenance, even property values. This program violates the rule partly to make this point and partly because this is a relatively simple piece of code where its easier to see what is being done and avoid problems later. A player selection of a game square is processed by calling the GamePlay subroutine with Index as the argument. Processing the Move First, you check to see if an unoccupied square was clicked. If lblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption Then Once were sure this is a legitimate move, the move counter (iMove) is incremented. The next two lines are very interesting since they translate the coordinates from the one-dimensional If lblPlayGround component array to two-dimensional indexes that you can use in either iXPos or iOPos. Mod and integer division (the backslash) are mathematical operations that you dont use every day, but heres a great example showing how they can be very useful. Â  If lblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption TheniMove iMove 1x Int(xo_Move / 3) 1y (xo_Move Mod 3) 1 The xo_Move value 0 will be translated to (1, 1), 1 to (1, 2) ... 3 to (2, 1) ... 8 to (3, 3). The value in sPlaySign, a variable with module scope, keeps track of which player made the move. Once the move arrays are updated, the label components in the playing grid can be updated with the appropriate sign. If sPlaySign O TheniOPos(x, y) 1iWin CheckWin(iOPos())ElseiXPos(x, y) 1iWin CheckWin(iXPos())End IflblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption sPlaySign For example, when the X player clicks the top left corner of the grid, variables will have the following values: The user screen shows only an X in the upper left box, while the iXPos has a 1 in the upper left box and 0 in all of the others. The iOPos has 0 in every box. The values changes when the O player clicks the center square of the grid. Now th iOPos shows a 1 in the center box while the user screen shows an X in the upper left and an O in the center box. The iXPos shows only the 1 in the upper left corner, with 0 in all of the other boxes. Now that you know where a player clicked, and which player did the clicking (using the value in sPlaySign), all you have to do is find out if someone won a game and figure out how to show that in the display. Finding a Winner After each move, the CheckWin function checks for the winning combination. CheckWin works by adding down each row, across each column and through each diagonal. Tracing the steps through CheckWin using Visual Basics Debug feature can be very educational. Finding a win is a matter of first, checking whether three 1s were found in each of the individual checks in the variable iScore, and then returning a unique signature value in Checkwin that is used as the array index to change the Visible property of one element in the linWin component array. If there is no winner, CheckWin will contain the value -1. If there is a winner, the display is updated, the scoreboard is changed, a congratulation message is displayed, and the game is restarted. Lets go through one of the checks in detail to see how it works. The others are similar. Check Rows for 3For i 1 To 3iScore 0CheckWin CheckWin 1For j 1 To 3iScore iScore iPos(i, j)Next jIf iScore 3 ThenExit FunctionEnd IfNext i The first thing to notice is that the first index counter i counts down the rows while the second j counts across the columns. The outer loop, then simply moves from one row to the next. The inner loop counts the 1s in the current row. If there are three, then you have a winner. Notice that you also keep track of the total number of squares tested in the variable CheckWin, which is the value passed back when this function terminates. Each winning combination will end up with a unique value in CheckWin from 0 to 7 which is used to select one of the elements in the linWin() component array. This makes the order of the code in function CheckWin important too! If you moved one of the blocks of loop code (like the one above), the wrong line would be drawn on the playing grid when someone wins. Try it and see! Finishing Details The only code not yet discussed is the subroutine for a new game and the subroutine that will reset the score. The rest of the logic in the system makes creating these quite easy. To start a new game, you have only to call the InitPlayGround subroutine. As a convenience for players since the button could be clicked in the middle of a game, you ask for confirmation before going ahead. You also ask for confirmation before restarting the scoreboard.