My Belief

Jounal What is My Belief? Belief is something inspirational that encourages others to progress and work towards self-improvement. That is especially important for today’s youth and can play an important role in shaping our society. Beliefs can influence a young one’s values, conviction, and attitudes, which will shape the person that one will grow to be. That has the ability to focus that efforts on others rather than on themselves and inspire others not only by their words, but more so by it actions that move us to do the same.Beliefs help others by offering good examples, by inspiring others realize the endless possibilities to reach our goals, and by moving others to be the best that I can be. In my opinion, parents are the most effective and influential role models in the lives of their children. The youth of society can learn from, and aspire to be like their parents as they are being reared in their childhood years. Fathers and mothers strive to teach their childr en important values and beliefs as well as demonstrate attitudes and behaviors considered appropriate and beneficial for society’s well-being.Something that has been the strong belief in my life is love of my parents as family. Because my role models are my parents and they possess the quality of good parents. I know they are not perfect, but they carry the virtue and quality of a parent that everyone could wish for. My parents are very responsible, good providers, committed to their duties and responsibilities, loving and determined in pursuing their plans to nurture us with good values and norms so that we will became responsible, well-disciplined, and God-loving. And they also taught us to love others, as we grow old.Now I want to explain several lessons about why the loves of my parents are strong belief to me. First of all, I remember when I was young, my parents made sure that they provided us with what we needed and they do their best, even in the midst of hardships. E specially, my dad has always taught me that I have to work my hardest for whatever I want in life. My dad had me with his wife, my mother, when he was twenty-five. My parents had very little money to raise me on their own, so my dad went to work right away to help support his family.He gave up all his freedom and the fun on a young’s life to help support his family. My dad has been working at least two jobs at a time since the age of twenty-five. They didn’t stop or even pause in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities as parents they always seek a solution or find ways to keep our life better and meaningful. Second, my parents always show and teach us the good values so that we can past it on to the next generation. They are always there to support us in our endeavor and in pursuing our dreams.They are very supportive especially when I need to decide on my own, they are always there on my side, not to be hindered in my plans but instead to give advice and support that I needed most. At a point when I was failing in a subject of 12th standard, third, as I was not very good in academics. My parent then had a long conversation with me about life; they told me that it would be smarter if I will study hard because it would be easier for me to get a job and earn more money, and that this was the best way I could help the family.They always tell us about what they went through because of not having the chance to concentrate on studies at all and â€Å"Only you can change your life. No one can do it for you†. By telling us this, they want us to take advantage of what we have to have a better future. But what got my parents to where they is today was not from being lazy by no means but working hard and driving himself to become something better than what they was and to achieve them dreams. My parents don’t only give advice about having a good future but also about morals.They always tell us that if I order for people to respect us, we have to respect them at all times. To him having good morals is really important because not only does it make us do the right thing but also they will help us succeed in life. Therefore, I should thank God for met my parents. Fourth, my parents are a real understanding person. they gives me the best advice I can get and that is why I think my parents have given me the best emotional support I can receive. My parents have also been the best role model for me.They have thought me not to worry about what others might think or say about me, as long as I’m doing the right thing. They have shown me that being humble and warm hearted could win more love then being filled with superficial materials. They also teach me to stand up for what I believe in no matter what the case is. They have though me that no mountain is high enough. Those are a few reasons why they are an excellent role model in my life. In conclusion, here are some of the reasons on how my parents have impacted my l ife and how the love made an impact in society too.My parents are my role model because I want to be like them, the way they nurtured me. And my parents have also taught me that to be a person in the future, it will give other the hope and desire by saying it ‘I can do it so you can’, my parents make sure that they are on my side in every step of the way of our life. To me the love of my parents are my strongest beliefs because I want to be like them, the way they nurtured us. Furthermore, they always tell me that if I order for people to respect us we have to respect them at all times. This saying always makes me strong.

Problem gambling Essay

She took one last look out the window as they drove away, the tears streaming down her face. At the age of four, her world had fallen apart. Karina’s life started out as a perfect middle-class family, and soon turned into a broken mess. They had everything, a perfect house in a really nice part of the city, a nice car; everything was wonderful. As Karina got older, she began to notice things weren’t perfect. Her dad was never there. He was always out gambling in one way or another. â€Å"As time progressed we lost the car, and other possessions due to my dad’s gambling problem. It’s not only about gambling and the money. When people gamble, they do other stupid things, he had an affair. My parents decided to get a divorce. My dad didn’t argue, in fact he said that for the safety of our family it would probably be better because a lot of people were angry at him for what he owed them. It was all because of gambling and snowballed into a mess that could have been really dangerous for my mom and me had we stayed around. I’m sad that my life played out in that way at such a young age, and it’s very unfortunate. I know that if he wouldn’t have had gambling around none of those things would have taken place and we would probably still be the family that we were, but unfortunately that’s not how it played out. † Although many people think that legalizing gambling will have a great effect on the economy, I think the negative effects are much more evident. People’s views on subjects often have to do with their ethics. Ethics, as defined by Seiler and Beall, are an individual’s system of moral principles. My ethics lead me to believe that gambling is wrong because I was raised to believe that my family is more important than economic wealth. As it is evident in the story above, gambling can have a major negative effect on someone’s life, and so it is too much of a risk to legalize this dangerous game. Three main reasons that gambling should be kept illegal are that gambling creates tension among the family members, gambling increases crime in the society, and the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome. The first reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. Even though gambling might, in some cases, bring money into the state and local economies, there are side effects to having a casino down the street. Forshey (1998) states, â€Å"The gambling jobs, taxes, and recreational values provided by the industry cannot compensate for the social pain-in the form of bankruptcies, white-collar crime, divorce, a compromised political process, an increase in alcoholism-it inflicts. † The drain of a working person’s money that wager’s his or her paycheck and loses is not compensated with the amount of jobs a casino brings to a community. Gambling is a greedy industry that produces nothing more than empty hopes, empty dreams and empty wallets. Anderson states, â€Å"Proponents argue that state lotteries are an effective way to raise taxes painlessly. But the evidence shows that legalized gambling often hurts those who are poor and disadvantaged. † Without casino gambling, many local citizens would spend their money on groceries or clothes, instead of reducing their savings on gambling. As William Thompson states in his article â€Å"Gambling: A Controlling Substance,† It [gambling] is a pleasure, like other entertainment, but in that regard, it is an expensive pleasure. † Thompson then continues with this thought: â€Å"Politicians must recognize that the benefits of gambling are bounded by market structures. Gambling money does not grow on trees. It comes out of the pockets or real people, who otherwise would have spent it on something else. † All of this evidence shoes that gambling should be kept illegal because it creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. A second reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling increases the amount of crime within a society. Gambling often becomes associated with crime, a relationship that seems quite understandable. Not only does gambling continue to be illegal in some forms which makes it a crime to participate in, but also the second half of the issue occurs when gambling increases the amount of street crime in a surrounding area. Crime rates have been significantly higher in places that allow gambling. Kindt states, â€Å"Atlantic City showed a jump in crime when gambling was legalized. The city went from 50th in the nation in per capita crime to first. Problem gamblers may also become more likely to have financial troubles and use illegal activities as a way to pay off their debts and keep up their unhealthy habit. † This graphic shows a report done by the U. S. Department of Justice studied people that were arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines, Iowa. The results show many connections between gambling and crime. â€Å"More than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines reported having committed a robbery within the past year, nearly double the percentage for low-risk gamblers. Nearly one-third admitted that they had committed the robbery to pay for gambling or to pay gambling debts. In addition, about 13 perfect said they had assaulted someone to get money. † As is evident, gambling should be kept illegal because it increases the amount of crime within a society. We will now look at the last reason why gambling should be kept illegal. Finally, a third reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. Some people argue that if a person wants to gamble badly enough they will do it. They say that one will be able to control his or herself and only gamble when it’s appropriate, but gambling is an addiction that some people can’t escape. The addiction is a nationwide problem, and as much a part of gambling as the dice. As an article in the Omaha World Herald states, â€Å"Problem gambling is the urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequence or the desire to stop, and pathological gambling involves wagering to such excess that it has a severe negative effect on the gambler’s life. † Getting hooked on gambling comes mainly from the action and thrill, an experience chemically the same as those with inhaled substances. They fall under the spell of action. Action is an aroused, joyous state involving excitement, tension, and anticipation of the outcome of a gambling event. It is the thrill of living on the edge. Gambling has little to do with money and everything to do with the feelings of a gambler. William Thompson states, â€Å"People will lie to themselves, also in calculating the money because they don’t want to tell themselves that they were foolish about gambling. † Problem gamblers describe gambling as â€Å"highs† similar to that experienced from many drug substances. Some experience these sensations when just thinking about gambling. How is a person supposed to avoid gambling if he or she is constantly being surrounded with opportunities to place bets and be involved in the â€Å"action†? As Frey suggests casinos increase the number of problem gamblers, and make it that much more difficult to stop for those already addicted. In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. Pathological gamblers were twice as likely to describe their general health as fair to poor over the past two years and were more likely to acknowledge mental or emotional problems. Rates of alcohol and drug dependence, job loss, and bankruptcy were also significantly higher for pathological gamblers relative to non-gamblers. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å" Almost 20 percent of the people diagnosed as pathological gamblers file for bankruptcy compared to the less than 5 percent of those in the general population. † Percentage of Population with Gambling Problems In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. As is evident in this bar graph the amount of people with gambling disorders has greatly increased. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å"Recent studies have found that approximately 2 percent of Americans have had severe levels of disordered gambling at some point in their lifetime. Alarmingly, the rate in the Mid-South is even higher. Studies with Mississippi and Louisiana reveal that about 5 percent of the residents in Mississippi have a gambling problem, while in New Orleans, Louisiana 8 percent of the population reported significant problems because of their gambling. † Gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is too great for many, even adolescents to overcome. According to Welte, Barnes, Tidwell, and Hoffman, â€Å"Over 2% of U. S. adolescents have experienced problem gambling (i. e. , sub-clinical pathological gambling) in the past year. Females have a . 1% problem gambling rate, and males a 4. 2% problem gambling rate within the past year. † If we don’t put a stop to this now the future of pathological gambling will continue. Regrettably, these pathological gamblers will most likely have to deal with many adverse life events because of their addiction. Many problem gamblers are under so much stress, they commit domestic violence or suicide. There are other, less dangerous ways to find entertainment. So many people suffer every day from their addiction to gambling. The United States should put a stop by banning the gambling industry, and therefore eliminating the harmful side effects of legalized gambling. All of this evidence shows that gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is far too great for some people to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. The negative effects of gambling out-weigh the positive. The tension created among family members, increased crime in society, and the addiction resulting in psychological problems are just too great of a risk for the people of our society to undergo. So the next time you walk into a casino, remember Karina’s story and how the gambling may affect your life, because even if you’re willing to take the chance, odds are the negative effects of gambling will leave you unlucky in life. It is important for all of you to take note of the consequences and refrain from gambling. Staying away from the dangers of gambling, and setting an example to others is extremely important. No matter what type of personality you have, you can be an influence to others and help stop the spread of gambling all over the nation. I want to challenge you that if you know someone that gambles or you yourself gamble share what you know about gambling and try to put a stop to the habit! References: * Anderson, K. Gambling. Gambling Probe Ministries.Retrieved October 31, 2001 from http://www. probe. org/site/c. fdKEIMNsEoG/b. 4219137/k. C8BD/Gambling. htm * Brandt, K. (Personal communication, October 21, 2011) * Forshey, G. E. (1998). Lonely crusade: Fighting the Gambling Industry. The Christian Century. Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com/hww/results/getResults. jhtml? _DARGS=/hww/results/results_common. jhtml. 35 * Kindt, J. (1994). The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling Activities. Drake Law Review, 40 (1), 50-87. Retrieved October 26, 2011 from https://www.ideals. illinois. edu/handle/2142/16297 * Meyers, A. Whelan, J. Weinstock. (June 1998). Gambling: When it is not a Game Anymore. Business Perspectives, 16-22. Retrieved October 27, 2011 from http://www. allbusiness. com/specialty-businesses/291076-1. html * Problem Gambling: Be aware of warning signs. Omaha World Herald. (March, 19, 2010). Retrieved October 23, 2011 from Library. * Seiler, W. J. and Beall, M. L. (2009). Communication and Ethical Behavior. In Communication: Making Connections (8th Ed) (pp. 8-9). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Allyn.

Abortion Is a Form of Murder

Each year, two out of every one hundred women aged fifteen to forty-four have an abortion, 48 % of them have had at least one previous abortion and 61% percent have had a previous birth. This means that these women understand the joy of a baby being born, and still choose to take away their privilege to live. They’ve carried these children before and know the happiness of seeing their own healthy child in their arms for the first time. Why then, when they know they are creating a new life inside of them, do they choose to deprive their child the right to live and experience everything life has to offer? They willingly decide to kill that child and decide to have an abortion. Hence, abortion should be illegal because one is committing an inhumane act by killing an innocent child inside the mother’s womb. The reasons included are abortion is a form of murder, causes many psychological issues, other means of contraceptives are available, legal view against abortion, is very costly, and abortion can cause medical complications. â€Å"Abortion is a form of murder and demeans the value of human life. When a mother is carrying a child, she does not say â€Å"oh, the fetus kicked† or â€Å"oh, the mass of cells that hasn’t become a person kicked†, the mother says â€Å"the baby kicked† (Balanced Politics). After contraception the baby is considered alive and a human. According to â€Å"The Official Senate report on Senate Bill 158†, the â€Å"Human Life Bill†, says that conception marks the beginning of the human life of a human being- a being that is alive and a member of the human species. The life of the baby begins right away; one cannot take that away and kill the baby. Everything that determines the individuality and originality of a person is established at conception. The first single cell contains the entire genetic blueprint of the human being. Abortion ends the innocent life of a baby. From conception, the new human conceived deserves the full protection of the law just as any other person does. Abortion causes many psychological issues not only to the mother, but also to the family. Many women who have an abortion in their younger years end up living the rest of their lives in permanent guilt. Even if the mother is fine with aborting the child, the father may not be. The father might want to keep the baby, but he thinks he has no legal alternative if the mother chooses abortion. Why should he suffer for the decision the mother makes? Abortion causes damage to everyone. In a study of post-abortion patients only 8 weeks after their abortion, researchers found that 44% complained of nervous disorders, 36% had experienced sleep disturbances, 31% had regrets about their decision, and 11% had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. Since many post-aborted women use repression as a coping mechanism, there may be a long period of denial before a woman seeks psychiatric care (Major Psychological Sequelae of Abortion). These repressed feelings may cause illnesses and psychiatric or behavioral issues in other areas of the mother’s life. As a result, some counselors report that unacknowledged post-abortion distress is the main factor in many of their female patients, even though their patients have come to them seeking therapy for seemingly unrelated problems. Also, women may experience abortion as a traumatic event. Many are forced into unwanted abortions by husbands, boyfriends, parents, or others. If the woman has repeatedly been a victim of domineering abuse, such an unwanted abortion may be perceived as the ultimate violation in a life characterized by abuse. Other women, no matter how compelling the reasons they have for seeking an abortion, may still perceive the termination of their pregnancy as the violent killing of their own child. The fear, anxiety, pain, and guilt associated with abortion all cause damage to the motherand anyone who is associated with the baby being aborted (Major Psychological Sequelae of Abortion). Women have the right to treat their bodies however they want, but there are other means of birth control that are much more suitable; abortion should be a last resort option and even then only if it is absolutely necessary. If a woman does not want to become pregnant, she should avoid this with some sort of contraception or abstinence. There are many ways that a woman can prevent pregnancy, the most common of which being a birth control pill that generally must be taken once a day. If a woman accidentally becomes pregnant she can choose to put the child up for adoption, take the morning after pill, which is generally a stronger dose of a birth control pill, or use a copper intrauterine device, which must be inserted within five days of conception in order to work properly. If they find out too late to use either the morning after pill or to use a CID, they should make the right choice and put the child up for adoption. A big mistake that most people think is that the morning after pill is the same thing has having an abortion because you are killing the baby, but the pill kills the sperm before it conceives the egg and is not actually killing the baby. About 1. 5 million American families want to adopt children, and women have up to nine months to decide where and who they want to raise their child. It is a win-win situation for the mother because she does not have to kill her baby if she does not want the child; instead she is doing a good thing by giving up the child for adoption. Rape and incest victims should take the morning after pill to prevent a pregnancy if they do not want it to occur, or put the child up for adoption. It is understandable for the mother to not want to go through with the birth because she wants to forget about the incident, but it is a much better alternative to abortion and a much safer one. The only situation where abortion is understandable is when the mother is in danger of dying because of giving birth to the baby. This happens in ectopic pregnancies, where the fetus begins developing outside of the womb. In this situation the mother can resort to abortion, because her life is in danger. The baby has a zero change of living also (Balanced Politics). There are many legal arguments that support not having an abortion. A good example of a case is of Roe v. Wade, which allows abortion seven months into pregnancy. It violates the standard of legal reasoning. The Supreme Court made a decision on not to decide when life began. It overturned state laws that protected the unborn and has resulted in over 30 million abortions (roughly the population of Canada) in the United States. The Supreme Court clearly stated that it does not know when life begins and then violated the very spirit of this legal principle by acting as if it just proved that no life existed in the womb. A crucial role of government is to protect life. Government cannot remove a segment of the human population from its protection without adequate justification. For example,† A hunter who hears rustling in the bushes shouldn't fire until he knows what is in the bushes. Likewise, a Court which doesn't know when life begins should not declare open season on the unborn. † (Arguments Against Abortion). Abortion is extremely expensive and tax money should not support this horrible act. The First trimester procedures run about $500-1000. Second trimester procedures cost $600-10,000. People have the right to see where their tax money is going. Abortion is a medical procedure that must be performed by a doctor. The government contributes to many health care institutions such as Healthcare for the Homeless, Planned Parenthood, free clinics, etc. Planned Parenthood, through promoting abortion, has killed far more people than the Third Reich did. It is the most efficient mass-murder machine ever devised, and is funded by our federal tax dollars. It may not use our tax money to abort babies but our taxes buy and maintain the office, hire the personnel, and pay for the counseling that leads to the abortion. Everyone who pays taxes has the right to prevent their money from going to these institutions that commit murder by killing an innocent child (Abortion And Your Taxes). Abortion also causes various medical complications to the mother. Some complications include blocked fallopian tubes, weakened cervix, uterine scarring, and damage to the mother’s reproductive system, which may make her unable to conceive in the future. Women may also face the increase in the probability of tubal babies, hysterectomies, miscarriages, still births, and premature deaths. Abortion increases the chance of breast, uterine, and cervical cancer. â€Å"During a women’s pregnancy a surge of hormone, estrogen, causes the breast cells to divide, become more mature and secrete milk† (Anti-Abortion Arguments). During this process of cell division they are more susceptible to cancer causing agents. If the woman has an abortion, the natural process is interrupted and her breast cells will remain immature. Also, not all abortions are 100% hygienically clean, which may create a leeway for hundreds of types of infections for the mother. For example, if the mother cannot afford a proper abortion, and has an abortion in a dangerous location or environment it can be harmful because the proper tools are not being used and they might not be properly sanitized (Anti-Abortion Arguments). In conclusion, abortion should be illegal due to the specific reasons mentioned in the above paragraphs. Abortion is a very harmful process which could in the end harm not only the mother, but the father too. Killing a human is never what someone should decide on doing; instead they should consider giving the baby up for adoption. The mother carrying the child should realize that there are a lot of other options available for her and she does not have to kill a human if she does not want the baby. If a woman has been raped, she should take the morning after pill and it will help her have a less of a chance of being pregnant. In the end the guilt of killing a human will never leave the mother. Why live with that guilt feeling when one knows there are many other options out there instead of killing an innocent baby?

Painting and sculpture gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Painting and sculpture gallery - Essay Example The extent of the material elasticity greatly determines its stability under such a load. Continuous increase in the load applied to a structural element lead to an increased deformation. There is a limit reached where the material loses it elastic nature. This limit is refereed to as the elastic limit. Further stretching of the structural member beyond this limit results to permanent deformation of the material. Beyond the point of elasticity, hooks law ceases to apply, the material behaves in a plastic manner, plastic material do not return to their original shape after the load has been removed. At yield point the material may collapse. It is upon the structural engineer to perform comprehensive calculation of the loads applied to a building and come up with a suitable structure to resist the calculated load. There are two types of loads. There is the live and dead load. Structural elements are also subjected to compressive loads. This causes a decrease in the original size of these elements and a consequent increase in the cross-sectional area of the element. A compressive force in a building affects structural elements such as columns, struts and beams. Excessive compressive forces results to the buckling of these structural materials. The designer must calculate these compressive load and select materials that can withstand buckling.Creep is another structural effect that affects materials used in building and construction; udder creep the material is slowly and progressively deformed. This mainly occurs when structural members are subjected to high temperatures, continuous vibration from heavy machines and repeated cyclic stress. Creep leads to the gradual sagging of ties and beams and the loosening of bolts use... Tension, which is the degree of material deformation due to the material being subjected to a pulling force results changes in shape of the ties that are used during the construction of trusses, the tension should be accurately calculated to ensure that the deformation on the structural members does not exceed the yield point.Structural elements are subjected to compressive loads. This causes a decrease in the original size of these elements and a consequent increase in the cross-sectional area of the element. A compressive force in a building affects structural elements such as columns, struts and beams. Excessive compressive forces results to the buckling of these structural materials. The designer must calculate these compressive load and select materials that can withstand buckling. Creep is another structural effect that affects materials used in building and construction; udder creep the material is slowly and progressively deformed. This mainly occurs when structural members a re subjected to high temperatures, continuous vibration from heavy machines and repeated cyclic stress. Creep leads to the gradual sagging of ties and beams and the loosening of bolts use to join the structural elements. The designer has therefore to take into account such unnoticeable changes that may lead to rapture of the material. Creep lead to material fracture. The progressive fracture of material leads to fatigue and finally the material fails.

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Research Paper - 1

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security - Research Paper Example Basically, social media marketing involves the use of social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to market products and services. Given the personalized nature of the social networks, social media marketing provides marketers with the ability to personalize their advertising in a way that meets the needs of the targeted audience and hence is a bet means of advertising (Smith, 2010). The use of social media marketing has gained a lot of recognition in the recent past due to the various flexibilities and the increased number of audience that comes with it. Social media marketing is considerable cost effective in comparison to other traditional modes of marketing. The moment an advertisement has been operationalized over the social media, it becomes easy to woo customers to do many things, including making orders, placing recommendations or visiting the website of the marketer. Because the social media is already an attraction, marketers do not need to market their products and services directly, but take advantage of the influence of the social media to attract customers to their products and services (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). ... People only visit such websites when they are interested in them. However, the case with social media is different. People frequent them to cat up with friends, watch new videos or post status update. In the process, however, they can click on advertisements that concern them. Social media marketing, is thus initiated by the users themselves and the marketer only has to post the advert while leaving the rest to the potential customers (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing Most businesses have adopted the use of social media marketing because of the benefits that come with it, particularly the increased ability of organizations to build brand recognition. Organizations have adopted social media marketing because it allows them build their brands and their businesses. It gives them ability to eavesdrop while pressing the big digital ear up against the computer screen (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Social media marketing provides a rare opportunit y of getting immediate feedback about products and services and their performance in the market. Besides, they provide organization with more information about their competitors and other information relevant the performance of the organizations. Organizations that take their time to response and correct all the concerns about their products are in a good position to harvest huge benefits from social media advertising (Drury, 2008). However, like all other good things, social marketing has a downside. Among all the advertising channels, social marketing offers the longest odds. Social marketing becomes a tall order because of the channel itself. It is big and very authoritative, but not under the marketers direct and absolute control. In some

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Management - Essay Example Successful organizations tend to such things and hence positive results follow. The organization that I have chosen is TESCO, which is a well diversified company working in many different ventures and has created a great deal of value in the eyes of their customer. Tesco’s Mission statement and Aim The mission that Tesco wants to achieve is ‘creating value for customers, to earn their lifetime loyalty.’ Tesco holds values which give priority to the customers, their wants, requirements and expectations. It sets principles which motivate innovation and strategies to initiate programs and introduce services which the loyal customers expect to have. Tesco believes in the principle, ‘treat people how we will like to be treated.’ It emphasizes an organizational environment where respect, mutuality, collaborative work and sharing is highly regarded. It provides clear aims of satisfying customers and the employees are given guidelines on achieving these aims (Tesco plc). Marketing Mix – TESCO The main function of marketing is to satisfy customer need profitably through an appropriate marketing mix. Marketing mix comprises product, price, place, promotion. Marketing mix is an important and strategically important concept. The 4P’s element in the marketing mix act substitutes for each other, hence they must be integrated e.g. higher quality of any particular product would lead to higher selling price being sought for it (Sandhusen, 2000). TESCO marketing mix in USA under the Fresh and Easy title is; Product Product element shows the product that a particular company is about to sell. TESCO, entered the USA market with a business well diversified from their core activities, under the brand name of Fresh and Easy, TESCO opened up a grocery store to sell up grocery related products, proper branding was done under the Fresh and Easy label to make customer aware of the presence of a different brand. Fresh and Easy was not profita ble initially when it was launched in 2007 in the U.S.A. later on it provided favorable results and it is expected that by the mid of year 2010 it would turn around as a good profitable venture. Price TESCO approached an aggressive pricing strategy to grab its market share. It went on to give its customers ready meals i.e. selling high value meals at fraction of the normal cost. This pricing strategy would be considered Penetration Pricing i.e. to charge lower prices than that of competitors to achieve early market share. Place Place deals with how product is distributed and how it reaches its final customers. Fresh and Easy had to absorb heavy distribution cost as they had to build their own independent distribution channels. Logistics are an important feature as they determine the efficiency of the distribution system i.e. a warehouse close-by would make it easy and fast to make the product quickly available for the customer. Promotion Promotion is one factor of the marketing mix over which a company usually enjoys greater control. Promotion helps in increasing the knowledge and know-how about the product within its customers. Fresh

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

English - Essay Example The author carefully creates a controversial issue in this story where it can be seen that the storm is brewing in an otherwise happy family. The author tries to evoke the feelings of the readers to sympathise with Holly who is trapped in a difficult situation which has resulted in clashes of interests. For instance, she has to answer the phone call from Owen while at the same time attending to the needs and interests of the family such as preparing dinner for them. Therefore, Holly is supposed to balance between the needs of two separate but very important groups of people in her life. She cannot ignore her brother while at the same time she should also cater for the needs of her family as the mother. The author uses imagery to make the story more authentic. In order to show that Steven is not impressed by the behaviour of Owen he says, â€Å"He can’t sleep at night. Sometimes he sleeps during the day so it’s night for day for him† (160). The author tries to show how Steven is frustrated by these incessant calls which apparently are made between six and seven every day when wholly is supposed to be concentrating on family chores such as preparing dinner for them. Through the use of the above statement, the author tries to show that Owen wants his problem to belong to everyone. In Steven’s view, such calls should be made during the day when Holly is not very busy with family chores. Oats also uses imagery when Steven says to her wife, â€Å"He is eating you up alive,† (160). The readers are forced to imagine such a situation where a person is ‘eaten’ alive. Though unimaginable, the author tries to make the story vivid so that the rea ders can be in a position to imagine the dire situation Holly is in. Holly’s love for her brother is now jeopardizing her marriage since this is now creating unprecedented problems between her and the husband. Holly’s commitment to her brother Owen

Thomas Jefferson Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thomas Jefferson - Term Paper Example It reads however that Thomas Jefferson authored â€Å"of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia, and as he wished â€Å"not a word more† (The Declaration). Historians could want to add some more accomplishments as, for example, his distinction as a naturalist, linguist and as an architect yet in the main they would surely concur with Jefferson’s own assessment. The author of Declaration of American Independence was born in present day Albemarle County, Va., on 13 April, 1743. Although Jefferson himself treated lightly his ancestry his mother came from one of Virginian pioneer families; his father was a prosperous landowner yet not of the class the most wealthy planters. Between 1760 and 1762 Thomas Jefferson studied at the College of William and Mary. Seven years later he started building Monticello on the plot he had inherited from the father (Bennet, 23). Since 1774 when Jefferson wrote his firs political pamphlet, A Summary View of the Rights of British America his fame began to reach beyond his native state of Virginia. Debating on the basis of the theory of natural rights, Thomas Jefferson claimed that the colonies were not obliged to give allegiances to the king. He asserted that â€Å"the God who gave us life†¦ gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, yet can not disjoin them† (Peterson) After being elected to the Second Continental Congress held in Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson was appointed on 11 June, 1776 to preside at the committee of five in preparing the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was its primary author, though after consultation with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin the draft was amended substantively by the Congress. Based on the same theory of Natural rights that is contained in A Summary View, the Declaration of Independence brought Jefferson the

ECONOMICS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECONOMICS - Assignment Example The country’s urban population is also increasing (World Bank 20). Ethiopia covers an area of about 1,000,000 km2. Using the 2010 national population figures, we get a national population density of 85 people/km2. The level of economic development in Ethiopia is still low indicated by the 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.328% and low GDP of US$28,526.50 billion in 2009. The general standards of living are also low with 38.70% of the people living below a dollar. There is a high dependency ratio as is common among developing countries for example 86.5% in 2010. In 2008, 85.1% of the population lived without electricity. In 2010, its life expectancy was 56.1%, a figure that was common among other developing countries (World Bank 16). Difference between Ethiopia and other developing countries Unlike most developing countries, Ethiopia has a very large surface coverage. It emerges the second largest in Africa. According to (World Bank 20), the percentage of urban population in Ethiopia is below 20% unlike other developing countries. In 2010, these figures were 16.7% compared 35.4% and 38.4% in Guinea and Sierra Leone respectively in during the same year.

Position paper on Videogame or Media Violence Essay

Position paper on Videogame or Media Violence - Essay Example Human beings are naturally not inclined towards killing and violence. However, the increased rate of violent crimes within different societies suffices to suggest that there exists a motivation towards violent behavior. Children are exposed to violent and crime scenes in various media platforms. Grossman argues, â€Å"It begins at the age of eighteen months when a child can begin to mimic what is on television† (2). Children are exposed to these violent scenes at the time of cognitive development. This implies that their cognitive patterns follow a violent trail. Indeed, â€Å"some of them embrace violence and accept it as a normal and essential skill in a brutal new world† (Grossman 2). When these children grow up, the violent behavior is entrenched within them. Continual involvement of the brain in violent video games can cause a phenomenon similar to classical conditioning whereby the players react subconsciously to situations in a violent manner due to the conditioning. In fact, President Clinton, as quoted by Grossman (3) claimed, â€Å"these games teach young people to kill with all the precision of a military training program.† Since children are at their developmental stage, rigorous and continued active involvement in violent video games conditions their delicate brains to violence. The present development in technology has made it possible for video games to have realistic characters (Barlett and Rodeheffer 1). The scenes are a real reflection of the real world. This has been highlighted as one of the primary cause of violent behavior among children exposed to violent video games for a long time. Barlett and Rodeheffer (11) found out that â€Å"if one plays a realistic violent video game, there will be an initial increase in aggressive thoughts and arousal and in aggressive feelings.† This increases the possibilities of violent actions from the video games being replicated in

Michael Milken Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Michael Milken - Essay Example Immediately after paying this debt, he resumed his lifelong philanthropic activities. Milken has promised that he will someday write his side of the controversy; but for now he feels it's less productive to focus on the past than to be involved in supporting the effort to accelerate medical solutions. Interviewer: Michael, that paragraph quoted from your website seems to imply that you don't believe you did anything wrong, that it was all a vast conspiracy to bring you down. Since you don't believe what you did was wrong, could you tell us whether you would do it again provided you didn't get caught MM: Ohh, that's a loaded question. First off let me point out that I violated the law and I was fined and I was imprisoned for almost 2 years of my life. So yes, what I did violated the law. There is a wider question though, and that is, how do we define what is wrong And I think that's the point being made on the website. The fact is I'm the only person in the history of that legislation to be prosecuted under it. And though I know I'm a fairly unique guy, I don't for one minute believe that I'm the only person who has violated that legislation.

Thermopylae Speech Essay Example for Free

Thermopylae Speech Essay The battle at Thermopylae was a long awaited battle, after both powers Athens and Persia submitted to a 10 year inter-war period from 490BC to 480BC, in order to carefully prepare a second invasion from the Persian’s, following the humiliating defeat of Darius at marathon. Xerxes actions were motivated by revenge and the urge to burn Athens to the ground, just like Sardis, however he knew it would not be easy. The Persians spent multiple years recruiting new infantry from all areas of its Empire, gathering a total of 500,000 new soldiers,archers, cavalry and inmortals for the second invasion. Not only this, but Xerxes determination to conquer the Greeks was so great he ordered his engineers to build a Poonton consisting of 314 ships crossing the Hellospont for him and his troops. The Greeks received information regarding the numbers and desires of the Persians from spies they sent to Sardis, Xerxes headquarters. Having experience gained from previous Persian campaigns, they knew that in order to battle against such super power , they had to form alliances to fight for one common goal, despite the fact they belonged to different races and were organized into city-states. In Autum of 481 B.C. , A Pan-Hellenic meeting was held in Corinth , having 31 cities attending the meeting besides a few that did not. Unanimously Sparta was given leadership of the army and the fleet under the command of King Leonidas, although the general defense plan was commanded by the Athenian Themistocles, who foresaw the battle will be determined on the seas, if only the pass between Central to Southern Greece was guarded. Fighting in the open land would be fatal as they lacked cavalry units and were highly outnumbered, 3 to 1. Thermopylae was the perfect site. The pass itself was narrow, situated between the sea and the steep cliffs. It had a length of about 9 km and narrows in three places: at the eastern and western ends there was room for only one carriage, while the middle section was 15 m wide. The Greeks would use this to their advantage, because it was so narrow, even with an army as big as the Persian’s had, only a small number could genuinely fight at any one time. This enables a minimal manpower to hold off enormous armies for long amounts of time, which is exactly how Spartan combat was fought. The Hellenic Army, reached Thermopylae at the beginning of August. In total, a force of about 7000 to 8000 men was assembled. The numbers were again given by Herodotus: 300 Spartans, 700 Tegeats, 550 Mantineians, 300 from Arcadian Orchomenos, 1,000 Arcadians in general, 600 Corinthians, 460 from Phlian, 150 Mycenaeans, 800 Thespians, 450 Thebans, the complete army from Opuntion Locrain and 1,000 Phocians. The Pass would prevent the enemy from developing his land forces while the small channel of the Evripou prevented the possibility of the Hellenic Fleet being encircled. In addition, a fortifications had been built by a 1000 Phocians to the east of the central pass of Thermopylae in Anopaia to defend the other entry. By defending the Pass the Greeks would be able to apply a withdrawal strategy and at the same time wear out the enemy and cause him serious casualties and lower his morale. They were very fit, agile, used to marching with heavy armory, they knew the land and their weapons were heavier and more effective. The hoplite phalanx that the Spartans formed was a compact, moving metallic wall of shields and lances. In comparison to Persian armory which was minimal, soldiers wore bright robes with chain armors underneath, carried a long shield called spara and spears much shorter than the Greeks or if they were archers a caved wooden bow. Inmortals were more equipped , having a bronze armor, helmet a bronze square shield for better grip and a axe. Thinking that the Greeks were impertinent and reckless, he sent Medes and Cissians with orders to take the Greeks prisoner and to bring them back alive. The resistance they encountered however was tough, and the same result was achieved by the â€Å"Immortals† who were sent into battle led by General Hydarnes. Their casualties were high and they were forced to withdraw during the night. In fact, as Herodotus characteristically reported, Xerxes jumped up three times from his throne as he watched the battle, fearing for his army. Like the first day, Persia’s second attack was again unsuccessful. Forcing the Empire to retreat with high losses. Xerxes was perplexed and while pondering what to do, a Greek named Ephialtes, son of Eyrydimos and Malida, presented himself and informed the King that the Lakedaimonian positions were accessible from the Anopaia path. That same night, Hydarnes and the â€Å"Immortals† proceeded along the path, guided by Ephialtes With the retreat of the Phoebians at the pass of Anopaia, Leonidas dismissed the remaining Greeks, to be left alone standing with his 300 spartans and a few thebians , encircled agains 10,000 inmortals. Defeat was quick thanks to Persian arrows. Herodotus was the only writer who recorded the events of the battle but this was done nearly a generation later, so reliability may be questioned. Numbers and dates are often regarded as incorrect due to the tendency of exaggeration from Herodotous. According to Herodotus, the main force was to arrive later, after the completion of the Carneia Festival in Sparta and the Olympic Games. However, the festivals did not prevent the Peloponnesian Fleet to sail, which is very contradictory . Apart from the exaggeration and reliability, both Herodotous and modern historian Tom Holland agree upon the importance of Thermopylae.The sacrifice of these men remains in history forever as the most characteristic expression of Spartan bravery, according to Tom. Leonidas managed to safeguard the honour and fame of Sparta, as well as the withdrawal of his allies, while at the same time delaying significantly the advancement of Xerxes and causing serious losses to his forces while raising the morale of the Greeks, who finally crushed the Persians during the naval battle at Salamina just a few weeks later. If it wasn’t for Leonidas army and all the other city states that fought alongside, there was a major possibility that Greece would have been lost to Persia, and most of its future influence in the world such as art, philosophy , language, architecture and maths would have been erased. Therefore Leonidas time delay against the Empire was crucial for Athens to prepare for the naval battle at Salamis.

The Needs For Sustainable Crop Production Methods Environmental Sciences Essay

The Needs For Sustainable Crop Production Methods Environmental Sciences Essay With the world population projected to be 9 billion by 2050 and doubling of the global food demand there is need for increased food production to feed the increasing mouths. In a bid to increase sustainable arable crop productivity three important tasks need to be done: (1) increasing crop yield per unit of land area, (2) increasing crop yield per unit of nutrients applied and (3) increasing crop yield per unit of water used. However, sustaining continuous arable crop productivity for future generations without compromising environmental integrity and public heath still remains uncertain due to fundamental shifts in politics, policies and incentives, institutions and technological advances (Tilman et al., 2002). 1.1 Sustainable arable crop production Sustainable agriculture is defined as practices that meet societal needs for food and fibre, ecosystem services for healthy lives by maximizing the net benefits to society when all costs and benefits of the practices are considered for both the present and future generations (Tilman et al., 2002; Bjà ¶rklund et al., 2009). Sustainable arable crop production can be achieved by using ecologically sound management technologies to achieve long-term sustainable yields. It requires production economics aspects as well as considering vital issues of ecological stability and sustainability through restoration of agricultural diversity and landscape (Altieri, 1995). Sustainable arable crop production should aim at meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their needs (Chizari and Ommani, 2009). In my own opinion, sustainable arable crop production involves the management, use and conservation of productive resources in a manner that ensures continuous provision for all needs of the present and future generation. 1.2 Types of agriculture Agricultural types influence the level of food production and impact on environmental sustainability. They are largely influenced by culture, soil type; international, regional or individual government polices as well as advances in science and technology. A wide range of agricultural practices are exercised under the different agricultural types. These include: use of agro-chemicals like synthetic fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides and nematicides, irrigation and use of genetically modified varieties. Organic agriculture Organic (biological or biodynamic) farming is an agricultural production system which seeks to avoid the direct and routine use of synthetically compounded chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, growth regulators and all biocides in order to minimise environmental degradation at both micro and macro levels (Lampkin, 2002; Altieri, 1995; Hole et al., 2005; Ammann, 2008). The tools for organic farming include; crop rotation, tillage, time of sowing, varietal resistance and diversification and biological control. Organic farming is currently practiced in more than 150 countries and occupies 35 million ha of agricultural land globally (IFOAM, 2009). Conservational agriculture Conservational agriculture is an integrated approach to crop management which minimises soil cultivation and utilises agrochemicals in a manner to reduce disruption of natural biological processes. Its key features include: minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and diversified crop rotations. Conservational agriculture has been advocated for by the FAO in developing countries like Brazil, Burkina Faso and India and has reaped significant benefits like increased crop and livestock productivity and biodiversity conservation (http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/) The agricultural practices under organic and conservational agriculture have been reported to significantly reduce the use of agrochemicals and tillage operations since they rely more on rotations, use of farmyard manure and crop residues to optimize productivity. This has resulted into a reduction in the emission of GHGs like CO2 and N2O (Chizari and Ommani, 2009; Brookes and Barfoot, 2008). Conventional agriculture In conventional farming, farmers can use agrochemicals like synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides in their farming operations extensively without any restrictions (Altieri, 1995). Conventional farming heavily relies on the application of a range of modern management systems and external inputs to achieve high yields (Hole et al., 2005). The efficient use of nutrients by hybrid varieties achieved through precision agriculture practiced under large-scale intensive farming results into high yields compared to organic farming (Tilman et al., 2002) Agroforestry Agroforestry denotes a sustainable land and crop management system; that strives to increase yields by combining production of woody forestry crops with arable crops and or animals simultaneously or sequentially on the same unit of land. It incorporates four main characteristics and these include: structure, sustainability, increased productivity and socioeconomic. Structurally agroforestry systems are grouped as: agrisilviculture, silvo-pastoral, agro-silvo-pastoral and multipurpose forest tree production (Farrell and Altieri, 1995). Polyculture cropping system Polyculture involves the growing of crops in mixtures or intercrops; annual crops with annuals, annuals with perennials or perennials with perennials grown in a spatial and temporal manner (Liebman, 1995). However, mixed agriculture is inhibited by the land tenure system and design of farm machinery. 1.3 Impact of agricultural types on sustainable arable crop production Organic farming Sustainable arable crop productivity requires proper management of soil fertility and biodiversity conservation. The productivity of or ­ganically grown food has increased annually by 15 percent with a global market worth US$50 billion per year mainly in developed countries. Organic farming has well established practices that simultaneously mitigate climate change, build resilient farming systems, soil structure and fertility and increase biodiversity which builds resistance to storms and increased pest and disease pressure (IFOAM, 2009). Organic farming is reported to increase species richness with an average of 30% higher than conventional farming systems. However, other studies have indicated a 16% negative effect on species diversity due to organic farming. Literature shows that some organisms are more abundant in an organic farming system for instance; weeds, predators like carabid, beetles and spiders. In addition, non-predatory species were more abundant under the convention al farming system thus natural enemies are negatively affected by conventional management. Organic farming practices are believed to be more environmental friendly than intensive agriculture which is dependent on the routine use of herbicides, pesticides and inorganic nutrient applications in the production of crops and animals (Bengtsson et al., 2005). However, practicing organic farming requires careful planning, management and decision making in order to establish a viable system and maintain farm income. The rotational design, crop types and varieties and timely soil management are important in maximising crop productivity in organic farming (HGCA, 2008). Below are some principle agronomic practices used in organic farming! Push and pull approach The push and pull technology has significantly resulted into increased arable productivity in many parts of the world. In East Africa (EA), the technology has been exploited to maintain soil fertility, control pests and parasitic weed; Striga. Lepidopteran stem borers like: Chilo partellus, Eldana saccharina, Busseola fusca and Sesamia calamistis cause 50% yield losses to maize, sorghum and sugarcane. This technology integrated with other crop management approaches has contributed to the sustainable production of maize in EA by increasing farmers yields from 1 t/ha to 3.5t/ha with minimal inputs and currently used by 25,000 small holder farmers. The technology involves intercropping maize with a repellent plant (Desmodium) and planting an attractive trap plant (Napier grass) as a border crop around the intercrop. Gravid stem borer females are repelled from the target crop by stimuli and simultaneously attracted to the trap crop, leaving the target crop protected. Desmodium produces some root exudates which stimulate the germination of Striga seeds and others inhibit their growth after germination. This combination provides a novel means of in situ reduction of the Striga seed bank. Desmodium also acts perennial cover crop and able to exert its Striga control effect and together with Napier grass protect fragile soils from erosion. Desmoduim fixes nitrogen, conserves soil moisture, enhances arthropod abundance and diversity and improves soil organic matter thereby enabling cereal cropping systems to be more resilient and adaptable to climate change while providing essential ecosystem services and making farming systems more r obust and sustainable (Cook et al., 2007). Table 1: Push and pull strategies used in arable crop production Target insect Protected source Country Push Pull Population regulation used Cotton bollworm Cotton Australia Oviposition deterrent: neem Trap crop: maize with sugar bait Insecticides, pyrethroides Pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus) Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) UK Non-hostile repellents: lavender Trap crop: turnip rape InsectidesBiopesticide: (Metarhizium anipsoliae) Adopted from (Cook et al., 2007) Biological control Biological control involves the use of parasites, predators or pathogens to maintain another organisms population at a lower average than would occur in a naturally in their absence. The aim is to reduce and achieve long term stabilization of weeds and pests. The technique has been utilised to control the Japanese knotweed, Fallopia japonica using Aphalara itadori (http://www.cabi.org/japaneseknotweedallaiance/). Most biological control studies have been largely successful on a small scale and have reduced the reliance on pesticides, insecticides and herbicides thus conserving biodiversity. Despite of its potential for biodiversity conservation, organic farming has been reported to have limited output and productivity. This could be attributed to the limited use of synthetic fertilizers which results into unavailability of important soil nutrients, increased perennial weeds, pests and diseases. As a result, the organic fields are abandoned in the long run or farmers adopt conventional farming practices. All the different types of agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment (Ammann, 2008). 2.0 SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES Scientific advances have significantly contributed to the sustainable production of arable crops to feed the increasing global population. These range from the discovery of the DNA structure and genetics by Craig and Watson and Gregor Mendel respectively to high throughput genomics-based approaches. They have been exploited by plant breeders to generate genetic diversity among crop species by crossing varieties with desired characteristics, use of mutations; chemical mutagens like gamma, x- and ÃŽÂ ²-rays. Other scientific advances that have contributed to sustainable arable crop production include; discovery of agrochemicals like fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and nematicides; agricultural machinery and equipments like; tractors, planters, harvesters, ploughs, sprayers and irrigation equipments which facilitate precision agriculture. 2.1 Impact of scientific advances on sustainable arable crop productivity Many factors impact on arable crop productivity and these include: land, climate change, production economics, legislation, breeding, labour and management and agronomic practices. Scientific advances in plant breeding are reported to have a significant impact on sustainable arable crop productivity (Tong et al., 2003). Plant breeding Conventional breeding Advances through conventional breeding and genetic transformation have provided genetic change to crops like wheat, rice, maize, cotton, soybean resulting into sustainable increased yields. These approaches have been used to exploit heterosis and feed the increasing world population; circumnavigate the effects of climate change by producing drought tolerant and disease and pest resistant varieties. For instance, the production of new rice for Africa (NERICA) a cross between Oryza sativa indigenous to India and West African native Oryza glaberrima through inter-specific hybridization. The drought and weed resistant variety is widely adopted and cultivated under the rainfed systems in SSA (Dingkuhna et al., 1999). Its cultivation has resulted into a reduction in paddy rice growing which emits GHGs: N2O and CH4 thus mitigating the adverse effects of global warming through destruction of the Ozone layer. In addition, world wheat production increased significantly due to the adoption of h ybrid dwarf wheat varieties and use of agro chemicals. The hybrids have a short stature, resistant to lodging and early maturing (Peng et al., 1999). In the UK wheat yields were reported to be increasing with an average of 110kgha-1 annually though further increase in sustainable wheat productivity can be achieved through by breeding resource use efficient varieties (Austin, 1999). Genetic Transformation Globally, transgenic crops are cultivated in 23 countries and occupy 114.3 million ha of land with an average increase of more than 12% annually. The number of transgenic crop traits and hectares planted are predicted to double by 2015. The use of rDNA technology in plant breeding has resulted into sustainable arable crop production through biodiversity conservation. This has been achieved by reducing pesticides and herbicides use and adoption of reduced tillage practices (Craig et al., 2008; Bitista and Oliveira, 2009; Hillocks, 2009). The development of insect resistant transgenic cultivars like Bt cotton transformed with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene which controls the production and expression an endotoxin within the plant to control Lepidopteran tobacco budworm, cotton bollworm and pink bollworm pests does not require pesticides. Bacillus thuringiensis has been used as an organic pesticide for decades and poses no threat to biodiversity which makes crops transformed with the Bt gene acceptable on the organic market and have an adoption rate of over 66% and 85% in China and South Africa respectively (Hillocks, 2009). Despite of its potential in ensuring sustainable arable crop production; GM technology has been criticised by anti GM activists as a threat to biodiversity. Concerns of horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance markers (ARMs), allergenicity and toxicity of the new GM food products have been reported as possible threats to biodiversity (Craig et al., 2008; Bitista and Oliveira, 2009). The use of insect and herbicide resistant varieties has resulted into emergence of new pests and herbicides resistant weeds due to selection pressure which results into secondary pests becoming major pests. GMOs contain ARM genes which are used in the selection process during transformation. The ARM commonly used is Neomycin phosphotranferase II (nptII) which inactivates the aminoglycoside antibiotics neomycin and kanamycin. There is concern that ARMs when introduced into food or the environment could drive the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria by functioning as sources of antibiotic resistance (Craig et al., 2008). Several transgenic plants constructed to be resistant to herbicides, insecticides or diseases are transformed with genetic material containing genes coding for compounds like antimicrobial agents. These could affect non target microbiota such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial soil microorganisms. For instance; a reduction in the colonisation potential of mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae has been attributed to the production of anti-fungal pathogenesis-related proteins from a transgenic tobacco plant containing ÃŽÂ ²-1, 3-glucanase (Araujo and Azevedo, 2003). Using insect resistant transgenic canola increases fitness in oilseed rape varieties expressing the Bt gene. However, pollen flow between canola cultivars with different herbicide resistance traits resulted into gene stacking causing genetic contamination of seed. In addition, gene flow can lead to development volunteer oil seed rape with multiple tolerance to several herbicides due pollination between adjacent crops (Natarajan and Turna, 2007). Controlling these super weeds requires toxic herbicides like 2, 4-D and paraquat which are hazardous to man and the environment. Agrochemicals The use of agrochemicals like inorganic fertilizers (NPK) during crop production has increased world crop productivity and reduced the rate of encroachment on natural ecosystem like forests and virgin land (Tilman et al., 2002). The increased use of fertilizers has been a major contributing factor to the increase in yield growth in developing countries since the Green Revolution. In addition, globally fertilizer use has plateaued due to a decline in its use in industrial countries and Soviet Union countries after joining the market economy (Fischer et al., 2009). In China increase in cereal production has been attributed to introduction of agrochemicals; yields increased from 1.21 t/ha in 1961 to 4.83 t/ha in 1998 (Tong et al., 2003). It is presumed that the historical decline in crop yields is due to the genetic ceiling for maximal yield potential being reached. Figure 1: Long-term trends of wheat yields in selected countries (Fischer et al., 2009) Despite their potential increased use of agrochemicals has resulted into environmental pollution, eutrophication of water bodies and global warming due to its emission of GHGs and stratospheric ozone depletion (Tong et al., 2003). Environmental pollution is due to nitrate leaching into ground water causing nitrate toxicity due to elevated nitrate levels in drinking water; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released from fertilizers applied as aerosols. Eutrophication results into death of aquatic fauna and flora hence threatening biodiversity. Technology Advances in scientific technology like agricultural engineering and development of modern farm equipments and machinery has boosted the agricultural sector and is one of the factors that will ensure sustainable arable crop productivity. The growth of irrigated area has expanded steadily over the last decade at 0.6 percent annually in developing countries and irrigation technology accounts for 0.2 percent in overall cereal yields from 1991-2007 (Fischer et al., 2009). Irrigation equipments like sprinklers have significantly contributed to the continued cultivation of arable crops throughout the year and under drought conditions. Farm machinery like combine harvesters, sprayer, planters, ploughs among others have helped in the efficient management of farm operations. However, the use of fuels by farm machinery during farm operations has been cited as a source of GHG, CO2 leading to an increase in atmospheric CO2 levels (Brookes and Barfoot, 2008). 2.2 Impact of science and policies on sustainable crop production The government land laws and policies, product prices and social economic factors like population migration, urbanization and world trade play a significant role in ensuring sustainable arable crop production. Figure 2: Shows area planted with cereals in China between 1961 and 1998 under principal government agricultural policies (Tong et al., 2003) Organic farming is viewed as a solution to biodiversity conservation and has received substantial support in form of subsidy payments through EU and national government legislation. As a result the certified organic and in-conversion area within the EU increased from 0.7 to 3.3 million ha from 1993 to1999 accounting for 24.1% of global organic land area (Hole et al., 2005). In 2007, 3% of the total UK land area is managed organically (HGCA, 2008). This direct support and intervention through fixation of ceiling and floor prices protects farmers from exploitation at both the domestic and international market hence producing more crops under organic farming whilst conserving the environment. However, enacting of the healthy check on CAP will remove restriction on farmers thus helping them to respond to new market signals, opportunities and challenges (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/healthcheck/index_en.htm). In SSA the cultivation of GM crops has been hindered due to lack of a biosafety legislation supporting the biotechnology policy that can allow them acquire GM crops from the biotechnology companies that hold the intellectual property rights (Hillocks, 2009). CONCLUSION To ensure sustainable arable crop productivity; agronomic, breeding and institutional or infrastructural factors like increased investment into research and development of appropriate tool and technologies need to be considered.

Construction Of Real Numbers

Construction Of Real Numbers All mathematicians know (or think they know) all about the real numbers. However usually we just accept the real numbers as being there rather than considering precisely what they are. In this project I will attempts to answer that question. We shall begin with positive integers and then successively construct the rational and finally the real numbers. Also showing how real numbers satisfy the axiom of the upper bound, whilst rational numbers do not. This shows that all real numbers converge towards the Cauchys sequence. 1 Introduction What is real analysis; real analysis is a field in mathematics which is applied in many areas including number theory, probability theory. All mathematicians know (or think they know) all about the real numbers. However usually we just accept the real numbers as being there rather than considering precisely what they are. The aim of this study is to analyse number theory to show the difference between real numbers and rational numbers. Developments in calculus were mainly made in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Examples from the literature can be given such as the proof that Ï€ cannot be rational by Lambert, 1971. During the development of calculus in the seventeenth century the entire set of real numbers were used without having them defined clearly. The first person to release a definition on real numbers was Georg Cantor in 1871. In 1874 Georg Cantor revealed that the set of all real numbers are uncountable infinite but the set of all algebraic numbers are countable infinite. As you can see, real analysis is a somewhat theoretical field that is closely related to mathematical concepts used in most branches of economics such as calculus and probability theory. The concept that I have talked about in my project are the real number system. 2 Definitions Natural numbers Natural numbers are the fundamental numbers which we use to count. We can add and multiply two natural numbers and the result would be another natural number, these operations obey various rules. (Stirling, p.2, 1997) Rational numbers Rational numbers consists of all numbers of the form a/b where a and b are integers and that b ≠  0, rational numbers are usually called fractions. The use of rational numbers permits us to solve equations. For example; a + b = c, ad = e, for a where b, c, d, e are all rational numbers and a ≠  0. Operations of subtraction and division (with non zero divisor) are possible with all rational numbers. (Stirling, p.2, 1997) Real numbers Real numbers can also be called irrational numbers as they are not rational numbers like pi, square root of 2, e (the base of natural log). Real numbers can be given by an infinite number of decimals; real numbers are used to measure continuous quantities. There are two basic properties that are involved with real numbers ordered fields and least upper bounds. Ordered fields say that real numbers comprises a field with addition, multiplication and division by non zero number. For the least upper bound if a non empty set of real numbers has an upper bound then it is called least upper bound. Sequences A Sequence is a set of numbers arranged in a particular order so that we know which number is first, second, third etc and that at any positive natural number at n; we know that the number will be in nth place. If a sequence has a function, a, then we can denote the nth term by an. A sequence is commonly denoted by a1, a2, a3, a4†¦ this entire sequences can be written as or (an). You can use any letter to denote the sequence like x, y, z etc. so giving (xn), (yn), (zn) as sequences We can also make subsequence from sequences, so if we say that (bn) is a subsequence of (an) if for each n∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ we get; bn = ax for some x ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ and bn+1 = by for some y ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ and x > y. We can alternatively imagine a subsequence of a sequence being a sequence that has had terms missing from the original sequence for example we can say that a2, a4 is a subsequence if a1, a2, a3, a4. A sequence is increasing if an+1 ≠¥ an ∀ n ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢. Correspondingly, a sequence is decreasing if an+1 ≠¤ an ∀ n ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢. If the sequence is either increasing or decreasing it is called a monotone sequence. There are several different types of sequences such as Cauchy sequence, convergent sequence, monotonic sequence, Fibonacci sequence, look and see sequence. I will be talking about only 2 of the sequences Cauchy and Convergent sequences. Convergent sequences A sequence (an) of real number is called a convergent sequences if an tends to a finite limit as n→∞. If we say that (an) has a limit a∈ F if given any ÃŽ µ > 0, ÃŽ µ ∈ F, k∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ | an a | < ÃŽ µ n ≠¥ k If an has a limit a, then we can write it as liman = a or (an) → a. Cauchy Sequence A Cauchy sequence is a sequence in which numbers become closer to each other as the sequence progresses. If we say that (an) is a Cauchy sequence if given any ÃŽ µ > 0, ÃŽ µ ∈ F, k∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ | an am | < ÃŽ µ n,m ≠¥ k. Gary Sng Chee Hien, (2001). Bounded sets, Upper Bounds, Least Upper Bounds A set is called bounded if there is a certain sense of finite size. A set R of real numbers is called bounded of there is a real number Q such that Q ≠¥ r for all r in R. the number M is called the upper bound of R. A set is bounded if it has both upper and lower bounds. This is extendable to subsets of any partially ordered set. A subset Q of a partially ordered set R is called bounded above. If there is an element of Q ≠¥ r for all r in R, the element Q is called an upper bound of R 3 Real number system Natural Numbers Natural numbers (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢) can be denoted by 1,2,3†¦ we can define them by their properties in order of relation. So if we consider a set S, if the relation is less than or equal to on S For every x, y ∈ S x ≠¤ y and/or y ≠¤ x If x ≠¤ y and y ≠¤ x then x = y If x ≠¤ y and y ≠¤ z then x ≠¤ z If all 3 properties are met we can call S an ordered set. (Giles, p.1, 1972) Real numbers Axioms for real numbers can be spilt in to 3 groups; algebraic, order and completeness. Algebraic Axioms For all x, y ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , x + y ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  and xy ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ . For all x, y, z ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , (x + y) + z = x (y + z). For all x, y ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , x + y = y + x. There is a number 0 ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  such that x + 0 = x = 0 + x for all x ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ . For each x ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , there exists a corresponding number (-x) ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  such that x + (-x) = 0 = (-x) + x For all x, y, z ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , (x y) z = x (y z). For all x, y ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  x y = y x. There is number 1 ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  such that x x 1 = x = 1 x x, for all x ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  For each x ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  such that x ≠  0, there is a corresponding number (x-1) ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  such that x (x-1) = 1 = (x-1) x A10. For all x, y, z ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , x (y + z) = x y + x z (Hart, p.11, 2001) Order Axioms Any pair x, y of real numbers satisfies precisely one of the following relations: (a) x < y; (b) x = y; (c) y < x. If x < y and y < z then x < z. If x < y then x + z < y +z. If x < y and z > 0 then x z < y z (Hart, p.12, 2001) Completeness Axiom If a non-empty set A has an upper bound, it has a least upper bound The thing which distinguishes à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  from is the Completeness Axiom. An upper bound of a non-empty subset A of R is an element b ∈R with b a for all a ∈A. An element M ∈ R is a least upper bound or supremum of A if M is an upper bound of A and if b is an upper bound of A then b M. That is, if M is a least upper bound of A then (b ∈ R)(x ∈ A)(b x) b M A lower bound of a non-empty subset A of R is an element d ∈ R with d a for all a ∈A. An element m ∈ R is a greatest lower bound or infimum of A if m is a lower bound of A and if d is an upper bound of A then m d. If all 3 axioms are satisfied it is called a complete ordered field. John oConnor (2002) axioms of real numbers Rational numbers Axioms for Rational numbers The axiom of rational numbers operate with +, x and the relation ≠¤, they can be defined on corresponding to what we know on N. For on +(add) has the following properties. For every x,y ∈ , there is a unique element x + y ∈ For every x,y ∈ , x + y = y + x For every x,y,z ∈ , (x + y) + z = x + (y + z) There exists a unique element 0 ∈ such that x + 0 = x for all x ∈ To every x ∈ there exists a unique element (-x) ∈ such that x + (-x) = 0 For on x(multiplication) has the following properties. To every x,y ∈ , there is a unique element x x y ∈ For every x,y ∈ , x x y = y x x For every x,y,z ∈ , (x x y) x z = x x (y x z) There exists a unique element 1 ∈ such that x x 1 = x for all x ∈ To every x ∈ , x ≠  0 there exists a unique element ∈ such that x x = 1 For both add and multiplication properties there is a closer, commutative, associative, identity and inverse on + and x, both properties can be related by. For every x,y,z ∈ , x x (y + z) = (x x y) + (x x z) For with an order relation of ≠¤, the relation property is a. we can claim that < b. if not then since < a and > b we would have > b a. John OConnor (2002) axioms of real numbers Theorem: The limit of a sequence, if it exists, is unique. Proof Let x and x†² be 2 different limits. We may assume without loss of generality, that x < x†². In particular, take ÃŽ µ = (x†² x)/2 > 0. Since xn→ x, k1 s.t | xn x | < n ≠¥ k1 Since xn→ x k2 s.t | xn x†²| < ÃŽ µ n ≠¥ k2 Take k = max{k1, k2}. Then n ≠¥ k, | xn x | < ÃŽ µ, | xn x†²| < ÃŽ µ | x†² x | = | x†² xn + xn x | ≠¤ | x†² xn | + | xn x | < ÃŽ µ + ÃŽ µ = x†² x, a contradiction! Hence, the limit must be unique. Also all rational number sequences have a limit in real numbers. Gary Sng Chee Hien, (2001). Theorem: Any convergent sequence is bounded. Proof Suppose the sequence (an) ®a. take = 1. Then choose N so that whatever n > N we have an within 1 of a. apart from the finite set {a1, a2, a3†¦aN} all the terms of the sequence will be bounded by a + 1 and a 1. Showing that an upper bound for the sequence is max{a1, a2, a3†¦aN, a +1}. Using the same method you could alternatively find the lower bound Theorem: Every Cauchy Sequence is bounded. Proof Let (xn) be a Cauchy sequence. Then for | xn xm | < 1 n, m ≠¥ k. Hence, for n ≠¥ k, we have | xn | = | xn xk + xk | ≠¤ | xn xk | + | xk | < 1 + | xk | Let M = max{ | x1 |, | x2 |, , | xk-1|, 1 + | xk | } and it is clear that | xn | ≠¤ M n, i.e. (xn) is bounded. Gary Sng Chee Hien, (2001). Theorem: If (xnx, then any subsequence of (xn) also converges to x. Proof Let (yn) be any subsequence of (xn). Given any > 0, s.t | xn x | < n ≠¥ N. But yn = xi for some so we may claim | yn x | < also. Hence, ( Gary Sng Chee Hien, (2001). Theorem: If (xn) is Cauchy, then any subsequence of (xn) is also Cauchy. Proof Let (yn) be any subsequence of (xn). Given any s.t | xn xm | . But yn = xi for so we may claim | yn ym | Hence (yn) x Gary Sng Chee Hien, (2001). Theorem Any convergent sequence is a Cauchy sequence. Proof If (an) a then given > 0 choose N so that if n > N we have |an- a| < . Then if m, n > N we have |am- an| = |(am- a) (am- a)| |am- a| + |am- a| < 2. We use completeness Axiom to prove Suppose X ∈ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ , X2 = 2. Let (an) be a sequence of rational numbers converging to an irrational 12 = 1 1.52 = 2.25 1.42 = 1.96 1.412 = 1.9881 1.41421356237302 = 1.999999999999731161391129 Since (an) is a convergent sequence in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  it is a Cauchy sequence in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  and hence also a Cauchy sequence in . But it has no limit in. An irrational number like 2 has a decimal expansion which does not repeat: 2 =1.4142135623730 John OConnor (2002) Cauchy Sequences. Theorem Prove that is irrational, prove that ≠¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  Proof We will get 2 as the least upper bound of the set A = {q Q | q2 < 2}. We know that a is bounded above and so its least upper bound b does not exists. Suppose x ∈ , x2 0 be given. Then k1, k2 s.t | xn xm | < ÃŽ µ/(2Y) n, m ≠¥ k1 | yn ym | < ÃŽ µ/(2X) n, m ≠¥ k2 Take k = max(k1, k2). Then | xn xm | < ÃŽ µ/(2Y) | yn ym | < ÃŽ µ/(2X) n, m ≠¥ k Hence, | xn yn xm ym | = | (xn yn xm yn) + (xm yn xm ym) | ≠¤ | xn yn xm yn | + | xm yn xm ym | = | yn | | xn xm | + | xm | | yn ym | ≠¤ Y | xn xm | + X | yn ym | < Y(ÃŽ µ/(2Y)) + X(ÃŽ µ/(2X)) n, m ≠¥ k = Hence, (xn yn) is also Cauchy. 5 Conclusion Real numbers are infinite number of decimals used to measure continuous quantities. On the other hand, rational numbers are defined to be fractions formed from real numbers. Axioms of each number system are examined to determine the difference between real numbers and rational numbers. Conclusion of the analysis of axioms resulted to be both real numbers and rational numbers contain the same properties. The properties being addition, multiplication and there exist a relationship of zero and one. The four fundamental results are obtained from this study. First concept is that the property of real number system being unique and following the complete ordered field. Second is that if any real number satisfies the axioms then it is upper bound, whilst rational numbers are not upper bound. The third being that all Cauchy sequences are converges towards the real numbers. Finally found out that all real numbers are equivalence classes of the Cauchy sequence. Appendices List of symbols à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ = Natural number à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  = Real number = Rational number ∈ = is an element of = There exists = For all s.t. = Such that

RIG VEDA :: essays research papers

THE RIG VEDA I will mention about the Indian’s Rig Vedas.Before giving the details of Rig Veda,it would be better giving information about eastern philosophy and also Hinduizm. Firstly I want to explain some basic characteristics of eastern philosophy and the place of Hinduism as a religion entering the side of the philosophy. Actually if we want to understand the eastern philosophy completely, there is need to know that these philosophies depend on a religious area, like Indian philosophy. The system of eastern philosophy aims to experience the truth in a directly but also in a mystical way, and this experience take the character of religion with it, so why it is inevitable that the eastern philosophy depend on the religious area. Then we can put Hinduism in eastern tradition entering the side of philosophy. There is a strict relationship between philosophy and religion in Hinduism so that it effects the intellectual life of Indian deeply for hundred years and it formed the cultural and social tradition of this country. Essentially it is hard to define Hinduism as a religion or a philosophy. It contains so many cultures, philosophical systems that make itself complicated. Besides it has so many Gods and Goddess. We can convey that this state is the reflection of complex society in Indian, people from different races, geographic areas. Whereas it would be seen as a complication, there is a constant ritual with the spiritual of Hinduism. ‘ The oldest Scriptures in all of India and the most important are called the Vedas. All Hindus recognize the Vedas as the true origin of their faith because of the spiritual meaning behind them.’2 It is obvious that the Vedas are the main resources of the spiritual of Hinduism. Then we can give some information about Vedas, world’s oldest spiritual teachings. ‘The Vedas are probably the earliest documents of the human mind, they are the original scriptures of Hindu teachings. Veda means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the gods in human speech. The laws of the Vedas regulate the social, legal, domestic and religious customs of the Hindus to the present day.’3 So what gives Vedas this power to regulate these customs of Hindus to the present day. The answer of this question is hidden in the question ‘Who wrote the Vedas?’. ‘It is believed that humans did not compose the revered compositions of the Vedas, which were handed down through generations by the word of mouth from time immemorial.

The Once and Future King Guenever Essay -- essays research papers

The Once and Future King Description of Guenever   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guenever is one whose personality and appearance fluctuates often during the course of her life. The facts that she fell in love with someone other than her husband and that she never bore a child contributes greatly to these abrupt and drastic changes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The description of Guenever as a young wife is one with deep, clear blue eyes, which almost beheld a sort of fearlessness which was startling, as was her black hair. Although Gwen was quite fond of her husband, she found herself taken a fancy to the young knight, Lancelot. She admired his broken face and found herself falling in love. She loved both Lance and Arthur. She felt respect with gratitude, kindness, love and a sense of protection, but there was no romance felt in her relationship with the King.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gwen is said to have been clumsy when under pressure and lacking knowledge to ache or swell, selfishness indecently exposed, an inability to settle down, pert arguments on abstract subjects and a lack of exof the world. Like most 22 year olds, it was stated that Guenever had a chaos of the mind and body, a confusion and profusion of beliefs and hopes, the ability to be transported by the beauty of physical objects, a heart perience as to when truth should be suppressed in deference to the middle aged. On top of these, there were the broad and yet uncertain lines of her personal charact...

Nursing Practice

My nursing practice has been characterized by a marked transition from the general wards to the intensive care unit. Nevertheless, my values have remained intact. Initially, I must admit, I believed that patients had no role in determining the medication or intervention they receive. However, since I came to know about it, in a nursing class, the value of decision-making independence has guided my practice. I learnt the value in class, thus, my definition of the term is influenced by Fahrenwald et al., who defined decision-making autonomy as the act of allowing patients to make their own decisions regarding diagnosis and treatments, albeit after receiving all relevant information (2005). The value of decision-making autonomy and working with patients under intensive care have shaped my understanding of person-centered care and its relevance to nursing, as a profession and a practice. In the ICU, it is easy to view the person as just a patient. However, I have deliberately chosen to consider them people who are just momentarily inconvenienced by illness. As a nurse, I am in agreement with Ross, Tod, & Clarke's (2015) observation that the definition and use of person-centered care has been fluid and varies in distinct research, guidance, policy and daily practice. Still, I concur with the definition offered by the American Geriatrics Society; eliciting individuals' preferences and values and, once expressed, letting them guide all healthcare aspects, and supporting their practical life and health goals (2015). However, I find an earlier definition by McCormack, Dewing, & Breslin (2010) quite relevant to practice. They define person-centered care as an approach to nursing practice that is created by forming and fostering therapeutic relationships between patients, care providers and other people who are significant to the patients' lives. Drawing from the two definitions, I believe person-centered care is viewing patients as persons with social networks and accomodating their beliefs and values in the provision of care, while developing relationships that enable the attainment of healthcare as well as life goals. In adherence to the value of decision-making autonomy, I always communicate to patients their diagnosis and suggested interventions. To attain the goals associated with the value, one needs excellent communication and people skills, which is one of my strengths in practice. More specifically, I have demonstrated empathy, which is a person-centered communication skill. In the course of my practice, I try to comprehend and share into the perspectives, current situation and feelings of the persons under my care. That creates a bond of trust, social support and mutual understanding. The informed patients then get to decide whether they agree with the diagnosis, and whether they are willing to receive the suggested interventions. In case of the ICU, I consult with the patients' families and let them make the decisions. Human dignity is another value that has influenced most of my decisions in my professional and personal life. As a nurse, I believe it is important to respect all individuals, including the patients, their families and the entire society. In line with the value of human dignity, I respect patients' belief systems and consider their natural human values during my interactions with them and their families. However, at times, it is difficult to know some patients' beliefs, especially in the ICU. Although it is possible to get information about patient beliefs from their families and close friends, I consider it my duty to ensure that the informants do not pass out their own belief systems as the patients'. Trustworthiness and honesty are important strengths that have enabled me uphold human dignity in my practice. Without being trustworthy, patients and their families would not reveal their secrets to me. Many a times, the secrets are critical to the formulation of interventions. Human dignity also dictates that I protect patients' confidentiality during clinical interactions. For instance, I always ensure that I cover all exposed body parts of patients. What's more, I demonstrate my respect for human dignity through respectful communication with patients' families and keeping their secrets confidential. Respecting human dignity calls for mindfulness, which is another person-centred communication skill I believe I possess. Hafskjold et al., (2015) define mindfulness as the art of drawing unique variations by being present in interactions. By being mindful, I am able to observe the happenings and act according to what I notice. Research shows that mindfulness by nurses leads to more satisfied patients (Ross, Tod, & Clarke, 2015). My practice has also been guided by altruism. My own conceptualization of altruism is in line with the definition of the term offered by Shahriari et al., (2013); focusing on patients as human beings, while striving to promote their health and welfare. In nursing practice, the ICU is ostensibly the most tasking department to work in. It requires working without losing concentration, whether one is on a day shift or night shift. I have often found myself standing next to patients' beds throughout the night just to make sure they are fine. Despite the tough requirements, I believe I have exhibited devotion and selflessness the entire time I have attended to patients in the ICU, and even before. Undeniably, sometimes I have felt exhausted by the demands of the job, but my altruistic tendencies have always reminded me that nursing is not just a job, but a calling that requires me to give my all towards the healthcare and welfare of others. To reflect on my professional practice, I use two different strategies; the Gibbs model and John's reflective framework. The Gibbs (1988) Model has six stages; description of event, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action. On its part, John's framework has three important elements; bringing the mind home, experience description and reflection (Palmer, Burns, ; Bulman, 1994).Part 2 Wanda formulated a reflection model that requires students to follow a five-step process during reflective practice, also known as the 5Ds structured reflection model (2016). The 5Ds stand for Doubts/differences, Disclosure, Dissection, Discover and Decision. The learner reflects on whether s/he has any doubts in his/her practice, or whether there are any differences between what s/he did in a clinical setting and what is found in literature. Disclosure entails writing about the experiences or situation on the topic discussed in the doubts section, while the dissection section considers why it happened and the impact. Discover involves finding additional information from relevant literature and the decision part describes a future plan.5Ds model of structured reflection (Wanda, 2016) The Rolfe model enables students to reflect on their experiences based on three questions; what, so what and now what (Rolfe, Freshwater, ; Jasper, 2001). The first question allows students and nurses to describe the situation, while the second question gives students room to discuss what they learnt, while the answers to the last question identify what the person should do to develop learning and improve future outcomes. The 5Ds Structured reflection The two models have various similarities and differences. For starters, the two reflective models allow students to explore their experiences while being guided by something. However, in the Rolfe model, students are guided by the questions, while in Wanda model (2016); students are guided by the 5Ds expressed earlier. A key strength of the 5Ds reflection model is that it focuses on the student as an individual (Wanda, 2016). Consequently, it enables students to decide what they need to learn more about, which makes them more self-directed in their learning. Secondly, it has a positive impact on students' ability to self-evaluate during clinical practice (Wanda, 2016). When used by students, it improves their ability to assess their own performance in clinical practice.Despite the apparent strengths, the model also has some limitations. To begin with, the effectiveness of the model can be restricted by students' characteristics (Wanda, 2016). For instance, the less motivated students are not suited to the reflective model. As a result, the model is not an effective learning tool for all students. What's more, the use of the 5D model requires consistent supervision, which is sometimes not possible because faculty members might have workloads that limit their time (Sicora, 2017).Grant, McKimm, & Murphy (2017) posit that the analysis part of the Rolfe et al. framework considers not just the technical-rational knowledge but also other forms of knowledge that might inform the comprehension of a particular situation. This is one of the strengths of the reflective model since it allows learners explore all knowledge points. However, it runs the risk of leading to superficial reflections (Sicora, 2017). At times, the students might just result to answering the three questions in short answers. That would not help in yielding a comprehensive reflection that would help them learning about their achievements and shortcomings that can help improve their practice. At a personal level, I prefer the 5Ds model. My preference for the model is informed by my desire to identify my doubts in practice as well as the tasks I perform in a way that is different from dictates of literature. That would help me refine my skills and procedures in practice, while making me a more confident practitioner, particularly in the ICU. BibliographyFahrenwald, N., Bassett, S., Tschetter, L., Carson, P., White, L., & Winterboer, V. (2005). Teaching core nursing values. Journal of professional nursing , 46-51.Gibbs, G. (1988).Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic.Grant, A., McKimm, J., & Murphy, F. (2017).Developing Reflective Practice: A Guide for Medical Students, Doctors and Teachers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Hafskjold, L., Sundler, A. J., Holmstrà ¶m, I. K., Sundling, V., Dulmen, S. v., & Eide, H. (2015).A cross-sectional study on person-centred communication in the care of older people: the COMHOME study protocol. BMJOpen , 1-10.McCormack, B., Dewing, J., & Breslin, L. (2010).Developing person-centred practice: nursing outcomes arising from changes to the care environment in residential settings for older people. International Journal of Older People Nursing , 93-107.Palmer, A., Burns, S., & Bulman, C. (1994).Reflective practice in nursing. Oxford: Blackwel l Scientific Publications.Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., & Jasper, M. (2001). Framework for Reflective Practice. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave.Ross, H., Tod, A., & Clarke, A. (2015).Understanding and achieving person-centred care: the nurse perspective. Journal of Clinical Nursing , 9-10.Shahriari, M., Mohammadi, E., Abbaszadeh, A., & Bahrami, M. (2013).Nursing ethical values and definitions: A literature review. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research , 1-8.Sicora, A. (2017). Reflective Practice. London, United Kingdom: Policy Press.Smith, K. (2016).Reflection and person-centredness in practice development. International Practice Development Journal , 1-6.The American Geriatrics Society . (2015).Person?Centered Care: A Definition and Essential Elements. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , 15-18.Wanda, D. (2016). The development of a clinical reflective practice model for paediatric nursing specialist students in Indonesia using an action research approach. Open Pu blication of UTS Scholars , 1-288.Wanda, D., Fowler, C., & Wilson, V. (2016).Using flash cards to engage Indonesian nursing students in reflection on their practice. Nurse Education Today , 132-137.