Saturday, August 31, 2019

Macroeconomics Question Paper

Question 1 . Using a market-clearing model to analyze the demand for haircuts is ______ because the price of a haircut usually changes ______. Answer Selected Answer: unrealistic; infrequently Correct Answer: unrealistic; infrequently . Question 2 . Which of the following is not the correct combination for a U. S. president and an important economic issue of his administration? Answer Selected Answer: President Clinton, inflation Correct Answer: President Clinton, inflation . Question 3 . Macroeconomic models are used to explain how ______ variables influence ______ variables.Answer Selected Answer: exogenous; endogenous Correct Answer: exogenous; endogenous . Question 4 . The total income of everyone in the economy adjusted for the level of prices is called: Answer Selected Answer: real GDP. Correct Answer: real GDP. . Question 5 . A period of falling prices is called: Answer Selected Answer: a recession. Correct Answer: deflation. . Question 6 . The inflation rate is a measure of h ow fast: Answer Selected Answer: prices in the economy are rising. Correct Answer: prices in the economy are rising. . Question 7 . Exogenous variables are:Answer Selected Answer: fixed at the moment they enter the model. Correct Answer: fixed at the moment they enter the model. . Question 8 . In the relationship expressed in functional form, Y = G(K, L), Y stands for real GDP, K stands for the amount of capital in the economy, and L stands for the amount of labor in the economy. In this case G( ): Answer Selected Answer: is the function telling how the variables in the parenthesis determine real GDP. Correct Answer: is the function telling how the variables in the parenthesis determine real GDP. . Question 9 .The inflation rate in the United States averaged about: Answer Selected Answer: zero between 1900 and 1950. Correct Answer: zero between 1900 and 1950. . Question 10 . Endogenous variables are: Answer Selected Answer: determined within the model. Correct Answer: determined wit hin the model. . Question 11 . The best measure of the economic satisfaction of the members of a society is: Answer Selected Answer: real GDP. Correct Answer: real GDP. . Question 12 . In 2010 in the United States, the approximate percentage of GDP that was spent on consumption was: Answer Selected Answer: 7 percent. Correct Answer: 67 percent. . Question 13 . The national income accounts identity, for an open economy, is: Answer Selected Answer: Y = C + I + G + NX. Correct Answer: Y = C + I + G + NX. . Question 14 . If nominal GDP grew by 5 percent and real GDP grew by 3 percent, then the GDP deflator grew by approximately ______ percent. Answer Selected Answer: 2 Correct Answer: 2 . Question 15 . If the number employed increases while the number unemployed does not change, the unemployment rate: Answer Selected Answer: will not change. Correct Answer: will decrease. . Question 16 .As a percentage of GNP, depreciation (also called the consumption of fixed capital) amounts to approx imately: Answer Selected Answer: 10 percent. Correct Answer: 10 percent. . Question 17 . Prices of items included in the CPI are: Answer Selected Answer: weighted according to quantity of the item purchased by the typical household. Correct Answer: weighted according to quantity of the item purchased by the typical household. . Question 18 . Real GDP means the value of goods and services is measured in ______ prices. Answer Selected Answer: constant Correct Answer: constant . Question 19 .If nominal GDP increased by 5 percent and the GDP deflator increased by 3 percent, then real GDP ______ by ______ percent. Answer Selected Answer: increased; 2 Correct Answer: increased; 2 . Question 20 . Nominal GDP is measured in _____ dollars _____ time. Answer Selected Answer: current; per unit of Correct Answer: current; per unit of . Question 21 . Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 2 Reference: Ref 3-2 (Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 2) The economy begins i n equilibrium at Point E, representing the real interest rate, r1, at which saving, S1, equals desired investment, I1.What will be the new equilibrium combination of real interest rate, saving, and investment if there is a tax law change that makes investment projects less profitable and decreases the demand for investment goods (but does not change the amount of taxes collected in the economy)? Answer Selected Answer: Point C Correct Answer: Point A . Question 22 . National saving refers to: Answer Selected Answer: income minus consumption minus government spending. Correct Answer: income minus consumption minus government spending. . Question 23 .According to the neoclassical theory of distribution, if firms are competitive and subject to constant returns to scale, total income in the economy is distributed: Answer Selected Answer: between the labor and capital used in production, according to their marginal productivities. Correct Answer: between the labor and capital used in pro duction, according to their marginal productivities. . Question 24 . According to the model developed in Chapter 3, when government spending increases but taxes are not raised, interest rates: Answer Selected Answer: increase. Correct Answer: increase. . Question 25 .When there is a fixed supply of loanable funds, an increase in investment demand results in a(n): Answer Selected Answer: higher interest rate. Correct Answer: higher interest rate. . Question 26 . Assume that the production function is Cobb–Douglas with parameter ? = 0. 3. In the neoclassical model, if the labor force increases by 10 percent, then output: Answer Selected Answer: increases by about 7 percent. Correct Answer: increases by about 7 percent. . Question 27 . In the classical model with fixed income, if households want to save more than firms want to invest, then: Answer Selected Answer: he interest rate falls. Correct Answer: the interest rate falls. . Question 28 . Assume that equilibrium GDP (Y) is 5,000. Consumption is given by the equation C = 500 + 0. 6Y. Investment (I) is given by the equation I = 2,000 – 100r, where r is the real interest rate in percent. No government exists. In this case, the equilibrium real interest rate is: Answer Selected Answer: 5 percent. Correct Answer: 5 percent. . Question 29 . In the classical model with fixed income, if the demand for goods and services is greater than the supply, the interest rate will: Answer Selected Answer: increase.Correct Answer: increase. . Question 30 . Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 1 Reference: Ref 3-1 (Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 1) The economy begins in equilibrium at Point E, representing the real interest rate, r1, at which saving, S1, equals desired investment, I1. What will be the new equilibrium combination of real interest rate, saving, and investment if the government raises taxes, holding other factors constant? Answer Selected Answer: Point B Correct Answe r: Point B . Question 31 . Assume that the consumption function is given by C = 200 + 0. (Y – T), the tax function is given by T = 100 + t1Y, and Y = 50K0. 5L0. 5, where K = 100 and L = 100. If t1 increases from 0. 2 to 0. 25, then consumption decreases by: Answer Selected Answer: 175. Correct Answer: 175. . Question 32 . Assume that the investment function is given by I = 1,000 – 30r, where r is the real rate of interest (in percent). Assume further that the nominal rate of interest is 10 percent and the inflation rate is 2 percent. According to the investment function, investment will be: Answer Selected Answer: 760. Correct Answer: 760. .Saturday, November 10, 2012 12:07:36 PM EST .

Friday, August 30, 2019

Is There Such a Phenomena as ‘Pilot Error’ in Aviation Accidents

The term ‘Pilot error’ has been attributed to 78%[1] of Army aviation accidents. Despite the technological advances in Rotary Wing (RW) aircraft i. e. , helicopters accidents attributed to technology failure are decreasing, whilst pilot error is increasing. Currently, RW accidents are investigated and recorded using a taxonomy shown to suffer difficulties when coding human error and quantifying the sequence of events prior to an air accident. As Human Factors (HF) attributed accidents are increasing, lessons aren’t being identified nor the root cause is known. Therefore, I propose to introduce Human Factors Analysis and Classification system (HFACS) an untried taxonomy to the UK military developed as an analytical framework to investigate the role of HF in United States of America (USA) aviation accidents. HFACS, supports organizational structure, pre-cursors of psychological error and actual error; but little research exists to explain the intra-relations between the levels and components, or the application in the military RW domain. Therefore, I intend to conduct post-hoc analysis using HFACS of 30+ air accidents between 1993 to present. Implications of this research are to develop a greater understanding of how Occupational Psychology (OP) can help pilots understand HF, raise flight awareness and reduce HF attributed fatalities. Introduction â€Å"On 2 June 1994 an RAF Chinook Mk2 helicopter, ZD 576, crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on a flight from RAF Aldergrove to Fort George, near Inverness. All on board were killed: the two pilots, the two crewmembers and the 25 passengers. This was to have been a routine, non-operational flight, to take senior personnel of the security services to a conference. The sortie was planned in advance; it was entirely appropriate for these pilots, Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook, and for the aircraft, ZD576, to have been assigned this mission. An RAF Board of Inquiry (BOI) was convened following the accident and carried out a detailed investigation. BOIs are established to investigate the cause of serious accidents, primarily, to make safety recommendations but, at the time of this crash, to also determine if human failings were involved. Their conclusion, after an exhaustive investigation was there was not one single piece of known fact that does not fit the conclusion that this tragic accident was a controlled flight into terrain. † The BOI found no evidence of mechanical failure and multiple witnesses stated that the aircraft appeared to be flying at 100ft at 150 knots there was no engine note change, the aircraft didn’t appear to be in distress and at the crash scene the throttle controls were still in the cruise position (not at emergency power if collision with the ground was imminent). 2] So the causation moved to Human Factors (HF). But some questions remain unanswered, on that fateful day why did these seasoned and experienced pilots fly their aircraft and passengers into a hillside at 150 knots. If this accident was attributed to HF it now appears to some that the aircrew themselves are more deadly than the aircraft they fly (Mason, 1993: cited in Murray, 1997). The crucial issue therefore is to understand why pilots Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cooks’ actions made sense to them at the time the fatal accident happened. Relevance of Research So why is this topic relevant to OP research? The British Army branch of aviation is an organization called the Army Air Corps (AAC) and in keeping with the trends of the other two services the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, it has seen a steep decline in accidents in recent years. However, accidents attributed to Human Factors (HF) have steadily risen and are responsible for 90% of all aviation accidents. [3]. This research will depart from the traditional perspective of the label â€Å"pilot error† as the underlying causation of Aviation accidents, whereby current theory and research purport a ‘systemic’ approach to human factors investigation of Aviation accidents. This approach is derived from Reasons Model of Accident Causation, which examines the causal factors of organizational accidents across a spectrum of sectors from; nuclear power industry (e. g. , Chernobyl), off-shore oil and gas production (e. g. Piper Alpha) to transportation (e. g. Charring Cross) (Reason 1990). This approach recognizes that humans, as components of socio-technical systems, are involved in designing, manufacturing, maintaining, managing and operating aviation systems including the methods of selecting and assessing potential employees to the aviation industry from Pilots, Cabin crew, Engineers and Baggage handlers. Therefore, our ability to identify, understand and manage these potential issues enables us to develop systems that are more error-tolerant, thus reducing risk and the potential for accidents. I intend to be able to provide a more consistent, reliable and detailed analysis of HF causal factors that attribute to aviation accidents within the AAC. On average, the AAC experiences around 6 major accidents per year, although a record year was recorded with only two accidents in 1993. However, in 1992 aviation accidents cost over ?10M[4] in taxpayer’s money. Usually the causation of accidents are classified (human error, technical failure or operational hazard). Whilst there was a reduced figure of ?1M for 1993, the satisfaction of this financial success was marred by the fact that one of the two accidents resulted in a fatality. However, it is the concept of human error or pilot error that dominates the outcome of most BOIs particularly when there are fatalities. Current taxonomies used to classify accident causal groups do not extend beyond this distinction although more recently organizational factors have been included to reflect a more systemic view of accident causation. However, the HF domain is extensive and current taxonomies employed by the AAC do not encapsulate this. By using HFACS (currently adopted by the US Navy, Army, Airforce, and Coast Guard), a human error orientated accident investigation and analysis process; I will conduct post-hoc analysis of 30+ category four and five accidents from 1993 to present day. Literature review Before we start to look at any reduction in Air Accidents we need to grasp an understanding of category of accident. How many times when we hear about air accidents, â€Å"it was pilot error†, merely noting HF was responsible doesn’t prevent repetition nor identify any critical lessons, plus the description is far too generic. The term pilot error doesn’t assist us in understanding the processes underlying what leads to a crash, nor does it give us a means to apply remediation or even identify lessons to prevent re-occurrence. The other issue is that it is very seldom one single factor caused the helicopter to crash. Professor RG Green (1996) uses a categorization method: Modes of failure, Aircrew Factors and System failures. Within each of these exist sub-categories. E. g. , in Modes of Failure category lists a number of common errors made by the individual or individuals from; selective attention, automatic behaviour, forming inappropriate mental models, affects of fatigue and perceptual challenges leading to spatial disorientation, particularly common to RW flight. Aircrew factors, refers to background factors relevant to individuals: decision-making, personality, problem solving, Crew composition, Cockpit Authority Gradient (CAG) and Life stress. Finally, the systems factors applicable to the organization that we serve under, termed enabling conditions such as: Ergonomics, Job pressures and Organizational Culture. Bodies of Research Now, human error doesn’t just happen, usually a sequence of events will unfold prior to the accident. Human error is often a product of deeper problems; they are systematically connected to features of the individual’s tools, tasks and the surrounding media (Dekker, 2001). Therefore, in order to provide remediation through the development of strategies it is vital that we understand the various perspectives experienced through flight and how these could effect a pilot; these range from: cognitive, ergonomic, behavioural, psychosocial, aeromedical, and the Organizational Perspectives (Weigmann and Shappell 2003). Within the environment of human performance error is a unique state of a pilot’s operational environment that could be affected by anyone of, or all of the perspectives. Rasmussen (1982) utilized a cognitive methodology to understanding aircraft accidents. O’Hare et al. (1994) described the system as consisting of six stages: ‘detection of stimulus; diagnosis of the system; setting the goal; selection of strategy; adoption of procedure; and the action stage'. The model was found to be helpful in identifying the human errors involved in aviation accidents and incidents (O’Hare et al. 1994). One draw back being that these models using cognition are operator centric and do not consider other factors such as; the working environment, task properties, or the upervisory and work organization (Wiegmann and Sappell, 2001c). Edwards (1972) developed the ‘HELS system' model, which was subsequently called the ‘SHEL' model. Citing that Humans do not perform tasks on their own but within the context of a system; initially SHEL was a system focusing on the ergonomics and considered the man-machine interface. A tool that can be appli ed to investigate air accidents through the evaluation of human-machine systems failure. The ‘SHEL' model categorizes failure into: software, hardware, liveware and environment conditions. However the SHEL model fails to address the functions of management and the cultural aspects of society. Empirical findings Bird’s Domino Theory (1974) views accidents as a linear sequence of related factors or series of events that lead to an actual mishap. The theory covers the five-step sequence First domain Safety/Loss of control, the second domain, basic causes, identifies the origin of causes, such as human, environment or task related. The immediate causes include substandard practices and circumstances. The fourth domain involves contact with hazards. The last domain could be related to personal injury and damage to assets (Bird, 1974; and Heinreich, et al. , 1980). It is much like falling dominos each step causes the next to occur. Removing the factors from any of the first three dominos could prevent an accident. This view has been expanded upon by Reason (1990). Reason’s ‘Swiss cheese' model fig 1, includes four levels of human failure: organizational factors, unsafe supervision, preconditions for unsafe acts and unsafe acts. The HFACS was developed from this model in order to address some of limitations. The starting point for the chain of event is the organization ‘Fallible decisions' take place at higher levels, resulting in latent defects waiting for enabling factors (Reason, 1990). Management and safe supervision underpins any air operation through flight operations, planning, maintenance and training. However, it is the corporate executives, the decision makers who make available the resources, finances and set budgets. These are then cascaded down through the tiers of management and to the operator. Now this sounds like an efficient and effective organization and according to Reason failures in the organization come about by the breakdown in interactions and holes begin to form in the cheese. Within an organization unsafe acts may be manifested by lack of supervision attributed to organizational cultures operating within a: high-pressure environment, insufficient training or poor communication. The latent conditions at the unsafe supervision level promote hazard formation and increase the operational risks. Working towards the accident, the third level of the model is preconditions for unsafe acts. Performance of the aircrew can be affected by fatigue, complacency, inadequate design and their psychological and physical state (USNSC, 2001; Shappell and Wiegmann, 2001a; Wiegmann and Shappell, 2003). Finally, the unsafe acts of the operator are the direct causal factor of the accident. These actions committed by the aircrew could be either intentional or unintentional (Reason, 1990). The ‘Swiss cheese' model sees the aviation environment as a multifaceted system that does not work well when an incorrect decision been taken at higher levels (Wiegmann and Shappell, 2003). The model depicts a thin veneer of cheese the veneer symbolizing the defence against Aviation accidents and the dotted holes portray a latent condition or active failure. It is a chain of events that usually lead to an accident however as errors are made the holes begin to appear in the cheese, a datum line penetrates the cheese and if all the holes pass through the line, then a catastrophic failure occurs and a crash ensues. These causal attributions of poor management and supervision (organizational perspective) may only be unearthed if equipment is found in poor maintenance (ergonomic). If the organizational culture is one of a pressured environment then this could place unnecessary demands on the aircrew producing fatigue (Aeromedical). Or management could ignore pilots’ concerns if the CAG was at imbalance (psychosocial perspective). All of these factors could hinder and prevent aircrew from processing and performing efficiently in the cockpit, which could result in pilot error followed later by an Air Accident. However, with Reasons model it doesn’t identify what the holes in the cheese depict. For any intervention strategy to function and prevent reoccurrence the organization must be able to identify the causal factors involved. The important issue in a HF investigation is to understand why pilots’ actions made sense to them at the time the accident happened (Dekker, 2002). HFACS was specifically developed to define latent and active failures implicated in Reasons Swiss Cheese model so it could be used an accident investigation and analysis tool (Shappel and Weigmann, 1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001). The framework was developed and refined by analyzing hundreds of accident reports containing thousands of human causal factors. Although designed originally for use within the context of the military aviation HFACS has shown to be effective within the civil aviation arena as well (Wiegmann and Shappel, 2001b). Specifically HFACS describes four levels of failure; each one corresponds to one of the cheese slices of Reasons model. These are a) Unsafe acts b) Pre-conditions for Unsafe acts c) Unsafe supervision and d) Organizational influences (Weigmann and Shappel, 2001c) Methodology By using a combination of qualitative (i. e. the process of recoding causal factors based on individual and group discussions) and quantitative (causal factor analysis of recoded narratives against HFACS taxonomy) research methodologies to identify further causal groups to be used in classifying accidents and to assess the validity of the HFACS framework as a tool to classify and analyze accidents. Data to be used in this study will be derived from the narrative findings of AAC BOIs conducted between 1990 and 2006[5]. This should equate to approximately 30-35 narratives to be used in the analysis. Authority to access the Board of Inquiry library has been granted by the Army's Flight Safety and Standards Inspectorate, which is the AAC organization responsible for conducting Aviation accident investigations and analysis. Data will only be used that comprises of category 4 accidents (single fatalities and severe damage to aircraft) and category 5 (multiple fatalities and loss of aircraft). In addition to the narrative description in the report, the following information will also be collected: the type of mission in which the accident happened (e. . low-level flying, exercise, HELEARM[6]); the flight phase (e. g. take-off, in the hover, flight in the operational area, approach, and landing); the rank of the pilot(s) (to measure CAG and see if this is a contributory factor) involved and the type and category of aircraft. This study will concentrate on all Army helicopters; including all variants of the Lynx, Gazelle and Squirrel trainer. Coding frames will be developed and tested for use in the final recoding exercise. An Occupational Psychologist from the Human Factors epartment of the MOD will supervise the training and the coders will be a number of RW pilots with a minimum of 1000hours flying time at the time of the research. Each pilot will be provided with a workshop in the use of HFACS framework. This is to ensure parity and that all coders understand the HFACS categories. After the period of training the raters will be randomly assigned air accidents so that two independent raters can independently code each accident. It is intended to code the inter-rater reliability on a category-by-category basis. The degree of agreement (the inter-rater reliability) initially between the two coders will be achieved by Cohens Kappa (Cohen, 1960;Landis and Koch, 1977). SPSS v. 15. 0 will be used to quantify the frequency of causal factors of the 30+ narratives. It is also hoped to compare the inter-rater reliability between all the coders using Fleiss Kappa. Fleiss’s Kappa assessment method is used to measure the similarity agreement of observers and treats them symmetrically (Fleiss, 1981). The level of agreement between the raters is statistically measured against what could be achieved through chance. The Kappa level range would be classed as achieving moderate inter reliability if it were between 0. 41-0. 60. Cohen’s Kappa is based on the statistical measurement analysis of the level of agreement between raters in excess of (Landis and Koch, 1977). Discussion The research intends to apply an untried methodology not as yet sanctioned by the UKs Ministry of Defence in order to analyze a number of Air Accidents within the AAC between 1993 and present day. Thirty plus serious Category 4 and 5 accidents will be re-classified using the taxonomy of HFACS. It is intended where pilot error was the cause, to identify the HF associated and attribute to each accident. It is also hoped that the HFACS taxonomy can accommodate the HF identified during re-coding and therefore provide tangible evidence that HFACS could be used by the AAC as a reliable tool. It is hoped a number of comparison analysis can be achieved and are accidents more prevalent when flying in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) or poor visibility instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) therefore two sets of visual conditions; VMC and daylight or impoverished visual conditions IMC or twilight/nighttime. Wiegmann, D. A. and Shappell, S. A. (2003). What would also be interesting was the causation and aircrew behaviours of fatal and non-fatal accidents and are these more prevalent on operations or during training. The author was in Afghanistan 2006 and over 6-month period there wasn’t a single crash let alone fatality. But the AAC records 6 crashes a year so again this is worthy of investigation. The ranks of the pilot is also worthy of interest with regards to achieving a good CAG there may be causal evidence to indicate that an imbalance between ranks could have lead to an aircrash. The Organizational hierarchy will; also be researched is it one specific organization that keeps having crashes is there an issue with the pressures placed on the pilots by the organization. The inter-rater reliability will also be calculated by using Fleiss Kappa which will work for more than two raters, it is intended that an acceptable level of inter rater reliability will be recorded. In addition, the intra-rater reliability as a holistic measurement is hoped to be high in order to support the credibility of the results. An Organization could benefit from gaining a standardized, consistent coding methodology and that data can be used for identifying trends and intervention strategies can then target these trends in accident causation. It is hoped that granularity can be achieved beyond the label â€Å"pilot error† and identify the underlying causation of the accident. If successful and if HFACS is adopted UK military wide, perhaps the real cause of why ZD576 flew into the Mull of Kyntre could be unearthed. If other Military organizations can reap success then HFACS could be a reliable tool to identify causation and could be used in accident investigation. Ethics I will comply fully with the BPS[7] ethical principles when conducting research with human participants. All identifiable information relating to individuals discussed in the narrative findings will be removed in accordance with the data protection act, for the purposes of analysis and reporting. All participates will be fully appraised of my research, recognize that all the coders are volunteers and give informed consent before the research and to understand how the information will be used. The coders will be reviewing material depicting instances of fatalities therefore it is important that the coders do not come to any psychological harm, over and above the risk of harm in ordinary life (participants will be invited to contact me if participation causes concern at any time or to ask questions). Maintaining a good rapport particularly with the coders is also a desirable. Being an Aeronautical Engineer should also bridge any cultural gaps and maintain a good working relationship.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Participants in Policy Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participants in Policy Process - Essay Example (Dye, 2001, p. 4 to 7) In this context, the participants in the public policy process may be segregated into two categories. The first are the official participants comprising of government officials, authorities as well as political players. On the other hand are the non governmental or unofficial participants who come in the form of social workers, individuals lobbying for the interests of certain pressure groups, and even the average citizen. In the course of this paper we will try and differentiate between these two groups of participants in the policy process. To do so, we will start by delving into the various aspects of the policy process. When embodied in a person's life as a profession, the policy process becomes a matter of drawing on statistical information and basing decisions on various kinds of analysis before arriving at the factors that will influence the elements to be included in a certain policy. Considering the fact that this will greatly influence a normal citizen's life in various ways, the policy maker has to be doubly sure of the facts as he is responsible for a lot of people.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Rules of The Patent Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rules of The Patent - Coursework Example An initial provisional patenting which is relatively simple and quick will immediately secure the rights. Full patenting can follow this. Any disclosure like getting it published in a technical journal can be done after this. They must do this at an appropriate time to create awareness of the product before launching the product in the market. It is recommended that the services of a professional patent attorney be engaged for filing the patent (Reese, 75). Both the partners do not have experience in writing and filing the patent before. The patent will be written better by a patent lawyer and chances of getting it accepted will be much better. It is also better that they bear the costs of the patenting themselves now and not wait to form a company and then raise resources through that for the patent. Funding agencies pay special attention to aspects of the value of IP and how well it has been secured by the promoter while considering a loan proposal. Another important thing that needs to be clarified right away is the ownership of the patent. Will it be owned by one individual or both or by the company that is to be formed? The best would be for the engineering partner to patent it in his own name and later on transfer the rights of use entirely to the company at some mutually agreed cost after it is formed. It would be fair as it is his efforts that have resulted in the patent and also because the patent filing need not wait for the formalities of forming a company, that is if the two decide to go ahead and form one. After the patenting, they will have to decide on whether to manufacture and market the product themselves or to transfer the know-how to a third party for manufacturing under license. The former means becoming an entrepreneur and deriving the full fruits of benefit s of the invention. An entrepreneur’s skills are entirely different from that of an inventor. The entrepreneur takes full responsibility for doing everything like fundraising,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, Essay

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning to portray the Spanish Civil War - Essay Example One of the most important elements about these accounts of the civil war period in Spain is the fact that every author has approached and treated the civil war experience in his particular style. Thus, one gets three beautiful accounts of the same background in the subtlest manner, and a reflective analysis of the works proves the individual narrative techniques of every writer as most distinct. The authors of these literary pieces employ different literary devices in their works such as adjectives, hyperbolic language, use of allusion, etc and each of these devices has immense significance as the authors depend greatly on these in narrating their experiences of the civil war. The contrasting methods of the writers find most valuable in an understanding the different accounts of the experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and the authors have been effective in portraying the picture of the civil war. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the accounts of the civil war experiences b y the three authors Orwell, Hemingway, and Lee, focusing on their use of different literary devices to portray the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls narrates the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in one of the anti-fascist guerilla groups during the Spanish Civil War. Jordan is proficient in the use of explosives and he undertakes the task of demolishing a bridge in an attack on the city of Segovia. The narrative techniques used by Hemingway have resulted in wide readership. In the narrative, Robert Jordan reflects the author’s own experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the novel develops chiefly through the thoughts and experiences of this character. The narrator is an American who passes through distinctive experience in Spain and he combats the fascist forces in his own specific ways. The novel attracts many readers as the specific narrative

Monday, August 26, 2019

Argumentation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Argumentation - Research Paper Example casualties while maximizing destruction and death abroad. That Obama was elected through the use of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus Christ in his moral rhetoric makes the use of violent force in government policy problematic. For example, if we are to ask whether these teachers accept the use of deadly force and violence as a means to solve political problems or social issues, the answer would be an unequivocal no – not in any instance. It can be further argued that by invoking MLK, Gandhi, his Christian faith, and his unique family history, the President communicated a point of view to the electorate that was expressive of his moral sense of identity. If Obama as President continues to pursue what the Washington Times describes as â€Å"neoconservative policies† through military action abroad, he is indeed going against the moral tone that he communicated to his base in seeking election and should be held accountable in the upcoming 2012 election for it. The Washington Times (2011) writes in the editorial: â€Å"Mr. ... For now anyway. Mr. Obama’s motive - trying to dislodge an authoritarian regime in the name of the Libyan people - are solidly within the neoconservative framework.† (Washington Times, 2011) The article is limited in space but could have clearly noted that Obama has pursued the â€Å"Just War† doctrine through his policy of escalation in Afghanistan and Pakistan while drawing down in Iraq, and Libya is the latest example of that policy. President Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech can be seen as one of the main locations where he develops the â€Å"Just War† doctrine and with it his reasons why he cannot or will not implement a purely pacifist foreign policy as advocated by Gandhi and MLK particularly. (NYT, 2009) What the Washington Times suggests is that at heart Obama is no different that Nixon or Eisenhower, who like the majority of Americans would â€Å"believe in† Christianity and not see it as inconsistent with war. Yet, t he Washington Times is not writing the editorial to advocate the position of MLK and Gandhi in politics, they are writing to exult with glee as Obama again sells these principles out and the â€Å"moral Left† writhes in agony. The implication of this tone is happier still in that the writers expect that Obama will likely lose the election, having sold out his moral base continually throughout his administration. Following the Washington Times arguments, it is easy to view the Obama administration’s economic policies as no real change from the neo-conservative Bush administration. President Obama continued the Wall St.â€Å"bailout† policies enacted by the Bush administration as well as expanding them. President Obama’s majority-led Congress extended the Bush tax cuts in another example of neo-conservative policy.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Urban futures (tutorial short answers) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Urban futures (tutorial short answers) - Essay Example All such functions are important and take place side by side simultaneously in the same public space in a fine balance. According to Edensor (2011), public space is considered important due to the provision of social centers and necessary activities that occur in such space. A lot of joyful human activities are found in public space, and also offer more room and opportunities for people (Edensor, 2011). Lubin (2012) asserts that public space is formed through opening government buildings and property to the public such as public gardens and public libraries. The reformation and contestation of the public space is something of a hallmark for critical theory regarding geography, cultural studies, philosophy, visual art, urban design, and social studies. Public space has for sometime been miscomprehended to mean places like gathering halls which is technically the essence of the broader social space concept (Lubin, 2012). Edensor (2011) says that through the spatial organization and landscape of public space, the social construction of the public space is viewed to be ruled privately through the explicit and implicit expectations and rules of the public space that are enforced. According to the articles, everyone has a right to use and/ or access public space, in contrary to private space that has particular restrictions. There has been however some presence of academic interest in th e formation and management of public space in the cities. According to Lubin (2012), management measures have been taken to control usage of the public space. The benches have been designed to restrict people from resting and sleeping on them. In some situations, police forces are involved in restraining those who misuse the public space. This is a similar practice in most cities in taking care of the public space (Lubin, 2012). Both Edensor (2011) and Lubin (2012) say that the functions of public space is contested and reformed through the privately owned

Do Smartphones Benefit Classroom Learning or Not Essay

Do Smartphones Benefit Classroom Learning or Not - Essay Example Many governments in the world today have acknowledged the importance of technology by either including it as a subject in its own right in the curriculum, or stressing its importance as a set of cross-curricular skills, usually ICT. Technology allows information to be presented more accurately and more attractively than by most traditional means, so that it engages the attention of the user. Despite having its benefits technology has its disadvantages and many people have pointed at them as reasons why smart phones are not good for class room learning (Academic Conferences Limited and Balcaen 159). The use of smart phones in classroom learning has its failures and benefits at the same time (Winebrenner and Brulles 214). However, the benefits certainly outweigh the failures. This paper supports the use of smart phones in class room learning by arguing on its benefits against its failures. The term smart phone is generally used to refer to more advanced cellular phone, whose capabiliti es outdo those of feature phones. Smartphones are primarily communication devices, but today, their functions have increased. Many schools today allow students to use their smart phones or other handled devices in the classroom. One thing people should not forget is that smart phones are not limited to classroom learning, but can also be used to do further research after class, making them very beneficial to learning. For example, smart phones have software’s such as cameras, which are extremely helpful for creating digital projects. Students today are always finding ways to get connected. For example, children of all ages now know how to use smartphones more than their parents. Research has shown that even at the age of three, some children learn how to use their parent’s smart phones. The Benefits of using Smart Phones for Classroom Learning There are many benefits that come with using smart phones in classroom learning. These include: a. Reducing boredom in classroo m learning People have argued that though smart phones reduce boredom in classes by making learning lively, students in this new age are highly motivated by technology and thus, tend to be very mischievous when the class is still in session. They tend to log-in social sites and instead of concentrating in class they, are busy exchanging non-educational materials leading to poor performance in academics Davies and Eynon point out that â€Å"opportunities to continue out-of-school uses of technology when in school have been limited or non-existent until quite recently for most young people† (1931). However, many are times that teachers look for ways to inspire or motivate learners in class. For example, one will find them opening doors and windows, also engaging the learners in singing so as to make them want to learn. Technology and in this case smartphones can play a key part in achieving this easily. It is very evident of how children of this new age are motivated easily by technology. A research done in 2006 suggested that â€Å"technology can have a positive impact on pupil’s levels of concentration, self-confidence, self-esteem, independence, and behavior† (Waugh and Jolliffe n.p.). b. Smart phones provide access to the curriculum for children with special educational needs Smart phones and especially those used by special needs learners, like any technology, are not cheap to purchase. In some schools, they are limited in meeting the needs of each and every student. This does not make learning any simple for such people, but rather, complicates their lives more and at the end, their goals are not achieved. Despite this, smart phones have

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Good Cholesterol and Breast Cancer risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Good Cholesterol and Breast Cancer risk - Essay Example This phenomenon reduces the risk of heart diseases but at the same time HDL also stimulates migration and activates signal transduction pathways in the human breast cancer cell lines, thus acting like a catalyst in the development of breast cancer. Thus knocking down the HDL receptor, SR-BI by some pharmacological methodologies play an essential role in regulating cellular proliferation and migration, thus controlling the growth of tumor cells, and hence SR-BI can be essentially used in the treatment of breast cancer in humans. The Popular article, Good cholesterol and breast cancer risk explains about the above detailed primary research article in a crisp manner. Though HDL that is, good cholesterol is good for health and acts like a protective shield against heart disorders, it has a negative impact on breast cancer development in humans. Higher the level of HDL in blood, higher is the risk of developing breast cancer. Thus limiting the HDL receptor, SR-BI the rapid proliferation o f tumor cells were found to be greatly reduced. The popular article also interacts with Dr. Philippe Frank, head of the research team and a cancer biologist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University who stresses on the importance of inventing more specific drugs to inhibit SR- BI and the safer level of HDL to be mentioned in cancer patients. How it relates to the theme – ‘Gender, Science and Technology’ Both the articles are interlinked and have a strong correlation with the theme of ‘Gender, Science and Technology’. The main focus of both the articles is about the treatment for breast cancer. Though the exact cause for breast cancer is still a topic under research, analysing the risk factors can show who is most likely to develop the disease. Lifestyle choices, genetic disorders and medications taken for some kind of diseases may be some of the risk factors for developing the disease but some risk factors are more vulnerable, particularly one’s ‘Gender’. Breast cancer is most common in women because they have more breast tissue than men. Breast cancer causes include what stimulates the breast tissue to grow and develop. Female relatives can also be a risk factor for getting breast cancer. If one’s mother, sister or daughter have breast cancer, the chances of getting the disease is doubled. Though cancer of several types is the leading cause of death in the world, medical science and technology has empowered people to make life changing decisions by matching them with modern and advanced treatment options based on individual conditions of the patients. Modern science and technology has revolutionized the breast cancer research therapies and now chances of overcoming breast cancer are much better than in earlier days. Main Scientific Claim The authors claim that their examination about the role of HDL and SR-BI in the regulation of cellular signalling pathwa ys in breast cancer cell lines and development of tumors show that, HDL can stimulate the signal transduction pathways in the human breast cancer cell lines. Then, accelerate the formation of tumors and hence knocking down of HDL receptor, SR-BI limits the

Friday, August 23, 2019

International Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Paper - Essay Example In economic terms the GDP is defined as the, "total market value of all the goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports." In a layman's terms the GDP is the sum total of all the goods and services produced in a country in a given year. It's relevance to the business planning of the Big Auto Drive is that, it will give the company an idea on how it faired in comparison to the other similar companies and what kind of a role did it play in contributing to the GDP of the country. Another significance of the GDP is that it shows the position of the sellers and their products. Inflation is the, "persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services." (Robinson K., April 2007) In simple terms inflation is the rise in the value of commodity and fall in the value of money. The selection of Inflation as one of the macroeconomic measure of output and prices for the planning of the Big Auto Drive can be justified in many ways. Inflation has a direct impact on variables like consumption, savings and investment. Inflation affects the economic growth of the country and is the cause of higher levels of inequity in income. Relationship between macroeconomic variables and Big Auto Drive The sales data of the different commodities of Big Drive Auto shows a kind of uniform trend. The margin of disparity in sales from 98' to 07' is pretty much on an average level. For instance, table one illustrating the vehicle sales unit, shows that in the year 1998 the company sold 139 units followed by 160 in 99' then 145 in 00' and 133 in 01'. The highest number of unit sales achieved by the company was in the year 2003, the number of sold units accounting to 167. 2001 was the year the company sold the lowest number of units, 133. This shows that the difference between the maximum and the minimum number of sales in the span of 8 years from 98' to 07' is not very much. But one thing to be noted here is that from the year 03' on the sales have been on the higher side, in the 160's line. So the relevance of this data to the U.S GDP is that, the highest contribution made by the company to the country's economy in terms of vehicles' sale was in the year 2003. The data of an organizatio n also helps to map the growth rate of the GDP of a country. The fact that inflation leads to the rise in prices of goods and commodities is known to everyone. But the core knowledge of the effect of inflation on

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Ancient India Essay Example for Free

Ancient India Essay The era that brought India into the map of cultural prominence was during the rule of the Gupta Dynasty. The 4th and 5th century C. E. is considered as the Golden Age of India. The attainment of this Golden Age was made possible by the rule and influence of the Gupta Dynasty, which fostered the development of both the cultural and the political might of India during its time. The Gupta Rulers Chandragupta I, son of Ghatotkacha, was the fist imperial ruler of the empire situated in the north of the then India in the Vindhya Range. By marrying the princess of Licchavis, he formed alliance with the clan and begun power expansion. One of the important administrative systems that he established during his reign was the assembly of councilors that nominated his successor. The largest territorial expansion of the empire was undertaken during the reign of Samudragupta, son of Chandragupta I. His campaign established the largest political unit in South Asia at that time (Heitzman, 2007). He is considered as one of the greatest military geniuses in the history of India. One of his notable contributions was the establishment of coins made of pure gold. More than an exemplary military leader, he was also a patron of the arts as he was a celebrated poet and musician. He made coinage as the expertise of his time. Chandragupta II further expanded the empire through war conquests. His power was extended from coast-to-coast; and his reign became the economical high point of the empire through the establishment of trading capitals. During the reign of Kumaragupta I, the Pushyamitras tribe became powerful and had post threat to the empire. His successor, Skandagupta, considered the last of the great Gupta rulers, defeated the tribe but the territory was later on invaded by the White Huns. This defeat signaled the start of the decline of the empire. The Impact of the Empire The Gupta Dynasty is highly regarded for their contributions to the arts and culture of South Asia. Though the rulers cultural role was limited, their coinage expresses their being patrons of the arts (Heitzman, 2007). According to Hooker (1996), the eras cultural creativity is exemplified in magnificent architecture, sculpture and paintings. The paintings found in the Ajanta Cave are considered to be the most powerful works of the Indian art. Literature also flourished during that time of Indian history. The Gupta Empire had produced one of the greatest writers of poetry, Kalidasa. He is known for his lyric poetry and dramas, not only in India but also in Asian and even Western circles. It is also observed that the trading ports of the empire made the Indian culture dominant in the region. The period of the Gupta Dynasty was the period of â€Å"Greater India† (Hooker, 1996). Their cultural influences were extended through Burma, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Another cultural legacy of the dynasty is the coinage system and effective administrative system. Their government was governed with only one taxation system centralized to the empire capital in Pataliputra. The kings remained to be the vassal kings where the entire kingdom was consolidated into single administrative unit (Hooker, 1996). The era of the Gupta Dynasty has not only uplifted the country politically but culturally as well. It has spilled over its influence in the South Asian region through wide range of trading products and services. Though it was later on buried in the pages of Indian history, its legacy to the Indian nation continue to this age. Its cultural heritage truly makes India one of the richest cultures in the world. References: Hooker, Richard (1996). The Age of the Guptas and After. Ancient India. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/ANCINDIA/GUPTA. HTM Heitzman, James (2007). Gupta Dynasty. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from http://encarta. msn. com.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Comparison Of Rate Of Convergence Of Iterative Methods Philosophy Essay

Comparison Of Rate Of Convergence Of Iterative Methods Philosophy Essay The term iterative method refers to a wide range of techniques that use successive approximations to obtain more accurate solutions to a linear system at each step In numerical analysis it attempts to solve a problem by finding successive  approximations  to the solution starting from an initial guess. This approach is in contrast to  direct methods which attempt to solve the problem by a finite sequence of operations, and, in the absence of  rounding errors, would deliver an exact solution Iterative methods are usually the only choice for non linear equations. However, iterative methods are often useful even for linear problems involving a large number of variables (sometimes of the order of millions), where direct methods would be prohibitively expensive (and in some cases impossible) even with the best available computing power. Stationary methods are older, simpler to understand and implement, but usually not as effective Stationary iterative method are the iterative methods that performs in each iteration the same operations on the current iteration vectors.Stationary iterative methods solve a linear system with an  operator  approximating the original one; and based on a measurement of the error in the result, form a correction equation for which this process is repeated. While these methods are simple to derive, implement, and analyze, convergence is only guaranteed for a limited class of matrices. Examples of stationary iterative methods are the Jacobi method,gauss seidel method  and the  successive overrelaxation method. The Nonstationary methods are based on the idea of sequences of orthogonal vectors Nonstationary methods are a relatively recent development; their analysis is usually harder to understand, but they can be highly effective These are the Iterative method that has iteration-dependent coefficients.It include Dense matrix: Matrix for which the number of zero elements is too small to warrant specialized algorithms. Sparse matrix: Matrix for which the number of zero elements is large enough that algorithms avoiding operations on zero elements pay off. Matrices derived from partial differential equations typically have a number of nonzero elements that is proportional to the matrix size, while the total number of matrix elements is the square of the matrix size. The rate at which an iterative method converges depends greatly on the spectrum of the coefficient matrix. Hence, iterative methods usually involve a second matrix that transforms the coefficient matrix into one with a more favorable spectrum. The transformation matrix is called a  preconditioner. A good preconditioner improves the convergence of the iterative method, sufficiently to overcome the extra cost of constructing and applying the preconditioner. Indeed, without a preconditioner the iterative method may even fail to converge. Rate of Convergence In  numerical analysis, the speed at which a  convergent sequence  approaches its limit is called the  rate of convergence. Although strictly speaking, a limit does not give information about any finite first part of the sequence, this concept is of practical importance if we deal with a sequence of successive approximations for an  iterative method as then typically fewer iterations are needed to yield a useful approximation if the rate of convergence is higher. This may even make the difference between needing ten or a million iterations.Similar concepts are used for  discretization  methods. The solution of the discretized problem converges to the solution of the continuous problem as the grid size goes to zero, and the speed of convergence is one of the factors of the efficiency of the method. However, the terminology in this case is different from the terminology for iterative methods. The rate of convergence of an iterative method is represented by mu (ÃŽÂ ¼) and is defined as such:   Suppose the sequence{xn}  (generated by an iterative method to find an approximation to a fixed point) converges to a point  x, then   limn->[infinity] = |xn+1-x|/|xn-x|[alpha]=ÃŽÂ ¼,  where  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥0 and  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±(alpha)=order of convergence.   In cases where  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±=2 or 3 the sequence is said to have  quadratic  and  cubic convergence  respectively. However in linear cases i.e. when  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±=1, for the sequence to converge  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  must  be in the interval (0,1). The theory behind this is that for En+1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼En  to converge the absolute errors must decrease with each approximation, and to guarantee this, we have to set  0 In cases where  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±=1 and  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼=1  and  you know it converges (since  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼=1 does not tell us if it converges or diverges) the sequence  {xn}  is said to converge  sublinearly  i.e. the order of convergence is less than one. If  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼>1 then the sequence diverges. If  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼=0 then it is said to converge  superlinearly  i.e. its order of convergence is higher than 1, in these cases you change  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ã‚  to a higher value to find what the order of convergence is.  In cases where  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  is negative, the iteration diverges. Stationary iterative methods Stationary iterative methods are methods for solving a  linear system of equations. Ax=B. where  Ã‚  is a given matrix and  Ã‚  is a given vector. Stationary iterative methods can be expressed in the simple form where neither  Ã‚  nor  Ã‚  depends upon the iteration count  . The four main stationary methods are the Jacobi Method,Gauss seidel method,  successive overrelaxation method  (SOR), and   symmetric successive overrelaxation method  (SSOR). 1.Jacobi method:- The Jacobi method is based on solving for every variable locally with respect to the other variables; one iteration of the method corresponds to solving for every variable once. The resulting method is easy to understand and implement, but convergence is slow. The Jacobi method is a method of solving a  matrix equation  on a matrix that has no zeros along its main diagonal . Each diagonal element is solved for, and an approximate value plugged in. The process is then iterated until it converges. This algorithm is a stripped-down version of the Jacobi transformation  method of  matrix diagnalization. The Jacobi method is easily derived by examining each of the  Ã‚  equations in the linear system of equations  Ã‚  in isolation. If, in the  th equation solve for the value of  Ã‚  while assuming the other entries of  Ã‚  remain fixed. This gives which is the Jacobi method. In this method, the order in which the equations are examined is irrelevant, since the Jacobi method treats them independently. The definition of the Jacobi method can be expressed with matrices  as where the matrices  ,  , and  Ã‚  represent the diagnol, strictly lower triangular, and  strictly upper triangular  parts of  , respectively Convergence:- The standard convergence condition (for any iterative method) is when the  spectral radius  of the iteration matrix à Ã‚ (D  Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 1R) D is diagonal component,R is the remainder. The method is guaranteed to converge if the matrix  A  is strictly or irreducibly  diagonally dominant. Strict row diagonal dominance means that for each row, the absolute value of the diagonal term is greater than the sum of absolute values of other terms: The Jacobi method sometimes converges even if these conditions are not satisfied. 2. Gauss-Seidel method:- The Gauss-Seidel method is like the Jacobi method, except that it uses updated values as soon as they are available. In general, if the Jacobi method converges, the Gauss-Seidel method will converge faster than the Jacobi method, though still relatively slowly. The Gauss-Seidel method is a technique for solving the  Ã‚  equations of the  linear system of equations  Ã‚  one at a time in sequence, and uses previously computed results as soon as they are available, There are two important characteristics of the Gauss-Seidel method should be noted. Firstly, the computations appear to be serial. Since each component of the new iterate depends upon all previously computed components, the updates cannot be done simultaneously as in the  Jacobi method. Secondly, the new iterate  Ã‚  depends upon the order in which the equations are examined. If this ordering is changed, the  components  of the new iterates (and not just their order) will also change. In terms of matrices, the definition of the Gauss-Seidel method can be expressed as where the matrices  ,  , and  Ã‚  represent the  diagonal, strictly lower triangular, and strictly upper triangular  parts of   A, respectively. The Gauss-Seidel method is applicable to strictly diagonally dominant, or symmetric positive definite matrices   A. Convergence:- Given a square system of  n  linear equations with unknown  x: The convergence properties of the Gauss-Seidel method are dependent on the matrix  A. Namely, the procedure is known to converge if either: A  is symmetric  positive definite, or A  is strictly or irreducibly  diagonally dominant. The Gauss-Seidel method sometimes converges even if these conditions are not satisfied. 3.Successive Overrelaxation method:- The successive overrelaxation method (SOR) is a method of solving a  linear system of equations  Ã‚  derived by extrapolating the  gauss-seidel method. This extrapolation takes the form of a weighted average between the previous iterate and the computed Gauss-Seidel iterate successively for each component, where  Ã‚  denotes a Gauss-Seidel iterate and  Ã‚  is the extrapolation factor. The idea is to choose a value for  Ã‚  that will accelerate the rate of convergence of the iterates to the solution. In matrix terms, the SOR algorithm can be written as where the matrices  ,  , and  Ã‚  represent the diagonal, strictly lower-triangular, and strictly upper-triangular parts of  , respectively. If  , the SOR method simplifies to the  gauss-seidel method. A theorem due to Kahan shows that SOR fails to converge if  Ã‚  is outside the interval  . In general, it is not possible to compute in advance the value of  Ã‚  that will maximize the rate of convergence of SOR. Frequently, some heuristic estimate is used, such as  Ã‚  where  Ã‚  is the mesh spacing of the discretization of the underlying physical domain. Convergence:- Successive Overrelaxation method may converge faster than Gauss-Seidel by an order of magnitude. We seek the solution to set of linear equations   In matrix terms, the successive over-relaxation (SOR) iteration can be expressed as where  ,  , and  Ã‚  represent the diagonal, lower triangular, and upper triangular parts of the coefficient matrix  ,  Ã‚  is the iteration count, and  Ã‚  is a relaxation factor. This matrix expression is not usually used to program the method, and an element-based expression is used Note that for  Ã‚  that the iteration reduces to the  gauss-seidel  iteration. As with the  Gauss seidel method, the computation may be done in place, and the iteration is continued until the changes made by an iteration are below some tolerance. The choice of relaxation factor is not necessarily easy, and depends upon the properties of the coefficient matrix. For symmetric, positive definite matrices it can be proven that  Ã‚  will lead to convergence, but we are generally interested in faster convergence rather than just convergence. 4.Symmetric Successive overrelaxation:- Symmetric Successive Overrelaxation (SSOR) has no advantage over SOR as a stand-alone iterative method; however, it is useful as a preconditioner for nonstationary methods The symmetric successive overrelaxation (SSOR) method combines two  successive overrelaxation method  (SOR) sweeps together in such a way that the resulting iteration matrix is similar to a symmetric matrix it the case that the coefficient matrix  Ã‚  of the linear system  Ã‚  is symmetric. The SSOR is a forward SOR sweep followed by a backward SOR sweep in which the  unknowns  are updated in the reverse order. The similarity of the SSOR iteration matrix to a symmetric matrix permits the application of SSOR as a preconditioner for other iterative schemes for symmetric matrices. This is the primary motivation for SSOR, since the convergence rate is usually slower than the convergence rate for SOR with optimal  .. Non-Stationary Iterative Methods:- 1.Conjugate Gradient method:- The conjugate gradient method derives its name from the fact that it generates a sequence of conjugate (or orthogonal) vectors. These vectors are the residuals of the iterates. They are also the gradients of a quadratic functional, the minimization of which is equivalent to solving the linear system. CG is an extremely effective method when the coefficient matrix is symmetric positive definite, since storage for only a limited number of vectors is required. Suppose we want to solve the following   system of linear equations Ax  =  b where the  n-by-n  matrix  A  is  symmetric  (i.e.,  AT  =  A),  positive definite  (i.e.,  xTAx  > 0 for all non-zero vectors  x  in  Rn), and  real. We denote the unique solution of this system by  x*. We say that two non-zero vectors  u  and  v  are  conjugate  (with respect to  A) if Since  A  is symmetric and positive definite, the left-hand side defines an  inner product So, two vectors are conjugate if they are orthogonal with respect to this inner product. Being conjugate is a symmetric relation: if  u  is conjugate to  v, then  v  is conjugate to  u. Convergence:- Accurate predictions of the convergence of iterative methods are difficult to make, but useful bounds can often be obtained. For the Conjugate Gradient method, the error can be bounded in terms of the spectral condition number  Ã‚  of the matrix  . ( if  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  are the largest and smallest eigenvalues of a symmetric positive definite matrix  , then the spectral condition number of  Ã‚  is  . If  Ã‚  is the exact solution of the linear system  , with symmetric positive definite matrix  , then for CG with symmetric positive definite preconditioner  , it can be shown that where  Ã‚  , and   . From this relation we see that the number of iterations to reach a relative reduction of  Ã‚  in the error is proportional to  . In some cases, practical application of the above error bound is straightforward. For example, elliptic second order partial differential equations typically give rise to coefficient matrices  Ã‚  with  Ã‚  (where  Ã‚  is the discretization mesh width), independent of the order of the finite elements or differences used, and of the number of space dimensions of the problem . Thus, without preconditioning, we expect a number of iterations proportional to  Ã‚  for the Conjugate Gradient method. Other results concerning the behavior of the Conjugate Gradient algorithm have been obtained. If the extremal eigenvalues of the matrix  Ã‚  are well separated, then one often observes so-called; that is, convergence at a rate that increases per iteration. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that CG tends to eliminate components of the error in the direction of eigenvectors associated with extremal eigenvalues first. After these have been eliminated, the method proceeds as if these eigenvalues did not exist in the given system,  i.e., the convergence rate depends on a reduced system with a smaller condition number. The effectiveness of the preconditioner in reducing the condition number and in separating extremal eigenvalues can be deduced by studying the approximated eigenvalues of the related Lanczos process. 2. Biconjugate Gradient Method-The Biconjugate Gradient method generates two CG-like sequences of vectors, one based on a system with the original coefficient matrix , and one on . Instead of orthogonalizing each sequence, they are made mutually orthogonal, or bi-orthogonal. This method, like CG, uses limited storage. It is useful when the matrix is nonsymmetric and nonsingular; however, convergence may be irregular, and there is a possibility that the method will break down. BiCG requires a multiplication with the coefficient matrix and with its transpose at each iteration. Convergence:- Few theoretical results are known about the convergence of BiCG. For symmetric positive definite systems the method delivers the same results as CG, but at twice the cost per iteration. For nonsymmetric matrices it has been shown that in phases of the process where there is significant reduction of the norm of the residual, the method is more or less comparable to full GMRES (in terms of numbers of iterations). In practice this is often confirmed, but it is also observed that the convergence behavior may be quite irregular  , and the method may even break down  . The breakdown situation due to the possible event that  Ã‚  can be circumvented by so-called look-ahead strategies. This leads to complicated codes. The other breakdown  Ã‚  situation,  , occurs when the  -decomposition fails, and can be repaired by using another decomposition. Sometimes, breakdown  Ã‚  or near-breakdown situations can be satisfactorily avoided by a restart  Ã‚  at the iteration step immediately before the breakdown step. Another possibility is to switch to a more robust method, like GMRES.  Ã‚   3. Conjugate Gradient Squared (CGS  ). The Conjugate Gradient Squared method is a variant of BiCG that applies the updating operations for the -sequence and the -sequences both to the same vectors. Ideally, this would double the convergence rate, but in practice convergence may be much more irregular than for BiCG, which may sometimes lead to unreliable results. A practical advantage is that the method does not need the multiplications with the transpose of the coefficient matrix. often one observes a speed of convergence for CGS that is about twice as fast as for BiCG, which is in agreement with the observation that the same contraction operator is applied twice. However, there is no reason that the contraction operator, even if it really reduces the initial residual  , should also reduce the once reduced vector  . This is evidenced by the often highly irregular convergence behavior of CGS  . One should be aware of the fact that local corrections to the current solution may be so large that cancelation effects occur. This may lead to a less accurate solution than suggested by the updated residual. The method tends to diverge if the starting guess is close to the solution.  Ã‚   4 Biconjugate Gradient Stabilized (Bi-CGSTAB  ). The Biconjugate Gradient Stabilized method is a variant of BiCG, like CGS, but using different updates for the -sequence in order to obtain smoother convergence than CGS. Bi-CGSTAB often converges about as fast as CGS, sometimes faster and sometimes not. CGS can be viewed as a method in which the BiCG contraction operator is applied twice. Bi-CGSTAB can be interpreted as the product of BiCG and repeatedly applied GMRES. At least locally, a residual vector is minimized  , which leads to a considerably smoother  Ã‚  convergence behavior. On the other hand, if the local GMRES step stagnates, then the Krylov subspace is not expanded, and Bi-CGSTAB will break down  . This is a breakdown situation that can occur in addition to the other breakdown possibilities in the underlying BiCG algorithm. This type of breakdown may be avoided by combining BiCG with other methods,  i.e., by selecting other values for  Ã‚   One such alternative is Bi-CGSTAB2  ; more general approaches are su ggested by Sleijpen and Fokkema. 5..Chebyshev   Iteration. The Chebyshev Iteration recursively determines polynomials with coefficients chosen to minimize the norm of the residual in a min-max sense. The coefficient matrix must be positive definite and knowledge of the extremal eigenvalues is required. This method has the advantage of requiring no inner products. Chebyshev Iteration is another method for solving nonsymmetric problems . Chebyshev Iteration avoids the computation of inner products  Ã‚  as is necessary for the other nonstationary methods. For some distributed memory architectures these inner products are a bottleneck  Ã‚  with respect to efficiency. The price one pays for avoiding inner products is that the method requires enough knowledge about the spectrum of the coefficient matrix  Ã‚  that an ellipse enveloping the spectrum can be identified  ; however this difficulty can be overcome via an adaptive construction  developed by Manteuffel  , and implemented by Ashby  . Chebyshev iteration is suitable for any non symmetric linear system for which the enveloping ellipse does not include the origin. Convergence:- In the symmetric case (where  Ã‚  and the preconditioner  Ã‚  are both symmetric) for the Chebyshev Iteration we have the same upper bound as for the Conjugate Gradient method, provided  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  are computed from  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  (the extremal eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrix  ). There is a severe penalty for overestimating or underestimating the field of values. For example, if in the symmetric case  Ã‚  is underestimated, then the method may diverge; if it is overestimated then the result may be very slow convergence. Similar statements can be made for the nonsymmetric case. This implies that one needs fairly accurate bounds on the spectrum of  Ã‚  for the method to be effective (in comparison with CG or GMRES).  Ã‚   Acceleration of convergence Many methods exist to increase the rate of convergence of a given sequence, i.e. to transform a given sequence into one converging faster to the same limit. Such techniques are in general known as series acceleration. The goal of the transformed sequence is to be much less expensive to calculate than the original sequence. One example of series acceleration is Aitkens delta -squared process.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Birth Control: History, Methods and Issues

Birth Control: History, Methods and Issues David Birth Control Introduction How amazing would it be if we lived in a utopia where people can choose whether or not to get pregnant after unprotected sex and have no Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STD). Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STD) are diseases that has a high chance to be transmitted between humans by sexual intercourse, such as but not limited to: â€Å"vaginal intercourse, anal sex, oral sex, etc.†[1] Well unfortunately there is no utopia. But we have birth control methods that can prevent pregnancy and Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STD). Birth control is the practice of preventing a woman from getting pregnant.[2] Birth control is an issue in society that needs more attention, simply because it leads to more problems such as: â€Å"teen pregnancy, abortion, overpopulation, STD, etc.† History of Birth Control Birth control was first used in the 1550 B.C by an Egyptian manuscript called the Ebers Papyrus. It gives women directions on how to mix dates, acacia and honey into a paste, spread it over the vagina and use it to prevent pregnancy. [3] In the 1700s, the first condoms were being experimented. It ranged from sheep-bladder condoms to the use of half a lemon as a makeshift cervical cap. [4] The first ever rubber condoms were invented in 1839 by Charles Goodyear. In 1873, United States of America is the only Western nation to criminalize contraception. During the 1800s a large cervical cap in developed.[5] In 1954, John Rock conducted the first ever birth control pill and tested it on 50 women. In 1960 the FDA approved the use of birth control pills but little do they know that almost half a million U.S women are already using it.[6] Now we have more advanced birth control methods. More and more people are using birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Methods of Birth Control In the world today there are various ways to prevent pregnancy and a lot of them are very effective and safe. From sheep bladder condoms to super thin latex condoms. We see that as ass technology is improving, birth control methods are getting more and more advanced at the same time. There are birth control methods that are â€Å"natural† and do not involve any pills, condoms, and etc. Abstinence is a natural birth control method, this is a method that doesn’t involve having sex with a partner. Couples may enjoy other types of sexual activities that do not lead to the female getting pregnant.[7] This method is 100% effective and safe because there is no interaction between a penis and a vagina. Similarly to abstinence outercourse is also a natural birth control method. Outercourse includes any kind of sexual activity that doesn’t involve vaginal intercourse and penetration.[8] It is also 100% effective and safe because it doesn’t involve any interaction between a penis and a vagina. The withdrawal (pull out) method in the other hand is a natural birth control method that involve sexual intercourse. A man will pull his penis out of the vagina before ejaculation. Ejaculation is when the semen spurts out of the penis.[9] This method can prevent pregnancy but has the risk to be diagnosed with Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STD). There are various birth control methods that involve the use of pills, substances, and objects. Birth control pills are well known throughout the world. There are many types of birth control pills, some are effective and some are not. A birth control pill prevents the egg from leaving the ovaries. It makes the cervical mucus thicker so the sperm is blocked and can’t make contact with the egg.[10] There is another kind of birth control pill but this one is for emergency use. It is called the morning after pill. After having unprotected sex, within this 5 days taking this emergency birth control pill will prevent pregnancy. It can take up to six days for the sperm and egg to meet after having sex so this pill can prevent pregnancy. This pill keeps the woman’s ovary from releasing egg for longer than usual.[11] Condoms are made of thin latex or plastic that has been shaped like a penis. During sexual intercourse it is worn on the penis. Condoms can prevent pregnancy and lower the risk of getting Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STD). When a man ejaculates the condom collects the semen so it prevents the sperm entering the vagina.[12] There are also condoms for women. It works exactly the same as the condom worn by men, it collects the semen and prevents it entering the vagina. The female condom is inserted deep inside the vagina. The ring at the closed end holds the pouch in the vagina to block the semen entering the vagina. The ring at the open end stays outside the vaginal opening during intercourse where the man inserts his penis in.[13] There are objects that is inserted into the women’s vagina to prevent pregnancy when no condom is used during sexual intercourse. They all have similarities in use. Some of them contain spermicide. Spermicide has chemicals that can stop a sperm from moving to prevent it from joining with the egg.[14] For example, the birth control sponge contains spermicide. It is soft, round, and two inch in diameter. It is made out of plastic foam.[15] Before sexaul intercourse, the birth control sponge is inserted deep inside the woman’s vagina. When the man ejaculates in the vagina, the sperm will be blocked by the birth control sponge.[16] And will be absorbed by the sponge. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped cup with a flexible rim.[17] It is made out of silicone and it is placed on the cervix to block the opening of the uterus.[18] The spermicide stops the sperm from moving so fertilization is not going to happen. There are some that don’t have spermicide. For example, the cervical cap. The cervical cap is a silicone cup that has a shape of a sailors hat.[19] Woman inserts it into their vagina and over their cervix. [20]The cervical cap blocks the uterus from opening so the sperm is unable to fertilize the egg.[21] There are birth control methods where hormones (Estrogen) are released into the body that prevents pregnancy. The birth control implant is a thin, flexible plastic implant about the size of a matchstick.[22] It is inserted under the skin of the upper arm. [23]It can prevent pregnancy for 3 three years. [24]Estrogen is released which prevents pregnancy. The birth control patch is similar to the birth control implant. It also releases estrogen into the body. But the birth control patch is a thin plastic patch that sticks to the skin like a bandage.[25] Once a week the patch has to be replaced by a new patch for three weeks then there will be a patch free week.[26] The birth control shot is an injection of hormones (Progestin) into the body to prevent pregnancy. Each shot prevents pregnancy for three months.[27] We see that there are mostly birth control methods for females. Males only wear condoms to prevent pregnancy. So now people are starting to develop male birth controls. A new male birth control method is being developed. It is called Vasalgel; it is an injection not a pill. It blocks the tube where the sperm swim through from the testicle.[28] A man can have unprotected sex and won’t ejaculate. However, the injection has to be taken just above the testicles.[29] The Vasalgel is still in its early stages of development, it has only been tested on baboons and rabbits.[30] No human being has ever tried it yet. The price is not yet set, but the Foundation noted that Vasalgel is not more than $800. In other words, if you can afford an iPhone 6, you can definitely afford this new male birth control.[31] Birth control comes with side effects too. Mainly the hormone-based birth control often comes with side effects that can range from little annoying to the point where you get fired up.[32] The birth control that involves inserting objects into a woman’s vagina has side effects such as vaginal infection.[33] The birth control pill can cause headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness. According to Hilda Hutcherson, MD, an ob-gyn professor at Columbia University.[34] These side effects will go away after taking the pill for a while.[35] Nausea is mainly caused by the birth control patch.[36] According to Hilda Hutcherson, MD, an ob-gyn professor at Columbia University. Switching to oral birth control methods can help decrease nausea.[37] Decreased sexual desire is caused by the birth control pill.[38] According to Hilda Hutcherson, MD, an ob-gyn professor at Columbia University. Switching to other types of birth control pills may help but if not change to other methods.[39] Mood swings are caused by hormonal birth control methods.[40] Changing to nonhormal methods will help decrease mood swings.[41] All hormonal methods are likely to cause mood swings.[42] Family Planning in Thailand Since Thailand is a buddhist country birth control pills and condoms are the more preferable and acceptable methods.[43] Condoms are favourites among Thais. Because condoms don’t just prevent pregnancy but also prevents STDs.[44] According to Mechai Viravaidya, a politician in Thailand, the Buddhist scriptures say that many births cause suffering, so Buddhism is not against birth control. And we even end up with monks sprinkling holy water on pills and condoms for the sanctity of the family before products went out into the villages.[45] Mechai has been known as â€Å"Mr.Condom† in Thailand.[46] He brought awareness to condoms, birth control, and AIDS. Before he would giveaway condoms every valentines day.[47]From the time he began his campaign, the average number of children in Thai families has decreased from 7 to 1.5.[48] We can see that the number decreased dramatically. This is one of the reasons why Thailand is not overpopulated. Birth Control in China China has the most population in the world 1,366,990,000.[49] It takes up 19% of the world’s total population.[50] In the 1970s China’s population was growing tremendously. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping established a policy called One Child policy in 1979 to limit China’s population growth.[51] This policy limits couples to one child. It is well known that those who violate the policy have sometimes been subjected to abortions.[52] If they already gave birth, they are forced to pay fines and have been sterilized.[53] Which means they are unable to give birth for the rest of their lives. A lot of people have been questioning whether or not this policy can reduce the growth of China’s population. A study taken by the University of California in April 2007, found that the policy is very effective and reduces the fertility rate in China. After the announcement of the one-child policy, the fertility rate in China dropped from 2.63 births per woman in 1980 (already a sharp reduction from more than five births per woman in the early 1970s) to 1.61 in 2009. The Chinese government didn’t directly inform people to use birth control. By having the one-child policy, the Chinese people are very well aware that they must use birth control to prevent breaking the law. Different Views on Birth Control Different religions have different views on birth control. Some are against it and some support it. Even some religion changed their view on birth control over time. Until the 20th century birth control was not approved by Christianity. It was seen as a barrier to God’s procreative purpose of marriage.[54] In Judaism, Orthodox rabbis believe that making babies is a male duty. But many rabbis allow birth control cases because pregnancy can seriously harm the woman.[55] Conservative and Reform Jews however feel that birth control have benefits, such as family stability, disease prevention, and less stress, etc.[56] Hinduism encourages reproduction within marriage, but there is appeal against birth control.[57] Most Hindus accept that there is a duty to have a family during a persons lifetime. So they are unlikely to use birth control to prevent having children.[58] In Hinduism people are encouraged to make more babies. In Islam, birth control is encouraged to youngsters and marr ied couples. Birth control is supported because of economic reasons and the health of the woman. Also it will make the marriage more fun.[59] UDHR Birth control is related to article 16: Marriage and Family in the United Declaration of Human Rights. Every adult has the right to marry and have kids if they want to[60]. Every single person has the right to use birth control or not. It’s their own decision whether or not to want to have a baby and how many babies they want. Nothing can stop you from preventing pregnancy or getting pregnant. Conclusion Birth control is an issue that hasn’t really been recognized by the society. Birth control is a very serious issue since it can lead to more problems such as: â€Å"teen pregnancy, abortion, overpopulation, STD, etc.† As we can see India’s population is growing tremendously quick. By 2030, India will surpass China and be the world’s most populated country.[61] India does not have the One-Child policy and poor people do not have access to birth control pills or other kind of methods. I think that right now there are too less male birth control methods. Vasalgel is being developed but seeing that it is an injection right above the testicals scares a lot of men. Also it hasn’t been tested on a human yet. In my opinion researchers should develop some type of pill that can stop the tube that the sperm swims through from the testicle. More people will buy it because it is safer than an injection. I think condoms are the safest and most effective method. It can definitely prevent pregnancy and also prevent STDs. No direct contact is being made between the penis and vagina so no STDs can be transferred. People complain that it doesn’t feel as good as unprotected sex. But unprotected sex can kill you, on the other hand condom is there to prevent you from dying. The One-Child policy helped China stabilize their population growth. I believe India should have this policy too because the population of India is increasing dramatically. If it is not stopped it can affect India’s economy and their will be a high demand of goods and not enough supply. By limiting one child per family the population growth will slow down a lot and the country can improve different things. I truly believe that birth control should be paid more attention to. Because it leads to series of other issues in society that we want to avoid. Such as: â€Å"teen pregnancy, Sexual Transmitted Diseases(STDs), abortion, overpopulation, etc.† There are so many ways to prevent pregnancy, you can choose the one you feel is good. Some people support birth control and some don’t. But no one should ever tell you what to do because according to article 16: Marriage and Family says that every person has the right to choose whether they want a family or kids. [1] Sexually Transmitted Disease. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexually_transmitted_disease>. [2] Birth Control Definition. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. www.merriam-webster.com%2Fdictionary%2Fbirth%2520control>. [3] A Brief History of Birth Control. Time. Time Inc., 03 May 2010. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1983970%2C00.html>. [4] A Brief History of Birth Control. Time. Time Inc., 03 May 2010. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1983970%2C00.html>. [5] A Brief History of Birth Control. Time. Time Inc., 03 May 2010. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1983970%2C00.html>. [6]A Brief History of Birth Control. Time. Time Inc., 03 May 2010. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1983970%2C00.html>. [7] Collins. Abstinence Facts. Abstinence Facts. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/abstinence>. [8] Outercourse as Birth Control. Outercourse as Birth Control. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/outercourse>. [9] Pull Out Method. Pull Out Method Withdrawal Method. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/withdrawal-pull-out-method>. [10] Birth Control Pills Birth Control Pill The Pill. Birth Control Pills Birth Control Pill The Pill. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-pill>. [11] The Morning-After Pill Emergency Contraception Cost Info. The Morning-After Pill Emergency Contraception Cost Info. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception>. [12] Condoms How to Put On a Condom Video. Condoms How to Put On a Condom Video. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/condom>. [13] Female Condoms How to Use a Female Condom. Female Condoms How to Use a Female Condom. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/female-condom>. [14]Spermicide Effectiveness Spermicides. Spermicide Effectiveness Spermicides. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/spermicide>. [15] Birth Control Sponge. Birth Control Sponge. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-sponge-today-sponge>. [16] Birth Control Sponge. Birth Control Sponge. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-sponge-today-sponge>. [17] Diaphragm :: Planned Parenthood. Diaphragm :: Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/diaphragm>. [18] Diaphragm :: Planned Parenthood. Diaphragm :: Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/diaphragm>. [19] Cervical Cap. Cervical Cap. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. www.plannedparenthood.org%2Fhealth-info%2Fbirth-control%2Fcervical-cap%23>. [20] Cervical Cap. Cervical Cap. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. www.plannedparenthood.org%2Fhealth-info%2Fbirth-control%2Fcervical-cap%23>. [21] Cervical Cap. Cervical Cap. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. www.plannedparenthood.org%2Fhealth-info%2Fbirth-control%2Fcervical-cap%23>. [22] Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-implant-implanon>. [23] Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-implant-implanon>. [24] Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Implanon Side Effects Birth Control Implant. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-implant-implanon>. [25] Birth Control Patch. Birth Control Patch. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-patch-ortho-evra>. [26] Birth Control Patch. Birth Control Patch. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-patch-ortho-evra>. [27] Birth Control Shot. Birth Control Shot. Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 27

Monday, August 19, 2019

Historical Analysis On 1920s :: essays research papers

"Wedding Band" by Alice Childress is a story of a love/hate interracial relationship between two lovers in the south. The play is set in South Carolina in 1918. "Wedding Band" truly captures the essence of the time and place in which the play was set in. That era (1915-1931) is one of the most significant in the history of this young nation. The decade of the 1920's is often characterized as a period of American prosperity and optimism. It was the "Roaring Twenties," the decade of the bath tub gin, the model T, the $5 work day, the first transatlantic flight, and the movie. It was a high point in African-American history as well. The Harlem Renaissance took shape; it was a time when African Americans began an intellectual movement. Harlem became the center of African-American culture. Most African-Americans began a movement to rethink their values and appreciation of their roots and Africa. The "Great Migration" began at this time. Approximate ly two million Southern blacks move to northern industrial centers in hopes to escape the oppressive nature of the deep south. However, for every upside their is a downside. The decade was a period of rising intolerance and isolation. Americans retreated into a provincialism evidenced by the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the anti radical hysteria of the Palmer raids, restrictive immigration laws, and prohibition. Influenza and the first world war brought an alarming amount of Americans to an early death. Racial motivated riots spread throughout the country and protests endorsing and condemning racism were the norm. Life in the south was at most times unbearable for the blacks, and many felt that the southern atmosphere had such a suffocating affect on them that escape was the best option. African-Americans were showing their pain inside, little by little proving themselves to the racist whites in the south that they were somebody, not a property, but a human being with self worth and dignity who should be treated equally. The main place that the black southerners were blinded of was the urban places in the north. These were the places that captured their attention. Many of the southerners who were enslaved or sons and daughters of enslaved Africans began to migrate in the northern cities. These were the places where they began to live a life of independence and freedom. The migration of the black southerners was a success.

Author William Faulkner and Ideals of Manhood Essay -- Biography Biogr

Author William Faulkner and Ideals of Manhood William Faulkner was above all else a lover of the image of southern masculinity. While Hamlet would learn to value his actions’ worth upon their bloodiness, Faulkner would use a masculine critique for his. Even his writing may be described as simply the only successful vessel he could find to indulge in this want of manliness. It was through his stories that Faulkner, in a sense, was able to reconcile the vast difference between the small framed, shunned outcast who stared back at him through a looking glass, and the courageous Colonel Sartoris of his imagination- the man he wished he could be. It appears that for Faulkner, life was a ceaseless struggle against fears of inferiority. While all writers in their efforts to create something significant and original must first, metaphorically speaking, slay their literary fathers, Faulkner‘s ambivalence and anxiety was all the more concrete as his â€Å"Literary Giant† was his own grandfather. It was Faulkner’s grandfather, nicknamed the â€Å"old Colonel†, who William hoped to see staring back at...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The National Debt :: essays research papers

The National Debt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the past centuries, the american people dug themselves into a big hole which is the National Debt. In this paper I will discuss the history of the national debt, effects on the debt/deficit, wais to reduce it and control the deficit. the national debt has increased every year from 1945 to 1995. The biggest increase of the debt was from the years 1985 to 1995 whwn it went up about three trillion dollars. Right after the Civil War the debt held at three billion dollars. In 1900, this debt of three million dollars had decreased to one million dollars. In 1919, at the end of the World War 1, the debt skyrocketed to 25.5 billion. When the Wall Street fell apart in 1929, the United States fell into something that was called the Great Depression. It started in 1930 and lasted until 1940. During this depression, President Franklin Roosevelt came in. He brought in projects known as Entitlements. Some of them were known as; WPA. TVA. and CCC. Then social welfare was born and social security began. This is what put our country into debt. Then came war, the end of the depression, and the Eisenhower times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The debt kept on growing so new president Lyndon Johnson developed new social welfare programs- Medicare, and Medicaid. The U.S. Government came up with the gold standard and stopped minting silver coins. The coins were then made from scrap pieces of metal and the cash became paper. Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford passed the debt and added to it. The first sign of bankruptcy occured during the Jimmy Carter Presidency. Inflation skyrocketed and interest rates fluttered near 20%. President Ronald Reagan made the economy act better, temporarily. To make the economy better, Reagan invented something called a credit spree. A credit spree in my opinion is when we go out and buy everything, but we put in on a charge (spending money we dont have.) The government cut taxes and increased spending. The deficit exploded, but the american people were happy using a credit card and charging everything. Republicans began using accounts about â€Å"supply side† and â€Å"trickle down† economics. â€Å"Corporate welfare prospered again, financed by more debt. â€Å"Between the years 1980 and 1990, the national debt quadrupled. In 1980, it was at approximately eight hundred billion dollars. Now it's five trillion dollars and increasing rapidly.† To worsen matters republican presidential nominee, Bob Dole says that he wants to