Zara Case Study

Despite the current centralized distribution model working well and at below capacity, continuous rapid expansion outside of Spain for Inedited brands (exhibit 8) would bring problems of; larger amalgamation of dispersed network pictures, rater demand and customization for Ezra offerings from consumers. This would further bring the effects of discomposes of scale; increased transportation costs, top heavy Organization, potentially exceeding working capacity, increased risk if central distribution centre fails.No standardized market position – Sara's expansion approach have led them to be positioned differently in each geographical market despite targeting the same consumer segment, Ezra currently use company-centered knowledge to determine price and positioning strategies for different geographical segments. This has caused inconsistent consumer perception of their brand e. . Americas and Spain. Being in a globalizes marketplace, this poses a problem to the global perception a nd position of the Ezra brand.Competitive Environment -? Ezra is competing in a competitive market where the competition are seeing similar growth in stock prices and revenue (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 5). Competitors such as have already achieved similar competencies to Ezra in terms of variety and stock refresh, and have obtained more advanced competencies such as localization of distribution centers, reducing the competitive advantage that Ezra has in terms of flexibility in their products array and enabling the threat f substitution.Other competitors such as Unique have further gained competitive advantage by differentiating themselves in the saturated market of fast retailing by using an undifferentiated marketing approach targeting a larger customer base, leading to a revenue growth rate greater than Ezra from 2009-2010 (Exhibit 5). Potential Solutions A potential solution for Ezra is the possibility of forming a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor for localizat ion of design and production in Asia.This joint-venture promotes multilateral exchanges with other economic actors within the network. Helping Ezra maintain a competitive advantage over competition by allowing for Ezra to assess their ‘STEP based on network insight to better standardize their market positioning. However, internal clashes can arise from a shift from a centralized to decentralized distribution business model. Also both organization can clash due to the rejection Of the partner-organization's underlying logic, objectives and business culture.Another potential solution is for Ezra to expand their e- commerce presence in Asia and America to gain competitive advantage, such as the growing market of e-commerce in America. This allows for Ezra to extend their reach to customers, and further gives them a competitive advantage over competitors such as who have yet to setup an e- commerce presence in Asia. This would also compliment the rapid expansion into the Asia regi on specifically targeted at India and China.However, this method would entail higher outbound shipment costs as individual items will have to be shipped from the central distribution center in Spain to the consumer in Asia or America. This leads to another potential solution on focusing on their existing supply chain competency in Europe to further expand e-commerce presence beyond the 8 countries that use a Ezra online store. This would utilize Sara's existing centralized supply chain in Europe to expand reach to the existing customer base.However, this would give Ezra little long term competitive advantages over competition as competitor brands can easily implement the same marketing approach. Ezra may also want to consider adopting an undifferentiated approach by expanding their basic line to further compete with a larger customer base as Unique have done with a large amount of success (exhibit 5). This solution however would to be a viable long term solution and has the possibil ity of affecting their overall brand perception if less fashionable items of clothing were being pushed to the consumer.Best Solution The best solution for Ezra would be to open a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor to opening localized design and production facilities in Asia, this fits into Sara's objective to expand rapidly in a very competitive landscape (Exhibit 5). This is also consistent with their joint- venture with Data group in opening up Ezra stores in India with the potential for Network Insight. The overall issue to this solution is that Ezra will need to find a partner to form a joint venture with, this may also require exchanges with local economic actors in China to gain insight.China is a rapid growing market for Ezra with 71 stores opening in 4 years and on target to becoming Sara's 2nd largest market. Opening a distribution center in China entails the following; 1 . Network Insight for ‘STEP' Competitive advantage – Whilst openi ng a distribution centre in China itself is not a major competitive competency in comparison to R&M's localized distribution centers, by operating a joint- entire in China and through the recursive exchange in the joint-venture structure along with exchanges with other economic actors, this promotes multilateral exchanges which will lead to a realistic and better understanding of the market.This can be used by Ezra to help better periodically evaluate their ‘STEP' due to changes in consumer needs, this ensures maximized long term success and competitiveness by assessing actions against modern network insights 2. Reduced re-stock time – Currently the existing distribution model for Ezra means that they can only ship to 1 geographical region per ay. By including a distribution center in Asia, it means that stores within the growing market can be restocked much more effectively to better satisfy consumer needs 3.Allows the introduction of e-commerce in Asia -? with a distr ibution center in Asia, this allows for the possibility of establishing e- commerce in China ahead of Sara's competition. This can also be used to further gather consumer insight into preferences. By operating as a joint- venture, risks will be shared with the partner organization, not only this, but resources can be shared to achieve maximum efficiency. However, by opening a distribution center in China, it will start to dissolve the existing centralized structure that Ezra has created.But to expand overseas, Ezra cannot rely on company-centered extant knowledge for expansion and understanding of new customers, as seen through their existing differentiated positioning in Americas and Spain. Ezra must start to take a more decentralized approach in terms of global expansion. The notion of decentralization may come with hesitance from Ezra stakeholders due to Bonnet's failure with a decentralized business model, however as Ezra loud maintain and own a large stake in the joint venture, they would still maintain a large control.With greater network insight, this provides a pathway for Ezra to Open design and production facilities in Asia to improve operational efficiency in the long-term; 1 . Economies of Scale – despite the current centralized distribution model not effecting gross profit growth (exhibit 4), the rapid expansion into Asia can cause discomposes of scale through higher transportation costs. By having design and production local, this will reduce transportation costs to ship to Asian regions, this can Hereford be beneficial in further reducing Sara's carbon footprint and improving CARS 2.Efficient Amalgamation of Consumer Feedback – With rapid expansion, there will be greater consumer feedback. By opening up design and production in China, it allows for efficient and focused amalgamation of Asian consumer perceptions through having an established network insight. This will allow both faster response time to customer feedback and potenti al for exchange of designs between Asian and European markets to expand Sara's product portfolio. 3.Closer to Fabric Suppliers – Currently, Ezra arches fabric from their Hong Kong office, this office could be used to further utilize Asian suppliers to supply fabric for Asian production facilities, therefore reducing costs in importing fabric from overseas suppliers. Overall this solution aims to provide sustainability to Ezra for future growth in Asia. Application of Concepts From the available case study, we can see the 3 components of a Market; the suppliers, product and customer come into play.For suppliers, we can see that suppliers such as H and Inedited offer a large variety of product entries, whilst Fast Retailing offer product specialization and have a small reduce portfolio. However the most important component within this case is the customer aspect, due to the large influence that customers have on product portfolios of Inedited and H. Fast retailing unique has ad opted an undifferentiated approach by treating consumers as a homogeneous segment.Therefore they attempt to reach a large customer base through a single marketing strategy of offering a large variety of basics in a large array of colors. This is different to the approach made by and Inedited, who utilize a differentiated marketing approach. Inedited has multiple brands such s Ezra and Berserk utilizing different Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. This similar concept is used by in which sub-brands are marketed to different segment groups.This therefore means that Inedited and H aim to have a full-market coverage by offering a wide variety of offerings to different segments. However, as Unique is the largest retailer to use a undifferentiated marketing approach, it has successfully differentiated itself from Inedited and Ezra by implementing product specialization, therefore Fast Retailing have benefited from rising revenue growth comparable to H and Inedited (Exhibit 5). Zara Case Study Despite the current centralized distribution model working well and at below capacity, continuous rapid expansion outside of Spain for Inedited brands (exhibit 8) would bring problems of; larger amalgamation of dispersed network pictures, rater demand and customization for Ezra offerings from consumers. This would further bring the effects of discomposes of scale; increased transportation costs, top heavy Organization, potentially exceeding working capacity, increased risk if central distribution centre fails.No standardized market position – Sara's expansion approach have led them to be positioned differently in each geographical market despite targeting the same consumer segment, Ezra currently use company-centered knowledge to determine price and positioning strategies for different geographical segments. This has caused inconsistent consumer perception of their brand e. . Americas and Spain. Being in a globalizes marketplace, this poses a problem to the global perception a nd position of the Ezra brand.Competitive Environment -? Ezra is competing in a competitive market where the competition are seeing similar growth in stock prices and revenue (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 5). Competitors such as have already achieved similar competencies to Ezra in terms of variety and stock refresh, and have obtained more advanced competencies such as localization of distribution centers, reducing the competitive advantage that Ezra has in terms of flexibility in their products array and enabling the threat f substitution.Other competitors such as Unique have further gained competitive advantage by differentiating themselves in the saturated market of fast retailing by using an undifferentiated marketing approach targeting a larger customer base, leading to a revenue growth rate greater than Ezra from 2009-2010 (Exhibit 5). Potential Solutions A potential solution for Ezra is the possibility of forming a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor for localizat ion of design and production in Asia.This joint-venture promotes multilateral exchanges with other economic actors within the network. Helping Ezra maintain a competitive advantage over competition by allowing for Ezra to assess their ‘STEP based on network insight to better standardize their market positioning. However, internal clashes can arise from a shift from a centralized to decentralized distribution business model. Also both organization can clash due to the rejection Of the partner-organization's underlying logic, objectives and business culture.Another potential solution is for Ezra to expand their e- commerce presence in Asia and America to gain competitive advantage, such as the growing market of e-commerce in America. This allows for Ezra to extend their reach to customers, and further gives them a competitive advantage over competitors such as who have yet to setup an e- commerce presence in Asia. This would also compliment the rapid expansion into the Asia regi on specifically targeted at India and China.However, this method would entail higher outbound shipment costs as individual items will have to be shipped from the central distribution center in Spain to the consumer in Asia or America. This leads to another potential solution on focusing on their existing supply chain competency in Europe to further expand e-commerce presence beyond the 8 countries that use a Ezra online store. This would utilize Sara's existing centralized supply chain in Europe to expand reach to the existing customer base.However, this would give Ezra little long term competitive advantages over competition as competitor brands can easily implement the same marketing approach. Ezra may also want to consider adopting an undifferentiated approach by expanding their basic line to further compete with a larger customer base as Unique have done with a large amount of success (exhibit 5). This solution however would to be a viable long term solution and has the possibil ity of affecting their overall brand perception if less fashionable items of clothing were being pushed to the consumer.Best Solution The best solution for Ezra would be to open a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor to opening localized design and production facilities in Asia, this fits into Sara's objective to expand rapidly in a very competitive landscape (Exhibit 5). This is also consistent with their joint- venture with Data group in opening up Ezra stores in India with the potential for Network Insight. The overall issue to this solution is that Ezra will need to find a partner to form a joint venture with, this may also require exchanges with local economic actors in China to gain insight.China is a rapid growing market for Ezra with 71 stores opening in 4 years and on target to becoming Sara's 2nd largest market. Opening a distribution center in China entails the following; 1 . Network Insight for ‘STEP' Competitive advantage – Whilst openi ng a distribution centre in China itself is not a major competitive competency in comparison to R&M's localized distribution centers, by operating a joint- entire in China and through the recursive exchange in the joint-venture structure along with exchanges with other economic actors, this promotes multilateral exchanges which will lead to a realistic and better understanding of the market.This can be used by Ezra to help better periodically evaluate their ‘STEP' due to changes in consumer needs, this ensures maximized long term success and competitiveness by assessing actions against modern network insights 2. Reduced re-stock time – Currently the existing distribution model for Ezra means that they can only ship to 1 geographical region per ay. By including a distribution center in Asia, it means that stores within the growing market can be restocked much more effectively to better satisfy consumer needs 3.Allows the introduction of e-commerce in Asia -? with a distr ibution center in Asia, this allows for the possibility of establishing e- commerce in China ahead of Sara's competition. This can also be used to further gather consumer insight into preferences. By operating as a joint- venture, risks will be shared with the partner organization, not only this, but resources can be shared to achieve maximum efficiency. However, by opening a distribution center in China, it will start to dissolve the existing centralized structure that Ezra has created.But to expand overseas, Ezra cannot rely on company-centered extant knowledge for expansion and understanding of new customers, as seen through their existing differentiated positioning in Americas and Spain. Ezra must start to take a more decentralized approach in terms of global expansion. The notion of decentralization may come with hesitance from Ezra stakeholders due to Bonnet's failure with a decentralized business model, however as Ezra loud maintain and own a large stake in the joint venture, they would still maintain a large control.With greater network insight, this provides a pathway for Ezra to Open design and production facilities in Asia to improve operational efficiency in the long-term; 1 . Economies of Scale – despite the current centralized distribution model not effecting gross profit growth (exhibit 4), the rapid expansion into Asia can cause discomposes of scale through higher transportation costs. By having design and production local, this will reduce transportation costs to ship to Asian regions, this can Hereford be beneficial in further reducing Sara's carbon footprint and improving CARS 2.Efficient Amalgamation of Consumer Feedback – With rapid expansion, there will be greater consumer feedback. By opening up design and production in China, it allows for efficient and focused amalgamation of Asian consumer perceptions through having an established network insight. This will allow both faster response time to customer feedback and potenti al for exchange of designs between Asian and European markets to expand Sara's product portfolio. 3.Closer to Fabric Suppliers – Currently, Ezra arches fabric from their Hong Kong office, this office could be used to further utilize Asian suppliers to supply fabric for Asian production facilities, therefore reducing costs in importing fabric from overseas suppliers. Overall this solution aims to provide sustainability to Ezra for future growth in Asia. Application of Concepts From the available case study, we can see the 3 components of a Market; the suppliers, product and customer come into play.For suppliers, we can see that suppliers such as H and Inedited offer a large variety of product entries, whilst Fast Retailing offer product specialization and have a small reduce portfolio. However the most important component within this case is the customer aspect, due to the large influence that customers have on product portfolios of Inedited and H. Fast retailing unique has ad opted an undifferentiated approach by treating consumers as a homogeneous segment.Therefore they attempt to reach a large customer base through a single marketing strategy of offering a large variety of basics in a large array of colors. This is different to the approach made by and Inedited, who utilize a differentiated marketing approach. Inedited has multiple brands such s Ezra and Berserk utilizing different Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. This similar concept is used by in which sub-brands are marketed to different segment groups.This therefore means that Inedited and H aim to have a full-market coverage by offering a wide variety of offerings to different segments. However, as Unique is the largest retailer to use a undifferentiated marketing approach, it has successfully differentiated itself from Inedited and Ezra by implementing product specialization, therefore Fast Retailing have benefited from rising revenue growth comparable to H and Inedited (Exhibit 5). Zara Case Study MGMT 6620: Operations & SCM HBS Case Study Zara: IT for Fast Fashion 4/9/2013 1. What is the Zara â€Å"business model†? What weaknesses, if any, do you seen in this business model? The value propositions offered by Zara to its main customers who are young, fashion conscious city-dwellers is offering new styles within the time-frame of several weeks as well as providing assortment of choices for customers and the uniqueness of clothing styles fitting individual customer needs. To achieve this Zara’s business model had the following: 1.Incorporating the horizontal structure for placing orders and deciding which items to push aggressively by delegating decision making responsibilities to store managers; 2. Low volume production of any item and high inventory turnover, which secured better tracking of â€Å"hot† items, which can be sold well; 3. Reduction of losses on items which are not selling well- Company was eliminating inventory build-up by managing low invent ories and by their frequent updates company achieved high foot traffic in its stores and used the stores as focal points of its marketing campaigns.Weakness in Zara’s business model is that each store is highly dependent on decision making capabilities of store managers, which might cause the problem if many of them decide to leave. Moreover, since company relying on small shops scattered throughout Spain and Portugal for its production any economic downturn in those countries can cause the increase the cost of manufacturing or COGS. 2. In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of Zara’s approach to IT? Are these approaches applicable and appropriate anywhere? If not, where would they not work well?The Most important aspect of Zara’s approach to Information technology is the use of DOS-POS in its current store to track customers demand quickly, decentralize the company and provide customer with trendy clothing options. Yes these approaches are essenti ally applicable starting from production till distribution, but Zara’s current IT is outdated and needs to be upgraded from future sustainability point of view to network with various retailors and distribution centers. Zara could face challenges in longer run from operation front with new technology.Zara must keep upgrading them with the latest technology to beat the competitors that might cost high. New technology demands training on usage to employee that again involve cost. 3. Should the company build in-store networks? In our group’s opinion, Zara should build in-store networks. First of all, the store manager has difficulties in ordering without in-store networks. Aim of Zara is to provide its clothes quickly while the system which Zara currently has cannot reach this requirement.The store personnel could not look up their inventory through in-store computer; they need to talk to salespeople to determine the quantities, which is time-consuming. Secondly, for the fulfillment process, the level of the SKU is hard to determine without in-store networks. More importantly, if in-store networks would not be built, the infrastructure that Zara stores currently have cannot provide information among stores about the SKU. Store personnel have to use obsolete methods such as having telephone call or carrying disks to report the inventory or calculate the total sales.Last but not the least, the low cost wireless networks help and favor the building up of in-store networks. Zara, as a company, which has a promising future, should also update its network infrastructure, as its business scope will grow bigger. 4. How would you advise Salgado to proceed on upgrading Zara’s POS system? The POS terminals using DOS has been unchanged for over a decade, which made Zara difficult to manage the daily operation effectively. Upgrading Zara’s POS system would utilize the large screen, keyboard and mouse to quickly provide service to customers.It is ve ry important because time is money. Customers are now very busy with their daily schedule; faster service will attract more customers. Furthermore, the modern POS terminals would be able to execute more sophisticated capabilities such as sharing with other stores the inventory. This is essential for the company to manage the inventory and promote the brand network. It shows to the customers that Zara store is a global network and has the same value of providing the best service to customer anywhere. It will reduce the cost of phone call by using the communication inside the company’s online network.

Boolean Algebra

Basic Engineering Boolean Algebra and Logic Gates F Hamer, M Lavelle & D McMullan The aim of this document is to provide a short, self assessment programme for students who wish to understand the basic techniques of logic gates. c 2005 Email: chamer, mlavelle, [email  protected] ac. uk Last Revision Date: August 31, 2006 Version 1. 0 Table of Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Logic Gates (Introduction) Truth Tables Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra Boolean Algebra Final Quiz Solutions to Exercises Solutions to QuizzesThe full range of these packages and some instructions, should they be required, can be obtained from our web page Mathematics Support Materials. Section 1: Logic Gates (Introduction) 3 1. Logic Gates (Introduction) The package Truth Tables and Boolean Algebra set out the basic principles of logic. Any Boolean algebra operation can be associated with an electronic circuit in which the inputs and outputs represent the statements of Boolean algebra. Although these circuits may be com plex, they may all be constructed from three basic devices. These are the AND gate, the OR gate and the NOT gate. y AND gate x ·y x y OR gate x+y x NOT gate x In the case of logic gates, a di? erent notation is used: x ? y, the logical AND operation, is replaced by x  · y, or xy. x ? y, the logical OR operation, is replaced by x + y.  ¬x, the logical NEGATION operation, is replaced by x or x. The truth value TRUE is written as 1 (and corresponds to a high voltage), and FALSE is written as 0 (low voltage). Section 2: Truth Tables 4 2. Truth Tables x y x ·y x 0 0 1 1 Summary y x ·y 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 of AND gate x 0 0 1 1 Summary y x+y 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 of OR gate x y x+y x x 0 1 Summary of x 1 0 NOT gate Section 3: Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra 5 3. Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra The basic rules for simplifying and combining logic gates are called Boolean algebra in honour of George Boole (1815 – 1864) who was a self-educated English mathematician who developed many of t he key ideas. The following set of exercises will allow you to rediscover the basic rules: x Example 1 1 Consider the AND gate where one of the inputs is 1. By using the truth table, investigate the possible outputs and hence simplify the expression x  · 1.Solution From the truth table for AND, we see that if x is 1 then 1  · 1 = 1, while if x is 0 then 0  · 1 = 0. This can be summarised in the rule that x  · 1 = x, i. e. , x x 1 Section 3: Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra 6 Example 2 x 0 Consider the AND gate where one of the inputs is 0. By using the truth table, investigate the possible outputs and hence simplify the expression x  · 0. Solution From the truth table for AND, we see that if x is 1 then 1  · 0 = 0, while if x is 0 then 0  · 0 = 0. This can be summarised in the rule that x  · 0 = 0 x 0 0Section 3: Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra 7 Exercise 1. (Click on the green letters for the solutions. ) Obtain the rules for simplifying the logical expressions x (a) x + 0 which corresponds to the logic gate 0 (b) x + 1 which corresponds to the logic gate x 1 Exercise 2. (Click on the green letters for the solutions. ) Obtain the rules for simplifying the logical expressions: x (a) x + x which corresponds to the logic gate (b) x  · x which corresponds to the logic gate x Section 3: Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra 8 Exercise 3. Click on the green letters for the solutions. ) Obtain the rules for simplifying the logical expressions: (a) x + x which corresponds to the logic gate x (b) x  · x which corresponds to the logic gate x Quiz Simplify the logical expression (x ) represented by the following circuit diagram. x (a) x (b) x (c) 1 (d) 0 Section 3: Basic Rules of Boolean Algebra 9 Exercise 4. (Click on the green letters for the solutions. ) Investigate the relationship between the following circuits. Summarise your conclusions using Boolean expressions for the circuits. x y x y (a) (b) x y x yThe important relations developed in the above exer cise are called De Morgan’s theorems and are widely used in simplifying circuits. These correspond to rules (8a) and (8b) in the table of Boolean identities on the next page. Section 4: Boolean Algebra 10 4. Boolean Algebra (1a) x ·y = y ·x (1b) x+y = y+x (2a) x  · (y  · z) = (x  · y)  · z (2b) x + (y + z) = (x + y) + z (3a) x  · (y + z) = (x  · y) + (x  · z) (3b) x + (y  · z) = (x + y)  · (x + z) (4a) x ·x = x (4b) x+x = x (5a) x  · (x + y) = x (5b) x + (x  · y) = x (6a) x ·x = 0 (6b) x+x = 1 (7) (x ) = x (8a) (x  · y) = x + y (8b) (x + y) = x  · ySection 4: Boolean Algebra 11 These rules are a direct translation into the notation of logic gates of the rules derived in the package Truth Tables and Boolean Algebra. We have seen that they can all be checked by investigating the corresponding truth tables. Alternatively, some of these rules can be derived from simpler identities derived in this package. Example 3 Show how rule (5a) can be deriv ed from the basic identities derived earlier. Solution x  · (x + y) = = = = = x  · x + x  · y using (3a) x + x  · y using (4a) x  · (1 + y) using (3a) x  · 1 using Exercise 1 x as required. Exercise 5. Click on the green letter for the solution. ) (a) Show how rule (5b) can be derived in a similar fashion. Section 4: Boolean Algebra 12 The examples above have all involved at most two inputs. However, logic gates can be put together to join an arbitrary number of inputs. The Boolean algebra rules of the table are essential to understand when these circuits are equivalent and how they may be simpli? ed. Example 4 Let us consider the circuits which combine three inputs via AND gates. Two di? erent ways of combining them are x y z and x y z x  · (y  · z) (x  · y)  · z Section 4: Boolean Algebra 13However, rule (2a) states that these gates are equivalent. The order of taking AND gates is not important. This is sometimes drawn as a three (or more! ) input AND gate x y z x ·y ·z but really this just means repeated use of AND gates as shown above. Exercise 6. (Click on the green letter for the solution. ) (a) Show two di? erent ways of combining three inputs via OR gates and explain why they are equivalent. This equivalence is summarised as a three (or more! ) input OR gate x y z x+y+z this just means repeated use of OR gates as shown in the exercise. Section 5: Final Quiz 14 5. Final Quiz Begin Quiz 1.Select the Boolean expression that is not equivalent to x  · x + x  · x (a) x  · (x + x ) (b) (x + x )  · x (c) x (d) x 2. Select the expression which is equivalent to x  · y + x  · y  · z (a) x  · y (b) x  · z (c) y  · z (d) x  · y  · z 3. Select the expression which is equivalent to (x + y)  · (x + y ) (a) y (b) y (c) x (d) x 4. Select the expression that is not equivalent to x  · (x + y) + y (a) x  · x + y  · (1 + x) (b) 0 + x  · y + y (c) x  · y (d) y End Quiz Solutions to Exercises 15 Solutions to Exercise s Exercise 1(a) From the truth table for OR, we see that if x is 1 then 1 + 0 = 1, while if x is 0 then 0 + 0 = 0.This can be summarised in the rule that x + 0 = x x 0 Click on the green square to return x Solutions to Exercises 16 Exercise 1(b) From the truth table for OR we see that if x is 1 then 1 + 1 = 1, while if x is 0 then 0 + 1 = 1. This can be summarised in the rule that x + 1 = 1 x 1 Click on the green square to return 1 Solutions to Exercises 17 Exercise 2(a) From the truth table for OR, we see that if x is 1 then x + x = 1 + 1 = 1, while if x is 0 then x + x = 0 + 0 = 0. This can be summarised in the rule that x + x = x x x Click on the green square to return Solutions to Exercises 18Exercise 2(b) From the truth table for AND, we see that if x is 1 then x  · x = 1  · 1 = 1, while if x is 0 then x  · x = 0  · 0 = 0. This can be summarised in the rule that x  · x = x x x Click on the green square to return Solutions to Exercises 19 Exercise 3(a) From the truth t able for OR, we see that if x is 1 then x + x = 1 + 0 = 1, while if x is 0 then x + x = 0 + 1 = 1. This can be summarised in the rule that x + x = 1 x 1 Click on the green square to return Solutions to Exercises 20 Exercise 3(b) From the truth table for AND, we see that if x is 1 then x  · x = 1  · 0 = 0, while if x is 0 then x  · x = 0  · 1 = 0.This can be summarised in the rule that x  · x = 0 x 0 Click on the green square to return Solutions to Exercises 21 Exercise 4(a) The truth tables are: x y x y 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 x y 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 x+y 0 1 1 1 x 1 1 0 0 y 1 0 1 0 (x + y) 1 0 0 0 x  ·y 1 0 0 0 x y From these we deduce the identity x y (x + y) = x y x  ·y Click on the green square to return Solutions to Exercises 22 Exercise 4(b) The truth tables are: x y x y 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 x y 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 x ·y 0 0 0 1 x 1 1 0 0 y 1 0 1 0 (x  · y) 1 1 1 0 x +y 1 1 1 0 x y From these we deduce the identity x y (x  · y) = x y x +y Click on the green square to returnSoluti ons to Exercises 23 Exercise 5(a) x+x ·y = x  · (1 + y) using (3a) = x  · 1 using Exercise 1 = x as required. Solutions to Exercises 24 Exercise 6(a) Two di? erent ways of combining them are x y z and x y z However, rule (2b) states that these gates are equivalent. The order of taking OR gates is not important. x + (y + z) (x + y) + z Solutions to Quizzes 25 Solutions to Quizzes Solution to Quiz: From the truth table for NOT we see that if x is 1 then (x ) = (1 ) = (0) = 1, while if x is 0 then (x ) = (0 ) = (1) = 0. This can be summarised in the rule that (x ) = x x x End Quiz Test: â€Å"Study Guide Algebra†

Statistics for Managers Individual Work wk5 Essay

Statistics for Managers Individual Work wk5 - Essay Example Generally, the list sale price for Gulf View Condominiums seems to be higher than No Gulf View Condominiums. The mean for list price for Gulf View Condominiums is $474010 while for No Gulf View Condominium is $212810. Also, on the same variable Gulf View Condominiums seems to be higher, it has a standard deviation of $197290 while No Gulf View Condominiums is $2395640 Out of the variables listed above, the one that can help a real estate agent understand the Condominium market is the standard deviation. Standard deviation is very critical because it shows how the prices are stable. Therefore, if the standard deviation is high then it means the prices fluctuates very much. When the significance level is increased then the critical area is reduced as a result you are likely to reject the null hypothesis. Hence, one is less likely to accept the null hypothesis when it is false thereby reducing type 1 error but type 1 error will

Philosophy - 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy - 2 - Essay Example In the earlier days, when monarchy, autocracy and other form of government was the norm, people had to obey to all the laws of the land including unfair and draconian laws and any opposition will land them in trouble. Individuals tended to obey the laws even if it was unfair to them from the moral and personal point of view also. This what Socrates did, when he was unfairly accused of committing crimes against the State. Although, he valiantly fought against the charges throughout, in the end he accepted the State’s verdict and did not indulge in any ‘unlawful’ activities which would have given him personal freedom. So, this paper will analyze why Socrates was right to obey the orders of the state of Athens to take poison, by using Socrates’ arguments. The paper will then discuss how his decision would be supported by a Buddhist Socrates, one of the profound intellectuals the world has seen, was accused by three persons of committing civil crimes against the state, for which he was sentenced to death. Socrates was accused by Anytus, a poet, powerful politician Meletus and Lycon, a supposed orator. He was mainly indicted for being a ‘hyper curious’ person and for being an atheist, who is corrupting the youth. However, Socrates vouched and countered that he did not commit any mistakes against the state and cannot be considered as an enemy of the state. Socrates while refuting both the charges, firstly counters the charge of being a â€Å"hyper curious† person who is accused of spreading misinformation. That is, out of curiosity and not due to any ulterior motives, Socrates made inquiries about the origins and functioning of the earth and sky, which is quite contrary to the beliefs of the state or the kingdom. Socrates did not take the stance of an authority who knows and tells, but rather the stance of an inquirer who is curious and open to the ideas of others (Grube). The other charge

Research Paper Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Paper - Research Proposal Example The 1890s also saw an increase in the numbers of single women. Free from the normal responsibilities that society placed on adult women, the single women had the opportunity to pursue education or find other ways of improving their own lives. They would inevitably embrace the cause of feminism. The eventual success and spread of feminist ideals at the turn of the 20th century in Britain happened in spite of feminism organizations, and not because of them. This is because there were significant social class issues within the organizations that constantly threatened to undo the work that they accomplished. At the turn of the 20th century, women who believed in feminist principles could be found across all social classes in Britain. Women, as a group, were discriminated against on the basis of their gender in different respects, and so would support any efforts to improve their lot. However, not all of them publicly proclaimed their support of the suffragettes, as British Feminists referred to themselves. Vocal feminists were a minority in all social classes. The working class feminists were more vocal than those in other classes because they combined feminist objectives with trade-unionism, and so had a larger platform on which to address the need to recognise women rights. One of the most famous feminists of this period was Emmeline Pankhurst, who was from the middle class. In 1903, Mrs. Pankhurst formed the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) whose members would engage in public demonstrations which drew the nation’s attention. In 1897, Millicent Fawcett, another feminist, had launched the National Union of Women Suffragists. Millicent Fawcett was from a more privileged background than Emmeline Pankhurst, and supposedly looked upon her rival with contempt. However, it would be Mrs. Pankhurst’s efforts on behalf of women that would be

Hardware Clouds--Pros and Cons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hardware Clouds--Pros and Cons - Essay Example Traditionally, clouds only support the software services wherein the hardware component is provided by the end users. However, due to increasing complexity of the technology as well as changing requirements, it becomes more costly and beneficial for the firms to also use hardware clouds. Apart from this, hardware clouds can help organizations to save costs on infrastructure development, construction costs as well as energy savings. (Low, Chen, & Wu, 2011) 2. The portability of the hardware clouds wherein firms offer hardware cloud servers packed in containers and can be plugged even from parking lots suggests that the companies can take advantage of the portability offered by hardware clouds. 3. Hardware clouds are completely scalable in nature therefore organizations can actually tailor them according to their own requirements. Off-the-shelf hardware often cannot fulfill the exact requirements of the organizations however, due to scalability of the hardware cloud, it offers a viable alternative to gain access to hardware tailored exactly according to the requirements. Though the above benefits of hardware cloud computing can be sufficient enough to allow firms to go for such organizational shift in terms of managing information technology resources however, hardware clouds may not fulfill all the requirements of the companies. Hardware clouds may not be beneficial under following conditions: 1. One of the key areas where hardware cloud can fail to provide results is the issue of performance. Especially on the public clouds, many organizations may be sharing the same hardware therefore the performance may slow down. Further, even with the dedicated hardware, extra load on the hardware can slow the execution of processes and thus result into loss of efficiency. (Sharif, 2010) 2. Single hardware clouds function in single point therefore the failure of the hardware can shut

Practical Skills vs Knowledge Gained from Textbooks Essay

Practical Skills vs Knowledge Gained from Textbooks - Essay Example Instead, practical skills such as creativity, critical thinking, resourcefulness, and originality are now considered more valuable than things that are being learned in textbooks.   Learning practical skills does not mean forgoing theoretical concepts in learning any subjects.   It meant the fusion of theories into practice and the ability to adapt to change to make the knowledge and skills useful in the real world.   This method of learning was emphasized by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and a college dropout, as more necessary in the economy than the traditional modes of learning that is textbook based that does not teach students to solve any real-world problem. The real world requires solving practical issues and the ability to adapt to change.   Learning merely base on textbooks do not teach these skills and therefore would render the student unprepared to face the real world when he or she graduated from the university.   What is ideal to become eclectic in learning approach to draw knowledge and skills from many sources that include not an only textbook, but also experience, experiments, practice, and creativity.

Conscious Obedience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conscious Obedience - Essay Example In a very general sense, everyone obeys out of their own self-interest. However, this places the fear of punishment on an equal plane with the promise of a reward and does not shed much light on the underlying reasons. The question that needs to be answered is; what self-interest are we fulfilling when we obey Kelman and Hamilton argue that obedience comes from one of three rationalizations. Compliance for self-interest, acknowledgment of authority, or ethical concerns (Tyler 1090). A person may comply with the request to work overtime at no pay in hopes of getting a promotion. In their identification of authority model, a person may act against their better judgment if the boss orders them to take an illegal action. People also have the capacity to exercise free will and act according to their own value system. Psychological theorists can help explain obedience by examining the motivation behind the reward we receive for compliance. Maslow would describe the humanist viewpoint as obeying to gain respect and recognition from authority. Skinner would see obedience as a natural conditioned reaction to doing what we are told. Bronfenbrenner describes a myriad of authorities that we obey on an individual or group level. The echological argument holds that patriotism is obedience to nationalism. Obedience can take many forms and the authority may be abstract. Young children may obey their parents because they understand it is the right thing to do and is an ethical decision. It may be self-interest, as they will obey them to avoid their parent's punishment, or to gain a reward. However, a child's inner logic may not be apparent through their actions alone. Children who have been abused, neglected, or feel abandoned may withdraw and suffer from defeatism (Singer, Dornenbal, and Okma, 601). They will display obedience though it may not be for the self-interest that it appears. In a study of children by Singer, Dornenbal, and Okma, the researchers found significantly more foster children offered little or no resistance to parental authority than their birthchildren counterparts (596). Birthchildren had a much higher incidence of offering fierce resistance in a disciplinary conflict than foster children (596). In the case of the foster children, the researchers noted that, "Their main goal is unilateral-self-saving [...] Their main interests are fear of punishment and a feeling of powerlessness" (601). The birthchildren that were offering intense rebellion were said to have, " [...] unilateral coercive goals to get their own way" (594). The birthchildren were acting in self-interest to exploit the parental authority's lack of resolve, while the foster children were obeying for self-preservation. As children grow into adulthood, they will for the most part become more aware of the need for obedience. The cost of punishment by law enforcement will generally get most people to abide by acceptable customs. The need for a steady paycheck will insure that they will put their feelings aside when taken advantage of in the workplace. They may rationalize to themselves, and others, that they are being obedient in order to live up to a moral or ethical standard. Adults may allow

Life of Pi Animals Essay Example for Free

Life of Pi Animals Essay Acting and speaking before THINKING, this goes back to a humans’ primitive stage. We are all animals, in the sense that we are mammals. Manifested through our psyche or personality, each animal has a different representation. From personality traits, behavior or even symbolism, animals have the ability to portray these features in humans. In Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, four distinct animals are manifested in the main character’s (Pi Patel)spirit. These four animals a zebra, which symbolizes the struggle to survive and docility, the orangutan – a nurturing mother personality, the hyena for desperation and evil, then lastly the tiger, Richard Parker which represents perseverance and companionship. When one visits the zoo, the most submissive creature there to see is the zebra. Marked with bold black and white stripes to show endurance, the zebra is still indecisive and unassertive. Relating back to Pi Patel, even from the beginning of the novel he cannot make up his mind about which religion to follow. This shows when his indetermination leads him from being a Muslim, to Hinduism, to Christianity. Also, as the hyena attacks the zebra for food, the animal strives to defend himself by thrashing about the boat. Severely wounded and painfully struggling to fight the battle, zebras determination to stay alive and survive the attack from the hyena. This is also a small wake up call to Pi who is also growing weak day in and day out while a hungry Bengal tiger sleeps only a few feet away. However the need to survive and the life of force is a character trait that the zebra and Pi Patel have in common, not to mention uncertainty.

Horror Of War In Two Poems The Dug-Out and Breakfast Essay Example for Free

Horror Of War In Two Poems The Dug-Out and Breakfast Essay Compare the ways on which two poems from this section convey powerful pictures of life in the trenches. Both of the poems The Dug-Out and Breakfast try to convey a message that is the futility and horror of the war. The Dug-Out shows the horror of the war by accentuating the fear of death in the poem. However, Breakfast transfers the meaning of triviality by describing the hardship in the breakfast time in the trenches. The Dug-Out is written as a single stanza with simple structure and sentence. The poet has chosen this structure to convey striking imagery and therefore to reflect the reality of the war. The poem begins with the adverb why to intrigue the reader and also creates a sense of uneasiness with words ungainly huddled. The poet chooses to use the metaphor of a candle to portray the solders dying as the burning out of a candle. The alliteration guttering gold emphasizes the candle imagery and also shares the pain with the reader. You wonder why is in narrative voice shows the rejection putting a sense of hopeless. The last two lines are in italic and this highlights its importance. The metaphor of fall asleep for ever symbolizes the death and this remind[s] the poet of the other dead[s]. The emotive language such as sullen, drowsy states the fact that these soldiers are bordering on insanity as the fear of death has scarred them mentally. Sassoons view therefore becomes clear, that death has become as commonplace as sleep and war creates fear especially the fear of death for every soldier in any mundane condition. The title of the poem Breakfast has been chosen to put a sense of ordinarily and triviality. Gibson chooses to use a simple verse on Breakfast as well as The Dug-out. The poem begins a simple statement: we ate our breakfast lying on our backs. This straightforward account creates a sense of immediacy and also it begins with a second person narrative we to include the reader. Gibson chooses to use imagery of everyday life to represent the terror and horror of the war. In a betting of a rugby game, Ginger is dead because he raised his head. The killing of person in a betting during the breakfast time clearly illustrates the dreadfulness of the life in trenches. The effect of contrast is emphasized by the semi-colon this makes action more dramatic. The poem begins and ends with the same lines emphasizes that war is in everyday life just as the eating of breakfast and the shelling are also linked. Unlike The Dug-Out, there is no melancholy or emotive language in the poem whereas Giblson frequently use the simple word and slang to create a matter-of-fact tone and this generates a more horrific feeling upon the reader. Both poems portray the horror and fear of the war and make their point that war is futile by conveying powerful imagery in trenches. Both of them use the simple stanza and structure to express the feeling of fear and the sense of immediacy in trenches. The Dug-Out is set in a mood of melancholy by using the pathos language such as the guttering gold candle and describing the dankness that is surrounded with. Nevertheless, Breakfast achieves the same level of horror only by simple language as Gibson cleverly connects the war to the eating of breakfast and therefore emphasizes his idea of triviality and fultility.

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake Introduction/Background The ketogenic diet proposes a reduction of carbohydrate intake, replaced with high fat. Studies convey that low carbohydrate diets promote a higher degree of short term weight loss than conventional low fat diets (Manninen, 2004). Moreover, reductions in fasting blood lipids and insulin concentrations are greater in low carbohydrate diets (Manninen, 2004). Fundamentally, the reduction in carbohydrates renders the body in an efficient metabolic state of dietary ketosis whereby fat is turned into ketone bodies within the liver and burned for energy to utilize in the extra-hepatic tissues. Thereby, short term restriction results in a significant decrease in fat mass and a related increase in lean body mass as fat stores become a primary source of energy (Manninen, 2004). However, low carbohydrate diets may significantly increase fat and cholesterol volume, correspondent with an increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Hu et al., 2012). Furthermore, reduction in an accustom ed fibre intake may result in constipation, or fatigue induced by a carbohydrate deficiency from altered hormonal states and electrolyte imbalances (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Additionally, complications relative to kidney function may arise (eg. osteoporosis and kidney stones) and can be linked to the long term restriction of carbohydrates (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Ketosis is a common metabolic adaptation in low carbohydrate diets. Glycogen stores are utilized to meet energy demands of the body when dietary carbohydrates are limited; the reserves are exhausted within 24 to 48 hours of carbohydrate restriction (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). However, glycogen is bound to water in a proportion of 1:3g (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Therefore, the subsequent 1-2kg fat reduction can be attributed to diuresis as opposed to burning adipose body fat stores. Consequently, the decrease is not a true indicator of weight loss as glycogen and water stores will be replenished (ie. rebound water weight will be gained) once the diet is terminated due to an influx of carbohydrates, which retain water in the muscles glycogen stores (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). As depicted in rodent studies, Caton et al. (2009) discerned that the termination of a low carbohydrate diet resulted in weight regain once the habitual diet resumed. Notwithstanding, the diuretic effect is restr ained to the first week of the low carbohydrate diet. Subsequent weight loss is entirely due to the ruminant adaption to energy expenditure and balance. Larosa, Fry, Muesing, Rosing (1980) observed a 7.7 kg loss in participants on the Atkins diet in 8 weeks; 1.8 kg lost per week in the initial two week period, and 0.7 kg per week thereafter. Westman et al. (2002) remarked alike results with a range of 0 to 18.6 kg in body weight reduction over 24 weeks (Figure 1). Once glycogen reserves are exhausted, fat oxidation is increased to satisfy the energy demands unfulfilled by gluconeogenesis and triglyceride breakdown as lean mass is inefficiently broken down to glucose and energy deficits proceed uncovered. A directly proportional increase in muscle fatigue and catabolism (conversion of protein to glucose via gluconeogenesis) transpires when muscle glycogen is depleted, however; an important substrate within ATP production (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Liberation of fatty acids into the blood are oxidized by the liver for energy expenditure to form acetoacetate and further converted to ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyric acid (ie. ketone bodies) from acetyl CoA, filtered by the kidneys, inducing an increase in renal loss of sodium and consequent water loss. Furthermore, dehydration is common due to the increased water loss associated with ketotic-induced diuresis, onsetting early fatigue in contracting skeletal muscle (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). The long term restriction of carbohydrates pose an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. LDL cholesterol is an eminent factor in atherogenesis, directly correlated with blood ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate (Johnston et al., 2006). Lin Borer (2016) denote a 30% decrease within physiological insulin resistance 24 hours after three low carbohydrate meals, which increase cardiovascular disease mortality. Moreover, metabolic costs may be associated with the utilization of fatty acids as intermediates of the citric acid cycle imperative for energy expenditure are depleted. Russell Taegtmeyer (1991) isolated rodent hearts utilizing acetoacetate as an energy source. The researchers observed a 50% reduction in the contractile ability of the heart within an hour; a contractile failure reversed by pyruvate carboxylation. Indeed, there are benefits and detriments of the dietary regime. However, evidence from clinical and animals trials to achieve a loss in weight and adaptive metabolic risk factors is preliminary. Review of papers Research concerning the effectiveness of reduced carbohydrate intake is limited by small sample sizes and short treatment periods. Westman, Yancy, Edman, Tomlin, Perkins (2002) investigated the effects of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon body weight and variable metabolic factors in a 6 month trial. 41 overweight (26-33 kg/m^2) yet otherwise healthy volunteers ages 18-65 were assigned to a low carbohydrate diet of A mean decrease in body weight of 9.0 +/- 5.3 kg among 39 volunteers was observed (Figure 1). Weight loss correlated with adherence of the dietary regime and ketonuria (P Statistically significant changes were obtained for various metabolic parameters relative to changes in serum levels (Table 1). Beneficial effects upon serum lipid levels are indicated; 29 volunteers experienced a net reduction in LDL cholesterol over 6 months (Table 2). Moreover, 37 volunteers had an increase in HDL cholesterol (Westman et al., 2002). However, there was no objective measure of physical activity, which is potentially confounding. Moreover, adherence is the largest determinant of a regimes effectiveness. Although group meetings are an objective measure of behaviour adherence, the conceptualization of dietary adherence is disparate, propagated by psychological and socioeconomic determinants. Nonetheless, multiple indicators of adherence to the assigned dietary regime was employed in an attempt to negate the aforementioned issue. Furthermore, all 41 participants developed ketonuria during the trial, strongly correlated with self-reported adherence to the dietary regime. However, it is indispensable to obtain baseline data of macronutrient intake relative to the regime in question to ensure no dietary deficiencies confound the results. Additionally, past dietary intake is principal to document when controlling for baseline, yet macronutrient intake prior to the trial was not assessed. Often, blood/plasma ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate levels are the only index of ketosis as exhibited in the study of Westman et al. (2002). However, urinary ketones poorly represent the concentrations of blood/plasma and yield less informative results (Table 2). Acetoacetate and acetone are rarely measured and should be investigated in a low carbohydrate dietary regime; direct manipulation is necessary as the correlational approach cannot provide casual evidence of ketones. Moreover, dietary regime data can be subject to concerns of memory and recall. Additionally, volunteers who completed the dietary records may be more likely to report adhering to the regime. However, macronutrient data was to be recorded within 24 hours of consumption. Also, the usage of skinfold calipers to estimate fat mass poses another limitation. Clasey et al. (1999) discerned that anthropometric estimation yield large mean differences and appreciable inter-individual variability. Volunteers were not recruited according to strict inclusive criteria, therefore the group is particularly inhomogeneous. However, as the participants were healthy, extrapolating the results to individuals with metabolic diseases should be with discretion. Moreover, no substantial losses to follow-up were incurred as a completion rate of 80% was noted. However, the disadvantageous effects regarding volunteers who did not cohere to the program cannot be eradicated; structured programs are more effective at weight loss than self help approaches (Heska et al., 2003). Nevertheless, the findings of Westman et al. (2002) emphasize the imminent need for large scale trials on the compound interplay between low carbohydrate diets and long term aftereffects. The mechanisms and contributing factors underlying the effectiveness of low carbohydrate high fat diets (LC-HFD) remain uncovered. Caton, Yinglong, Burget, Spangler, Tschà ¶p, Bidlingmaier (2009) examined the effects of a LC-HFD upon body composition and metabolic parameters (eg. growth hormone, IGF-I) in 48 male Wistar rats over a 32 day period. Two studies were conducted. Study one constituted the maintenance of standard laboratory chow (CH) or LC-HFD in adolescent or mature rodents for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (Caton et al., 2009). However, only mature rodents were maintained on the diets for 16 days in study two in an attempt to illuminate the culmination of LC-HFD upon fat pad mass. All rats were pair-fed to ensure the observations would be due to the macronutrient composition of the diet. Metabolic assessments (eg. energy expenditure) were made at baseline and 16 days post-exposure to the first and second diet with indirect calorimetry (Caton et al., 2009). ANOVA was performed to assess feeding efficiency and corresponding body weight changes relative to age and diet. Moreover, an alpha value of 0.05 was rendered in t-test analysis to examine the disparity between body weight and fat pad mass, with Bonferroni to discern any significant differences between the groups (Caton et al., 2009). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight irrespective of age and subsequent diet change (Figure 2). Nonetheless, ingesting CH after initial LC-HFD resulted in weight regain in comparison to CH maintained rodents (Caton et al., 2009). Moreover, mature rats maintained on LC-HFD gained remarkably less body weight than CH (CH 27 +/- 1g; LC-HFD 2 +/- 3g; P LC-HFD may have implications for the alteration of body composition as hormones (eg. GH, IGF-I) known to increase lean body mass diminished within the study; reflective in decreased muscle mass. Declines in IGF-I, lean body mass, and glycogen availability may contribute to the increased fatigue experienced in ketogenic diets. Subsequently, the weight loss procured is not effortlessly sustainable due to an energy imbalance propagating an enhanced drive to regain lost mass. However, rodent studies are not entirely translatable to human subjects, and moreover, not appropriately designed. Perigonadal fat pads have a large surface area and are readily accessible. Consequently, they are frequently utilized in research, as exhibited in the study of Caton et al. (2009). However, humans do not harbour a fat depot analogous to the fat pads; and thereby cannot be truly deemed as visceral. Furthermore, Bazzano et al. (2014) measured body weight and a myriad of biomarkers in 148 participants on variable carbohydrate diets over a year. The researchers concluded that a low carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and reduced cardiovascular risks. Whereas Vogt (2014) published a conflicting paper; a low carbohydrate diet in maternal rodents alters offspring metabolism whereby risk for obesity is pronounced. There are indeed neuroanatomical similarities between humans and rodents which coincide with food intake and energy homeostasis. However, the study un covered that the diet damaged the hypothalamus, pivotal for appetite and energy management. No attempt was made to elucidate the contradiction between the reaction of a rodent versus a human, which is misleading. Additionally, rodent strain can determine the susceptibility to diet-induced metabolic changes. If a more resistant strain is utilized, effects may go unnoticed. Moreover, trials disregard elements of rodent diets (standard laboratory chow; high carbohydrate low fat diet) that have direct metabolic outcomes, such as soy, which has effects akin to estrogen relative to activity, fat storage, and macronutrient and water retention. In contrast, low carbohydrate high fat diets often have sugar as a constituent associated with weight gain and insulin resistance, ultimately selecting for fat sensitivity. It is notable that a sufficient amount of protein is required to maintain lean body mass, yet the diet in the study of Caton et al. (2009) constituted of low protein. Dietary control in rodents is possible to a degree unfeasible in humans. Metabolic attributes of the human condition cannot be entirely recapitulated in a single animal model. Summary opinion/Conclusion A multitude of clinical trials that concern low carbohydrate diets have small sample sizes and insufficient statistical power to detect the incremental changes that occur in metabolic risk factors (Hu et al., 2012). Such factors are important determinants of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; thereby, it is ineffective to derive conclusions upon the effects of low carbohydrates upon overall health long term. In contrast to the results inferring an increase in cardiovascular risk, Hu et al. propose low carbohydrate diets as an alternative approach for fat mass reduction without worsening metabolic risk factors. Moreover, Bueno, de Melo, de Oliveria, da Rocha Ataide (2013) denote a doubled average increase in HDL compared to low fat dieters, conferring cardiovascular benefits with an improved cholesterol profile comparable to Westman et al. (2002) noting an increase in HDL. Nonetheless, six weeks is a short duration of time, and the research conveys that the dietary regime is sl ightly advantageous in weight loss for up to six months (Fields, Ruddy, Wallace, Shah, Millstine, 2016). Potential metabolic consequences can be alleviated with increased water, fibre, and calcium intake. References Bazzano, L. A., Hu, T., Reynolds, K., Yao, L., Bunol, C., Liu, Y., He, J. (2014). Effects of low  -carbohydrate and low-fat diets: A randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 161(5), 309-318. Bilsborough, S. A., Crowe, T. (2003). Low carbohydrate diets: What are the potential short and long  term health implications? Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 12(4), 397-404. Bueno, N., de Melo, I., de Oliveira, S., da Rocha Ataide, T. (2013). Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic  diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal Of Nutrition, 110(07), 1178-1187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513000548 Caton, S. J., Yinglong, B., Burget, L., Spangler, L. J., Tschà ¶p, M. H., Bidlingmaier, M. (2009). Low  carbohydrate high fat diets: Regulation of energy balance and body weight regain in rats.  Obesity, 17(2), 283-289. Clasey, J. L., Kanaley, J. A., Wideman, L., Heymsfield, S. B., Teates, C. D., Gutgesell, M. E.,   Weltman, A. (1999). Validity of methods of body composition assessment in young and older  men and women. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(5), 1728-1738. Fields, H., Ruddy, B., Wallace, M., Shah, A., Millstine, D. (2016). Are low-carbohydrate diets safe  and effective? The Journal Of The American Osteopathic Association, 116(12), 788.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2016.154 Heshka, S., Anderson, J., Atkinson, R., Greenway, F., Hill, J., Phinney, S. et al. (2003). Weight loss  with self-help compared with a structured commercial program. JAMA, 289(14), 1792.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.289.14.1792 Hu, T., Mills, K., Yao, L., Demanelis, K., Eloustaz, M., Yancy, W. et al. (2012). Effects of low-  carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: A meta-analysis of  randomized controlled clinical trials. American Journal Of Epidemiology, 176(suppl 7), S44-  S54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws264   Johnston, C. S., Tjonn, S. L., Swan, P. D., White, A., Hutchins, H., Sears, B. (2006). Ketogenic low-  carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. The  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(5), 1055-1061.   Larosa, J. C., Fry, A. G., Muesing, R., Rosing, D. R. (1980). Effects of high-protein, low-  carbohydrate dieting on plasma lipoproteins and body weight. Journal of the American Dietetic  Association, 77(3), 264-270.   Lin, P. J., Borer, K. T. (2016). Third exposure to a reduced carbohydrate meal lowers evening  postprandial insulin and GIP responses and HOMA-IR estimate of insulin resistance. PloS  one, 11(10), e0165378.   Manninen, A. (2004). Metabolic effects of the very-low-carbohydrate diets: Misunderstood  villains of human metabolism. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition,  1(2), 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-1-2-7   Russell 3rd, R. R., Taegtmeyer, H. (1991). Pyruvate carboxylation prevents the decline in contractile  function of rat hearts oxidizing acetoacetate. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and  Circulatory Physiology, 261(6), H1756-H1762.   Vogt, M. C., Paeger, L., Hess, S., Steculorum, S. M., Awazawa, M., Hampel, B., Predel, R. (2014).  Neonatal insulin action impairs hypothalamic neurocircuit formation in response to maternal  high-fat feeding. Cell, 156(3), 495-509.   Westman, E. C., Yancy, W. S., Edman, J. S., Tomlin, K. F., Perkins, C. E. (2002). Effect of 6-month  adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program. The American Journal of Medicine, 113(1),  30-36. Table 1 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon metabolic parameters Table 2 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon serum lipid level and 24-hour urinary excretion Table 3 End-point hormone, glucose, and albumin analysis (study one; mean +/- s.e.m.) in adolescent and mature rodents maintained on CH or LC-HFD for 16 days Table 4 Energy expenditure (kcal/24 h) normalized for body mass at baseline; 16 days post-maintenance of CH and LC-HFD Figure 1. The effect of a low carbohydrate diet with additional nutritional supplementation upon body weight (n=41). Fat mass was estimated from skinfold thickness measurement. Fat mass decreased from 36.9 +/- 6.2 kg to 3.0 +/- 5.7 kg. Fat-free mass = body weight fat mass. The asterisk indicates P Figure 2. The development in body weight (g) of adolescent and mature rodents initially maintained on standard laboratory chow (CH) or low carbohydrate high fat diet (LC-HFD) for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (denoted by an arrow) for another 16 days (means +/- s.e.m.). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to CH irrespective of age and subsequent diet change.

Mitosis and Meiosis Essay -- essays research papers

Cell division may happen by either mitosis or meiosis, depending on what type of cell is invovled. Mitosis is a process by which a cell divides to form two daughter cells. They each have the same exact number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell. Meiosis occurs in the primary sex cells leading to the formation of viable egg and sperm cells. They reduce the number of chromosomes to half in each gamete so that when they are getting furtilized, the species chromosome number is kept even. Mitosis happens in the reproduction of unicellular organisms and in the addition of cells to a tissue or organ in a multicellular organism. There are four stages of mitosis. The first stage is the prophase. In this stage the chromosomes become shorter and thicker and they each consist of two chromatids. The nuclear membrane begins to disintegrate. The centrioles in animal cells, fungi, algae and some other ferns double and a pair move toward each pole and the chromosomes begin to move toward the equator of the cell. The second stage is called the metaphase. In this stage the centrioles move to the poles. The chromosomes line up at the equator of the spindle and the spindle fibers are attached to the centromeres connecting them to the poles of the spindle. The third stage is called the anaphase. By this time, the centromeres split apart. The chromatid pairs of each chromosome separate from each other and they move quickly in opposite directions, one toward each pole. The last stage is cal...

King Louis XIV: A Disastrous Ruler Essay -- European History Essays

King Louis XIV: A Disastrous Ruler It is often debated whether or not the reign of King Louis XIV had a positive or negative effect on France. Although there were improvements during his reign in transportation, culture, and national defense, there were far more negative aspects. He depleted the national treasury with his liberal spending on personal luxuries and massive monuments. His extreme fear of the loss of power led to poor decision making, which caused the court to be of lower quality. King Louis XIV’s disastrous rule brought about a series of effects that influenced the French Revolution in the following century. King Louis XIV's 72 year reign was incredibly influential in shaping French history. King Louis XIV’s childhood was traumatic because of â€Å"La Fronde† which was a noble rebellion against the monarchy. This experience taught King Louis XIV to distrust the nobles. It was for this reason that he eventually excluded nobility from the council and surrounded himself with loyal ministers whom he could control. He also separated the aristocracy from the people of France by moving the court to the Palace of Versailles. One of the most notable of King Louis XIV’s decisions was that he refused to appoint another Prime Minister after the death of Prime Minister Mazarin. Every decision, from the declaration of war to the approval of a passport, went through him personally. During his reign as king, France participated in several wars including the War of Devolution, in Anglo-Dutch War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. Another major action he took was the proclamation of the Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the Edict of Nantes, imposing religious uniformity through Catholi... ...roblems and turned a great number of people against the monarchy. These events lead to the resentment that was another key factor in beginning the French Revolution. The end of King Louis XIV’s rule was especially disastrous. After the death of his advisor Colbert, King Louis XIV made even more horrible and costly decisions. He further enlarged the military and entered into many wars in which he lost a great deal of her newly acquired territories and increased the national debt even more. In short, the reign of King Louis XIV had a disastrous impact on France. His liberal spending, appointing of easily controlled people to court, revoking the freedom of religion, and poor decision making sparked the economic burdens and resentment of the aristocracy that were major factors in the French Revolution and the eventual downfall of the French monarchy.

Design of Gsm Based Power Management

Abstract Monitoring of power has been a neglected area in developing countries particularly, Nigeria. Most of these developing countries have always been facing the problem of irregular power supply not because they do not have the capacity to generate the required electricity supply but failure to manage or monitor power consumption by their appliances. The lack of power management result in the development of a GSM based power management system. This system allows monitoring and control power consumption by household appliances.The GSM technology is well deployed in most developed countries due to its features like easy interfacing with appliances via radio frequency, accessibility at remote area. In this paper, software and hardware were developed. The software allows the user of the system to request for an action from the hardware components. The micro-controller is connected with GSM and relays each of which controls its connected power outlets. GSM – based power managem ent is convenient, more secure, less costly and user – friendly for end user. It is very useful in the area of power management.Keyword: GSM, Power, Network, Electricity. Introduction Power management has been an area of neglect mostly in the developing nations of the world. Most developing countries have always been batling with the problem of constant power supply not because they do not have the capacity to generate the required electricity supply but because they have failed in their culture of management. Management has been an issue with developing countries. That is the main difference between developed countries and developing countries, Nigeria being a developing country, is not any better.It is also affected with the poor management virus and power is also part of the things marjoly mismanaged in this part of the world. Timo (2002) researches and studies have shown that Nigeria is one of the blessed countries in terms of natural resources but due to poor management culture we have failed as a nation in harnessing them properly, and for the resources we have harnessed we have refused to gain a total control over them. Often times, people consume power without being made responsible for it.Responsibility in this sense goes beyond the payment of bills which is being calculated by estimation which is done by the power regulating body the power holding company of Nigeria. In view of this problem, the power holding company of Nigeria which is the power regulating body of the country (Nigeria) tried to curb this power consumption mismanagement issue by introducing an electronic digitized meter which is pre-paid and it is called a pre paid meter. With the introduction of pre-paid meter billing system to consumers, their power consumption have changed and have increased tremendously.The billing system have became outrageous so there has been an issue of how to manage power by a household in order to be able to consume a specific amount of power so that bills will be strictly based on the amount of power consumed. Limitation This design is only implemented for a home that does not consume more than 200w of power. It has been designed to accommodate only four appliances whose sum total of power rating must not exceed 200w GSM Technology As mentioned by Timo (2002), GSM is widely deployed and is a growing technology supporting a number of new applications being used for it.GSM is a digital cellular radio system that operates on two frequency bands 900 and 1800MHz. It is a European standard but now has been globally accepted, that reduces the cost of manufacturing and increases the market target. Standardizations are still evolving and so far they have had up to two phases: 1 and 2. (GSM Technical Specification, 2007) This evolution has achieved higher operational boundaries to what was expected at the birth of the technology. Some of the excepted features of the system are: High audio quality and integrating. High level of security preventing fraud and boasting confidentiality. -International and intersystem roaming. -Low cost infrastructure and interpretability with existing infrastructure. GSM Architecture A GSM system as defined could be thought of as a combination of three subsystems: Base station subsystem (BSS), Network subsystem and operational and maintenance subsystem (Vijay, K. G. , and Joseph, E. W. 2009). Base station subsystem is a radio link subsystem and is responsible for management of connection including handovers of calls from coverage area (cell) to cell.BSS is formed by a combination of mobile set (MS), Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and Base Station Controller (BSC) several BTSs are connected and controlled by a single BSC. This single BSC is responsible for handover, radio link control and power control for transmission. ‘The network subsystem is the core of the GSM system. It controls mobility, switching and management of the subscriber. It consist of switching centre (MSC), Visit or Location Register (VLR), Home Location Register (HLR),Authentication Centre (AUC), and Equipment Identity Register (EIR).One MSC is communicating with number of BSCs, and therefore it is used for call setup, routing and handover between the two subsystems. Also for billing purposes MSC is in control’. (Siegmund, M. R. Matthins, K. W. and Malcolm W. O. 2005). The four data bases for control and network management are AUC, EIR, HLR, and VLR; they operate almost the same way. HLR is a database for mobile sets registered to a particular mobile network. And a MS is registered to only one HLR even if the network has many HLRs. This database is usually combined with the AUC. Together they are responsible for service profile and routine information.AUC verifies authenticity of the subscriber and provides the HLR with ciphering information for mobile transportation. VLR is usually combined with MSC and called MSC/VLR, provides location information to the servicing MSC. This is a da tabase of all roaming MS in a particular MSC, and database is updated as soon as a mobile set leaves the MSC. The HLR is notified of where the MS is, so that all the calls to that particular MS are re-routed correctly. This does not mean VLR cannot control call setup by itself, it has all the needed information and it acts like a moving HLR.EIR is a database that stores the identity of each MS. Each MS has a unique identifier called identity mobile equipment identity (IMEI). This database can be used to stop giving service to a stolen set. The operation and maintenance (OMC) subsystem is responsible for maintenance of the entire network and GSM equipment, therefore it needs to be connected to all equipment in the BSC and switching system. Also, communication with these equipment should be guaranteed so that at all times it can monitor and update the entire system.According to English, J. , Fielding, E. , and Howard, N. (2002), the network used to communicate is different from the on e subscribers are using; usually a fixed signaling network is used such as SS7, GSM network has also an optional part called short message service center (SMSC). This was developed after the realization that not only voice communication can be offered through network but also short message and data can be transmitted. Peter, H. A. (2007) defined short message as a message of less than or equal to 150 characters.The SMSC stores the sent messages until it can find the destination addressed in the message. The period of storing a message is dependent on the service provider. Fig 1 Overview of GSM architecture; Asha, M. (2006) Software Basically the response of the micro-controller to the signal or message from the GSM is being controlled through a program written in micro-basic which hardwired on the micro-controller. The user interface which allows the user to select appliance(s) to be turned OFF or ON was designed and coded in visual basic 6 languages.The choice of visual basic was d ue to its flexibility. This program communicates with the micro-controller by sending the option of the user (i. e. to turn on or off) through the one the messages from the monitoring phones to the micro-controller of which in turn effects the necessary action. The program was written in such a manner that the phone might require an administrator, which users’ personal can turn off appliances on which output he so desires to turn off at a particular point in time or allows automatically switches off appliances on ports according to priority.HardwareThis involves arrangement of several components which are integrated together to form a circuitry device that performs a function switching off and on ports which serves power to the following appliances. Working Operation of the Model The following are the components that constitute the block diagram of the model Fig. 2. Block Diagram of the Model Step-Down Transformer. Power is fed into the circuit through the mains and is step-d own to 12v which is the required voltage for the circuit. This is rectified using device and also filtered with the aid of a filtering capacitor.The essence of this is to convert the AC voltage from the mains to DC voltage because the micro-controller is powered by a DC source. The micro-controller requires just 5v to power, so the 12v is attempted using resistors (potential divider). Voltage Transformer This is used in measuring the voltage flowing through the appliance and is rectified using half-wave rectification and also filtered using a capacitor. The input impedance from the analogue signal must not be higher than 2km, the buffer amplifier is used to achieve this purpose. It has unity gain amplifier to ensure input is replicated at the output.The buffer amplifier consists of operational amplifier. Current Transformer This provides isolation and also steps down current. In practice, it is difficult to find a current transformer, so we made the primary side of a voltage transfo rmer to function as the secondary thereby making it work as current transformer. The analogue to digital circuit in the micro-controllers needs analogue voltage and not current, the current flowing is made to pass over a resistor to give a voltage that is proportional to the current flowing. This resistor is called the shunt resistor and should be as low as possible.This voltage measured is later converted to current through the aid of the code. Micro-Controller The micro-controller used here is the PIC16F877A type. It provides the following in the functions in the model. ? Digitization of both the current and voltage measured and the resultant power ? Multiplication of the measured parameters (current and voltage) to give power the current and voltage measure is fed into the micro-controller where the multiplier circuit embedded in it multiplies them to obtain power ? Conversion of binary digitals to BCD. The binary digits coming as output from the multiplier needs to be converted to BCD.The power that is being calculated is sent phone, and the program picks this up and compares it if it is within the limit of the power consumption that is allowed. If it is more than the limit, the administrators can switch off which ever appliance that is of lower priority to him or her. The phone might be put on automatic, which on its own turns off appliance based on its order of priority. Relay Switches When the computer does the comparison, it then sends a request back to the controller which in turn excites the relay that controls the appliance to be controlled, either to be turned OFF or ON.Seven Segment Display The BCD generated by the micro controller will be displayed on the seven segment display which eradicates the need for a seven segment decoder and its driver. Radio Frequency Communication between the phone and the microprocessor is achieved by radio frequency technology used by the GSM. Initial Testing and Setting of the Model The monitoring phone must be conf igured with the application used and it must support it. The application configured onto the GSM has a default number which will be allowed to communicate with the micro-controller.All the four appliances were set to OFF initially before they were being controlled by the GSM through the following steps. ? Go to the application from the mobile phone. ? Then mobile control menu from the application. ? Select mark or check on the appliance you wish to turn on. Software Implementation The operational implementation of the system is in software, meaning; its control is software based. The processor is programmed to be in continuous polling mode, meaning its operation is not triggered by an interrupt but rather continuously executing the code as long as it is powered.This kind of operation may be costly for non critical kinds of communication but good for real – time communication. As mentioned earlier that the starting of the system operation is when the GSM reads the message thro ugh reading RS232 port at the decided band rate, and convert it to BCD which the micro-controller understands. Hardware Implementation The implementation of hardware begins with the message received by the GSM phone which later converted to a BCD in form of tone and sent to the micro-controller. Microcontrollers in turn send signals to the relays to witch OFF or ON the particular appliances as the case may be. Sending Message to the Mobile Station Message could be sent to check the status and control the appliances from any other configured GSM paired with the base phone (i. e. connected with the circuit) Checking of the Status. To check for the status of the appliances from any distance, the steps to follow are the following: †¢ Open the contact option from the phone application. †¢ Go to the GSM contact to change destination number to defaulted number. †¢ Then go to appliance control. †¢ Type the request message using the format *MWM* status request# †¢ Pr ess sendThe status of the appliances will be automatically sent back to the GSM. Control of the Appliances from the Remote Area. The following steps must be followed when controlling the appliances: ? Open the contact option from the GSM application ? Go to the GSM contact to change destination number to the defaulted number. ? Then go to appliance control. ? Type the request message using the format *MWM* appliance number* action ON (1) or OFF (0) * acknowledgement# ? Press send. Performance of the Model The model built was tested by connecting four appliances whose sum total of power consumption was not more than 200w.The system worked perfectly well. Also we set the range of power consumption to 150w, this indicates that whenever appliances are connected to it and their sum total power consumption is more than 150w, then the user turns off any of the appliances or the system automatically turns it off or on. Conclusion and Recommendations From the design and the implementation of the system presented in this document, it can be concluded that GSM system could solve many of the challenges most developing countries are facing particularly the problem of misuse of power supply.Because of the flexibility and ease of the system design, GSM system could be adapted for any application ranging from control of appliances to monitoring remotely. Also, the high level of security of the GSM network is an advantage for securing data transmission; therefore this system should be implemented without fear of eavesdroppers for future this system can solve many technological challenges, for example a company manager could use his GSM set anywhere in the world and log data to his system allowing him to monitor power consumption in semi-real time to reduce cost.The system could be used in manufacturing industry, for example to monitor the consumption of power used by each equipment used for production thereby useful for cost benefit measurement. There are number of application s that could be developed with the system, and for further security measures, the system could be developed such that it connects to severance cameras, allowing the user to visually see his assets at anytime, anywhere. Also, it would be nice to develop the system such that it can convert the message into voice so as to accommodate blind users.As mentioned earlier that this system is not complex to assemble, and the fact that the GSM technology is everywhere means it can be sold at an affordable price. References Asha, M. (2006) GSM System Engineering. New York: Artech House. Charles, R. K. Morris, M. (2001) Logic And Computer Design Fundamentals. London: Prentice Hall. English, J. Fielding, E. Howard, N (2002) Professional Communication 5th Edition Maidenhead; Open University Press.GSM Technical Specification(2007) Digital Cellular Telecommunications System. London: Croom Helm. Peter, H. A. (2007): Pic 16C84 – Outputting To A Serial Device Baltimore: Morgan State University. Siegmund, M. R. , Matthins, K. W. and Malcolm, W. O. (2005) An Introduction to GSM. Boston: Arteer Honge. Timo, H. Javier, R. and Juan Meler. (2002) GSM, GPRS and EDGE Performance. New York: John Wiley and sons. Vijay, K. G. Joseph, E. W (2009) Principles and Applications of GSM. London: Prentice Hall. [pic]

Century

The 14th century was anything but pleasant for the people living In Europe at the time. There were so many factors and conditions that ultimately helped pave the way for the Renaissance. I will focus on the key influences during this period that contributed to the development of this â€Å"rebirth†. The most significant impact that you must address right off the bat Is, the Black Death. With the plague wiping out nearly one-third of Rupee's population, this catastrophe led to many economic, political, social, ideological, and cultural changes.Before getting into details of conflicts of the middle ages, I think it is important to know that In the beginning of the 14th century the medieval warm period had ended which resulted in a â€Å"little Ice age†. The climate had gotten colder and the farmland was becoming less fertile because of soil unrest from generations using the same land. The Malthusian Crisis was a prediction that ultimately became true–the population of Europe had gotten too large and there wasn't enough available resources.Hunger and famine caused a big spike in the death rate and as things were starting looking pretty grim, then comes the plague.. The Black Death is believed to have arrived in Europe by sea in October 1347 when Genomes trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messing after a long journey at sea (the pathogen Yearly's Pestles supposedly carried In certain Infected rodents had transmitted the disease). People ready to greet the ships were shocked to see a bunch of dead and diseased sailors. It didn't look good whatsoever.The victims showed strange black, oozing swellings about the size of an egg or an apple In the armpits and groin, Before anyone could try and quarantine the sick, it was too ate. Merchants and marmots would help spread this deadly disease, making no one have any idea knew where it was coming from or why it was happening. It is believed that since the plague spread so quickly, the infection had to airborne which was the biggest Issue. Once the disease reached the lungs of the malnourished, It was then spread to the wider population through sneezes and coughs.The sick suffered severe pain and died quickly within five days of the first symptoms. Pneumonia plague which targeted your respiratory system would kill 95% of people within 2 says, and If you were said to have skepticism plague, your bloodstream Is directly Infected leaving you with no chance. Before you know It, graveyards throughout Europe were filling up and towns had to make mass burial pits to help rid the dead bodies. It came to the point where it was basically considered ordinary to be burying a family member quite often.All these problems along with confusion, led people to start questioning life and what they did to deserve all this. The mall question the plague had everyone asking themselves was, why are we being punished by god? Since the church was always their only answer, citizens needed a new react ion. Before the Black Death hit Europe, almost all things including elements of daily life, were under the Influence of the church. In medieval times the most Important thing was that the church had always told people right from wrong.Since the afterlife was judged more importantly than ones actual lifetime, it was considered 1 OFF salvation. A result from that were the Flagellants. Flagellants began as a militant pilgrimage for religious extremists who demonstrated their religious passion and ought self-punishment for their sins by vigorously whipping themselves in public as displays of penance. Who in their right mind would even do that? As the Black Death is taking over, the public believed it to be a punishment from God and now they have to pay.Conditions were so bad that they felt as if turning toward the church for help as they always do, was no hope. How could they find a solution when even the priests and bishops were dropping dead like flies from the plague too!? So it coul dn't be that God was mad at the general public, however more specifically mad at the church. In return, the Catholic Church lost a lot of its influence and for many people, their view of the world changed significantly.The Italian peninsula (mostly Florence at the beginning) was pretty much the center of the newer learning at the time because they had wealth, religion, and many eager people ready to stop living strictly everything by the church. Francesco Patriarch (1304-1374) lived in Avignon, which was an international community of lawyers and churchmen at the papal court, which was where he copied ancient works including Tulips Cicero (106-BOB. C. ). This rediscovery of Latin antiquity began a fascination on reviving and revitalization classical learning.Cicero ultimately led Patriarch to see in a classical philosophy, a guide to life based on experience. Patriarch's successors found and copied manuscripts including writings from Sophocles, Constantinople, and certain libraries. His use of Roman ideology attracted Giovanni Biostatic, a Florence leader during this time who adopted his ideas and even turned away from writing in the medieval tradition to the classical tradition. This all helped ignite a large focus on humanism, an alternative approach to knowledge and culture.This helped lean away from Scholasticism, which was narrow-minded insistence on traditional doctrine at the time. Scholar's most respected sources and ideas were being spread throughout Europe as a response to the standard educational program that focused only on logic and linguistics. As citizens of Florence and the surrounding areas in Italy were overcoming the Black Death, they experienced a great awakening in self-awareness. They desired to become closer to God and take pride in their humanity. Writers during this period soused on individualism and artists sought to make their artwork more realistic.The Medici and the papacy, who became the greatest patron in Rome, gained an interest in art that reflected both human and religious qualities. Painters started creating man in the image of God and helped to humanism religion, and revealed the self- worth and beauty of oneself. With all of the new learning taking place because of conditions that faced Europe in the 14th century, people's lives started to get back together. Instead of only focusing on agriculture for the main source of food, animal husbandry arose which also had a positive health impact.Since the population had plummeted, there was plenty of food and resources to go around. At this point, the public did not have to spend as much time worrying about where their next meal is coming from, but perhaps more time thinking about creative aspects in life such as painting, acting and inventing. The 1 5th century held Johannes Gutenberg to invent the printing entire world. If it weren't for the harsh realities of the 14th century, the Renaissance may have not had such a lasting impression as we know it to be.

Differences Between the Genders in Leadership Ability or Approach? Essay

To start, when people compare various successful leaders such as Donald Trump, John Rockefeller, or Henry Ford, they always use words to describe their personalities such as being tough, diligent, competitive and ambitious. A person’s personality is a set of unseen characteristics and processes that underlie a relatively stable pattern of behavior in response to ideas, objects or people in the environment. (Daft, 2011) These personality traits define the leader and we all know people differ in many ways leading to various styles of leadership. Differences in personality, attitudes, values and beliefs will influence how people interpret an assignment or a task. Leadership effectiveness is broadly based on the leaders’ personalities and attitudes while also how effectively they interpret differences amongst employees. All of these factors affect the leader-follower interaction but will genders in leadership affect the overall leadership ability or approach? I believe that there are differences in genders in leadership abilities and approaches. If leadership is based on personalities and attitudes, I strongly believe that there are differences in leadership abilities and approaches when considering male and female roles. When considering the traits of males compared to females as leaders, men traditionally are more aggressive and assertive than women. Males tend to be subjective to competing, while in general women prefer a far less competitive environment than men. Those traits can essentially lead to various different perspectives on leadership approaches in respect to gender. Male leaders tend to be more individualistic and prefer working in vertical hierarchies relying on formal authorities and positions in their dealings with subordinates. Female leaders tend to be more collaborative, and are more concerned for relationship building, inclusiveness, participation, and caring. (Daft, 2011) So generally the differences in male traits compared to female traits will cause different approaches towards leadership styles. Gender will also affect abilities based on assumptions about the male and female traits. Research comparing leadership styles of women and men have been reviewed and there was evidence found for both presence and the absence of differences between the sexes. Stereotypical expectations that women lead in an interpersonal oriented style and men lead in a task-oriented style, was found to be false. They found results that female and male leaders do not have differences in these two styles of organizational studies. However in the research that assessed the leadership styles was consistent with the stereotypic expectations about different aspects of leadership styles. In the tendency to lead democratically or autocratically women tended to adopt a more democratic or participative approach and a less autocratic or directive approach than did men. (Eagly & Johnson, 1990) These findings can represent and can be interpreted in terms of a social role theory of sex differences. These stereotypes reveal that men are relatively dominant and controlling. There is a masculine mode of management characterized by qualities such as competitiveness, hierarchical authority, high control for the leader, and unemotional and analytic problem solving. (Loden, 1985) He also argued that women prefer and tend to behave in terms of an alternative feminine leadership model. This model is characterized by cooperativeness, collaboration of managers and subordinates, lower control for the leader, and problem solving based on intuition and empathy as well as rationality. He based his findings around the idea that women and men, including those who are managers in organizations, behave stereotypically to some extent. I would have to agree with this belief because men and women clearly act differently and the way they act will mirror the way they lead. There have been large numbers of laboratory and field studies performed by social psychologists based around female and male behav iors. Quantitative reviews of this research have established the presence rather than the absence of overall sex differences. (Hall, 1984) They also concluded that these differences, although not that large, tend to be compatible to most other findings. There have also been findings that the level of power will directly affect the type of leadership one will show. There are reasonable assumptions that suggest that male and female leaders who occupy the same organizational role should differ very little. They assume that managers of both sexes are more concerned with managing effectively rather than about representing sex-differentiated features of social gender roles. Kanter argued that there are apparent sex differences when there is a product of the differing structural positions of the sexes within the organization. (Eagly & Johnson, 1990) Because women are more often in positions of little power or opportunity, they will behave in ways that reflect their lack of power. Eagly and Johnson concluded that a mete-analysis could provide more insight on leadership styles of males and females. The overall trends showed that women were more concerned with maintenance of interpersonal relationships and task accomplishment. The main difference found was that women tended to adopt a more autocratic or participative style while men the opposite. They tried to make distinctions about the differences in that first, women who have managed to succeed as leaders might have more highly developed interpersonal skills. Another explanation is that women are not accepted as readily as men as leaders and, as a result, have to allow input into their decision-making. Eagly and Johnson’s results are corroborated by other research. Statham also found evidence of two sex-differentiated management styles. He reported that women used a more task-engrossed and person-invested style, while men use a more image-engrossed and autonomy-invested style. (Moran, 1992) In a study focused on gender differences in communication introduces a possible explanation of different approaches. Tannen, the researcher, focused on how men and women had different experiences while growing up which lead to valuing different things. He concluded that men are taught to prize status, independence, and the power of community. All of these values lead men and women to behave in different ways. The field of gender differences in leadership styles is still and area with great questions with out answers. Even with various studies devoted to the topic of gender, there will always be unanswered questions. More and more researchers continue to examine issues regarding any innate differences between leadership styles of males and females. Currently, with the evidence provided, suggests that there are differences in gender leadership abilities and approaches. Although there are minimal differences, there are differences in males and females perspectives on leadership. We can recognize that there are different leaders with different leadership styles, but we cant automatically associate one style to a particular gender. Men and women alike will be faced with challenges and will need to develop the correct leadership styles to become a successful leader. References Daft, R. (2011). The leadership experience. (5e ed., pp. 99-125, 341-344). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Eagly , Alice H. and Johnson, Blair T., â€Å"Gender and Leadership Style: A Meta-Analysis† (1990).CHIP Documents. Paper 11. http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/chip_docs/11 Eagly, A. H., & Johndon, B. T. (1990) Gender and leadership style. Psychological Bulletin 108 (2), 233-256 Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (in press). Explaining sex differences in social behavior: A recta-analytic perspective. Personality and Social Psy-chology Bulletin. Hall, J. A. (1984). Nonverbal sex differences: Communication accuracy and expressive style. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Loden, M. (1985). Feminine leadership or how to succeed in business without being one of the boys. New York: Times Books. Mandell, B., & Pherwani, S. (2003). Relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style: A gender comparison . Springer, Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(3), 387-404.